Everything, Answered.

Day experiences start at $59 for the Beach Escape Economy and $79 for the classic Beach Escape with lunch. Snorkeling experiences run $89 to $99, the All Inclusive Pigs, Snorkeling & Beach day is $169 and the Swimming Pigs Express is $79. Private Cabanas ($319 for two) and Private Villas ($499 for up to six) are the comfortable way up. All prices are per person in USD and include VAT.
Prices can vary.

Yes. Booking directly with us gets you the best available price, no booking fee, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. You also deal with the island itself, so if plans change, one call sorts it.

Book direct and you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. Inside 24 hours, bookings are non-refundable, though we may be able to move you to another date. The full details live in our Cancellation Policy.

No. Your phone screen is fine, printed works too. Just make sure the whole ticket is visible and the QR code isn't damaged, because we can't check in a ticket we can't scan.

Yes, we're proud to. Bahamian residents receive a special discount! Proof of residency with a photo ID is required at check-in. Bahamas-based companies and groups get their own special rate too, just ask our events team.

Online we accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal. On the island we operate cashless but major cards work at the bars and gift shop.

Yes and yes. All prices are per person in USD, VAT inclusive. Gratuity is not included, so if your server made the day, they'll appreciate it.

That depends on the day you're after. If you want a private island with two quiet beaches, a vibrant coral reef you can walk into rather than boat out to and a proper Bahamian lunch, then yes. Guests tell us the quiet is the part they didn't expect to like most.

It's less of a fit if you're after nightlife, shopping, a big resort water park or a schedule packed with organised activity. Pearl Island is small and authentic and there is only one operator on it, which is exactly why it feels the way it does. Come for a slow day in very clear water and you'll get your money's worth.

There are larger day-trip islands closer to the cruise port and they suit a different kind of day. They run at higher volume, with more attractions and more people on the sand.

Pearl Island is the quieter end of that choice. It's privately owned and we're the only operator, so you're never sharing the island with another company's group. The reef sits less than fifty feet from the beach, so snorkeling doesn't cost you an hour on a boat. Lunch is cooked on the island. And the beaches don't fill, because the ferry capacity decides how many people are here.

If your priority is a big, busy island day with plenty going on, book the bigger option. If it's clear water, space and a day that doesn't feel processed, book this one.

About five hours door to door, and roughly four of those on the island itself. The ferry leaves the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal at 11:00 AM, the crossing takes around twenty five minutes by catamaran, and the return ferry goes at 3:30 PM.

That's long enough to snorkel, eat properly and still have an unhurried afternoon on the sand. It's the length most guests say they'd have chosen anyway: enough to feel like a day, short enough that nobody gets restless.

The Swimming Pigs Express is the exception. It's the short version, built around a tight cruise schedule, and it leaves from a different dock.

Yes, we'd book ahead. Ferry capacity sets the ceiling on how many guests are on the island each day, which is the reason it never feels crowded and also the reason days sell out. Cruise days and the December to April stretch go first.

Booking direct is the cheapest way to do it and it takes about a minute. Your ticket lands in your inbox straight away, and you can cancel free up to 24 hours before departure, so there's no real reason to leave it.

Walk-ups aren't something we can promise. If there's space on the day we'll take you, but on a busy week there usually isn't.

Two docks, depending on your experience. Everything except the Swimming Pigs Express departs from the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal, East Dock, behind Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. The Swimming Pigs Express departs from Elizabeth on Bay Marina on East Bay Street, a short walk east of the cruise port. Your ticket shows your dock, and our team in yellow or navy-blue polos is easy to spot at both.

Most experiences depart the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal at 11:00 AM and return around 3:30 PM. The Swimming Pigs Express departs Elizabeth on Bay at 10:45 AM and returns around 3:45 PM. Check-in closes 15 minutes before departure, and the boat leaves on time.

About 25 minutes by catamaran, and it's the good kind of 25 minutes: Nassau behind you, turquoise ahead, and the lighthouse growing on the horizon.

Yes. The Paradise Island Ferry Terminal sits across from the Marina Village, about a five minute walk from the Coral, Beach and Royal Towers. It's probably the shortest journey to a private island you'll ever make.

