While Royal Caribbean ships can be seen in Nassau almost daily, the company has a new land-based offering aimed at increasing the port’s desirability and attracting new guests.
The Royal Beach Club Paradise Island opened to cruise passengers in late December, giving guests an all-inclusive shore excursion with 17 acres of pristine oceanfront property to enjoy. A day pass, which has dynamic pricing, allows visitors to access two beaches and three pools, unlimited food, Wi-Fi, towels and roundtrip transportation. The more expensive pass includes alcohol.
With three “neighborhoods” — Family Beach, Chill Beach and Party Cove — the beach club aims to have something for everyone.
“With any port of call, people ask, ‘What’s something good to do there that’s safe, and fun, that my kids and parents will like?’” said Matt Hochberg, the owner and editor of Royal Caribbean Blog. “It’s basically the easy button for Nassau, and I love that.”
Enhancing guest satisfaction
The new product helps to solve a problem that cruise passengers have with visiting Nassau, said Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean’s chief product innovation officer.
“Part of the reason we built the beach club is that Nassau is a tired destination,” he said, noting the previously low “appeal” metrics the company measures. Already, some of those numbers have turned around. “We’re seeing longer time off ship. We’re seeing a rise in satisfaction for the port.”
Although the club has been operating at less than the full 3,800-4,000 daily capacity, there is anecdotal evidence from cruise passengers on Facebook and Cruise Critic that the club has been sold out on select sailings recently.
“It has done what we wanted it to do on every level. It’s been, I would say, a smashing success with guests,” Schneider said.
The experience of visiting
After stepping off the ship, guests embark on a 5-minute ferry ride to the club, which sits to the northwest of the cruise port and is visible from the top deck of taller ships in port. There are two drop-off piers on different sides of the club
The club is divided into three distinct areas: Chill Beach, Family Beach and Party Cove. While each zone has its own swim-up bar and eatery, they differ in overall vibe.
Enjoy a laid-back, toes-in-the-sand experience at Chill Beach, where visitors can find The Deep End pool and Paradise Grill.
Party Cove is the central location between the two beaches. Featuring what Royal Caribbean calls the world’s largest swim-up bar, this area doesn’t have a beach but does have a DJ and an infinity pool. While it is geared primarily toward adult visitors, it is not exclusive to visitors ages 18 and older.
Family Beach sits at the westernmost end of the club, providing a zero-entry pool, kids’ activities and splash areas. It’s also home to the Ultimate Family Cabana, a two-level rental with a slide, whirlpool, premium dining and personal server.
Marilyn Borth, editor at Cruise Critic, said the overall atmosphere of the club is “lively yet relaxing.”
“The highlight for me was the ease of switching up my surroundings based on my mood. It was such a treat to swim in the heated pool, dance to the live music and drink margaritas in Party Cove with friends,” she said in an email. “When I was ready to relax a bit more, I could simply walk a couple of minutes to Chill Beach, where I could enjoy the warm sand and play lawn games like cornhole.”
Is it worth the cost?
While this question is inherently subjective based on each traveler’s needs and budget, Hochberg found that the Royal Beach Club provides one of the better value propositions for shore excursions in Nassau.
Because day passes work using dynamic pricing, it’s difficult to determine what each individual guest will pay. Hochberg said planning ahead and checking prices within a few months of cruising can offer the best deals.
“There have been some very aggressive sales where the price comes down easily below $150 a person, which I think is a steal of a deal for what you’re getting,” he said. “No other beach club or no other day pass in Nassau has offers as much for that price.”
Hochberg said he has seen prices as low as $90 per person with alcohol during the off-season, and that he booked a cruise in April and prepaid $120 per person for a pass including alcohol.
Partnering with Bahamians
One of the goals of the Royal Beach Club is to enhance the overall experience of visiting Nassau, which is achieved in part by contributing 1% of total gross revenue to a Bahamian tourism fund.
The club employs more than 500 Bahamians and is operated in partnership with the local community.
“We have really worked to make this 100% Bahamian,” Schneider said. “Every operating partner is a Bahamian company. Every employee who is part of that joint venture is Bahamian.”
In addition, Bahamians will be able to have a stake in the club through a public-private partnership in which Royal owns 51% of the club and the Bahamian people own the rest.
Advertising value
Guests on other cruise lines are sure to notice the 43-foot-tall crown and anchor logo that faces the Nassau Cruise Port’s turning basin. This provides significant advertising value when you consider the 6.1 million cruise passengers that visit Nassau in a year.
“When you get there to Nassau, you see this giant logo and this bright, beautiful beach club,” Hochberg said. “That is, in and of itself, a major reason to book with Royal Caribbean the next time, or at least give it a try. I think that’s definitely part of the game plan.”
Part of the advertising hurdle with the beach experience is getting guests to understand its value as a shore excursion rather than compared to Perfect Day at CocoCay, which is included in cruise fares.
“It truly is a price value better than anything else you can do in Nassau,” Schneider said. “But you do have to compare it to a shore excursion.”
Future beach clubs
As Royal Caribbean continues to welcome passengers to its new beach club in Nassau, it also has three other beach clubs in the works.
The “first phase” of Royal Beach Club Santorini (Greece) is set to open in the summer of this year, followed by the opening of the Royal Beach Club Cozumel at the very end of 2026.
As a repeat port, Cozumel will benefit from having a new offering for Royal guests, who will visit on itineraries sailing out of Galveston, Texas, or on Western Caribbean sailings from Florida.
Separate from its beach club portfolio, Royal Caribbean is set to open Perfect Day Mexico at the very end of 2027 with a property double the size of CocoCay. The destination features the Loco Waterpark, the world’s longest lazy river and seven distinct neighborhoods.
Next year, Royal Caribbean will also open its beach club in Lelepa, an island in the South Pacific, for its Australian cruisers with more nature-based offerings.
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