Balearia Caribbean: 15 years connecting Florida and the Bahamas
In December 2011 a fast ferry left Port Everglades for Freeport and opened a new way to reach the Bahamas from Florida. Fifteen years later, Balearia Caribbean sails from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini and Grand Bahama, has carried more than 1.2 million passengers, and has become one of the everyday links between the United States and the Bahamas, for travelers, for island families and for the cargo that keeps the islands supplied.
Want to be on board for the next 15 years? Check live availability and fares for every Balearia Caribbean sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini and Grand Bahama.
From one route to two
Baleària, the Spanish shipping company based in Dénia, started its Florida operation in December 2011 with a single route: Fort Lauderdale - Freeport. It had already operated to Bimini in 2013, and in 2019 Fort Lauderdale - Bimini became a regular second route.
Today both routes are operated by the fast ferry Jaume II from Port Everglades, Terminal 21. Bimini is about two hours away and Freeport about three. Between the two routes there is a sailing six days a week for most of the year (Bimini on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; Freeport on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), with extra departures in Spring Break, summer and holiday weeks. You can see the full pattern in our article on the 2027 ferry calendar.
More than 1.2 million passengers
- First 10 years (2011-2021): more than 1.1 million passengers and almost 100,000 cargo units, with a customer loyalty rate above 90%, according to Baleària.
- Before the pandemic: the line topped 133,000 passengers in a single year, according to Balearia Caribbean's director, Mario Otero.
- 2020-2021: when the pandemic stopped passenger travel, the ship kept carrying cargo to the islands. Passenger service came back on February 10, 2021.
- 2022: 112,000 passengers, 50% more than in 2021, across 450 sailings.
Adding up those official figures, Balearia Caribbean had carried more than 1.2 million passengers by the end of 2022, and the count has kept growing since. Baleària has not published separate Bahamas figures for later years; the group as a whole carried a record 6.5 million passengers in 2025.
Connecting places and people
For many travelers the ferry is a day trip to a Bimini beach or a long weekend in Freeport, often their first time on a ferry. For Grand Bahama residents, as Balearia Caribbean's director has explained, it is a reliable and easy way to bring their Florida shopping home. And the same crossing carries cargo: Balearia Caribbean runs shipping services from Fort Lauderdale to Freeport and Bimini, kept the islands supplied when the pandemic stopped passenger travel, and moved almost 100,000 cargo units in its first decade. That mix of tourism, everyday travel and supply is what turned a single route into a real bridge between South Florida and the northern Bahamas.
Caribbean expansion: taking longer than planned
Baleària's plans in the Caribbean go beyond the Bahamas. In January 2024, at the FITUR tourism fair in Madrid, it presented a new route between San Pedro de Macorís (Dominican Republic) and Mayagüez (Puerto Rico): a daily service of about seven hours, with an investment of over $100 million and a ship powered by natural gas. Operations were planned for late 2024, but in October 2024 the start was postponed. In March 2026 the Dominican consul in Mayagüez said everything was ready and that only a federal permit was pending. Baleària's 2025 results, released in February 2026, gave no start date. We follow it closely in our post on the new Mayagüez - San Pedro ferry.
I Love Ferry: more than 10 years on this crossing
I Love Ferry has been part of this story for more than 10 years, working alongside Balearia Caribbean and helping thousands of passengers every year cross from Florida to the Bahamas. In 2023 Baleària recognized that work with the Balearia Caribbean Rookie 2022 award.
Our goal has always been the same: to make booking a Bimini ferry or a ferry to Grand Bahama quick and easy. Year after year we have improved our booking tools: a calendar that only shows real sailing days, up to nine passengers in one booking, taxes and fees shown before you pay, Ferry + Hotel packages and a ferry alerts page with every schedule or terminal change. And because many of our customers start their trip in Miami, we explain step by step how to get from Miami to the Bahamas by ferry.
Happy 15th anniversary, Balearia Caribbean. See you on board.
Frequently asked questions
When did Balearia Caribbean start sailing to the Bahamas?
In December 2011, with the Fort Lauderdale - Freeport route. Bimini became a regular route in 2019.
How many passengers has Balearia Caribbean carried?
More than 1.2 million by the end of 2022, according to Baleària's official figures. No later Bahamas-only total has been published.
Is there a ferry from Miami to the Bahamas?
The ferry leaves from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, about 30 miles north of downtown Miami. Our Miami to Bahamas ferry guide explains how to get there.
Sources: Baleària press releases on its 10 years in the Bahamas (December 2021), the resumption of passenger service (February 2021) and its 2025 results (February 2026); Baleària blog interview with Mario Otero; Caribbean Journal (March 2023); El Nuevo Día (October 2024); El Globo Independiente (March 2026).
