4.5 here....the ferry was really great. From the reservation to getting on, to the actual ride... There was live entertainment in the Forchu Lounge! There were movies - both a kid friendly and an adult(ish) movie. You could sit out back and watch the massive wake, you could sit inside. Seats were comfortable. The upper vehicle deck attendant was especially nice because I was traveling with animals and she checked on them and found me to tell me they were ok! I've never left them in a car for 3 1/2 hours by themselves on a vessel before... it was a new thing. They did great! (well, apparently, one gets sea sick, I learned , not too bad, but was fine once we landed in Nova Scotia) There was food, although not great and also could not pay with an American Express card. A very common internationally used credit card, also an American ferry/ship, and can't use AMEX?? I booked my ticket with AMEX but couldn't buy food on board with it. That's kinda weird. So I'm knocking off the 1/2 star for that. Although I'm giving a full 5 for the review because this was a convenient and quicker way to get to Nova Scotia. And I'd totally do it again. read more

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The CAT Ferry is a car/passenger ferry that navigates between Bar Harbor, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in about three and a half hours. It's a huge savings in time (and perhaps money, too). If you book early, as we did, you get substantial discounts, and that's worth doing. The ferry leaves from Bar Harbor at 3 p.m. daily and from Yarmouth at 9:30 a.m. Remember to add an hour when going from DST in the states to Atlantic time in NS. The ferry is remarkably comfortable, with this caution: it is made of relatively lightweight construction which can result in more movement than might be expected while crossing the Gulf of Maine. Bottom line: one of our party got sick coming and going, partly because seas were running nearly 7 feet on the return journey, almost high enough to force cancellation. We're happy to report members of the crew are friendly experts at helping those who do have issues, and we found that when we reached shore all the sickness disappeared. It's not a bad idea to take some motion pills before you depart. As mentioned, on board is pretty comfy. There's lots of seats forward and aft (and in the middle), snack bars with modest but kind of pricey sandwiches and pastries, movies, and spaces on seats where passengers can lay down and rest or doze. Bingo games go on, there's decent wi-fi, and weather permitting it's fun to walk the outside decks or watch the ferry's gorgeous churning wake. Loading the cars is quick, unloading not so much. In Yarmouth, it took just about 75 minutes to clear customs in our car because there were only two Canadian border agents around. It was much better coming back to Bar Harbor where three US customs agents moved cars much more quickly. read more

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Ferry was on time, had entertainment, food, and many seating areas. My only complaint is the lack of customs/immigration agents once we got to Nova Scotia. The wait to get to an agent was almost as long as the ferry ride. Bad service, Canada. read more

EFFECTIVE JUNE 2016: The CAT Ferry will resume service between Nova Scotia and Maine, replacing the NovaStar Ferry (2014-2015). Reservations are being accepted at http://www.ferries.ca/thecat/ The CAT Ferry operates between Yarmouth, NS and Maine (Bar Harbor & Portland). This high speed catamaran with cruising travel speeds between 38-46 MPH can transport up to 250 vehicles, 14 RVs/buses and 775 passengers to/from Bar Harbor in 3 hours and Portland in just under 6 hours. We booked reservations for The CAT Ferry (one way) from Yarmouth to Portland and got some discount rates for booking early enough and online ($10 web discount) at http://www.catferry.com a subsidiary of Bay Ferries Ltd based in Charlottetown, PE. CAA/AAA Discounts are also offered for round trips. The cost for two passengers and one vehicle came out to $303 one way. The Sunday ferry departure time from Yarmouth was at 4:00 PM (Atlantic Time) and ferry arrival time in Portland was at 8:45 PM (Eastern Time). We arrived at the terminal around 3:00 PM and vehicles (mostly MA/NH/NY plates) were lined up along Water Street entering the security gate. We were asked to present passports & tickets, answer questions as we entered the gate. We were given a US Customs declaration form to fill out for later. Vehicles line up accordingly and you drive your own vehicle onto the boat. Above the vehicle/cargo holding areas, is the large passenger area of one level consisting of several lounge, snack bars, restaurant, casino, duty free gift shop, and outside observation area in the back of the boat (smoking area). Each of the lounges has comfortable seating and showed various programming such as CTV, CBS (sports/news), cartoons, and movies such as Chronicles of Narnia, Maid of Honor, Indiana Jones, High School Musical 2, Wild Hogs, and Kung Fu Panda. All purchases on the boat are TAX FREE in US Dollars, $10 credit card minimum/no debit. You are allowed to bring your own food onboard. The food served on the boat is pretty generic (Sysco food products). The front and back snack bars offers popcorn, hot dogs, chips, sandwiches, muffins, yogurt, pizza, and drinks (including alcohol, Pepsi products, and Starbucks Coffee) and the center cafeteria style restaurant offers chili, chicken dinners, soups, chowder, salads, sandwiches, and drinks. The prices are fair; a large soda was $1.75, pizza slice was $3.00, and hot dog & chips was $2.95. The casino has slot machines (2 or 3 tokens to play) and video poker. The small gift shop offers souvenirs, candies, food, and gifts from Nova Scotia & Maine plus duty free liquor, cigarettes, and jewelry. I spent a good deal of time on the outside back observation deck, using my binoculars to whale watch, scan the Maine coast (I saw Monhegan Island at sunset), and watching the waves & foam from the boat. When the boat was docking at Portland, vehicle passengers were instructed to return to their vehicles below and foot passengers assembled in the center lounge. Vehicles drove off the boat in waves and there were five long vehicle lines for the US Customs, which took us 90 minutes to clear, ouch! I left enough fuel in my car for idling when I left Nova Scotia (gas was over $5/gallon) with the intention of tanking up in Maine where gas is a lot cheaper. Overall, The CAT Ferry provides quick water transportation between Nova Scotia and Maine, which is a time saver if you don't feel like driving hundreds of kilometers/miles back all the way around through Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Northern Maine. The ride was mostly smooth with a few rocking bumps along the way. However the ferry is VERY PRICEY, especially for large families. Personally, I would recommend using The CAT Ferry for one way travel between Yarmouth/Bar Harbor and drive to/from Canada/USA by land via Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The few hours of extra driving for larger groups can save hundreds of dollars. In 2010-2015 seasons, there was no CAT Ferry service between Yarmouth and Portland. read more

