Four months after start-up, the Bahamas Express ferry is running about 70 percent full on trips between Fort Lauderdale and Grand Bahama Island and plans to add a Bimini route by fall, operators say.
But some travelers complain of poor customer service and delays that make a day-trip a dud. They say the ferry works better for multi-day trips.
“When you launch something new, there are always kinks. But we’re working to resolve them and satisfy customers,” said Pilar Lecha, the company’s area manager.
A top challenge: some travelers envision the amenities of the cruise that had plied the route, while others imagine the speed of shorter trips in calmer seas elsewhere, said Lecha.
Bahamas Express touts a 2.5-hour crossing between Port Everglades and Freeport, allowing for a day-trip that leaves Fort Lauderdale at 10 a.m. and returns around 10 p.m.
But with time needed for check-in and for immigration on arrival, many customers say the trip really takes about five hours each way. That leaves little time for a day-tripper to explore Grand Bahama, especially when tourist sites can be a 45-minute drive from the seaport.
Bahamas Express is run by Spanish ferry company Baleària, which operates 21 routes in the Mediterranean. The fare starts at $142 for a day-trip and tops $200 for arrival and departure on separate days. Lauderdale-Freeport airfares usually exceed $300 round-trip.
