Step By Step Guide: Cebu Bohol Ferry Booking & Onboarding
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The Cebu Bohol Ferry is the most common way for locals and tourists alike to travel to the island. With the popularity of the route, there are over 10 ferry rides per day in both directions. Also, booking online is now compared to my last visit to Bohol in 2019.
However, I hardly find any website detailing the step-by-step guide for booking and, most importantly, onboarding. Due to that, I almost missed my ferry despite being 2 hours earlier. For that, I find there is a need to cover everything from the ferry overview to the onboarding procedures at both Cebu and Bohol piers, ensuring you’re fully prepared for your journey.
Whether you’re heading from Cebu to Bohol or returning from Bohol to Cebu, this article has you covered with practical advice and essential details.
🛥️ Book Your Cebu Bohol Ferry Ticket Here:
Klook: Most Recommended ✅ because it offers instant confirmation, same-day booking, and all 13 timeslots of Oceanjet
Agoda: At the time of writing, it is the cheapest option, but needs to be booked 3 days in advance for Oceanjet
12Go: It has booking options for both Oceanjet and SuperCat
KKday: It also requires 3 days in advance booking for Oceanjet, so use it as a backup option for price checking
The Best Way To Have Both Experiences In Cebu & Bohol
The ferry journey between Cebu and Bohol is around 2 hours. It has over 20 time slots per day. If you are planning an itinerary that covers both Cebu and Bohol, this is a must route that you will take.
Cebu Bohol Ferry Overview
If you are looking for a vacation in Bohol, then the right route is from Cebu Pier 1 to Tagbilaran Pier. This is the most frequently used route for transiting to the Panglao peninsula (where Alona beach and other tours are located).
The Cebu to Bohol ferry route is operated by two reputable companies: OceanJet and SuperCat. Both offer reliable services connecting Cebu City to Tagbilaran City in Bohol, a popular route for travelers exploring the Philippines. The boat ride is around 2 hours, regardless of which operator you choose.
Schedules & Price
OceanJet operates around 13 daily trips, typically starting as early as 5:10 AM and running until around 6:40 PM. There are three ticket classes, including “open air”, “tourist class”, and “business class”. Open air and tourist class have the same price, while business class is almost double the tourist class price. Usually, tourist class will do, business class is on the second floor deck with a more spacious seat. You don’t want to choose an open-air class, especially during the hot summer. The price range is ~ 800 PHP (~14 USD) to ~1600 PHP (~ 28 USD).
SuperCat has fewer trips than OceanJet; it starts around 6:30 am with 7 rides a day. The last ride is around 5:25 pm. The price range is ~ 800 PHP (~ 14 USD) to ~ 1,200 PHP (~ 21 USD). There are two classes for the tickets, namely tourist class and business class.
Booking Of Cebu Bohol Ferry Ticket
I highly recommend you to book the ferry ticket online. Buying a ticket on site is doable, but you will experience a super long queue, and most of the seats are usually fully booked. I took a photo of the long queue for you to feel the potential pain.
With the popularity of the route, most of the reputable third-party platforms offer ticket booking, like Klook, KKday, 12Go, and even Agoda. I used Klook during my visit for departure to Bohol and return to Cebu, because it offers instant confirmation and same-day booking. With that, it can flexibly adjust my itinerary. By pre-booking online, you can skip the long queue and enter the pier directly, saving tons of time.
These platforms allow you to book your Cebu to Bohol ferry in advance, saving time and stress.
🛥️ Book Your Cebu Bohol Ferry Ticket Here:
Klook: Most Recommended ✅ because it offers instant confirmation, same-day booking, and all 13 timeslots of Oceanjet
Agoda: At the time of writing, it is the cheapest option, but needs to be booked 3 days in advance for Oceanjet
12Go: It has booking options for both Oceanjet and SuperCat
KKday: It also requires 3 days in advance booking for Oceanjet, so use it as a backup option for price checking
Pre-booking Ferry Ticket To Save Time
I used Klook to book Cebu Cebu-Bohol ticket during my last visit. It is not the cheapest, but it offers instant confirmation and same-day booking. It allows me to be flexible, on my itinerary which is very important for Cebu / Bohol vacation planning.
Onboarding Walkthrough Cebu Pier Side
The Cebu-Tagbilaran Pier (Bohol) departure location is Cebu Pier 1. I got quite confused at first because there are multiple ports in Bohol. With some research, I learned that Tagbilaran is the one to go to connect to Panglao Island (where all tourist icons are located).
It is within 15 minutes walking distance, if you are staying at a hotel in the downtown central area, like Colon Street. If you have sufficient time (at least 2 hours before departure), I recommend taking a local Jeepney to Pier 1 for approximately 15 PHP (~0.5 USD) per person. Just ask the driver whether it heads to Pier 1/Oceanjet, then hop on this must-try experience. Alternatively, you can also hail a Grab to the pier.
In case you arrive at Cebu pier 1 early, I would recommend that you have a snack at the Jolibee nearby to enjoy the air conditioning. Or else you can pay a visit to “Fort San Pedro,” a colonial fortress nearby.
Checking In At Cebu Pier 1 Terminal:
Once you arrive the Terminal 1, follow the few steps.
