Your complete guide to the Bahamas shore excursion!
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On our Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas this summer, my boyfriend and I went back and forth on whether or not we wanted to spend our time in Nassau playing it by ear, or paying for a shore excursion and having a set itinerary.
The first time we took a cruise to the Bahamas together, we chose to explore Nassau with some friends instead of a shore excursion. We had a great time, however, our time spent on the beach wasn't what I was expecting - we couldn't go two feet without being approached about buying an admission ticket to this or that tour, or buying an all-you-could-drink package from this or that bar. It was my first time in the Bahamas, and I had hoped the beach-portion of our day would be more relaxing than it turned out to be.
So for this trip, I was hoping for a re-do of that beach experience, and since we had explored on our own the last time, this time I wanted to try out a shore excursion...and I am so happy we did!
Helpful Island Info / FAQs
What is Blue Lagoon Island?
Salt Cay, otherwise known as Blue Lagoon Island, is a private island about a 25-minute ferry ride from Nassau.
It has the idyllic white, sandy beaches, lush tropical foliage and turquoise-clear water that you'd expect on a Caribbean getaway, as well as a ton of different activities and wild marine life to make your visit fun and memorable.
Your time at Blue Lagoon Island can be as busy & exciting or quiet & relaxing as you'd like - and it was the perfect beach vacation I was hoping for!
Blue Lagoon Island Deluxe Beach Break
While browsing through the shore excursions available on the Royal Caribbean app, we ultimately decided to go with the Blue Lagoon Island Deluxe Beach Break ($84). We had really wanted to do the Dolphin Encounter ($94), because for only $10 more, you'd get everything in the Deluxe Beach Break excursion as well as get to see some dolphins up close! However, it sold out pretty quickly, and we still really wanted to spend the day out at the island, so we went with the Deluxe Beach Break excursion. We also found that most of the excursions offered through Blue Lagoon Island's website were cheaper when booking with Royal Caribbean.
What the $84 shore excursion includes:
Ferry ride to and from the island (about 25 mins one way)
One meal ticket and one drink ticket for lunch
About 3.5-4 hours on the island
Convenient pick up & drop off right where the cruise is docked
Access to the Animal Observation Deck
Access to Inflatable Aqua Park
If you want to save some money on the round-trip ferry ride to the island, you may find cheaper options, like this one for $69.00. However, they may not include lunch, and I'm not sure how close the pick up locations will be to your cruise ship.
We decided to pay the $84 through Royal Caribbean for the convenience - they took care of all the reservation information for us since we booked through them, and we were picked up & dropped off for the excursion on the dock right outside our cruise ship.
Things to Do on Blue Lagoon Island
The beach at Blue Lagoon Island was everything I had hoped it would be! Luckily there were only three ferries that brought people out to the island that day, so the beach was not crowded at all and there were plenty of beach chairs & umbrellas available. The water was also the perfect temperature!! You could just walk right in without having to adjust to the water (definitely not something you can do at California beaches!). There are some deeper parts in the water, however, the majority of the water in the lagoon is shallow.
We arrived at the island around 10:30am, and spent the first hour or so relaxing on a beach chair under some palm trees. There were hammocks all around the island for people to lounge around in as well! After that, we went and got some lunch, then headed to the beach to enjoy the water. Before the ferry picked us up at 2:15pm, we headed over to the observer deck to see the marine animals!
There's a long observer deck you can walk across where you can see dolphins and sting rays swimming in the water!
You can also see the Dolphin Encounter excursion as well as the VIP Dolphin Swim excursion from the deck, so those were pretty fun to watch before we had to leave and catch the ferry.
I normally try not to support facilities that keep wild animals in captivity for profit, however, this Dolphin Encounters program is actually the Bahamas' first establishment to earn the American Humane Conservation's prestigious "Humane Certified™ seal of approval." The certification means this program looks out for the welfare of its dolphins, as well as treats them humanely. Yay! (To read more on this, click here!)
If an excursion you have your heart set on at Blue Lagoon Island is completely sold out through Royal Caribbean, don't worry! You can still buy tickets for activities once you get to the island, or make reservations on your own through their website (however, it's most likely cheaper to book through your cruise line). I'll link the activities that I can below, so you can see the price offered through their site and compare it to the prices offered by your cruise line.
Marine Life Activities:
Water Sports Activities:
Clear Bottom Kayaks (I wish I had done these!)
