The following questions have been compiled from the most frequently asked questions we've received. If you have a question and you can't find it below, then by all means let us know.

- Do I need to book my ferry tickets in advance?
- What is the price of a round-trip ticket at the ferry counter in Mersing or Tanjung Gemuk?
- Why is there a difference between tickets secured online and those bought at the ferry counter?
- Do we need to submit our full name and passport details to buy ferry tickets online?
- Do I receive any tickets through the post?
- I didn't get the confirmation email. What can I do?
- When can I see the ferry departure times?
- Can I book our bus to Mersing here too? Or a private vehicle if we prefer this?
- Can we book our Tioman hotel online here?
- Do I qualify for a group discount?
- I'd like an invoice for my purchase. Can you provide me with one?
- What does it cost to pay for my tickets by PayPal?
- Is booking online safe?
- If it looks like I might miss my ferry, can I get the next ferry?
- Can I reserve my tickets by phone?
- My PayPal account email differs from my normal email. Can I still use my normal email with you?
- I want to book a one-way ferry ticket to Tioman only. Can I?
- Do I get a refund if we need to cancel our trip?
- How early do I need to arrive prior to departure?
- How long does the ferry take to reach Tioman?
- I need one-way tickets only. Where can I get these?
- We're flying to Tioman. How do we collect our tickets?
- What does it mean when it's "monsoon"?
- Is there any parking in Mersing?
- Can I take my car on the ferry to Tioman Island?
- If I arrive early, will I be permitted to board early?
- How do I know where to disembark?
- Do our children get charged a lower rate? What if they sit on our lap?
- I get seasick easily, is there another way to get to Tioman?
- Are there toilets on board the ferry?
- Are there any restaurants in Tioman?
- Do the people on Tioman speak English?
- Do they accept USD on Tioman?
- Should we need to stay overnight in Mersing, are there any hotels, banks, shops there?
- If we need to spend a night in Mersing, can you suggest a nice affordable hotel?
- Can I depart to Tioman from Tanjung Gemok after I booked for Mersing?
- Does the ferry carry life jackets on board?


Do I need to book my ferry tickets in advance?
Tioman is a beautiful, exotic, yet affordable holiday destination, a short hop away from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Lately, it's also been riding a wave of popularity amongst young European holiday-makers, the result of the various "Survival" and "Expedition Robinson" type reality shows being recorded in the Tioman vicinity for years. With this in mind, to avoid disappointment, yes, it's advisable to book in advance. This applies to your bus tickets to Mersing, ferry tickets and your Tioman accommodation, particularly, during weekends, school holidays and public holidays, especially in light of the record-breaking numbers anticipated for the 2023 Visit Malaysia Year.

NOTE: Since Berjaya Air suspended its Singapore to Tioman operations, in March 2014, the Mersing to Tioman ferry has been running at full capacity, particularly during weekends, school holidays and public holidays.

N.B. Please also note that, by law, the maximum number of passengers on the ferry is limited to the number of seats/matching number of life-jackets. In other words, once all ferry seats have been reserved, the ferry is considered fully booked and no further tickets can be sold. There are no standing-room only tickets.

What is the price of a round-trip ticket at the ferry counter in Mersing or Tanjung Gemuk?
NOTE: Foreign currency is not accepted at the counter. Please keep in mind that the ferry may be fully booked when you buy your tickets last-minute. If you prefer to secure your tickets in advance online, the price is US$25 (Note: Singapore Dollars, Euro, British Pounds, Swiss Francs and Japanese Yen are available also).

Why is there a price difference between tickets secured in advance online and those bought at the Mersing or Tanjung Gemuk terminal counter just before taking the ferry?
Online ticket sales are subject to various costs that terminal counter sales are exempt from. Examples of additional costs are: bank transfer fees, currency-holding charges, currency conversion charges, PayPal fees, as well as web portal infrastructure and database maintenance costs. In addition, ferry tickets secured online include a number of added-value services that are not included when tickets are bought at the ferry counter. These added-value services assist our passengers at all stages of the journey to Tioman and are useful for those who prefer to travel with as few inconveniences as possible. For a list of these added-value services, please click here.

Do we need to submit our full name and passport details to buy ferry tickets online?
No, you don't. In fact, provided you haven't checked into your ferry yet, our ferry bookings are actually transferrable. So if you like, you can do a booking for others, or even give your booking to friends if it turns out you cannot make it to Tioman on the dates you've booked. That being said, do note that passengers are required to check-in online immediately upon receiving the Bluewater confirmation email, after which the booking obviously ceases to be transferrable.

