Nassau: Pearl Island Reef Snorkeling + Beach Day & Bahamian Lunch

The island is very dated. Saw two rats and restrooms are not up to standard expectations. Workers were friendly and polite.

It was a fun day and location but not really great value. At the boat dock it wasn't easy to find the tour company since they didn't have a booth - just an uninterested staffer hanging out at the bar. The star-tour of the bay was interesting but the guide wasn't very audible - get a microphone. The little island was fine and the snorkeling was ok. The lunch was pretty good. It was a fine experience.

We did the sculpture snorkeling at pearl Island during a cruise in October and the entire thing was wonderful. The staff was friendly and the Ride to the island was very entertaining. Bary was a blast on the way there and back. Once on the island we did the sculpture snorkeling with Synaee. She was absolutely amazing!! She was very knowledgeable and made sure we enjoyed our experience. You can tell she was very passionate about showing us things and giving us knowledge about all the sea life we saw. I think she went above and beyond!!

Great location but we left about 30 minutes late waiting on a large group to arrive. Then returned about 30 minutes early, so only about 4 hours instead of 5. But again - great island location with lots of activities and plenty of lounge chairs.

I LOVE ITTTTT shout out to victoriano? I forgot the name i did sept 27 at 8am snorkeling i love it will do it again

The island is beautiful with plenty of chairs and loungers. Ample shade for the people not tryna burn. The snorkeling was a 10/10. The variety of fish and the knowledge that MJ has and shares. He truly is the fish whisperer. Miah was funny explaining the dosage and donts. Book it n book it again.

Beautiful beach day! Plenty of activities and had a great, relaxing, and smooth time. Tour guide even pointed out celebrity houses on the boat ride back to Nassau. Definitely worth it!

The experience was wonderful until time to leave they gave us an extremely hard time about get back to our ship.

We had such a great time with Charmaine! Getting on board was incredibly easy, everything was well organized, and the whole process was smooth from start to finish. The guides were so much fun, kept everyone entertained, and made the experience even better. Pearl Island is absolutely beautiful, and we had an amazing day. I would definitely recommend this excursion to anyone visiting the Bahamas!

Pearl beach was very nice. We loved the cabanas. Our only issue was the shake down by the water taxi from the cruise terminal. We paid nearly $90 to get to the beach. Do not book Pearl Beach through the cruise line. It will cost about $500 per person - which is hundreds more than booking through a 3rd party like Viator. Also, cabanas weren’t available online but when we arrived the beach they had them and we were able to upgrade. Staff were very friendly and attentive. We never waited on drinks or food.

We were told we could walk to the ferry. It ended up being an extra cost to take a taxi to the ferry. I was allowed to book my 3 year old to snorkel. Once we got to the location, I was told he was too young. So he and I had to sit it out- even though I paid full price for us to go.

The website says the Ferry is a short 5 minute walk from the ships. It was actually an 8 minute ride by taxi.

They canceled the night before but waited until 9:30pm to send the message so we didn’t have time to book anything else. They didn’t try to combine into one time that day or anything, they just cancelled because they didn’t have enough people. Very disappointing. This has been on our schedule for months. Save your energy and book with someone more reliable.

Place is run down but our private cabana was good. The people are extremely nice and welcoming. Our initial boat was late and the boat back was early so it felt very rushed. We did an excursion so we had 3 minutes to eat lunch

This was not a bad excursion for the price. We didn’t realize we had to take a taxi from the cruise terminal to the ferry terminal until the morning of, which was kind of a mess. The beach is pretty small but lots of chairs to sit in and some shaded areas. And even a small beach in the Bahamas is beautiful. The snorkeling was great and the guides were excellent. Very friendly and knowledgeable. I just wish it was longer. The food was okay but not amazing. Also, my son really wanted to swim with the pigs. This was our fast trip to the Bahamas so we weren’t sure how this worked. The description said there was an option to feed the pigs, however when we arrived, we found out the pig feeding option is extra (a lot extra) and happens on another island. Overall this is a good excursion especially for first timers on the islands. It isn’t bad but could be better.

This was such a fun experience and Renee was an amazing tour guide and Tony was hilarious and a great captain. Thank you guys!

Wanted to leave 0 stars but would not let me. Spent $30 on a cab there. They scanned my ticket. Then told me it was canceled. Offered me something else for 20 less or a refund. I selected a refund still waiting. When I called Viator they said they had that the trip was still on and could not reach them. So shady. So upset it was a trip for 5. Will never use Viator again.

I purchased this package because, not only was there snorkling, but also paddle boarding and water trampolines. We got there and the paddleboards were all broken and the trampolines were not allowed to be used.

Variety of colorful fish, good food, beautiful beach. We walked from the cruise port, & would take a taxi if going again.