Regular Kayaks
Water Bikes
Paddleboards
Snorkeling Gear
Underwater Scooters
Inflatable Aqua Park
Island Activities:
VIP Blue Lagoon Island Beach Day (access to Adults-only beach, unlimited Bahama Mama cocktails & non-alcoholic drinks, beach butler service)
Volleyball and Beach Soccer
Ping Pong Tables and Board Games
Hammocks, Beach Chairs & Umbrellas for Lounging
Dolphin Encounter vs. Dolphin Swim vs. Royal Dolphin Swim
When choosing which excursion to book, I had a hard time trying to figure out what exactly each dolphin encounter was and if they'd be worth the price. I wasn't looking to spend too much money on a dolphin swim, but also wasn't sure how interactive the Dolphin Encounter option would be and if it was worth the extra money. What I didn't realize, was that I could just watch videos of each on the island's website and compare - silly me! But apparently I wasn't the only one who was curious about the different dolphin options, so I'll break it down:
Royal Dolphin Swim: hour-long swim experience; 30min in deep water and then an extra 30min in shallow water interacting with the dolphins, including a "foot push" (hold onto a boogie board while a dolphin pushes you by your feet & propels you through the water)
Dolphin Swim: takes place in deep water; you get to be in the water with the dolphins, have the opportunity to "dance" with a dolphin, and experience a "foot push"
Dolphin Encounter: takes place in waist-deep water; this encounter is on a separate platform from the other two deep water dolphin swims, and you'll have the opportunity to give a dolphin a hug and some rub-downs
So the main question - is the Dolphin Encounter option worth it? In my opinion...absolutely! Like I said before, for only $10 more, you get everything included in the Beach Day excursion, as well as interact with a dolphin up close! If you want to splurge on the Dolphin Swims, those look like incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experiences as well, but if you're on the fence about a dolphin excursion, looking to save a little money, and going to the beach anyway, I totally think the Dolphin Encounter option is worth the extra $10 (and I'm so sad it was sold out by the time I came to that decision).
Food & Drinks
There's one casual restaurant on the island called Shifting Tides, and this is where you'll get your included lunch and drink. The free lunch is served cafeteria-buffet style, where you'll have a choice of a burger/cheeseburger, all-beef hot dog, grilled chicken breast, veggie burger patty, or BBQ chicken, with sides of peas, rice, corn, a salad bar, and fries, as well as homemade cookies. The drink coupon will get you one cup of fruit punch, iced tea or lemonade, and self-serve water is available.
I'll be honest - don't expect anything fancy as far as this included lunch goes. All we were really craving was a cheeseburger & fries, so this lunch hit the spot! But if you're looking to venture out and try local Bahamian cuisine, this might be underwhelming. The VIP Adult Beach Day excursion is supposed to have an elevated buffet option, but since we didn't get that package, I can't speak to how that buffet differs.
There are also a couple bars around the island, as well as a smoothie bar, snack bar and a gift shop with snacks. Those are pretty much your only options for food. No outside food & drinks are allowed at the island (except water, I believe). I did read on another blog that alcoholic drinks were expensive - my boyfriend and I live in LA, so maybe we have a different perspective on what's considered expensive for a cocktail, but we felt the prices were pretty standard for a tourist location.
Also, helpful tidbit: tip your bartender. This should go without saying, haha, but we rounded up and tipped a little more than the standard 20% (in cash) after our first round, and man did the bartender hook us up the second time around! Let's just say, my cocktail was strong.
Getting To & From the Island
Getting to the island was super easy having booked through Royal Caribbean. We booked this excursion through the RC app about a week before our cruise, and our tickets were waiting for us in our stateroom by the time we arrived on Day 1. Our tickets said to meet on the dock at 10am, so Tuesday morning we headed to the first floor of our ship at 9:45am and went out to the dock.
Since there are a lot of different excursion groups meeting on the dock at around the same time, it can be a little chaotic. However, there were plenty of people wearing bright orange that were helping separate the groups into their respective excursions, so when in doubt, just find one of those guys and ask which line to go in! Once you're in the correct line, they'll sign you in, give you your lunch/drink ticket & a color-coded wristband.