Do I receive any tickets through the post?
No. Once you have made an online booking, you'll receive an on-screen booking confirmation. The information here is also sent to you by confirmation email. If you placed your booking before the ferry schedule for your date was online, you need to let us know your ferry times the moment the schedule is published, by using the online ferry time selection form provided. If your booking was made whilst ferry times were known, you need to let us know your ferry times right after you've completed your booking, by using the online ferry time selection form provided. NOTE: We're able to confirm selected ferry times only when submitted by the ferry time selection form provided. After your full itinerary details have been submitted, you'll be sent the Bluewater confirmation email, which includes your check-in link. We recommend checking in for your ferry ride immediately.

Please note that ferry vessels fill up progresssively and chronologically, which means that ferry times selected by passengers are subject to first come first serve.

I didn't get the confirmation email. What can I do?
First of all, email us and let us know that you didn't get this email. We'll re-send it. But, equally important, please ensure that our email address is on your safe White List or in your email program address book. This way, the emails we send to you will not be filtered out or blocked out erroneously by your spam filter or blocker. See this page for details.

Where and when can I see the ferry departure times?
As exact departure time is subject to the weather, Ferry Tioman travelers are advised to refer to our exclusive Mersing Harbour Centre Hotline number. You can call this number at any time for your latest weather and ferry departure/return time updates. In addition, all our travelers will receive the ferry schedule for the entire month once tickets have been reserved.

Please note that ferry vessels fill up progresssively and chronologically, which means that ferry times selected by passengers are subject to first come first served.

You can also refer to our *Tweets for the latest updates. *Terms and conditions apply.

Can I book our bus to Mersing here too? Or a private vehicle if we prefer this?
Yes, conveniently, you can book your entire trip from our one-stop platform, right here on this site. Click here if you want to book your bus tickets to Mersing. If you prefer going to Mersing by passenger car, MPV, van or minibus, then click here.

Can we book our Tioman hotel online here?
Yes, you can. Click here to check for availability and to reserve your room, chalet or villa. In our experience, Agoda has the lowest room rates online. And they offer a very wide variety of hotels, resorts and retreats in Tioman, from budget, right up to exclusive.

Do I qualify for a group discount?
Yes, if you order in excess of 30 tickets, you pay just US$27.50 per round-trip ticket.

I'd like an invoice for my purchase. Can you provide me with one?
Yes. In fact, your PayPal/credit card transaction qualifies as an invoice. You can print out this screen and archive it for later use.

What does it cost to pay by PayPal?
If you prefer paying by credit card, you don't need to use PayPal. But in any case, paying by PayPal is 100% free of charge.

Is booking online safe?
Yes, online credit card payments are fast, safe and secure. In fact, PayPal now has over 200 million active accounts worldwide.

If it looks like I might miss my ferry, can I get the next ferry?
If you inform us that you may miss your ferry with a minimum of 24 hours' notice, we will try to arrange the next available ferry for you. However, changing to the next ferry is subject to Bluewater Express's approval of your request, as well as availability of the next ferry. NOTE: Once you have missed your ferry, you will need to book new tickets. For more details, please see our terms and conditions.

I want to book a one-way ferry ticket to Tioman only. Can I?
Yes. Simply select your date and number of one-way tickets here and proceed with the steps.

Can I reserve my ferry tickets by phone?
No. Telephone bookings are not possible, because we need to send you our confirmation email to your email address.

My PayPal account email differs from my normal email. Can I still use my normal email with you?
No. Please note that for confidentiality reasons, we're only permitted to correspond about a booking with the email address used for that specific booking. Additionally, we're only able to confirm ferry timing selection submissions when sent from the same email address as the original booking was sent.

Do I get a refund if we need to cancel our trip?
Any and all cancellation and itinerary amendment requests are subject to approval by Bluewater Express. Please also See our terms and conditions for more details.

How early do I need to arrive at Mersing Harbour Centre ?
Given that there are a number of outside factors that could influence ferry departure time, such as wind, weather and sea state, we highly recommend that you arrive at Mersing Harbour Centre a minimum of 1.5 hours before stated departure time.

How long does the ferry take to reach Tioman?
Depending on the tide and the general sea conditions, the trip takes about 1.5-2 hours.

I need one-way tickets only. Where can I get these?
Please proceed to the booking page and proceed as per normal.

We're flying to Tioman. How do we collect our tickets?
If you can't collect your tickets at our Mersing counter because you're flying to Tioman, just let us know. You'll be able to collect your tickets at the Tekek ferry terminal upon your arrival. The Tekek ferry terminal is directly opposite the Tioman Airport. The details will be sent to you in a separate email once you've made your ticket reservation.

What does it mean when it's "monsoon"?
The monsoon months are the windy months, the time of year when wind and weather is rather severe and changeable. On a particularly windy day, the ferry may be prohibited from running for that day altogether by the Malaysia authorities. Should this occur, your tickets will remain valid for the next available ferry.

