Best Nassau Excursions for Cruise Ship Passengers

1. Swimming Pigs Tour

Some tours visit the pigs on or around Rose Island, a short boat ride from the harbour. Others travel much farther, to Big Major Cay in the Exumas, the original Pig Beach, about 89 miles away.

For most cruise passengers a Nassau-area swimming-pig tour is the easier choice. The $119 Athol Island pig and snorkel trip collects you at the Cruise Port Boutique, so there is no taxi and no hunting for a dock. If you want more of the day on the water, the Nassau pig tours compared guide sets every option side by side.

2. Rose Island Excursion

Rose Island is one of the easiest island trips from Nassau. Tours there can include swimming pigs, snorkelling, beach time, lunch and drinks. Our guide to day trips from Nassau sets it against Exuma and Pearl Island.

Because Rose Island is close to Nassau, it suits cruise passengers well. The $67 Rose Island water taxi leaves from Señor Frog’s on the downtown waterfront, walking distance from the berths, and gives you three hours on the island with the pig beach entry fee included. There is no lunch or snorkelling on that one; Pig Beach versus Rose Island explains why most cruise visitors end up here.

3. Nassau Snorkeling Tour

Snorkelling works well if you want time in the water without giving up the whole day.

Many trips combine a reef snorkel with pigs or island stops; we compare the best snorkelling tours from Nassau separately. The $123 pigs, snorkel and turtles trip is the most reviewed of them, at 4.5/5 from 1,534 reviews; it runs four hours from the Paradise Island ferry terminal, a short taxi ride from the port, and includes lunch at a beach club.

4. Pearl Island Excursion

Pearl Island is a popular stop for a relaxed few hours away from central Nassau, with beach time, swimming and snorkelling.

The Pearl Island beach days sold on their own are rated 3.4 to 4.1 out of 5, lower than the pig tours that stop there, so we point you to one of those. The $125 three-island tour spends an hour at Pearl Island, two hours at Rose Island for lunch, kayaks and the pigs, and passes Green Cay for the turtles, all inside four hours.

5. Catamaran Cruise

Catamaran trips are popular because they combine sightseeing, swimming and an easy pace on deck.

The 5½-hour catamaran is the best-rated larger tour here, at 4.8/5 from 1,080 reviews, for $145. It visits Rose, Pearl and Athol islands with snorkelling, a hot lunch on board and unlimited rum punch. Two things to know before you book: it leaves from East Bay Street, not the cruise port, and feeding or swimming with the pigs is a $30 add-on. At 5½ hours it also needs a long port day.

6. Private Boat Tour

A private charter gives you more control over the day: when you leave, which beaches you stop at, and how long you snorkel or stay with the pigs.

The private Rose Island boat costs $775 per boat for four hours, with transport, drinks and snorkel gear, and is rated 4.6/5 from 244 reviews. The pig stop costs extra per person and lunch is paid at the Rose Island beach bar. It is sold on Viator. On GetYourGuide, the three-hour private pig boat costs $700 for up to seven people from Bay Street; it has only 17 reviews so far, at 4.8/5, so there is less to judge it on.

7. Nassau Sightseeing Tour

A sightseeing tour works well for a shorter port stay, or if you want to see the city and still have time for shopping or lunch.

The Nassau Island Highlights tour meets just outside the cruise port gate, runs two and a half hours by air-conditioned van to the Queen’s Staircase, John Watling’s Distillery and Paradise Island, and costs $80. It is rated 4.7/5 from 1,612 reviews and is sold on Viator.

8. Nassau Beach Day

A simple beach day can be one of the easiest cruise options. It gives you the most flexibility and the least schedule pressure.

You can do it on your own: Junkanoo Beach is a short walk west of the cruise terminal, and our guide to Nassau beaches near the cruise port covers the others and the timing back to the ship. If you want sunbeds, lunch and the pigs in one place, the $139 Rose Island beach club trip offers pickup from the cruise port, a 30-minute boat ride, a pig encounter on a private beach, lunch, paddleboards and all landing fees. It is rated 4.7/5 from 79 reviews.

