Bintan Resort Ferries – Ferry Terminal Office

This is pretty much the ferry company you take if you’re heading to one of the standard tourist resorts on Bintan island. The ferry departs from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and if you book a couple of months in advance, you can get a susbtantially cheaper «Happy Hour» price.
Otherwise the standard price is around $ 60 – 70 for a return ticket.
The only catch to this is that you need to select «Happy Hour» for BOTH departure and return, and it’s pretty hard to find this for both ways… so yeah, I have never got the Happy Hour deal.
There’s nothing much I can say about this ferry service except that you’re pretty much forced to take it if you’re going to a resort on Bintan Island, unless you decide to take a cheaper ferry to Tanjung Pinang. A ferry to Tanjung Pinang isn’t worth it though for a weekend getaway, because of the extensive travel time from there to the resorts part of the island.
The ride itself is often packed, with people lunging for seats. The seats are worn out and there is a smell that permeates the entire floor. They sell snacks on board.
If you want an upgrade you could try riding in Emerald Class, which is on the second floor, but I’ve never taken Emerald Class so I can’t comment if it’s worth it.