Is there any parking in Mersing
Yes, there is a fenced car park that's manned by security right next to the ferry departure terminal. The parking rate is RM18 per day. Should this car park be full, then just call either of the phone numbers in our confirmation email, as they belong to a private car park close to Mersing Harbour Centre.

Can I take my car on the ferry to Tioman Island?
The ferry to Tioman is not a roll-on-roll-off ferry. It's not big enough to hold cars. So in answer to your question, no, cars cannot be taken onto the ferry. See the previous question on parking in Mersing.

If I arrive early will I be allowed to board early?
Due to safety concerns, you're not permitted to board the ferry before check-in time. For your information, the ticket counter closes ends 30 minutes before departure time. Please arrive at the terminal 1.5 - 2 hours before departure time to collect your tickets and boarding passes. Passengers with new-borns, pregnant passengers or those on crutches, in a wheelchair or accompanying elderlies may, on request, board early.

How do I know where to disembark?
The names of the destinations (the various villages) will be announced about 5 minutes before reaching the destination in question. This is the usual order of the stops on your way to Tioman. Please ask the crew if you're not sure where to disembark.

1. Kampong Genting
2. Kampong Paya (Don't mistake "Paya" for "Berjaya", which is in the next village)
3. Kampong Tekek (Get off here if you're going to Berjaya, Tekek or Kampong Juara*)
4. Kampong Air Batang (Also announced as "ABC")
x. Panuba Jetty (If and when there are passengers on the ferry that are staying at this resort)
5. Kampong Salang



Simply reverse the order on your way back to Mersing. (Please note that during the Northeast monsoon, the route taken may be adjusted. Please ask the ferry cabin crew if you're not sure where to disembark.)

By the way, if you're going to Kampong Mukut or Nipah, please let the ferry cabin crew know in advance, so they can inform you accordingly where to disembark, because these villages are generally not on the usual destination list.

Do our children get charged a lower rate? What if they sit on our lap?
The price of tickets secured online in advance is the same for adults as for children. There's no need to pay for your infant however, if it's below 2 years of age and can be carried on your lap.

I get seasick easily, is there another way to get to Tioman?
Yes, you can take a plane. Berjaya Air flies to Tioman from Singapore and KL. The take-offs and landings are a bit hairy, but it's fast and quite comfortable. For more details, please click here.

Are there toilets on board the ferry?
Yes, the ferry has two toilets, right at the back of the cabin.

Are there any restaurants on Tioman?
Yes, Tioman is peppered with simple little eateries that sell decent meals, usually Malay dishes. Some Western food, like sandwiches and french fries can also be found. If you're not used to spicy food, then just ask the staff to go easy on the chilli.

Do the people on Tioman speak English?
Yes, most of the staff working on Tioman can communicate in English.

Do they accept US$ on Tioman?
Yes, but you're not likely to get a good exchange. You're better off changing your foreign currency to Malaysia Ringgit on the mainland.

NOTE: The Malaysia Ringgit is at historic lows currently, so better book your Malaysia trip now, because you'll be able to snag extremely good resort deals!

Should we need to stay overnight in Mersing, are there any amenities? Hotels, banks, supermarkets etc?
Yes, in Mersing town, about a 15 minutes’ stroll from the main jetty, there are banks, ATMs, internet cafes, supermarkets, all kinds of shops and hotels too. And you can book your Mersing hotel online. Click here to check availability and to place your reservation.

If we need to spend a night in Mersing, can I book affordable accommodation there?
Yes, you can. Click here if you want to make an online booking. Your room will be confirmed on the spot.

Can I depart to Tioman from Tanjung Gemok after I booked for Mersing?
You may, but this is not always the case, because only some tickets are valid in Mersing and Tanjung Gemok. Contact the Mersing Harbour Centre Hotline number if you've decided to depart from Tanjung Gemuk instead of Mersing or vice versa. We'll try to amend your booking, but it's good to know that this is subject to Bluewater Express HQ. Please note that the ferry does not run consistently from Tanjung Gemok during the monsoon months (December - January).

Does the ferry carry life jackets on board?
Yes, the ferry carries life jackets in the open overhead compartments.

N.B. Please note that, by law, the maximum number of passengers on the ferry is limited to the number of seats and matching number of life jackets. In other words, once all seats have been reserved, the ferry is considered fully booked and no further tickets can be sold. There are no standing-room only tickets.

Can't find your particular question here? Ask us.

Tip: Looking for a cheap way to get to Mersing before catching your ferry to Tioman? There are various bus and coach options on our Mersing bus and coach page. You can book your tickets real-time. Your seats are confirmed immediately. And you can even see where the bus departs and what time it departs.