9. Exuma Pig Beach Day Trip

The original Pig Beach is on Big Major Cay in the Exuma Cays.

This is one of the most famous day trips in the Bahamas, and the hardest to fit around a ship. The day runs roughly 9am to 4:30pm before transfers, and two of the four Exuma operators on this site, Born Free and Powerboat Adventures, do not take cruise passengers at all. Exuma Escapes’ pigs and iguanas day does accept cruise guests, at $378 for about eight hours, but it has only 12 reviews, at 3.7/5. Our Big Major Cay guide covers the island and the three tours that reach it.

10. Turtle and Snorkeling Tour

Turtle snorkelling is another popular water trip. Some boats combine turtles, a reef snorkel, beaches and the pigs; our guide to turtle tours for cruise passengers lists the ones that fit a port day.

The $150 pigs and turtles snorkel is rated 4.6/5 from 51 reviews, with drinks, snacks and snorkel gear; the boat collects from Señor Frog’s downtown or Margaritaville on Paradise Island. The $123 pigs, snorkel and turtles trip from section 3 includes a turtle stop too, with far more reviews behind it.

Which Nassau Excursion Is Best for Cruise Passengers?

For most cruise visitors, a nearby swimming-pig tour, Rose Island, a snorkelling trip, Pearl Island, a catamaran or a private boat gives a good day with timing you can manage.

Book the cruise-port pig and snorkel trip if you want everything in two and a half hours with no transfer to arrange. Take the Rose Island water taxi if the pigs matter most and you want to spend $67. Choose the catamaran if your ship is in port all day and you want the longest, most relaxed trip.

How Much Time Should You Leave Before Your Ship Departs?

Do not book an excursion that returns close to your ship’s all-aboard time.

Leave a comfortable buffer for the walk or ride from the marina, the walk through the port, the security queue and any delay on the water. Our rule is to work back from all-aboard, subtract an hour of slack, subtract the tour’s stated length and any transfer at each end, and book only what fits in what is left. The cruise-port page works through that sum for each pig tour.

Cruise Port vs Marina

Many boat tours do not leave from the cruise terminal itself.

Before booking, check the exact meeting point, the transfer time and whether pickup is included. The pig and snorkel trip, the beach club and the city tour above collect at or just outside the cruise port, and the private boat includes transport. Others start at Señor Frog’s on the downtown waterfront, the Paradise Island ferry terminal or East Bay Street, which are a walk or a short taxi away, but you still have to make the departure time.

Should You Book Through the Cruise Line or Independently?

Both work, for different reasons.

Cruise-line excursions keep the logistics simple and are planned around the ship’s schedule. Independent tours usually give you more choice, smaller groups and different itineraries, and every GetYourGuide tour on this page cancels free up to 24 hours ahead. If you book independently, choose one that collects at the port or leaves from walking distance, and keep the hour of slack.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best excursions in Nassau from the cruise port?

Popular options include swimming pigs, Rose Island, snorkelling, Pearl Island, catamaran trips, private boat tours and a city tour. The pig and snorkel trip that collects at the cruise port is the easiest of them to fit around a ship.

Can cruise passengers swim with pigs in Nassau?

Yes. Several Nassau-area pig tours collect from the cruise port or leave from the downtown waterfront, and they run from two and a half to five and a half hours.

Is Rose Island good for cruise passengers?

Yes. It is close to Nassau, so it is one of the easier island trips to fit into a port day. The water taxi from the downtown waterfront costs $67.

Can cruise passengers visit Exuma Pig Beach?

Sometimes, if the port schedule allows a long day. The trip takes about eight hours plus transfers, and two of the four Exuma operators on this site do not take cruise passengers at all.

Bottom line

For most visitors, a nearby swimming-pig tour, Rose Island, snorkelling, Pearl Island or a catamaran gives the best balance between a good day and safe timing.

If your dream is Big Major Cay in the Exumas, make sure your port day is long enough, book an operator that accepts cruise guests, and leave a generous return buffer. For everything else on the pig side, see swimming pigs in the Bahamas.