4 cruise ships in port

Cruise ships in Nassau today

4 cruise ships in Nassau, about 12,832 guests on board. First alongside 6:30 AM (Carnival Sunshine); last to sail 1:00 AM next day (Resilient Lady). Town is busiest from 7:35 AM to 4:55 PM, with under 3,000 ship guests ashore before and after. The crowd peaks near 10,907 around 12:30 PM.

Where your ship docks, how busy town gets hour by hour, and what you can do before all-aboard.

* All aboard is usually 30 min before sailing — check your ship's app. Crowds are a model.

The next 7 days

The full schedule

Walking from the ship

About the port

Nassau Cruise Port (#1 Prince George Wharf) has six berths. A pier spine runs north from the shore at the terminal and carries two long finger piers parallel to the shore, plus the shore-side quay at its base. Per the labelled pins on NCP's desktop berth map: Berth 1 is the shore-side quay in front of the shops and amphitheatre (Oasis-class, closest to the terminal); Berths 2 and 3 are the south and north faces of the middle finger; Berth 4 is the south face of the outer pier; Berths 5 and 6 share the outer pier's north (harbour) face, one 2,525 ft line that runs east past the spine along the 219.5 m extension built in the redevelopment (Berth 6 is the east part — our inference). Every passenger walks the spine to the terminal. The port-information table says 'shuttle: No', but NCP's Transportation map shows 'Shuttle (Tram assistance)' pick-up pins on the middle finger ('berth 2&3') and the outer finger ('berth 4&5') and a 'back to ship' pin by the terminal — assistance, no schedule stated. (Corrected 2026-10-28: the earlier text read the mobile image's slider numbers as berth numbers.) Source: nassaucruiseport.com

• Six operational berths; can handle three Oasis-class ships at once. Source: nassaucruiseport.com
• Total berthing length 2,230 m; quay depth 8.9–12.5 m; not a turnaround port; no shuttle service; about 500 m (0.3 mi) to the city centre and 22 km (13.6 mi) to the airport. Source: nassaucruiseport.com
• 2024 statistics: 1,445 total calls and 5,649,856 total passengers. Source: nassaucruiseport.com
• Redeveloped at a reported cost of US$300 million; phase one opened to passengers in late May 2023 (day party May 27, 2023) after about three years of construction. Source: cruiseindustrynews.com
• The rebuilt port includes a Junkanoo museum (developed with Junkanoo experts Arlene Nash Ferguson and Percy 'Vola' Francis), a 3,500-seat amphitheatre, a living coral exhibit, new food and beverage venues and retail space for Bahamian goods. Source: cruiseindustrynews.com

At the terminal

Money and phones

• The Bahamian dollar (BSD) is held at a fixed one-to-one parity with the US dollar; the two are accepted interchangeably. Change may come back in Bahamian dollars. Source: nassaucruiseport.com
• Maintaining the fixed parity with the US dollar is a stated objective of the Central Bank's exchange control. Source: centralbankbahamas.com
• Some businesses take credit and debit cards; carry some cash. ATMs (PLUS/Cirrus) are at commercial banks in Nassau. Source: nassaucruiseport.com
• Most Straw Market vendors don't take cards — bring small US bills. Source: cruisehive.com
• VAT: standard rate 10% (PwC summary, reviewed Sept 2025, notes a reduced 5% rate on certain essentials); restaurant meals and most goods and services carry 10%. Source: taxsummaries.pwc.com
• Tipping is customary: about 15% for waitstaff, taxi drivers and other hospitality workers; many places add the gratuity to the bill automatically — check before tipping. Source: nassaucruiseport.com
• BTC (Bahamas Telecommunications Company) has GSM roaming agreements with 128 carriers; switch on and wait to connect. Check your provider and rates at btcbahamas.com. Source: nassaucruiseport.com
• Free Wi-Fi at the port: join "Nassau Cruise Port WiFi" (throughout the terminal). Source: nassaucruiseport.com
• Free high-speed Wi-Fi covers the terminal and on-shore entertainment areas; upgraded February 2024 (Cruise Hive, 2024-09-06). Source: cruisehive.com

