Cebu to Bohol is a fast-craft crossing, not an open question — the only real decision is which port you land at and whether you need the cheaper, slower option.
Cebu to Bohol is one of the most heavily served ferry corridors in the Visayas, and for most travelers the decision comes down to two things: which port to land at, and which operator has a sailing time that fits the rest of the day.
The fast craft: Tagbilaran
OceanJet and SuperCat both run frequent fast-craft services from Pier 1 in Cebu City to the Port of Tagbilaran, Bohol’s main seaport. The crossing takes roughly 1.5–2 hours. OceanJet runs the higher-frequency schedule — around 20 sailings a day between roughly 05:10 and 17:40 — with SuperCat as a reliable second option when OceanJet is sold out or doesn’t fit your timing. Both dock a short tricycle ride from Tagbilaran City centre.
Lite Ferries and Trans-Asia Shipping also serve Tagbilaran, but on slower overnight or single-daytime-run schedules rather than the fast-craft rotation — useful if you want to arrive early in the morning without paying for a Cebu hotel the night before.
The budget and northern option: Tubigon
FastCat and Lite Ferries run the crossing to the Port of Tubigon instead. It’s the shortest crossing on the whole route — around 45 minutes — and generally the cheaper option. The trade-off is location: Tubigon sits in northern Bohol, so if your hotel is in Panglao or Tagbilaran you’re adding a road transfer of an hour or more after you land. Tubigon is the sensible choice if your itinerary starts in the Chocolate Hills area or northern Bohol rather than the south coast.
Other crossings
A handful of operators serve Bohol from other points on Cebu or with a different profile: Clemer Shipping runs Cebu to Port of Getafe in northern Bohol, Sunriser Cordova Ferry departs from the Mactan side of Cebu for the shortest available crossing, and Lapu-Lapu Shipping’s overnight run reaches Port of Talibon. These are worth checking if your starting point on Cebu, or your destination in Bohol, doesn’t line up with the Pier 1–Tagbilaran route.
Booking window
Book via 12Go a few days ahead for most of the year. For Holy Week, Christmas/New Year, Sinulog, and the peak summer school holidays, book 4–6 weeks out — the fast-craft operators sell out on those dates, and standby is not a reliable plan.
Ports and operators for this crossing
- Port of TagbilaranOceanJet and SuperCat fast craft, plus Lite Ferries and Trans-Asia overnight.
- Port of TubigonFastCat and Lite Ferries — the fastest, cheapest crossing at ~45 minutes.
- OceanJetHighest-frequency operator on the Cebu–Tagbilaran run.
- Bohol → Cebu route pageCompare every operator on this corridor.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which Cebu port do OceanJet and SuperCat leave from?
- Pier 1, Cebu City, for the Tagbilaran crossing. Give yourself time for Cebu city traffic to the pier — arrive at least 45–60 minutes before departure for check-in and the terminal fee.
- Is Tagbilaran or Tubigon the better port to arrive at?
- Tagbilaran if you're staying in Tagbilaran City or Panglao (closer, more frequent sailings, tricycles readily available). Tubigon if you're headed to northern Bohol — it's a shorter crossing but a longer road transfer to Panglao or the south.