2026 Season Continues to Overperform - Passengers Up 28%+ Over Last Year
Bookings on the Nova Scotia-Maine ferry continue to run far above the previous year.
Bay Ferries Limited (BFL) announced today that as of July 8, 2026, a total of 31,677 passengers have booked travel on The CAT, compared with 24,613 passengers over the same period in 2025. This represents an increase of more than 7,000 additional passengers, or 28.7%.
“The numbers so far indicate the service is off to the strongest start of any season since the service resumed in 2022 after the global pandemic,” said Mark Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of BFL, the operator of the ferry service between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and Bar Harbor, Maine. “This robust growth is primarily driven by higher numbers of American tourists using this important service. We look forward to welcoming all visitors to Nova Scotia and continuing to strengthen the relationships that make this cross-border connection so valuable.”
Year-to-date, the vessel has completed 44 round trips, with one round trip cancelled due to poor weather conditions on June 23.
Approximately 86% of the total bookings are from the United States with the remainder Canadian. In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America’s Declaration of Independence, BFL teamed up this year with the United States Consulate in Halifax to host the Founders’ Museum aboard The CAT. The Founders’ Museum features portraits of the men, women and moments that forged the United States of America.
“Bay Ferries Limited welcomes our American customers who are choosing this year to visit Nova Scotia and we hope our partnership around the Founders’ Museum is a sign of how much we value the lasting friendship between the United States and Canada,” added Wilson.
The CAT season started on May 14 and operated five days per week until June 17. Daily service began June 18 and will continue until September 21. As of September 22, The CAT operates five days per week until the final sailing of the season on October 14.
Departure times are 9:30 am Atlantic from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and 3:00 pm Eastern from Bar Harbor, Maine.
For further information, please visit the company’s website at www.ferries.ca.
About Bay Ferries Limited and Northumberland Ferries Limited
In business as a locally owned, Canadian operator of ferry service in the Maritimes since 1941, Bay Ferries and Northumberland Ferries are committed to providing safe, reliable ferry transportation that connects the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and the State of Maine.
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