Want to get from Miami Beach to Miami without a car? A ferry has started service again
The ability to get from downtown Miami to Miami Beach, and vice-versa, in 15 minutes is possible again in the most Miami of ways.
Along Biscayne Bay.
That’s thanks to the recent relaunch of the Poseidon Ferry service.
On its soft opening on Monday, Aug. 16, the private company whisked about 60 people across Biscayne Bay for its first full day of service since hitting dry dock in January due to the COVID pandemic and permitting, according to Poseidon’s CEO, Jonathan Silvia.
Now that the the cross-bay transportation service is on again, Poseidon executives hope the ride lives up to its lofty name.
Poseidon, of course, in Greek mythology, was the god of the sea.
What this Poseidon adventure is not, however, is a “party boat.” So disabuse those notions of partying all night on South Beach and sailing back to the mainland sloshed in the wee hours as Kool & the Gang’s eternal ear worm “Celebration” pounds across the bay.
The hours of service are mindful, and geared toward, the working class with the last rides departing around 7 p.m. As operations evolve, and more crews are hired, eventually the last ride will leave at 9:30 p.m.
“9:30 is a little late but still early where parties concerned. We want to be respectful of the neighbors,” Silvia said.
“Our mission is to provide safe, reliable and affordable water transportation to residents and guests of Miami-Dade,” Silvia said. The Miami-Miami Beach route was the first to reactivate because ongoing construction on the 395 has cars at gridlock.
“As the years go on and traffic gets a little more intense we wanted this route first to keep things moving. People could take public transportation, like buses, but you’re still stuck in traffic. We might run into traffic on the water for a minute or two versus an hour or two,” Silvia said.
What can you expect on the Poseidon?
The Poseidon Ferry is a 65-foot, 2012 Scarano catamaran ferry with a passenger capacity of 149. The vessel has AC indoors, a full galley, restrooms, televisions and free onboard Wi-Fi.
Don’t expect to leisurely sit through full hour-long episodes of “General Hospital” on any of the TVs, though. This ride is pretty brisk. About 15 minutes each way across Biscayne Bay, Silvia said.
The Poseidon clips along at 22 knots via four outboard Yamaha 300 engines. “It looks fairly funky but is very fuel efficient,” Silvia adds.
Where can you pick up a ride?
On the Miami side, the Poseidon Ferry departs from the James L. Knight Convention Center/Hyatt Regency, 400 SE Second Ave. Tickets will be sold inside the building on the main floor at the Poseidon Ferry ticket window.
On the Miami Beach/South Beach side, the ferry arrives and departs from the south side of the Bentley Bay Marina, 520 West Ave. Tickets are available at the ticket office and onboard the vessel.
If all goes to plan, Silvia envisions future routes could include Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne, sites farther south like Black Point Park and Marina and South Miami-Dade, and also North Miami-Dade, like Aventura.
Hours and ticket cost
The Poseidon Ferry schedule and tickets information is available on its website at poseidonferry.com.
Right now, the first ride leaves at 8 a.m. with hourly departures until 7 p.m. These will increase as demand ramps up and the company can expand its crew of 28. Many staffers were laid off in January and the company is in the process of rehiring, Silvia said. So expect ride service to soon begin at 7 a.m. and maybe 6:30 a.m. as the staff is built up and demand calls for the availability.
Rides range from $4 for seniors and military personnel to $10 for adults. Residents’ one-way fee is $5 and there is a $2 add-on charge if you want to bring your bicycle along.
Poseidon has also partnered with Velocia, a free mobility rewards app.
What about COVID restrictions?
Though Silvia believes the ride service is relaunching at the perfect time because many people are back to work and commuting again and tourism is active, he is mindful that due to the delta variant COVID is also surging in Florida to record daily numbers of cases and hospitalizations.
The capacity is 149 and will likely not fill up to that level per ride right away, so social distancing is possible. The ferry will be sanitized daily and its surfaces wiped frequently after each trip, Silvia said.
“With numbers surging we do recommend that all passengers wear masks and it’s mandatory if you’re not fully vaccinated. We are on the honor system so we hope people take this seriously because it is a huge concern across the world. So we are encouraging people to still wear masks though we are not policing it. We are hoping the public will do the right thing,” Silvia said.
Grand opening free sail
The Poseidon Ferry hosts a grand opening free rides all day lure on Aug. 31, Silvia said, “as a welcome back kind of thing.”
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins are expected to speak at 9 a.m. Aug. 31 at the grand opening launch.
This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
