How It's Done

Want to cruise to the Bahamas on a real freight boat? It’s not that hard, and anyone can do it. It’s reasonable at $150 per person, one way. A pallet of freight would cost you an extra $50. You will need to declare your freight and there will be a stamp tax and/or duty on it at arrival. I believe you could go to any destination that the boat calls at. That would be Green Turtle Cay, then Marsh Harbor in the Abacos, then Spanish Wells, Eleuthera, and on to Nassau on New Providence. The challenge of it all is that I don’t think you can return to the U.S. on the boat because of port security issues. You would have to return via air travel. One way fares are common practice here, so this is not as big of an obstacle as it might seem. You need a current passport. You also need to prove a place to stay AND your return ticket. The Bahamas wants to be sure that you eventually go home. CASH only for the LEGEND fare. When you are ready, you contact Hubert Bethel at Palm Beach Steamship, since he is the agent. He’ll need your date of birth and passport number and date of sailing. He will need to know about a week in advance. Remember, you need to be flexible. These voyages are subject to the weather, mechanical logistics, and unforeseen circumstances. Nothing here is guaranteed but the adventure itself. I can provide his e-mail contact, or you could just google it. Hertz has an agency in Lake Park that is only a few miles from the port and they were happy to drop us off there. The entrance is off 811, Alternate A1A, on Martin Luther King Boulevard. You don’t use the cruise ship entrance. It is not easy to get into the port itself. You need time. We were fingerprinted, and photographed. You have to be escorted at all times. No pictures may be taken. They are very serious about security. This voyage is most advantageous for passengers with excess baggage or pets. I believe if more people knew how to do it, more would take advantage of it. Tell Mr. Bethel that Dave and Carol on NEW HORIZON sent you.