- Pay the Terminal Fee: At Cebu Pier 1, the fee is PHP 25, payable at a designated counter before entering the terminal. There is an exchange counter nearby, in case you don’t have PHP in cash.
- Security Check: Expect a standard luggage and bag inspection similar to airport procedures.
- Redeem Your Ticket: After security, head to the OceanJet or SuperCat counter to exchange your online booking voucher for a physical boarding pass. This step is crucial and often overlooked—don’t skip it! I was only aware of this step last minute when I almost Missed My Ferry!
- Get on the ferry and sit according to the number assigned.
Facilities At Cebu Pier 1 Terminal:
There are multiple restaurants and souvenir stores in the departure halls. So even if you arrive early, like 1 hour before, you can still keep yourself busy. As for the price, surprisingly, they are almost the same as those in the city centers. For example, a made-in-Philippines Bohol T-shirt was ~ 299 PHP ( ~ 5 USD) at Islandsouvenirs (a local chain souvenir shop).
The terminal has free toilets, and there are also local vendors to provide a quick shoulder massage at a cheap price.
🛥️ Book Your Cebu Bohol Ferry Ticket Here:
Klook: Most Recommended ✅ because it offers instant confirmation, same-day booking, and all 13 timeslots of Oceanjet
Agoda: At the time of writing, it is the cheapest option, but needs to be booked 3 days in advance for Oceanjet
12Go: It has booking options for both Oceanjet and SuperCat
KKday: It also requires 3 days in advance booking for Oceanjet, so use it as a backup option for price checking
Redeeming the ticket at counter
Pre-booking the tickets online can help you to skip the long queue and secure the tickets in advance. However, you will need to redeem the ticket inside the terminal at the respective ferry company counter. Only at the moment will you be assigned a seat. So don’t forget this point.
From Tagbilaran (Bohol) Pier To Panglao
From the Bohol Port to Panglao (Alona Beach), I had to ride a taxi during my last visit. After alighting the ferry, you just need to walk along the crowds to exit the terminal. There is a waiting area with a water dispenser. I tried to hail a Grab ride there, but in vain.
Based on my experience, it seems the best way to get from the pier to Alona Beach is via taxi, which costs around 500 PHP (~ 8 USD) for a ~ 30-minute ride.
Onboarding Tagbilaran Bohol Side
Follow a similar route, you can book a taxi back to Tagbilaran Pier for around ₱500. There are several taxis available at Panglao, so it’s not hard to find one. Unlike Cebu Pier 1, there are not many attractions outside the Pier except for one 7-Eleven just near the entrance. However, at the departure hall, there are ways more affordable restaurants, shakes, and souvenirs to offer. So I would recommend that you just skip it.
Checking In Tagbilaran Terminal:
Once you arrive at the terminal, follow the steps.
- Pay the Terminal Fee: At the entrance, the fee is PHP 30, payable at a designated counter before entering the terminal. There is no exchange counter nearby, so remember to have sufficient cash in advance
- Redeem Your Ticket: Unlike Cebu Pier, the Oceanjet & SuperCat counter is before the security check. It is very visible, so I suppose you wouldn’t miss it.
- Security Check: Expect a standard luggage and bag inspection similar to airport procedures.
- Enjoy the facilities in the departure hall and get on the ferry accordingly
Facilities At Tagbilaran Terminal:
Similar to Cebu Pier 1 departure hall, you will find restaurants, souvenir shops, massage shops, and toilets here. Unlike Cebu Pier 1, I find the shops here are a lot more amazing. For example, I found a juice shops that offer the best-priced coconut shake. It also offers other exotic options like carrot and cucumber ice-shakes. Also, the massage shop here is operated by blind people. So by arriving at the terminal early like me, not only does it prevent you from missing the ferry, but it also provides great enjoyment staying in the departure hall.
🛥️ Book Your Cebu Bohol Ferry Ticket Here:
Klook: Most Recommended ✅ because it offers instant confirmation, same-day booking, and all 13 timeslots of Oceanjet
Agoda: At the time of writing, it is the cheapest option, but needs to be booked 3 days in advance for Oceanjet
12Go: It has booking options for both Oceanjet and SuperCat
KKday: It also requires 3 days in advance booking for Oceanjet, so use it as a backup option for price checking
The Best Cebu Bohol Transit
I took the ferry both from Cebu to Bohol and from Bohol to Cebu. It allowed me to spend most of my time on Bohol for the water activities like Sardine Storm and island tours. While I still have 2 or 3 days to cover the Cebu icons within walking distance.
Cebu Bohol Ferry Makes A Great Itinerary Possible
The most common pain point for planning a week’s vacation in Cebu or Bohol is whether we should give up Cebu for Bohol or vice versa. The frequent ferry route allows me to spend most of my time on Bohol for diving, sardine storm, fireflies, whale sharks, and other tours. At the same time, I can also cover the experiences in Cebu, even for a short stay. Not to mention, it is more affordable to land at Cebu airport than at Panglao airport (fewer flights are more expensive).
As convenient and popular as the route is, I almost missed my ride during my last visit. So I hope you can have a smooth journey with the information I provide.
