By
Adam Lawrence |
A new fast ferry service linking Freeport in the Bahamas with Port Everglades in Florida will start operating on 9 December.
The service, which will be known as Bahamas Express, will take two and a half hours to make the crossing. Using a ferry called Pinar del Rio, the service will be operated by Spanish firm Baleària Group – whose main business is linking the Spanish mainland with the Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza – along with a local partner, Capo Group. The ferry travels at over 30 knots and can accommodate more than 460 passengers and 80 vehicles.
No link between the two ports has been operating since a service run by the Discovery Cruise Line ceased in September after 24 years. The route has long been used by Bahamas residents travelling to Florida for business and shopping, along with Floridians on short-breaks.