Pearl Island Review - December 2022

[cft8]

We were in Nassau in late December and booked the Pearl Island Beach Escape through Royal Caribbean. We booked in the Black Friday Sale, and paid $74.99 per person. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good choice. Our party was me, DH, and my sister (all in our 40's) and my niece (15).

 

We got off the ship early, because I wanted to look around the shops, but having not been to Nassau before, we didn’t realize they were quite a walk from the ship, and the ferry for Pearl Island was picking up right by the ship, so we ended up just hanging around on the pier and the day wasn’t off to a great start. (Not Pearl Island or RC's fault, of course.)

 

When we got to Pearl Island, we found out that they don’t supply towels and we were supposed to bring them from the ship. We haven't cruised in warm-weather ports before, so we weren't aware this was standard and the staff giving out towels wasn't in a super noticeable spot when disembarking. When I went back to look, the confirmation email from when I booked said to bring your own towel, but was not on the excursion information we got on board.

 

Then, it turned out that not only did they only have one paddle board for everyone on the island that day (they’d had some storm damage) but also the “water sports” area was super small. The lounge chairs they have were not in good shape and had a cross bar right where your butt should be. At that point, everyone was pretty cranky. I went for a short walk by myself, and during that I did find a spot with more comfortable chairs (which might have been for people who booked cabanas, but weren’t actually in a cabana and there wasn’t anyone telling people not to sit there. So, we moved and were at least more comfortable.

 

Lunch is included, but they give you a ticket for it. I swear I handed both our tickets to DH and then I went to the bathroom. By the time we got to the lunch area, my ticket was missing (I maintain that he gave the server both of them and she dropped them both in without noticing). I was already super on edge, and I said “well, I guess I won’t eat then” but the woman was like “no, this is the Bahamas, we feed you regardless” so that was very kind. Also my sis had my niece’s ticket and my niece didn’t want to eat, so we just turned in that one. The food was good, but unfortunately only includes water to drink (we thought it would at least include a non-alcoholic drink).

 

After lunch, we got in the water for a bit (early enough that we had time to dry off). We also walked up the lighthouse right before we left, which does have great views. On the boat ride back, they tell you a little about the area and the famous people who own the houses you pass. Pearl Island was pretty, and it was mostly relaxing to hang out, but I can’t recommend it as an excursion - it definitely wasn’t worth $75.

[L1211]

Appreciate you sharing your experience.  Ugh…

[LHARTWICK]

Were there any shady spots to sit?  Looking at doing an excursion which includes this as the beach stop. 

[blue_water]

Looking at the independent excursions you get much more but you pay more too. 

[davela2]

On 5/20/2023 at 10:17 AM, blue_water said:

Looking at the independent excursions you get much more but you pay more too. 

What more do you get?  Just curious?

[blue_water]

We were looking at the independent options while staying on the island but we never went with them. If you look at them there are more inclusive (or add-on options while there), but the cruise line may also offer excursions with more options too. So you may want to compare…

Quite often when looking at cruise line excursions we choose reputable independents just for the better experience, but that doesn’t always apply of course…

[HUNKY]

We went swimming with the pigs through Royal and found that Pearl Island was worn down.

 

We found two loungers in a sandy area up against a rock sea wall.  One was in good shape, and the other's backrest was broken.

 

The island was quite crowded and the beach for swimming was very small.

 

The staff was friendly, but the walkways, buildings, and restrooms needed a good overhaul.

 

We paid $128 each using a Black Friday sale.  Even so a poor value.

 

The pigs were fun!