Standing in the cruise terminal at Port Everglades with a boarding pass in hand and the Atlantic beyond the jetty, plenty of travelers wonder which of the Bahamas they can actually get to from here. The short answer is that Fort Lauderdale connects to several islands by sea and by air, with a daily ferry, multiday cruises and a handful of scheduled flights.
How do you get from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas?
You can go by sea or by air: a passenger ferry or a cruise ship from Port Everglades, or a scheduled flight from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The two sit side by side, since the airport is located next to the port, which makes it simple to land in one and board in the other.
The Bahamas welcomes visitors on commercial and charter flights, by ferry or cruise line, on private planes and on pleasure craft. For most people leaving Fort Lauderdale, that narrows to three realistic choices: the ferry, a cruise, or a flight to one of the Abaco airports.
By ship from Port Everglades
Port Everglades offers multiday cruise lines and a daily ferry service to the Bahamas. The terminals are divided mostly between two companies. Cruise Terminals 2, 19 and 26 are primarily allocated to Carnival Corporation, while Terminals 18 and 25 are primarily allocated to Royal Caribbean Group. Terminal 29 is shared by Royal Caribbean Group and Carnival Corporation.
Terminal 25 has just been through a major renovation, an investment of over $100 million, and it is home to Celebrity’s Edge, Apex and Beyond. Among the ships sailing from the port, Legend of the Seas is the first Icon-Class ship to sail from Port Everglades, and the three-masted sailing yacht Orient Express Corinthian is new this season. Crystal Symphony is back after a multi-million dollar refit.
At the security checkpoint, cruisers need their cruise documents and a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, ready. Friends or family collecting you after the trip can wait in the free cell phone lot until your party is ready for pickup.
By air from Fort Lauderdale
The Bahamas has 20 international airports, plus dozens of smaller public and private airports. From Fort Lauderdale (FLL), two carriers in our listings serve Great Abaco. Aztec Airways flies to Marsh Harbour every day and to Treasure Cay on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Bahamasair flies to Marsh Harbour on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Tradewind Aviation also links Fort Lauderdale and Stuart, Florida, to Marsh Harbour on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. These are Abaco flights, so they suit a trip built around Marsh Harbour, Treasure Cay and the cays beyond.
| Carrier | From | To | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aztec Airways | Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | Marsh Harbour | Daily |
| Aztec Airways | Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | Treasure Cay | Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays |
| Bahamasair | Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | Marsh Harbour | Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays |
| Tradewind Aviation | Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Stuart (SUA) | Marsh Harbour | Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays |
By private plane or boat
Travelers with their own aircraft or vessel have options too. The Bahamas has near perfect flying conditions for private pilots, with plenty of airports and island landing strips. Boaters can arrive by schooner, powerboat or mega-yacht, which opens up islands far from any ferry dock.
Is there a ferry from Fort Lauderdale?
Yes, Baleària runs a high speed catamaran passenger ferry from Port Everglades to Bimini and to Freeport, and the port describes the service as daily. In the United States the company operates under the name Baleària Caribbean.
The vessel is the HSC Jaume II, operated under Baleària Caribbean. Baleària runs regular international services between Fort Lauderdale and Freeport on Grand Bahama Island, and between Fort Lauderdale and Bimini. Cruise Terminal 21 at Port Everglades is shared by Baleària and Carnival Corporation, so the ferry boards from a terminal that also handles cruise traffic.
Freeport on Grand Bahama
The Freeport route puts you on Grand Bahama, the island of Freeport and Lucaya. It suits a getaway that starts from the Fort Lauderdale waterfront rather than an airport gate, and the whole trip stays at sea level, with nothing to pack into an overhead bin but your own bag. Grand Bahama is also where the State Department points out that most crime on the island occurs in Freeport, so it is a place to use ordinary city sense once you land.
Bimini
The Bimini route lands you on the island closest to Florida. Resorts World Bimini sits on North Bimini Island, 42 miles east of Miami, and is a 750-acre beachfront resort that opened in 2013. Its casino, opened in June 2013, is the only casino on North Bimini, and the resort has the largest marina in the Bahamas.