If given the choice, I recommend sitting on the top deck of the ferry, towards the back or along the sides. You'll have a great view on the ride and your chances of getting splashed are a lot lower than on the bottom deck (we got splashed a little at the top, but when we get off the boat, we walked through puddles on the bottom deck, so they must've gotten wet!). We were one of the last ones to board, so I was so happy to see there were two seats available at the very front of the ferry at the top. However, once we got out of the harbor and the ferry could go at full speed, I quickly realized why those seats were available, haha! The wind up there is crazy, so I definitely recommend sitting along the sides or the back, if you can.
The ride is definitely scenic, and made our shore excursion even more memorable. You even pass by some pretty neat mansion properties as well! And as you get closer to the island, the water gets lighter & more turquoise - just gorgeous!
As you get closer to the lagoon, the water does get a little choppy - just a heads up for those who don't do well with boats & motion sickness. However, the majority of the ride to and from the island is pretty smooth!
There was a restroom on the bottom deck of the ferry, as well as a small bar. However, it's not that long of a ferry ride - it took us about 25-30 minutes one way to get to the island.
They'll announce on the ferry several times what time they'll be leaving the island before you get off. However, on the off-chance you forget, I found it super helpful that there were signs (like this one on the right) throughout the island that said what time the different ferries were leaving. A crowd of people will be lining up at the dock at the different boarding times, so you'll be able to see whenever a ferry is boarding and about to leave.
Helpful Island Info / FAQs
Currency: Blue Lagoon Island accepts Visa & Mastercard credit cards, they do not accept AMEX. Though on Royal Caribbean it says they're a "cashless facility," we were able to pay with U.S. dollars at the bar with no issues. Since they're a privately-owned facility, they do not accept hotel or cruise cards for payment
Some things you're not allowed to bring to the island: scuba gear, fishing gear, drones, metal detectors, outside food & drinks
Lockers: Lockers are free to use if you purchase an animal encounter. Otherwise, there are lockers available to rent for a fee
Restrooms & Showers: they have clean restrooms and both indoor & outdoor showers available
Shopping: there are a couple gift shops where you can buy souvenirs
Accessibility/Special Needs: for more information, click here!
Island Size: to get a general understanding of the island, check out this detailed, easy-to-read map!
Weather Cancellations: Blue Lagoon Island will operate rain or shine, so even if the weather isn't great, unless they decide to cancel an activity or shut down, you won't be issued a refund
Photos for Animal Encounters: for the safety of the animals, guests participating in the animal encounters can't take their own photos. However, professional photographers will be present, and you'll have the option to buy photos after the activity
Beach Excursion vs. Animal Encounter Excursions: if you purchase an Animal Encounter excursion, you'll have access to everything the Beach Day excursion includes. If you only purchase the Beach Day excursion, you'll have to pay extra to participate in an Animal Encounter once you get to the island
Language: the official language of the Bahamas is English
Will it be over-crowded? Being a family-owned operation, the amount of guests that are allowed entry to the island is fortunately regulated. We went on a Tuesday in August, and it wasn't crowded at all! However, there are some reviews that complained that the day they went, it was super crowded. So keep in mind, it might depend on whether you go on a week day or weekend.
Looking to book tickets to Blue Lagoon from the Bahamas, and not from a cruise line? Click here!
For more FAQs, click here!
Blue Lagoon Island is not for you if...
If you only have one day in the Bahamas, and you're looking to immerse yourself in local Bahamian culture & cuisine, wanting to explore historical locations in Nassau or do some major shopping, Blue Lagoon Island may not be the best excursion for you. It is a family-owned, private island that mainly caters to tourists wanting to go to a secluded beach for the day.
Others in our group decided to stay in Nassau, and took tours to local Bahamian resorts and factories (a cigar-making factory was a highlight!). They also had fun at a local restaurant and did some shopping.
Since our cruise wasn't leaving Nassau until 5pm, I liked that the ferry got us back to the dock around 3pm, leaving us some time to walk around Nassau if we wanted. We chose to head back to the ship though, because the line to get back on the ship only gets longer the closer it gets to 5pm, and in August, it's very hot!
If you're spending several days in the Bahamas, then I personally think Blue Lagoon Island is a must! Especially with all of the different unique animal encounters they offer. And if you're like me - heading to the Bahamas and wanting that quintessential, relaxing Caribbean getaway experience - then definitely check out the Blue Lagoon Island excursions before they sell out!
Click here to see my travel reel of the island!
What a fantastic review! Thanks for all the info and tidbits. So comprehensive!