Land taxis wait right outside the cruise port exit; the ride over the bridge to the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal takes 5 to 10 minutes and costs around $5 per person. On the Swimming Pigs Express? Skip the taxi entirely and walk east along Bay Street to Elizabeth on Bay Marina in 5 to 10 minutes. One thing: take a land taxi, not a water taxi. Water taxis aren't reliable on timing, and we can't hold the boat.

The ferry departs on schedule, because the guests on board have ships and flights to catch. A missed departure counts as a no-show and can't be refunded. If you know you're running late, call +1.242.698.9970 immediately and we'll do what we can.

Elizabeth on Bay Marina on East Bay Street, just east of the Nassau Cruise Port. It's a five to ten minute walk from the ships, so no taxi needed. Meet at the back of the marina by the water and look for our team in yellow or navy polos. Note this is the only trip that doesn't leave from the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal.

Every Beach Escape package includes the roundtrip ferry, access to two white-sand beaches, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards, the lighthouse, beach chairs and shaded decks, fresh-water showers, full bathroom facilities and our gift shop. Most packages include a traditional Bahamian lunch. Cabanas and Villas add private loungers, a personal server, a drink package and a guided snorkeling adventure.

On most experiences, yes. The Beach Escape, Reef Snorkeling, Sunken Sculpture and All Inclusive Pigs packages all include a traditional Bahamian lunch. The Beach Escape Economy and Swimming Pigs Express don't, which is why they cost less. Our bars serve cocktails, beer, wine and soft drinks all day.

Yes to all three. Lockers are available for $10 per day, fresh-water showers rinse off the salt before the ferry home and full bathroom facilities are on the island.

No, outside food and beverages can't be brought onto the island. Between the Bahamian lunch, the ice cream bar and three beach bars, going hungry takes real effort.

Very much so. The Blue Bar, Starfish Bar and Conch Bar pour cocktails, cold beer, wine and soft drinks. Drinks beyond what's included in your package are payable on the island.

Swimwear (wear it under your clothes), a towel, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, your booking confirmation and a credit card for drinks. Honestly, that's about it. The full packing list is on our Plan Your Visit page.

Drones are not permitted over the island, and commercial photography or filming needs our written permission in advance. Your phone and camera for personal memories? Fire away.

No, Pearl Island is a day experience. Even the Private Villas are day-use, five hours of ocean-on-all-sides privacy. You'll sleep in Nassau and dream about coming back.

Partly, and we'd rather be specific than vague about it.

The catamaran and the dock at are accessible for wheelchair users. Our crew helps with boarding.

On the island, you´ll get around most of the trails by weelchair. The beaches are soft sand, which most wheelchairs can't cross without a beach chair.

The lighthouse is reached by stairs and there is no lift, so the climb isn't possible for everyone.

If you're planning a visit with a wheelchair or limited mobility, message us before you book and we'll walk you through exactly what your day would look like. We'd rather tell you honestly in advance than have you find out at the dock. In general, our Beach Escape is accessible by weelchair, while the cabanas & villas or the swimming pigs & snorkeling tours are not.

They really do, and they're surprisingly good at it. That said, our pigs are animals, not performers: they swim when they feel like it, which is most of the time, and lounge in the shallows when they don't. Either way, you'll be closer to a swimming pig than most people ever get.

The original Pig Beach sits on Big Major Cay in the Exumas, roughly 80 miles and a very long boat day from Nassau. Our world-famous swimming pigs live much closer, which is exactly the point: you meet them, feed them and swim with them within a relaxed day trip from Nassau, no dawn departure and no marathon speedboat ride required.

Yes, gently, and only with the feed our guides provide. Your pig interaction runs about 30 minutes with our team right beside you. Please don't bring your own snacks; the pigs' health matters more than the photo, though you'll get the photo too.

No. The pigs hang out on the beach and in shallow water, so non-swimmers get the full experience. Snorkeling is the exception: for reef and sculpture tours you must be a confident swimmer.

Confidence in the water and a minimum age of 8. We provide mask, snorkel, fins and a flotation vest, and every tour is led by certified guides in small groups with a safety briefing first. The reef sits less than 50 feet from shore, so there's no long swim to get to the good part.

On a good day: parrot fish, porcupine fish, trumpet fish, Bahamian grunts, sand divers, maybe a moray eel keeping to itself. The reef is protected and alive, which is why we ask for reef-safe sunscreen only. We can't promise specific fish, the ocean doesn't take requests, but the reef rarely disappoints.