Older Bimini stories sometimes mention the MS Bimini Superfast, the German-built ship that brought passengers from Miami to Bimini beginning in late June 2013. That service was ultimately discontinued, though several major cruise lines now dock at the resort’s pier. Today the Baleària catamaran from Fort Lauderdale is the ferry link.
Ferries between the islands
Once in the Bahamas, Bahamas Ferries serves routes between islands. One example runs from Nassau on the high-speed M/V Bo Hengy III to Spanish Wells and Harbour Island on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It leaves Nassau at 8:00 a.m., reaches Spanish Wells at 10:10 a.m. and Harbour Island at 11:10 a.m.
| Nassau to Spanish Wells and Harbour Island | Details |
|---|---|
| Days | Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays |
| Check-in | 6:45 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. |
| Departs Nassau | 8:00 a.m. |
| Arrives Spanish Wells | 10:10 a.m. |
| Arrives Harbour Island | 11:10 a.m. |
| Returns from Harbour Island | 3:40 p.m. |
| Arrives Nassau | 6:30 p.m. |
| Adult round trip, including VAT | $257.00 |
Which islands can you reach?
Straight from Fort Lauderdale you can reach Grand Bahama and Bimini by ferry, and Great Abaco by air, with onward connections to many more islands. The Bahamas is an archipelago, so each of these is a separate island with its own character.
Grand Bahama and Bimini by sea
Grand Bahama, with Freeport as its gateway, and Bimini are the two islands the Baleària catamaran serves. Bimini is the shorter hop in distance, while Grand Bahama gives you a larger island with more to explore beyond the port. Bimini’s North Bimini Island is dominated by the Resorts World complex, with its casino and marina, while the rest of the island invites you to wander beyond it.
Great Abaco by air
Great Abaco has two airports served from Fort Lauderdale: Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay. Marsh Harbour has the broader choice, with Aztec Airways, Bahamasair and Tradewind Aviation all flying in. American Airlines also flies daily to Marsh Harbour from Miami and Charlotte, which helps if your plans include another Florida airport.
Other carriers reach Abaco from elsewhere. Air Unlimited flies from Sanford Orlando to both Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. JSX flies to Marsh Harbour from Opa Locka, Dallas and White Plains on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Onward by plane and boat
From Abaco, small domestic flights keep going. LeAir links Treasure Cay with Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands and Mangrove Cay in Andros on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Bahamasair also connects Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Island hopping across the Bahamas works on scheduled and chartered flights, by private boat, or with Bahamas Ferries. From Nassau, Bahamasair flies to Spring Point in Acklins on Saturdays and to Crooked Island on Wednesdays, with a Wednesday link between the two.
Good to know before you go
The U.S. State Department rates the Bahamas Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, and says most crime occurs in Nassau on New Providence and in Freeport on Grand Bahama.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, which covers a good part of the year for sea crossings and flights alike, so keep your plans flexible in those months. Ferry and flight days differ by route, and several services run only on certain days of the week, so match your dates to the days each carrier operates before you fix the rest of your trip.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Everglades), checked October 10, 2026
- Port Everglades, cruise (https://www.porteverglades.net/cruise/), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Baleària (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baleària), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Resorts World Bimini (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resorts_World_Bimini), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Flying to the Bahamas (https://www.bahamas.com/getting-here/flying), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ferries, Your travel (https://bahamasferries.com/your-travel/), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Getting here (https://www.bahamas.com/getting-here), checked October 10, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, The Bahamas Travel Advisory, Level 2 (https://travel.state.gov/), checked October 10, 2026
- NOAA National Hurricane Center, Climatology (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/), checked October 10, 2026
To plan your stay
- Best Time to Visit the Bahamas: Weather, Hurricane Season, Sea Temperatures and Junkanoo
- Things to Do in the Bahamas: Beaches, Blue Holes, Swimming Pigs and Fish Fry
- Where to Stay in the Bahamas: Best Islands, Resorts, Boutique Stays and How to Choose
- Know Before You Go to the Bahamas: Entry Rules, Money, Getting Around and Local Customs