AB Maritime - Information on the fast ferry

There are two fast ferries operated by AB Maritime, http://www.abmaritime.com.jo/main.html , on the route between Nuweiba and Aqaba in Jordan. These ships, named The Princess and Queen Nefertiti, can carry up to 550 - 600 passangers at a time and usually operate every day and, when demand is high, more frequently. However, the schedules are often not followed, the ships are often not punctual and it is extremely difficult to obtain up to date and correct information, even from the shipping company itself. Generally speaking, the rule is that usually there is a ship arriving from Aqaba mid-afternoon and leaving from Nuweiba to Aqaba late afternoon, with often a mid morning sailing as well. Usually on Saturdays there is no service, or just a morning service.

The journey time takes just over an hour, but one must allow for anywhere between 2 and as much as 6 - 7 hours waiting and embarkation time at Nuweiba, and 1 - 2 hours disembarkation time. The best advice is to get the ticket in advance and then head for the port when one sees the fast ferry arriving.

Tickets cost US$ 70.00 per person one way, ( there are no return tickets available from Nuweiba ), plus the equivalent of US$ 10.00 departure tax, making a total of US$ 80.00. The ticket is open, valid for 6 months, and is not confined to any particular sailing. Thus when purchasing a ticket, it does not guarantee a reserved place on a ship that day or any specific date. ( Cases have been known whereby passangers have purchased a ticket thinking that they could travel that day only to be told that the ship is full and no more space is available ).

The tickets are purchased from the ticket office, which is located in a single story sandy coloured building on outside of the north-west corner of the port area, ( i.e.when facing the entrance of the port, turn right then head to the edge of the port perimiter wall, and then one will see the building on the opposite side of a small road that leads to the left towards the sea ). It is best to pay in U S dollars as the ticket office has a very poor rate of exchange for other currencies and credit cards are not accepted. One must have one'passport when purchasing the ticket as the number is written into the ticket.   

Click here for a forum post regarding the procedures that one should expect to follow when departing from Nuweiba from gmcatlin, dated November 2008. Scroll down the page to the post. It is divided into two parts - departing and arriving.

Queen Nefertiti leaving Nuweiba

The Princess arriving at Nuweiba