Bahamas Cruise from MiamiNassau Swimming Pigs Tour: Pigs, Reef Snorkel and Turtles by Powerboat
This Nassau swimming pigs tour packs three stops into 4 hours by powerboat: a reef snorkel between Pearl Island and Rose Island, turtles at Green Cay and the Oasis Ocean 7 private beach club on Rose Island, where the pigs live. Lunch, unlimited soft drinks and snorkel gear are included in the $245 price. It suits cruise passengers who want the pigs, a snorkel and a beach club without losing a whole port day, and it starts on Paradise Island, which adds a transfer from the cruise pier. This page breaks down the price, the day, who should skip it and how it compares with other Bahamas cruises from Miami and Nassau excursions.
About This Tour
Oasis Ocean 7 Charters runs this 4-hour powerboat trip from Paradise Island with three stops. You snorkel a reef between Pearl Island and Rose Island, watch turtles at Green Cay and finish at the operator's private beach club on Rose Island, which is not open to the general public.
The club stop lasts about 2 hours and covers the swimming pigs encounter, a grilled lunch, kayaks, hammocks, the Da Nest observation deck and a bird aviary. The trip is sold on GetYourGuide with free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
$245 per person, sold on GetYourGuide. Reserve now and pay later is available.
4 hours total. About 45 minutes snorkeling, 20 minutes at Green Cay and about 2 hours at the beach club.
Boards at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant on Paradise Island, not the hotel. The itinerary lists the start as Paradise Island Ferry Terminal. No hotel pickup.
Powerboat with a live English-speaking guide. Group size is not stated.
Powerboat trip, snorkel gear, bottled water, soft drinks, fruit punch, grilled lunch (hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, chips and granola bars), lounge chairs and hammocks, restrooms, Da Nest observation deck, bird aviary and ground transportation.
Towels, sunscreen, insect repellent and alcoholic beverages are paid or brought by you. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times are not fixed in the listing, so check the calendar for the departure that matches your ship's hours in Nassau. Cruise days in Nassau on the Miami itineraries run roughly 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Quick answer Price, duration and the catch
This Nassau swimming pigs tour costs $245 per person and runs 4 hours by powerboat with three stops: a reef snorkel, turtles at Green Cay and a private beach club on Rose Island with the pigs, lunch and unlimited soft drinks.
Key takeaways
- It boards at Margaritaville on Paradise Island, so cruise passengers must first cross from Prince George Wharf. See what to do in Nassau on a cruise day.
- Towels, sunscreen and alcohol are not included. Bring a towel from the ship.
- Two reviewers describe a small-boat transfer in choppy water, so skip it if you are prone to motion sickness. Compare the Rose Island Pig Beach and Private Beach Club instead.
- It is one of several Bahamas cruise from Miami port options, so check the alternatives before booking.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $245 covers the boat, the gear, the food and the club. The gaps are small but real, and they all come straight from the operator's listing.
What Is Included
The ticket includes the powerboat trip, snorkel gear, unlimited bottled water and soft drinks, fruit punch, a grilled lunch of hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, chips and granola bars, lounge chairs and hammocks, restroom facilities, access to the Da Nest observation deck, the bird aviary and ground transportation. A live English-speaking guide is on board. The beach club is private to this operator and not open to the general public.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Powerboat trip | Yes | Three stops over 4 hours |
| Snorkel gear | Yes | Reef snorkel of about 45 minutes |
| Grilled lunch | Yes | Hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, chips, granola bars |
| Drinks | Water, soft drinks, fruit punch | Alcohol is not included |
| Beach club access | Yes | Loungers, hammocks, kayaks, Da Nest deck, aviary, restrooms |
| Towels and sunscreen | No | Bring your own from the ship |
| Hotel or pier pickup | No | No pickup is listed, ground transportation is listed as included |
What You May Pay on the Day
Alcoholic beverages are the only listed extra at the club. Get to the meeting point yourself: from Prince George Wharf the Paradise Island water taxi costs about $7 per person per the tourism board, or $10 by another guide, and a taxi to Atlantis is quoted at $15 to $35 for the car depending on the source. Tipping the boat crew is not mentioned in the listing, so carry some cash and decide on the day.
How It Sits in the Market
This page compares several day options. The Rose Island Pig Beach and Private Beach Club leaves from the Señor Frogs dock downtown and costs $129. The Exuma Powerboat Day Trip from Nassau costs $328.90 and runs 9 hours.
