Is it time to travel to the Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale? The brand new mega-resort Baha Mar is scheduled to open this May in the Bahamas. From Fort Lauderdale, you have five ways to reach the Bahamas by air and five ways to reach the Bahamas by sea.
The Bahamas are a chain of rocks, cays and islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. About 30 of the land masses are large enough to be called islands. A half-dozen of those contain popular vacation spots.
Bimini, the island closest to Florida, is accessible by commercial airlines and a fast ferry. New Providence island, which contains the capital of Nassau, also is easily accessible. Nearly 70% of the population lives on New Providence. Other islands in Bahama that feature direct flights to-and-from Fort Lauderdale include Eluethra, Grand Bahama, Abaco and San Salvador island.
Bahamas By Air
Five airlines, including Jet Blue, offer direct flights between Fort Lauderdale and the Bahamas. Flights to nine Bahamian cities, including Freeport and Bimini, are available.
Jet Blue is the only airline that offers direct flights between Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, and Fort Lauderdale. The carrier just added four more direct flights to Fort Lauderdale, from Pittsburg, Las Vegas, Cleveland and Detroit.
This low-cost carrier, based in Miramar, FL, services the Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America, in addition to the U.S. The carrier flies from Fort Lauderdale to San Salvador, Bahamas, on San Salvador island.
This regional carrier, located in Fort Lauderdale, FL, also operates as United Express out of Washington, D.C. The airline serves about 20 cities in the U.S. and seven cities in the Bahamas, including Bimini, George Town, Freeport, Marsh Harbour, Treasure Cay, North Eleuthra and Governor’s Harbor.
Opened in 2006, this five-plane airlines serves nearly a dozen destinations in the Bahamas. From Fort Lauderdale, the carrier flies to Bimini and Marsh Harbour. The company also operates charter flights.
The national airlines of the Bahamas, this carrier serves 14 destinations in the Caribbean and the U.S. From Fort Lauderdale, the carrier flies to Freeport. The company currently operates eight planes, including three Boeing 737s.
Bahamas By Sea
Four cruise lines make the trip to the Bahamas from Port Everglades, one daily shuttle and three cruise lines. Another fast-shuttle to Bimini, Bahamas, leaves Port Miami on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Seven-night trips out of Fort Lauderdale, each with a stop in Nassau, Bahamas, are available on Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. Oasis heads to the Eastern Caribbean 20 times in 2015, while Allure makes nine Eastern voyages. The two ships also touch Nassau on their Western Caribbean voyages, which they make three times in 2015.
Private Resort: Only one chance to travel to Coco Cay, Royal’s private resort, from Fort Lauderdale in 2015. Navigator of the Seas sails there in November.
Only seven Princess cruises stop in Nassau in 2015: three seven-day cruises, two 14-day cruises, a nine-day cruise and a four-day cruise.
Private Resort: In contrast, more than 50 Princess cruises will make port at Princess Cay, the company’s private resort on Eluethra, in 2015. Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Caribbean Princess and Emerald Princess stop there regularly as part of their seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruises. Those ships also hit Princess Cay nearly 30 times in 2015 on Western Caribbean cruises.
Only a few Celebrity cruises from Fort Lauderdale include a stop in the Bahamas. There are seven four-night cruises in 2015 that stop in Nassau after departing from Port Everglades, which include a stop in Key West. Additionally, three seven-night cruises from Fort Lauderdale in 2015 include Nassau on their itineraries.
While Carnival doesn’t offer Bahamas voyages from Fort Lauderdale, they do sail to the Bahamas from Miami. Three-day trips to Nassau aboard Carnival Ecstasy depart weekly. Also available: Four-day excursions aboard Ecstasy to the Bahamas that include stops in Nassau and Half Moon Cay, Carnival’s private resort.