バリ (セランガン) から ギリ・トラワンガン - ギリ・アイル - ロンボク (バンサル)

I relied heavily on reviews when booking travel accommodations and transportation, including this one-way ferry trip from Lombok to Bali. Because reviews played such an important role in my own decisions, I wanted to write this for others who may be doing the same. My recommendation after making the journey from Lombok to Bali on the BlueWater Express fast ferry is simple: take the airplane. This was one of the scariest travel experiences I have ever had. At one point during the crossing, the waves became very high, and the boat was repeatedly slamming down onto the water. People began screaming and putting on their life jackets, which understandably created even more panic and fear. Having never taken a fast ferry like this before, I had no way of knowing whether people were overreacting or whether their fear was justified. What made the situation worse was that not once during this period did a crew member come through the cabin to explain what was happening, reassure passengers, or tell us whether the conditions were considered normal. I had my two daughters inside with me, while my husband and son had gone outside. At times, water was leaking into the boat. There were moments when it felt as though the boat could tip over, and the force of the boat hitting the waves was so violent that I found myself wondering whether it could withstand the impact. I located the life jackets and put them on my daughters and myself. All I could think about was what I would do if the boat flipped or began taking on water, and how I would get my daughters out of an enclosed cabin in time. Fortunately, this seemed to be limited to one portion of the crossing, where I assume the conditions were at their worst. The remainder of the trip was relatively calm. After things had settled down, crew members came into the cabin and were laughing about the passengers' reactions. Perhaps they knew the boat was never in serious danger, but as a passenger with no experience on this type of vessel, there was no way for me to know that. A few days later, I learned about the ferry that sank in Cyprus, which reinforced for me how serious accidents involving fast ferries can be. BlueWater Express appeared to have one of the better safety records among the companies I researched, which is one of the reasons I chose them. But no matter how good a company's record is, there are never absolute guarantees when traveling by sea. My second recommendation is that if you do choose to take a fast ferry, think carefully about where you sit. After this experience, I personally would not sit inside an enclosed cabin again. If a vessel capsizes or takes on water quickly, getting out of an enclosed area could become extremely difficult. Incidents like the Cyprus ferry disaster also reminded me that, in an emergency, you cannot assume that other passengers will necessarily be able or willing to help you. People may panic, freeze, focus on themselves, or even pull out their phones. Ultimately, you need to think about your own safety and your family's safety ahead of time. That said, I want to be fair to BlueWater Express. I found their car transportation service, ticketing process, and staff service to be very good overall. My main criticism is the lack of communication from the crew during the most frightening part of the crossing. Even a brief explanation or reassurance from an experienced crew member would have made an enormous difference. BlueWater Express does have a good track record, and perhaps the crew members were laughing afterward because, from their perspective, what we experienced was completely normal. But as a passenger, I had no way of knowing that. For me personally, the experience was enough. I will never take a fast ferry again. I simply do not consider the convenience worth the level of risk and fear I experienced while traveling with my family.

Great friendly professional service

We chose BlueWater Express because it is supposed to be one of the better fast boat operators between Bali and the Gili Islands. Unfortunately, our experience did not live up to that reputation. The journey from Serangan to Gili Air was actually quite good. Our hotel pickup was on time, the boat departed on schedule, and the crossing was relatively smooth. We did, however, arrive at Gili Air about 45 minutes later than scheduled. The return journey was a very different experience. We were booked on the 11:50 AM boat from Gili Air, but the boat did not arrive until around 2:30 PM — more than 2½ hours late. During this entire time, there was virtually no useful information. Whenever we asked staff what was happening, we received different answers. What was particularly disappointing was the complete lack of communication and acknowledgement. Once the boat finally arrived and we departed, the staff acted as though everything was running normally. There was no apology and no explanation for such a significant delay. At Padang Bai, we then lost another 30 minutes because there was apparently nowhere for the boat to dock. In the end, we arrived at our destination in Bali approximately four hours later than scheduled. We understand that sea conditions, port congestion and other operational issues can cause delays. That is part of travelling by fast boat. But delays of this magnitude require clear and honest communication with passengers. That was completely lacking. Overall, BlueWater Express came across as disorganized and surprisingly unconcerned about the customer experience. Given its reputation as one of the more professional operators on this route, we expected considerably better.

Well organised friendly service, service and boats much better than other local companies

The beach at the harbour is disgusting, and I wonder if the boat companies could do something about it. The boat itself is good, 3-by-3 seats, film shows on the way and the staff are very friendly and helpful. They call you at each stop and it’s about - 1 hour 30 to the Gili’s depending on which island you’re visiting.

Comfortable boat, professional staff and a very smooth crossing to Gili T! Very punctual, on return journey arrived 30 mins earlier.

Absolutely superb! Service, ride quality and punctuality all perfect. A lovely, smiling team greeted me at their office and boarding was a breeze. AC was a perfect temperature and the crossing was fast and smooth. Staff were great and they showed me the brand new top of the range Volvo engines; of which they were obviously very proud! Thank you Bluewater, I'll definitely sail with you again!

The company damaged both our cases and broke 1 wheel on each bag, we were told unless we signed the paperwork on damage we weren’t allowed to travel even after explaining they were fine before. Another couples bags were left behind and they were made to pay 350,000 to get them sent via boat to the next port even though blue water didn’t load them. The boat was delayed an hour at the middle port and the captain then tried to catch up time in choppy waters making the boat particularly unstable

We were booked at 12pm to leave from Padang bai to Gili T. We got a message at 9pm the night before telling us that the boat was leaving at 8am instead from serangan (a bay which was 1.5 hours drive further away. After we got on the boat, this kept stopping and we just floated for about 30 mins at a time, while being told there was debris. Half way through the trip we were told we had to be diverted to Padang bai (anyway!) to change boats from there to go to Gili T. We were left waiting outside Padang bai for another 30 mins just sitting still while the boat didn’t move. Absolutely unprofessional - what a waste of time and a ridiculous hassle for absolutely nothing! They then told us that we had to wait 1.5 hours for a new ferry to come to take us from Padang to Gili T. Once we got to Gili T, we realised they didn’t pack one of our bags to top it all off and this was lost. Do not recommend this company at all- what a dampen on our trip. A trip that was meant to be 1.5 hours by ferry turned into 6 hours.

Have used this company for two years in a row now and each time it has been brilliant. We used it for both outgoing and return journeys and every time it has been problem free and well organised. The luggage is taken care of where the staff load and unload it. We opted for the pick up service and the driver has always arrived on time. Once on the boat, water and sea sickness tablets are offered and a brief safety talk is given. Will definitely continue to use this company! Thank you Bluewater Express.