This tour sits between them on price and adds a reef snorkel stop and a Green Cay turtle stop to the pigs.
Two pigs swim in clear turquoise water at Pig Beach in the Exumas. Photo: cdorobek, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
A short transfer from the ship, a fast boat, three stops and back in time for the gangway. The listed itinerary gives durations, not clock times.
From Check-in to the First Snorkel
You board at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant on Paradise Island, which the itinerary lists as the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal. Cruise passengers dock at Prince George Wharf on Bay Street, about 3 minutes' walk from downtown. From the eastern end of the wharf a water taxi crosses to Paradise Island in about 10 minutes and runs every 30 minutes, or you take a taxi over the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge. Leave the ship early and keep the return leg in mind when you pick a departure time.
The boat then runs a short scenic ride of about 10 minutes with views of Paradise Island, Athol Island and Blue Lagoon Island before the first stop.
The Three Stops
Stop one is a 45-minute snorkel on a reef between Pearl Island and Rose Island, with gear provided. Stop two is 20 minutes of sightseeing at Green Cay, watching turtles in their natural habitat. Stop three is about 2 hours at the Oasis Ocean 7 private beach club on the far east side of Rose Island: grilled lunch, swimming, kayaking, hammocks, the Da Nest observation deck, the bird aviary and the swimming pigs.
Does It Fit a Cruise Day
Nassau port days on the Miami itineraries run about 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, so check the ship's all-aboard time against the tour. The listing does not state start or return times, so confirm the departure against your ship's all-aboard before booking. The activity can be changed for inclement weather and can be postponed if too few people book, with a full refund.
Eat breakfast before you start, the operator says so itself.
Swimming with Pigs Tour, Rose Island, Nassau
A swimming pigs boat tour from Nassau to Rose Island, with the snorkel stop and the beach. Third-party video by NotLostNomad. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing is blunt about who should not book. Read it before you pay, because several exclusions are medical.
Health and Access Limits
The tour is not suitable for pregnant women, people with back, heart or respiratory problems, epilepsy, motion sickness or other pre-existing medical conditions. It is not suitable for people with mobility impairments, and electric wheelchairs are not allowed. There is no stated minimum age.
Two reviewers report a transfer by motorised dinghy in choppy seas to reach the boat or the club. If the water is rough, that transfer is the hardest part of the day. If that sounds like you, look at the Nassau Food and Walking Tour, which stays on dry land.
Practical Limits and Alternatives
Oversize luggage, strollers, large bags and coolers are not allowed, so travel light. Bring comfortable shoes, a towel, sunscreen and insect repellent, none of which are provided. If the pigs are the only goal and the price is the problem, the Rose Island Pig Beach and Private Beach Club at $129 covers pigs, a Bahamian lunch and snorkel gear for less.
If you want the Exuma pigs, the Exuma Powerboat Day Trip from Nassau runs 9 hours with a pig stop at Ship Channel Cay, sharks, iguanas and a full bar.
Three pigs paddle in the shallows at Big Major Cay. Photo: U3189981, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Could You See It Without This Cruise?
You cannot reach the Rose Island pigs on your own without a boat tour, but a good free day in Nassau costs nothing from the pier.
What the Shore Gives You for Free
From Prince George Wharf it is about 3 minutes' walk to Bay Street, about 10 to 15 minutes to Junkanoo Beach, which is free to enter, and about 20 minutes on foot to the Queen's Staircase, though the staircase and Fort Fincastle are closed for renovation and Fort Charlotte at $5 adult is the working fort visit. John Watling's Distillery offers a free walk-in tour with a cocktail sample.
What the shore cannot give you is the boat to the pigs, the reef snorkel, the gear, the lunch and the guide. The pigs on Rose Island need a charter, and the Exuma pigs are a much longer boat ride away. If you want a beach, a swim and a plate of conch, the free port day is enough. If you want the pigs or the reef, you book a boat.
The Cheap Middle Road
The Rose Island Pig Beach and Private Beach Club at $129 is the budget pig option, with landing fees, gear, paddle boards and lunch in the price. Between that and this $245 tour, the difference is the reef snorkel stop, Green Cay and the private club. For more free and low-cost ideas in port and at home, see the free day trips from Miami guide or the what to do in Nassau on a cruise day section.
Port and transit figures: Nassau Cruise Port
The Day, Step by Step
Clock times are not published, so the steps below follow the operator's stated sequence and durations.