An underwater art installation just off the island: a sunken plane, sunken statues and a sunken boat, slowly becoming part of the reef. It's the strangest and most photogenic snorkel in the area, and it's exclusive to our guests.

It's a fair question and one we'd rather you asked than assumed. The pigs are free-roaming, not penned. They live on the beach, come into the water when they feel like it and leave when they've had enough of us.

Feeding is done only with the feed our guides hand out, which is why we ask you not to bring snacks of your own. Their diet matters more than the photo and you'll get the photo either way. Guides are in the water with every group to keep the encounter calm on both sides, and we work with animal welfare and sustainability partners on how the encounter is run.

One thing we won't do is promise you a performance. They're animals, not entertainers. On most trips they paddle straight out to meet the boat. On lazy days they hold court in the shallows and let you come to them.

Yes, and our Swimming Pigs Express tour is built for exactly that. It leaves from Elizabeth on Bay Marina on East Bay Street, a five to ten minute walk east of the Nassau Cruise Port, so there's no taxi and no transfer to organise. Departure is at 10:45 AM.

If your port day is longer and you want the full version, the All-Inclusive day adds a guided reef snorkel, lunch and five hours on the island. That one leaves from the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal instead, which is a short taxi ride, so factor that in.

Either way, check your all-aboard time before you book. If it's tight, call us and we'll tell you straight whether it works.

Very. The main beach shelves gently into calm, clear, shallow water, there's an ice cream bar, and the Aqua Park is a $10 add-on kids talk about for weeks. Life vests for children are available, and the crossing is short enough that nobody gets bored.

Children 3 and under visit free. Child pricing applies from 4 to 12 (from 8 on snorkel tours), and guests 13 and older pay adult fare. Everyone under 18 needs an accompanying adult.

Parts of the day involve boarding a boat and sandy paths, so it depends on your needs. Tell us your situation before you book and we'll give you an honest answer about what works and what doesn't, rather than a surprise at the dock.

Almost certainly, thousands of cruise guests visit us every year. Our 5-hour days return around 3:30 PM, the Pigs Express around 3:45 PM, and most ships sail in the evening. Do the math backwards from your all-aboard time, add an hour of buffer, and if it still looks tight, ask us before booking. We'd rather lose a booking than have you sprint down a pier.

Yes, we work with the shore excursion desks of most major lines calling at Nassau, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian, Disney, MSC and many more. Or book directly with us for the best price. If you book through your ship and it changes itinerary, your cruise line handles the refund automatically.

Call us as soon as you know. Where there's space on another departure, we'll move you, and if we can't make it work, our Cancellation Policy has your back.

A passing shower rarely interrupts an island day; this is the Bahamas, and sunshine usually wins within the hour. If sea conditions ever make the crossing unsafe, we cancel the departure ourselves and you choose between a full refund and a free reschedule. You can check the live island view on our website before you travel.

Honestly, the Bahamas doesn't have a bad season. Winter brings mild, dry days in the high 70s, summer is hotter with the occasional dramatic shower, and the water is swimmable year-round. If you're here, it's a good time.

We run year round, and there isn't a bad month. Between December and April the weather is at its most reliable: warm days, low humidity, very little rain. It's also the busiest stretch, because it overlaps with peak cruise season, so book further ahead.

From June to November the water is at its warmest and the island is quieter. This is also Atlantic hurricane season, with September and October carrying the highest chance of a storm system passing through. Most days in that window are perfect. On the few that aren't, we cancel rather than risk the crossing, and you get your money back.

If you want one answer: late April, May and early June give you the settled weather without the crowds.

No extra documents beyond whatever brought you to Nassau. Pearl Island is part of The Bahamas, so there's no border to cross, just water. Cruise guests follow their ship's normal shore-day rules.

US dollars work everywhere, and the Bahamian dollar trades at exactly 1:1. Cards are accepted on the island but cash is no; a little cash is handy for taxis and tips.

About eight miles from downtown Nassau and one mile east of Paradise Island, tucked between Salt Cay and Athol Island. Close enough for a 25-minute crossing, far enough that the crowd stays behind.

Pearl Island is privately owned and we're the only operator on it, so "private island" isn't marketing, it's geography. Originally developed as Spruce Cay in 1993, the island was fully renovated and reopened in June 2016, complete with its now-iconic lighthouse. Today it runs on a Bahamian team, local suppliers and a sustainability program aligned with GSTC standards.