Judging from its first-day crossing, the high-speed ferry linking Fort Lauderdale with the Bahamas holds promise for speed but faces hurdles on a route long fraught with problems, passengers said.
The Bahamas Express ferry company made Friday’s first passenger trip in three hours each way, with customers asked to arrive at least 90 minutes before the trip and needing at least 30 minutes for immigration processing on arrival. That meant at least five hours from terminal entry to exit each way.
The ferry is faster than the former Discovery Cruise line, which took about five hours just to cross. But some passengers missed the casino, buffet and entertainment that made the hours seem to fly on the aging cruiser that had plied the Freeport route for decades before ceasing operations in September.
Bahamas residents said the ferry was cheaper than flying, and arriving in Fort Lauderdale was more convenient than taking the Celebration cruise to the Port of Palm Beach and driving south to shop.
But the maiden voyage had its glitches. Passengers bristled at slow check-in in the Bahamas, a lack of ice and bottled water for sale on board and the ferry’s duty-free shop not taking credit cards. Most vexing, Bahamians complained about lugging their bags up and down stairs, suggesting the ferry company add more ramps, especially for coolers toted to be filled with frozen foods in Florida.