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Check-in
Paradise Island Ferry Terminal
Cruise passengers cross from Prince George Wharf by water taxi, about $7 to $10 per person and roughly 10 minutes, or by taxi over the bridge. Board at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant, not the hotel.
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Crossing
Scenic ride, about 10 minutes
A short powerboat run with views of Paradise Island, Athol Island and Blue Lagoon Island.
-
Stop 1
Reef snorkel, 45 minutes
Snorkel a tropical reef between Pearl Island and Rose Island with gear provided. The listing says hundreds of species of marine life.
-
Stop 2
Green Cay turtles, 20 minutes
Observe turtles in their natural habitat at the turtle sanctuary.
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Stop 3
Beach club, about 2 hours
Grilled lunch, unlimited soft drinks, the swimming pigs, swimming, kayaking, hammocks, Da Nest observation deck and the bird aviary.
-
Return
Back to Paradise Island Ferry Terminal
The boat returns you to the same terminal. Take the water taxi or a taxi back to the ship and allow time before all-aboard.
Pros and Cons
A balanced read of the listing, the reviews and the price against the other pig tours from Nassau.
What we genuinely like
- Three different stops in 4 hours: reef snorkel, turtles and a beach club with pigs
- Lunch, unlimited soft drinks, fruit punch and snorkel gear are in the $245
- The beach club is private to the operator and not open to the general public
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and reserve now, pay later
- 4.5 rating from 1,490 verified bookings on GetYourGuide
The honest downsides
- It starts on Paradise Island, so cruise passengers pay for and allow time for the water taxi or a taxi both ways
- Towels, sunscreen, insect repellent and alcohol are not included
- Not suitable for pregnant women, bad backs, heart or respiratory conditions, epilepsy or motion sickness
- Two reviewers describe a small-boat transfer in choppy water
- No fixed start or return times in the listing, so matching a ship's schedule needs a check first
- The activity can be postponed for low bookings, with a full refund
Who it's NOT for: Not for anyone with back, heart or respiratory problems, epilepsy or motion sickness, for pregnant women, or for travellers who need wheelchair access.
Questions About This Tour
How much does the Nassau swimming pigs tour cost?
It is $245 per person for the 4-hour powerboat trip, and the price includes lunch, unlimited soft drinks and snorkel gear. Cheaper pig options exist, such as the Rose Island Pig Beach and Private Beach Club at $129.
Where does the tour start for cruise passengers?
It boards at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville on Paradise Island, listed as the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal. From the cruise pier you take the water taxi, about $7 to $10, or a taxi. See what to do in Nassau on a cruise day for the crossing details.
Will it fit my ship's hours in Nassau?
Miami itineraries dock in Nassau from about 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and the tour runs 4 hours, so check your ship's all-aboard time against the tour. The listing gives no fixed times, so confirm the departure when you check availability on the tour page.
What should I bring that is not included?
Bring a towel, sunscreen and insect repellent, plus comfortable shoes, because none are provided. Alcohol is also extra. The listing bans large bags, coolers and strollers, so pack light for the boat.
Is this the same as swimming with the Exuma pigs?
No. These pigs live at a beach club on Rose Island near Nassau. The Exuma pigs are far away and need a 9-hour powerboat day such as the Exuma Powerboat Day Trip from Nassau.
Can I cancel if my ship's plans change?
Yes. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and the operator also refunds in full if the tour is postponed for low bookings or changed for bad weather.
Is there a cheaper way to have a good Nassau day?
Yes. Junkanoo Beach is free and about 10 to 15 minutes' walk from the pier, and the water taxi to Paradise Island costs a few dollars. For ideas beyond the port, see free day trips from Miami and the Nassau Electric Trolley Culture Tour at $55.
What Travelers Said
Had such an amazing day out! The guides were super lovely and brought the best vibes. The activities were super fun it was great to snorkel there was so much to see and the beach club was perfection! Seeing the pigs was such a cool experience I 100% recommend this excursion!!!
Captain Deon and Andrew weee as amazing as all the other reviews. A little slice of paradise with the most amazing beach. The boat ride was great and we got to see the turtles. I highly recommend it!
The excursion was really a vibe. Staff on the beach were pleasant. Tristian and Andrew the guide were both great and very attentive. I would definitely recommend doing it and the pricing was reasonable.
Fantastic experience and hosts. Kept us entertained throughout and stunning settings. Really was amazing
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