Increasingly, the Dominican Republic is positioned as a destination for cruise tourismattracting more than 2 million of visitors under this modality. In parallel, a smaller but equally relevant number of hikers enter Dominican waters aboard a ferry whose operations have built a maritime bridge with Puerto Rico for more than a quarter of a century.
In 1999the Puerto Rican company Caribbean Ferries opened a route to move passengers between the cities of Saint Dominic and Mayagüez, becoming the main sea route to connect both destinations and the only company to offer this type of transportation so far.
As a result, 1,203,930 visitors Puerto Ricans and people from other latitudes have reached the Dominican Republic with the ferryoccupying more than 3,000 ships that have left the Caribbean island for twenty-six years, according to data from the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD).
Thus, some 44,590 passengers have entered the country via ferry every year.
Until November This year, the country welcomed 36,770 passengers on board the ferry for an increase of 20.6% compared to the 30,487 passengers who arrived throughout 2024.
What does it offer?
Unlike a cruise – focused on offering passengers the experience of an all-inclusive hotel on board – ferries are focused on the passenger transport and cargo, offering facilities for the transfer of vehicles and including travel packages.
In the case of Caribbean Ferriesthe company has offered resort stays in Saint Dominic, Puerto Plata and Punta Cana.
Currently, boats leave every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Saint John starting at 6:00 in the afternoon, reaching Saint Dominic on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 8:00 in the morning, respectively. Until November This year, 142 ships called at the port of San Diego.
A ship of Caribbean Ferries has the capacity to 1,750 passengersthe transfer of 70 vehicles and a general load capacity of 1,669 linear meters, traveling at a speed of 25 knots –25 nautical miles or 46.3 kilometers per hour–.
It has passenger lounges, outside cabins and interiors with a maximum capacity for four passengers – seven of them enabled for pets –, cabins for people with disabilities, a la carte restaurants and buffet, entertainment areas, beauty and spa salons and duty free shops.
Is it cheaper than a plane?
As in any international trip, the cost to reserve will depend on the season of the year and what others additional services you want to include which, added to taxes, will determine the final price.
For reference, a boarding ticket round trip in ferry for a single person – leaving from Saint Dominic on June 14, 2026 and returning on Monday, June 22, has a cost of $249 before taxes. The company allows passengers to board with one personal item and up to three suitcases without cost additional.
This price is not far from the 253 dollars On average, what would it cost to travel from an airline like Copa Airlines –although this includes a stopover in Panama– and is 65 dollars cheaper than the 314 dollars that a direct flight with Jet Blue would cost, according to prices estimated by platforms such as Google Flights.
However, the price of ferry is 79 dollars above the $170 that it would cost to make the same trip on a low-cost airline. cost as Arajetaccording to this platform, a ticket whose price would be up to 100 dollars if the basic package is chosen within this airline’s website.
By having a modality focused only on transportation, transportation services accommodation and food They are paid separately, as are services for transporting pets or vehicles.
Depending on the view – exterior or interior – and the number of passengers, a cabin can cost between 65 to 95 dollarswhile a dinner and breakfast combo at the buffet restaurant can cost $58 for adults and $36 for children. Transporting a vehicle, depending on the size and type, can cost from $150 and up.
In this way, if a person decides to take a trip round trip and includes a breakfast and dinner combo, the most economical indoor cabin and vehicle transportation, the cost increases in $747 before taxes for the selected dates.
Demand and ups and downs
Over the years, the ferry has remained as a fixed route for the visitors with relatively stable demand, except for some specific events that came to paralyze their operations.
In its first year, the company transported 25,454 passengers to the port of Saint Dominica figure that continued to rise year after year. In 2007, 82,998 visitors disembarked from their ship, this being the largest number of excursionists that arrived in the country using this transportation route, a year before the company celebrated having transported its 1 millionth passenger in 2008.
The increase of tax rates by those who managed the port of Mayagüez caused the company to suspend the service in April 2010 and resume it in June 2011, after months of waging legal and financial disputes.
By then, Caribbean Ferries incurred an investment of 65 million dollars to relaunch the route aboard the Caribbean Fantasy –from the partner company America Cruise Ferries–, a ship that doubled the capacity of the ship previously used, according to media reports.
Eight months after overcoming the barrier of 50,000 passengers In 2015, the company paralyzed its operations again in August 2016, but this time after a fire in one of its ships a few meters from docking in Saint John.
This fact led the shipping company to renew your fleet for the resumption of its maritime services in 2017, operating until the stoppage of its operations during the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Once back on February 1, 2021, the company has been able operate without interruptions until now.
TO November This year, the company’s ships have moved to 36,770 passengersreports the Central Bank.
On December 4, 2023, the Dominican Government announced that it would begin the rehabilitation of the port of San Pedro de Macorís and the introduction of a maritime route to the Puerto Rican city of Mayagüez through the Spanish company Balearia, making this the second ferry that would leave to and from Puerto Rico.
However, two years after this announcement, the project has not yet started. After being consulted, the director of the Port Authority, Jean Luis Rodríguez, indicated that this project is still in the management and preparation phase prior to the start of operations, which requires waiting for the technical, regulatory and commercial processes that must be approved by the US and Puerto Rican authorities.
“The ferry between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico has demonstrated strong growth in passengers, vehicles, cargo and logistics activity over the last three decades. This progress validates the potential of the new San Pedro – San Juan – Mayagüez project, currently in the process of regulatory compliance,” said Rodríguez.
He indicated that the route between San Pedro and Mayagüez will allow diversifying connectivity, deconcentrating the operation from the capital and generating a relevant economic impact for the province and its surrounding areas.