Beautiful experience, beautiful island. Clear turquoise water, the beach is pristine, nature's beauty. The weather was fabulous, sun kissing the skin, cool waters. Good group of ppl, not too crowded. Took a ferry from Paradise Island to get here, nice ride, did snorkeling, great guide, saw nice fish, got a baby conch shell as a souvenir. Nice lunch, basked in the sun, got a drink from the bar, met nice ppl. There was a water obstacle course but didn't see anyone use it. Staff were great. An amazing trip, would come again

Limited time snorkeling. Lunch was not great - limited quantity and weren’t allowed to get more food. A lot of hanging out at the island (would have preferred to hang out at our hotel instead).

Cut rate ,equipment subpar did not get a 1/2hr in the water definitely not going to recommend it! Scale 1-10 it’s a 2

We thoroughly enjoyed this trip. The reef was full of colorful fish. The lunch was tasty, not too much, but fills you up before swimming.

Great excursion, amazing and friendly staff. It was so much fun to spend a few hours at Pearl Island. The snorkeling was the highlight of the day. More detailed information on meet up point is needed.

Our visit to Pearl island was wonderful. Ferry ride was quick and smooth. The island was beautiful. The water was a bit rough for snorkelling so half an hour was sufficient. Even though it seemed like there were tons of people on the boats the island surprisingly didn’t feel over crowded.

Great island. Wish the snorkeling went a little longer. All the guides were friendly and helpful. Boat wasnt on-time for the pick up and we came back 30 mins early. So lost almost an hour of time.

We had a wonderful cabana that overlooked the beautiful ocean. The snorkelling trip was fantastic- we saw so many amazing fish and coral! The day was relaxing and we had a wonderful waiter who served our drinks and delicious lunch all day. Will definitely come back!

Beautiful island, good food, organized snorkeling experience, it was just very crowded. Seemed like a popular excursion for people coming off the cruise ships.

Pearl Island was by far my favorite place. It is a tourist destination but the food is good, the drinks are cheap and full and the staff is very friendly. As far as crews to take you, you want to get whatever crew Issac is on. He was a good guide, he cares about you having a good time, and he spits "straight facts". Awesome trip. They made our honeymoon even more memorable.

I booked this in advance and was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, despite having downloaded the tickets to my Apple wallet, once we arrived in port (where I designated our pick up location to be) I did not see anyone or anything to direct me to the boat/excursion. We panicked as we did not have cellphone service or internet and asked a lady at an excursion booth and provided her the operator’s name. We ended up going where directed but never found the tour. Please print out the info before arriving for the cruise. I was refunded.

The snorkeling was fine. But the beach is not exciting which is annoying because you have to be there for 4 hours. If you have a nice hotel beach, don’t bother with this experience since you spend a lot of time waiting around for the snorkeling. It was a cloudy day though so it might have been nicer if it was sunny.

Snorkeling was so much fun. We saw a sting ray and many different types of fish. The snorkeling guides were great and informative.

10/10 this island is beautiful and snorkeling was so much fun the food was also amazing🤍 I would definitely go again as well the tour guides are very nice

My family and I did this excursion. We had such a BLAST! Snorkeling was absolutely beautiful. The two gentlemen that guided us were so friendly, kind. and very patient (with our young ones). The kids had so much fun on the stationer pad and kayaking. The food was tasty and good portion was served. Because our kids were having so much fun that we lost track of time and we missed our boat by a couple of minutes. The boat turned back to get us and the staff was so kind and understanding. Our trip to the BAHAMAS was GREAT and we can’t wait to come back!!!! Cheers to the BAHAMIANS!!!

Overall, I was pleased with the experience. Pearl Island is small but even with other tour groups there it never felt crowded since it's long and we could spread out. The staff we encountered were all friendly. My only mild complaint is that the 30min of snorkeling time wasn't enough. I know they had small groups take turns but even a little longer of a time window would have been nice. My youngest daughter struggled with the mask (too loose, then too tight) and a guide did try to help her but it felt like she no sooner got it sorted and they told us we only had 5min left. I got to see a stingray in the wild so that was awesome! Some parts of the island seemed a little run down like the "pool" and the iguana area. The lunch they served was pretty good, and the views by the lighthouse were beautiful.

This was a great island to visit. The beach was wonderful and quiet, and the snorkeling was great. MJ was a great guide and patient with my small children. This was my first time snorkeling, and it was wonderful. The ocean water was very clear and clean. The lunch was good, and Lynn was a great host.

Even though this says it’s a Pearl Island snorkeling trip, there is very little snorkeling. We were dropped off at the island around 11:30 am with no information on an itinerary, only to find out that we could have lunch at 12:30 and snorkel at 1:30. So, it was a LOT of sitting around, which we could have done at our hotel’s beach. The snorkeling was amazing, but was only for about 30 minutes, then more sitting around until the boat got us as 3:15. Not worth the price for the little amount of snorkeling we got to do.

Even though this days it’s a Pearl Island snorkeling trip, there is very little snorkeling. We were dropped off at the island around 11:30 am with no information on an itinerary, only to find out that we could have lunch at 12:30 and snorkel at 1:30. So, it was a LOT of sitting around, which we could have done at our hotel’s beach. The snorkeling was amazing, but was only for about 30 minutes, then more sitting around until the boat got us as 3:15. Not worth the price for the little amount of snorkeling we got to do.

