Two operators carry almost all the daily traffic between Cebu and Bohol. OceanJet runs fast craft to Tagbilaran in about 2 hours, with a first sailing around 05:10 and a last one around 18:40, for a tourist class ticket quoted between 880 and 920 PHP in August 2026. Lite Ferries runs the slow, cheap RORO to Tubigon from a different Cebu terminal, from 396 PHP.
The decision that actually costs you time is not the operator. It is the Bohol port you land at, because the road that follows adds anything from forty minutes to two and a quarter hours to your day.
Which ferry runs between Cebu and Bohol?
Two companies split this crossing with opposite philosophies. One sells speed and frequency, the other sells volume and a low price.
OceanJet, the fast craft to Tagbilaran
OceanJet runs air-conditioned fast catamarans out of Pier 1 in Cebu City. Tagbilaran is its main Bohol route, with departures running from early morning to early evening. Sources quoted between 11 and 16 daily sailings in August 2026, which tells you more about how often the grid changes than about any fixed frequency.
Tickets go through the official OceanJet site, which also posts its sailing advisories when the weather turns. One thing worth knowing before you plan around a vehicle: OceanJet fast craft carry passengers only, never cars or motorbikes.
Lite Ferries and the slow boats to Tubigon
Lite Ferries, operated by Lite Shipping, runs RORO vessels, the ramp-loading type that takes vehicles and cargo alongside passengers. Its Cebu to Tubigon line leaves from Passenger Terminal 2 (Pier 3), a few hundred metres north of Pier 1. Departures were listed every three hours around the clock in mid-2026, starting at 01:00.
Timings for this route are the least stable figure on the page. Operator listings gave 2 hours in mid-2026, while several travel guides still quote 3 hours. Schedules and fares sit on the Lite Shipping page at Barkota, the company’s own booking platform.
Fast craft or RORO: what the hull changes
The fast craft is quick but slams in a swell, and it stays closed with the air conditioning at full blast. The RORO is slow, rolls less, and lets you sit outside. If you get seasick, the cheaper boat is also the kinder one.
The RORO is the only option if you are moving a scooter or a car between the islands. That single constraint decides the choice for a lot of people before price ever comes into it.
OceanJet fast craft take passengers only. If you are bringing a scooter or a car to Bohol, the RORO to Tubigon is not the cheap alternative, it is the only one.
Cebu to Bohol ferry schedules and fares
Below are the readings taken on 16 August 2026. Treat them as an order of magnitude for planning, then confirm your own date on the operator booking engine.
Departures from Cebu to Tagbilaran
Tagbilaran is the busiest of the three ports and the one with the widest service window. First sailings were quoted between 05:10 and 07:00 depending on the source, and last sailings around 18:30 to 18:40.
The crossing takes about 2 hours. Fares in August 2026 landed in these bands.
| Class | Fare read in August 2026 |
|---|---|
| Tourist / open air | 880 to 920 PHP |
| Business | 1 320 to 1 450 PHP |
| Terminal fee, cash at pier | about 25 PHP |
Departures from Cebu to Getafe and Tubigon
Getafe sits on the north east coast of Bohol and is the fastest crossing of the three, at roughly 1 h 15 to 1 h 30. OceanJet listed four daily departures in August 2026, around 06:30, 10:00, 13:30 and 18:45, with fares spread between 585 and 1 040 PHP by class.
Tubigon, on the north west coast, is the cheap door. Lite Ferries listed economy at 396 PHP, tourist class at 468 PHP and business at 540 PHP, roughly half to a third of the Tagbilaran fare.
Why the published fares keep moving
Philippine ferry fares are not fixed for a season. Operators applied fuel surcharges more than once during 2026, and aggregator pages update at their own pace, which is why two sites can show a 40 PHP gap on the same route on the same day.
The practical consequence is simple. Budget the top of the range, carry the difference in cash, and never treat a fare you read in a guide as a quote.
Which Bohol port should you land at?
This is where most itineraries lose half a day. The three ports are not interchangeable, and the right one depends entirely on where you are heading once you step off the boat.
Tagbilaran, the default for Panglao and Loboc
Tagbilaran City port sits about 30 to 40 minutes from the Panglao beaches by road, and it is the natural entry point for the Loboc river and the Chocolate Hills circuit. It also has the most sailings, so a missed boat costs you an hour rather than half a day.
Unless you have a specific reason to land elsewhere, this is the port to book.
Getafe and Tubigon, an hour saved at sea
Getafe wins on water and loses on land. The crossing is the shortest of the three, but the drive down to Panglao runs roughly two hours, so the total door-to-door time is longer than via Tagbilaran.
Tubigon has the same geometry with a cheaper ticket. It makes sense if you are watching the budget closely, if you are moving a vehicle, or if you are heading for the north west of the island rather than the beaches.
Anda and the south east: the maths flips
If your first night is at Anda or Ubay, in the far south east, the calculation reverses. Getafe puts you materially closer than Tagbilaran, and the short crossing stops being a false economy.
This is the one case where the fastest boat is also the fastest journey.
Booking and boarding
Booking online is worth it in high season and around Philippine public holidays, when the mid-morning Tagbilaran sailings fill. Outside those windows you can usually buy at the counter on the day.
At the pier in Cebu, and how early to arrive
Operators ask for 60 minutes before departure, and 60 to 90 minutes is the realistic figure at Pier 1 in the morning. You need that time for three separate steps.
- Ticket collection or purchase at the counter, which is a different queue from boarding.
- The terminal fee, paid in cash, at its own window.
- Security and the walk to the berth, which is longer than it looks at Pier 1.
Pier 1 and Passenger Terminal 2 are not the same building. If you have booked Lite Ferries and turned up at Pier 1, you have a walk of a few hundred metres and a good reason to have left early.
When the coast guard suspends departures
The Philippine Coast Guard can suspend sailings when the sea state deteriorates, and it does so several times a year on this strait. It is not a commercial decision and no amount of asking at the counter changes it.
Two things follow from that. Never plan a same-day international connection out of Cebu on the back of a morning ferry, and check the operator advisory page the evening before during the June to November window.
- Suspensions are usually lifted within the day, so the practical cost is hours rather than a night.
- Refund and rebooking rules differ by operator, and the counter that sold you the ticket is the one that handles it.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Cebu to Bohol ferry?
About 2 hours to Tagbilaran on OceanJet fast craft, and roughly 1 h 15 to 1 h 30 to Getafe. The Tubigon RORO was listed at 2 hours by the operator in mid-2026, though several guides still quote 3 hours.
Do you need to book the Cebu to Bohol ferry in advance?
In high season and around Philippine public holidays, yes, particularly for mid-morning Tagbilaran sailings. Outside those periods the counter on the day is usually enough, given how many rotations run.
How much is a Cebu to Tagbilaran ticket?
Between 880 and 920 PHP in tourist or open air class as read in August 2026, and 1 320 to 1 450 PHP in business. Add the terminal fee of about 25 PHP, payable in cash at the pier.
Can you take a scooter or a car on the ferry?
Not on OceanJet, whose fast craft carry passengers only. You need a RORO, which in practice means the Lite Ferries route to Tubigon.
What happens if the ferry is cancelled for weather?
The Coast Guard suspends departures and they typically resume the same day. Handling depends on the operator, so go back to the counter or the booking platform that issued your ticket.
Is there a night ferry between Cebu and Bohol?
The Lite Ferries Tubigon route was listed with sailings around the clock, including a 01:00 and a 22:00 departure, in mid-2026. OceanJet fast craft do not run overnight on this crossing.