Exuma day trip from a Nassau cruise ship: which tours work

The Exumas are not a short taxi ride from Nassau, so a cruise-day trip means a pre-booked tour with a fixed return time. This page covers the options that state cruise-passenger terms, and what to check against your ship’s schedule. The full operator comparison is in the Nassau day trip guide, and the getting there hub covers every other route.

Which Exuma tours take cruise passengers?

Nassau Cruise Port is at #1 Prince George Wharf, in the center of downtown Nassau⁷. The port calls downtown Nassau the primary hub for ferry and tour excursion connections⁷. It advises booking excursions through your cruise line or another travel provider to find a trusted operator⁷.

Operator	How it works	Adult price	Cruise-guest terms	Source
Original Powerboat Adventures	Boat all day from the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal	$299 + 10% tax	Check ship times against the boat times; ground transport between ship and boat included	1,2
Bahamas Air Tours	Flight to Staniel Cay, then a boat tour	$750 from Aug 1 to Nov 14	Private day trip only; the regular group tour has no time for cruise guests	3
Staniel Cay Adventures	Flight from Nassau, then boat	$700; children 9 and under $265	Check in at the Nassau airport by 7 AM	4,5

Staniel Cay Adventures prices exclude 10% VAT and a 5% credit card processing fee⁴. Powerboat Adventures’ terms quote prices in Bahamian dollars while its pages show $299, so confirm the currency at booking⁶.

Exuma Water Sports says it is not near the cruise ports and cannot take guests on cruises⁸. Exuma Water Tours has no Nassau office; for Nassau guests it offers a plane and boat combo⁹.

How do Powerboat Adventures hours fit a ship day?

The boat leaves the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal by about 9:30 AM and returns around 5 PM². Powerboat Adventures asks cruise guests to check their ship’s arrival and departure times against its own². Including ground transport between your ship and its boats, the operator puts the day at 8 AM to 6 PM².

The price covers a cooked lunch, a conch salad show and an open bar¹. Children are $190 plus tax¹.

How does a plane day work for cruise guests?

Bahamas Air Tours says a cruise guest with a scheduled Nassau stopover can only join one of its private day trips³. On that private trip, pick-up is at 6:30 AM and the return to the airport is about 5:30 PM³. The regular group tour is not for cruise guests, and its price is per person, by season: $750 from August 1 to November 14, $800 from November 15 to February 28, and $850 from March 1 to July 31³.

Staniel Cay Adventures asks guests to be checked in at the Nassau airport no later than 7 AM⁵. Its excursion lists seven stops: pigs at Big Major Cay, nurse sharks at Compass Cay, iguanas on Bitter Guana Cay, Thunderball Grotto, Staniel Cay Yacht Club, the sandbars and a sunken plane⁴. For the stops themselves, see Big Major Cay and the swimming pigs and Thunderball Grotto.

What if the day runs late?

Check your ship’s all-aboard time against the return time on the tour operator’s page before you pay. Add the transfer from the dock to the ship to the operator’s return time, and leave a margin.

Bahamas Air Tours warns that a return flight can leave earlier or later than planned, with a possible wait at Staniel Cay Airport³. Powerboat Adventures runs weather permitting; if a trip is postponed, it contacts you to reschedule or refund your card at your discretion². Tours that you cancel or miss carry a charge:

Operator	Cancel more than the notice window	Cancel inside the window or no-show	Source
Powerboat Adventures	More than 72 hours before: 50% refund	100% of the booked trip, for everyone in your party	2,6
Bahamas Air Tours	More than 48 hours before: 50% refund	No refund	3

Bahamas Air Tours says its tours operate rain or shine³. If it cancels a tour entirely before departure because of weather, you get a reschedule, a credit or a refund³. If a regular group tour does not reach its minimum size, it may be cancelled and you are offered a new date or a full refund³.

Is a cruise day to the Exumas worth it?

The draw is the stops, and a day covers them all: Staniel Cay Adventures lists seven in one excursion⁴. The cost is a long day. By air, it is $700 per adult with Staniel Cay Adventures against $299 plus tax by boat^1,5. The mail boat and ferry guide covers other ways to reach the islands, and Exuma Park boat fees explains what the park charges tour boats. Fees and times change, so read the operator’s current page before you pay.