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The not-so-fast Cat took longer than if we'd driven and was less comfortable. One of the four engines is out, so the trip is 6.5 instead of 5.5 hours (which we were not notified of in advance). There's only minimal space to be outdoors. No WiFi. The boat rocks and rolls even in calm weather. Food is just okay, not vegan-friendly. The Cat's crew & staff are super nice. I imagine that on a clear, beautiful day in very calm conditions, this could seem like a magical trip. For us, it was too many hours and too much hassle during our vacation. We wouldn't take the Portland-Yarmouth ferry again. On the plus side, Bay Ferries' customer service is responsive and helpful. We had round-trip tickets and were able to switch to the ferry from Digby, NS to Saint John, NB. What a difference! It's only two hours across on a much more comfortable boat. The Fundy Rose has ample outdoor seating and services. And we didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn to get across. This will be the way we go from now on. read more

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It was nice. Yeah, they have a newer boat that cuts across from Nova Scotia to Maine, they have entertainment, food, ect.. on board. you can go outside for fresh air. I can't complain. Its not like a cruise or anything though, just away to get from one side to the other, but if I needed to cross the Gulf of Maine again I would use them. read more

Bay Ferries - The Cat - Travel Services Near Me - Yarmouth, Nova Scotia

First. BE THERE EARLY. We got to the Yarmouth terminal at about 7:50 for a 9:30 trip. We got on board no problem. They left Yarmouth 25 minutes early at 9:05. From what I understand, if you are there by about 8:30 they close the gates and you're not getting on board. Be warned!! I don't mind leaving early as it gets me to where I want to go ahead of time. I SUSPECT there was a reason to leave early. Read on. Second. The trip was comfortable and fast. The Cat averaged 33mph and it was a 3.5 hour crossing to Bar Harbor, ME USA. The chairs were very comfortable and the boat wasn't too crowded. Snacks were available (although a hot dog costs $8). The ship was clean and crew on-board were very polite. They knew how to load and unload the ferry ... no problems there. NOW.... my wife and I ended up being in about the last 20 or so vehicles to exit the ferry. In front of us was US CUSTOMS. We were sitting on the ramp (over the water) coming from the ferry. It was a metal grate so I sat there with my brakes on.... on.... on..... finally the hybrid Toyota said "get your foot off the brake" and flashed a brake battery warning sign at me. So I put the car in park. There were two lanes coming down the ramp from the boat going into two lanes going through customs. I guess the customs people decided they needed to get the rest of the cars off the ferry (us being one) so they opened a third lane at customs. The right lane coming from the ferry was directed by the people on the ground to split into two (half going to Customs lane 2 and half going to Customs lane 3). We were in the left lane and we just sat and waited to go through Customs Lane 1. And we sat and waited. We watched as the cars going through Lanes 2 and 3 moved along fairly well (not great but each of those lanes was moving faster than lane 1). We finally got down on solid ground and continued to wait. I noticed that people were jumping from the lane going to Customs Lane 1 to the other lane. I woman driving a SUV was confused and just sat in the lane going to Customs lanes 2 and 3. So me, and a couple of cars behind me passed her and got into the lane going to Customs lane 2 and 3. ONE HOUR after getting to Bar Harbor we got the customs window...."got any fruit, vegetables, weapons? No? Welcome Back the USA.... all of 30 seconds. So why was Customs Lane 1 going so slow? Our 3 1/2 hour crossing became 4 1/2+ hours due to US Customs! Maybe they left Yarmouth early because they knew that it would take a long time to completely unload the boat due to slow US Customs???? They need to get the ferry ready for the trip back to Yarmouth. read more

