Things to Do in Nassau Cruise Port

A $300 Million Rebuild

The port reopened in May 2023 after a $300 million redevelopment, with operations having begun in October 2019 under a 25-year concession. There are six berths with a total berthing length of 2,230 meters and 36 feet of depth at each berth. The wharf can hold three Oasis-class ships at once and takes Icon-class ships too.

Berth 1 takes vessels up to 1,346 feet and berths 5 and 6 take up to 1,929 feet. Passenger volume keeps rising: the port welcomed 4.4 million passengers in 2023 and 5.6 million in 2024, and set a one-day record of 33,254 passengers on June 8, 2026. Allow 5 to 15 minutes extra just to walk the pier, depending on your berth.

What Is Inside the Port

The terminal complex holds more than 60 retail stores, a wine bar and art gallery, the Bahamas Museum of Junkanoo and a 3,000-person amphitheatre. There is also a 700-foot mega yacht berth, a marina and a water excursion and ferry terminal. Junkanoo itself is worth knowing before you browse the museum: UNESCO inscribed it on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2023, and the parades run on Bay Street on Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

If your day happens to fall in the parade season, costumes of crepe paper, cardboard and feathers can tower 15 feet.

Practical Details

Most ships call between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, the window shown on typical Nassau itineraries such as Royal Caribbean's 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM stop. Cruise activity peaks between December and April. There is no on-site parking at the port, which does not matter to cruise passengers.

The airport is about 20 minutes away by taxi. Both Bahamian and US dollars are accepted interchangeably, and the currencies are equal in value. Nassau keeps Eastern Time and follows daylight saving, so your watch stays on Miami time.

Walking Distances from the Gate

Parliament Square is 2 minutes on foot, the Straw Market a few steps away, Pompey Museum 6 minutes, Pirates of Nassau 8 minutes and Government House 10 minutes. Junkanoo Beach is 13 minutes, the Queen's Staircase is listed at 13 minutes by the port, Fort Fincastle 15, Fort Charlotte 30, the Fish Fry 30 and the Cloisters on Paradise Island 45. Add 5 to 15 minutes for the pier walk depending on your berth.

The table below is your Nassau cruise port map in words.

The Free Rum Tour

John Watling's Distillery at Buena Vista Estate, 17 Delancy Street, offers a free walk-in tour with a complimentary cocktail sample and needs no reservation. The estate building dates to 1789 and the distillery stores rum in over 1,000 white oak barrels. The paid extras, mixology classes, guided tastings and bottle-your-own sessions through the We B Learnin Rum Academy, carry a fee but the basic tour does not.

It is the easiest free activity in downtown Nassau.

Getting Farther Without an Excursion

Jitney buses do not enter the port, so walk to Bay Street to catch one. The tourism board quotes the jitney fare at about $1.50 with exact change required on exit, while one port guide reports $1.25, so carry small change either way. Jitneys run roughly 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM on weekdays with reduced Sunday service.

There is no Uber or Lyft in Nassau, so taxis, pre-arranged shuttles, car rentals and water taxis are the other options. Horse surrey rides run 25 minutes and cost about $10 per person.

Queen's Staircase and Fort Fincastle

Fort Fincastle, the Queen's Staircase and the Water Tower are closed for renovation, and the sources give no reopening date. The Nassau Paradise Island tourism site lists both the fort and the staircase as temporarily closed while Water Tower renovation work continues. The staircase itself was carved from solid limestone between 1793 and 1794, rises 102 feet and counts 65 steps today, originally 66, with a 64 to 66 range appearing across official sources.

About 600 enslaved people carved it, and it was later named for Queen Victoria. Fort Fincastle normally keeps 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM hours when it is open.

What to Do Instead

Fort Charlotte and Fort Montagu are listed as open, so they are the working fort visits while Fincastle is shut. Fort Charlotte costs $5 adult, $3 senior and $2 child under 12, runs 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM seven days, and stages living history on Wednesday and Friday from 11:30 AM with a cannon fired at noon. Fort Montagu stands on the eastern seaside of Nassau off East Bay Street.

The port's own attractions page lists only the Water Tower as closed, while the Nassau Paradise Island tourism site lists the fort and the staircase as closed too.

Junkanoo Beach

Junkanoo Beach is about 0.5 mile from the cruise port, roughly 13 minutes on foot along Bay Street by the port's own timing. Entry is free, and the paid parts are chairs, food and drinks from the beach shacks. It is the closest sand to the ship.

Paradise Island and the Water Taxi

Water taxis for Paradise Island leave from the eastern end of the wharf every 15 to 30 minutes. Sources disagree on the fare: the tourism board prices it at about $7 per person while a port guide says $10, and the ride takes roughly 10 minutes each way. Give both figures to your budget and carry cash.

A water taxi from Woodes Rogers Wharf runs every 30 minutes and leaves a 10-minute walk to Atlantis. By road, the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge leads to Paradise Island, 1 to 2 miles from downtown, and a taxi from the port to Atlantis costs about $15 to $20 for two passengers by one 2026 fare guide, with another source quoting $15 to $30. Note that Nassau drives on the left.

Atlantis and the Royal Beach Club

An Atlantis Aquaventure day pass is sold with dynamic pricing and no fixed official rate is published, and passes frequently sell out in peak season when several ships dock, so book ahead. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity guests have a separate option: Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, which opened in late 2025 on 17 acres on the western edge of Paradise Island. Guests reach it by free ferry from the Nassau cruise port, but entry needs a paid day pass, reported from $129.99 non-alcoholic to $169.99 open bar with dynamic pricing, sold in the Royal app or at the Shore Excursions desk.

Compare the Nassau Trips

The cheapest guided option is the trolley at $55 and the most expensive is the full-day Exuma powerboat at $328.90. Two pig trips leave from the Senor Frogs dock, the snorkel sail starts at Montagu Beach near Fort Montagu, and the food walk meets on Parliament Street, a short walk from your ship.

What Each Trip Includes and What It Does Not

The food walk includes 5 tastings and 1 cocktail, enough for a hearty lunch, but no hotel pickup and gratuities are extra. The trolley includes pickup and drop-off, the trolley ticket, Bahamian treats and water, and warns that missed departures are not refunded. The island tour covers van transport, food samples and port pickup, with no restroom on the van.

The Rose Island beach club includes the Bahamian lunch, snorkel gear, paddle boards and fees, but not towels. The water taxi pig trip includes the pigs beach entry fee and food, though one reviewer notes the pig time itself is short, about 25 minutes. The catamaran includes lunch, gear and drinks, but the pig interaction is listed as not included and the listing data shows an unlabelled $30 extra, so check the booking page.

The powerboat trip includes a grilled lunch, but not towels, sunscreen or alcoholic drinks. The Exuma day includes lunch, a full bar and hotel pickup, and is not for bad backs. Check Availability on any card before your sailing sells out.

Timing a Trip Against the Ship

Ship calls at Nassau commonly run 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. A 9-hour Exuma day checks in at 8:45 AM, so treat it as a full-day commitment and confirm your ship's hours before booking. Independent travelers should plan to be back at the ship well before all-aboard.