Staying safe

• The U.S. State Department rates The Bahamas Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (crime). It renewed the advisory on 2026-07-28 with no change to the level or risk indicators. Violent crime, including armed robberies, burglaries and sexual assaults, can occur anywhere; most is in Nassau and Freeport. Sexual assaults have occurred on and near downtown Nassau beaches. Source: bs.usembassy.gov
• The advisory says to stay alert in the 'Over the Hill' area of Nassau, south of Shirley Street, where gangs have killed residents. Shirley Street is about two blocks south of the cruise terminal. Source: bs.usembassy.gov
• U.S. Embassy Nassau security alert (dated June 8, 2026 in its text; URL June 15): avoid renting jet skis. Two U.S. women reported sexual assaults by jet-ski operators in 2026 (2 in 2025, 3 in 2024); a U.S. citizen was killed in August 2025; 6 hospitalised since August 2024. Beware of jet-ski solicitations near the Cruise Port, Junkanoo Beach, Arawak Cay and the small islands east of Paradise Island. Rentals to under-18s are prohibited and operators may not ride with renters. Embassy: +1-242-461-5025. Source: bs.usembassy.gov
• The port advises: use only licensed operators on land and sea (taxis, water taxis, jet skis, banana boats, speedboats); book excursions through the ship, a hotel or a travel provider; don't swim alone; marijuana is illegal with strict penalties; police are visible at the port and downtown, but watch your belongings. Source: nassaucruiseport.com
• Firearms and ammunition are illegal in The Bahamas, even in small quantities (advisory as reported 2026-08-03). Source: cruisehive.com
• Use registered taxis only (fares are set by law); avoid unmarked cars and sharing a fare with strangers; Uber and Lyft do not operate in The Bahamas. Don't leave drinks unattended; use ATMs in well-lit places. Source: cruisehive.com
• Firearms and ammunition are illegal, including a single stray round in a bag; police enforce this even when travellers leave. Never swim alone; beware of watercraft operating close to shore; stay alert for sharks. Source: bs.usembassy.gov

Weather by month

The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30; the peak is September 10, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. Storms can cancel or reroute a Nassau call. Source: Long-term averages

Holidays and events that change a port day

• Junkanoo Boxing Day Parade (Bay Street, downtown Nassau): Precedent (2019): vehicles cleared ~4 hours before the start, no-parking zones and closures on Bay, Parliament, East, Charlotte and Shirley Streets; bleachers line Bay Street. Expect a hard-to-cross Bay Street and morning clean-up for a ship in port on Dec 26. Source: tribune242.com
• Junkanoo New Year's Day Parade (Bay Street, downtown Nassau): As Boxing Day: Bay Street closures and bleachers; tickets have sold out quickly (seating just under 8,000). Source: ewnews.com
• Junkanoo Summer Festival (Rawson Square / Bay Street): In 2023 police closed Bay Street between Charlotte and East Streets to vehicles, no parking both sides. Source: tribune242.com
• Independence Day (Clifford Park): Public holiday; government offices and many businesses closed. 2027 programme not published. Source: mofa.gov.bs
• Emancipation Day (Island-wide): 2027-08-02 (first Monday in August) Source: en.wikipedia.org
• Friday, December 25: Christmas Day — Friday
• Saturday, December 26: Boxing Day — Saturday; Junkanoo parade (NCP: 2 AM–8 AM on Dec 26). Observed holiday Monday 2026-12-28 (NCP public-holiday list).
• Monday, December 28: Boxing Day (observed) — Monday
• Friday, January 1: New Year's Day — Friday; Junkanoo parade
• Monday, January 11: Majority Rule Day (observed) — Jan 10 falls on a Sunday; holiday on Monday Jan 11
• Friday, March 26: Good Friday