Taking the CAT has been on my list of things to do since I moved to Portland Maine. The experience was lovely. The crew was very nice, helpful and professional. I took my car and dog. The crew member could see I was nervous about the dog being alone for so long and promised to visit with him through the ride. On the way back I was late to the boarding and the company called me on my way and assisted me with finding the ferry. On board are 3 lounges with a variety of snacks and beverages. My gorgeous trip to Nova Scotia began and ended with a very comfortable time on the CAT and their superior customer service. read more

The CAT ferry between Portland Me and Yarmouth NS is alive and well . We took it as part of our Motorcycle trip to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. It leaves early afternoon from Portland and gets into Yarmouth after 10 pm . It's advisable to have lodging right in Yarmouth because sometimes Customs can take longer. Being on the bike we came off the ferry first and got through right away. The travelers in cars had a longer wait to get off the ferry. Great thing about the ferry it shaves off a big chunk of time coming from NJ. It allowed us to get to Cape Breton and do the Cabot trail. We stayed at the Best Western in Yarmouth . It was fine. read more

Great way to end a vacation in Cape Breton and return home to Maine. Friendly crew, efficient loading, smooth sailing and even cappuccino on board. Enjoyed watching families play games provided through the bursar's office while also reading a good book. Saw dolphins, lots of sea birds, no whales this time. read more

The Cat was an amazing ship. The speed was unbelievable, dizzying even, It flew across the water, unimpeded by rudder or propellers. It disgorged the equivalent of an Olympic pool's worth of water every minute. Too bad it was not viable. Another victim of Peak Oil. read more

Terrible experience with the CAT ferry from Yarmouth to Portland. We were using the ferry to get to a wedding on Long Island, but the ferry crossing was delayed so severely that we missed the wedding. On both ends, we arrived over 3 hours past when we expected, and then had over an hour of wait time at customs, putting us in to our destinations well after intended. With very small children in tow, this was a major problem. We were not notified of any delays ahead of our trip, and were therefore not able to make alternate plans. Would not use this service again, and have recommended to friends and family members planning to use this service that they cancel their reservation. read more

BE FOREWARNED. When the Ferry Company says be at the terminal 1 hour prior to scheduled departure they mean it and they feel that it is their prerogative to leave anytime in that hour prior to the listed departure time. We arrived 45 minutes prior to the scheduled departure but the gates were closed and the ramp to the CAT was already pulled up. The boat left the terminal at 7:55 -- over 1/2 hour prior to scheduled departure. The representative at the terminal told us that it was at his discretion to leave early in order to run the engine slower and save fuel. He actually said that. It's not as if we arrived 5 minutes or even 15 minutes before scheduled departure time. No one at the terminal or on the boat was inconvenienced other than we were, and another traveler who pulled up to the gate in his RV a few minutes after we arrived. We made our reservations over a month ago and intentionally stayed overnight locally in order to make the boat. Yes, they were conciliatory, and fully refunded our ticket price, and paid for our tickets on the next ferry from Digby to St.John --which we were barely able to make, given slow truck traffic on route. But, this was too little and too late. This set us back over 10 hours for additional driving time to our final destination with consideration for rest stops for our pets and ourselves. This absolutely ruined the end of our vacation. read more

We took the ferry in July 2018 from Yarmouth to Portland. The hotels in Yarmouth have really started to jack up the rates if you stay there the night before. We arrived in an hour and a half before departure and it was smooth. However there are no restroom facilities during that wait so be advised. Also, when they tell you there are high waves and to take Dramamine, do it. I have been on a cruise, a catamaran in Alaska, a lobster boat, and I still felt very nauseous during this ride. The staff was helpful and suggested I get some ginger drops at the store on the boat which was helpful. Also, if you feel ill sitting in the back of the boat is better. The ride was fine. It does take a while to get off and entry through customs took almost an hour. You should plan on about eight hours for this trip total. It is still a savings from driving 13 to 15 hours down the coast. The boat itself is very clean and no issues with that. Food is available. There are movies as well. The seating has lots of legroom. Seats are not assigned but unless it is full there is plenty of room to sit wherever you want. The seats recline and are comfortable. It is not like sitting in an airplane where you are cramped and crowded. read more

My husband and I needed to get to Portland, Maine from Halifax, BC. We found the affordable Cat Ferries and were very pleased. The only problem was that the google site told us it left from Halifax, however, the day before boarding we discovered that we could not board from Halifax but had to get to Yarmouth, three hours away. After a few hours of panic, we found a taxi that could take us down for $500.00, half the price of air fare and we would be dropped off at the pier. We arrived an hour early and we were welcomed at the Ferry office then escorted by a tram to the ship. This turned out to be one of the highlights of our vacation! The ship had very comfortable seats, one young mother was traveling with her two young daughters and she sat in a "u" shaped area where the girls slept through much of the ride. My husband is retired from the Navy and he was quite impressed with the ship because it was a Naval vessel. It was super clean, the attendants were friendly and helpful, the ferry had two theatre areas that showed two movies on a large sized movie screen with comfortable theatre seats. I was able to relax by reading a book and taking a nap. Snacks were available throughout the ride along with a gift shop. If we ever get another chance, we will definitely take the Cat Ferry again! read more