We don’t know why some of the reviews are negative, because we had a great experience. The tour guides were courteous and gave clear instructions. We received our snorkeling time when we checked in and knew exactly where to go once we arrived at the island. The snorkeling experience was amazing and 30 minutes was plenty of time for us. Lunch was delicious. There was plenty of shade and places to swim in the water. The boat to take us back was on time. Overall a very good experience. We can certainly recommend this trip.

Decent experience. Food was Golden Coral level. Snorkeling was nice. The private beach wasn’t so private as there were multiple boats worth of people on the island. The facilities on the island were in very rough shape. There are likely many other excursions that are a better bang for your buck.

Good value for 1/2 day excursion. Check in is DIRECTLY AT THE BACK (waterside) of Margaritaville RESTAURANT on Paradise Island — not the hotel and not the Ferry dock. Food was average. Beach and lounging areas were nice. Snorkeling was very good but could have been longer. Staff was attentive and helpful. Recommend this for those looking to venture away from Nassau

This was a fun snorkeling experience. They do give you instructions and a life vest before getting in the water. Plenty of adult drinks 🍸, do see many marine life.

Told to meet at the pier for return at 3pm. Boat was there waiting but left to go to another island to pick up passengers and returned to drop them off. We boarded at3:3pm. Had to stand waiting in Hot sun for 30 min without explanation. I had to ask why. Could have had 30 minutes to relax on the beach. They obviously knew it was going to be 30 min later. Everything else was wonderful and would have been 5 stars.

The water was indeed beautiful. The accommodations were way below the posted reviews, price and my expectations. Lunch was exactly this: 1 chicken leg, 1 piece of fish, steamed veggies and brown rice (not delicious!) Beverages are an additional cost. Chaise lounges were plentiful, but not comfy for reading. Shade for the chairs was very limited - most chairs were in the sun, so use a lot of sunscreen. Our excursion was a mix from different ships. It is a 30-minute boat ride to the island. On the boat ride to the island, staff literally went from person-to-person with a tip jar. I was concerned getting on and off the boat. It was not tied to the dock, so a person needs to jump over 12 inches of water on a moving vessel. Did not seem safe to me. We did not go in the water, it was pretty cold. Instead, we enjoyed the view and read. The snorkeling was cancelled due to wind - wasn't an issue for us. I would not recommend this excursion. I selected this because I saw good reviews, but I was disappointed.

We booked this tour through viator when our cruise ship had a change in itinerary. The price was expensive but still way cheaper than anything the cruiseline was offering. Finding the pick up location from their directions was a challenge. We took a ferry from the cruise terminal to the paradise island ferry terminal....pay attention here ...which has two sides. The location your looking for is behind Margaritaville. They would do themselves a big favor by adding something like that in the email they sent. Snorkeling was cancelled due to high winds. It was pretty choppy so we understood. We grabbed some chairs and had a cocktail while enjoying the beach in a cove protected from the wind. Lunch was indeed like others said, a traditional Bahama meal. BBQ chicken, fried fish, rice and frozen veggies. It was just about what I expected. The staff were very friendly. It was all legit and we were delivered back to our cruise terminal with plenty of time to spare. However, perhaps some of the dealings seemed sketchy, and several times during the ordeal we were worried we were being swindled. Quiet whisperings of instructions, lots of promises "I got you man, I'll take care of you". It was a great day. Booking through viator made me trust the tour.

This island offers an AMAZING picturesque daytrip getaway, and was the highlight of our entire cruise! I was a little scared about the bad reviews, we almost canceled, but glad we did not... People are so miserable and bored with their lives to not enjoy this place. This island offers, beautiful, white sand, crystal clear, turquoise water, fantastic snorkeling, a great authentic lunch, free kayaking and standup paddle boards, a great little bar, plenty of seating, and just a fun vibe overall. (No, it is not the Ritz Carlton. Maybe some of the chairs are a bit weathered. If you want to gorge yourself with an endless buffet cruise lunch, that’s not this place. They do serve a nice hot meal and you can purchase yummy drinks if you want.) We actually enjoyed this place a little bit more than Coco Kay, the private royal Caribbean island. It has a rustic fun vibe and the views are just breathtaking. That crystal clearwater will stay in my mind forever.

I wasn't told that the snorkeling had been cancelled until I arrived at the ferry to sign in. Very disappointed in the lack of communication.

We had a nice day at Pearl Island. The snorkeling was basically swimming in a small area with the fish “penned in”. Wasn’t the best, but the water was pretty and the people on the island are nice. One thing I liked in there were plenty of chairs to choose from. Many had umbrellas also. Food was good at the buffet. Don’t expect substitutions, extra or seconds.

Bring things u may need for the beach. Snacks, drinks are not provided. Shade is first come first serve.