Short, sunny and close to home — Bahamas cruises are the classic long‑weekend escape, sailing 3 and 4 nights from Florida. The real draw now is the private islands: each major line has its own slice of Bahamian paradise, included with your fare.
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See Bahamas fares & book →Would rather drive to the dock than fly to Florida? See the five West Coast departure ports. See the West Coast guide ›
The stops that make up a typical Bahamas sailing — tap any to browse places to stay in port.
Forts, straw markets and a quick ferry to Paradise Island’s beaches.
Hotels in Nassau on Trip.com ›Royal Caribbean’s private island — waterpark, wave pool and a helium balloon.
Private island — nothing here is bookable outside your cruise line.
Holland America and Carnival’s pristine crescent beach, a perennial favorite.
Private island, reached by tender — nothing here is bookable outside your cruise line.
Disney’s family‑perfect private island with its own beaches by age.
Private island — nothing here is bookable outside your cruise line.
Carnival’s own destination on East Grand Bahama, open since 2025 — lagoons, beaches and one meal ashore included with your fare.
Carnival ships only — nothing here is bookable outside your cruise line.
Beaches, reefs and duty‑free shopping on the northern island.
Hotels in Freeport on Trip.com ›Great much of the year, with November to April the driest and calmest. Summer is warm and lively; watch the June–November hurricane window for the occasional itinerary change.
Major lines cruising Bahamas:
Trip.com carries Carnival, Disney, Norwegian, Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, Cunard, MSC and Costa — but not Royal Caribbean, so book that line with your travel agent or direct. Fares are per person and include port fees.
How long is a Bahamas cruise?Most are three or four nights, sailing from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral or Palm Beach. That is what makes them the classic long-weekend cruise — you can leave on a Friday and be home Monday. Seven-night sailings exist and usually add Freeport or a second private island day.
What is a private island day, and is it included?Each major line owns a slice of the Bahamas — Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay, Holland America and Carnival's Half Moon Cay, Carnival's Celebration Key on Grand Bahama, Disney's Castaway Cay. Getting ashore, the beaches and the buffet lunch are included in your fare. Cabanas, waterparks, jet skis and specialty food are extra, and the good ones sell out weeks before sailing, so book them online before you leave home. Nothing on a private island is bookable through the Guild — they are cruise-line property.
Do I need a passport for a Bahamas cruise?Take one. U.S. citizens on a closed-loop sailing that leaves from and returns to the same U.S. port may be permitted to board on a birth certificate and photo ID, but that will not fly you home from Nassau if you miss the ship or have to leave early. Confirm the current requirement with your cruise line before you sail.
When is the best time to sail the Bahamas?November through April is the driest and calmest stretch, and it is also the busiest and dearest. Summer is warm, lively and cheaper. The Atlantic hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, with August through October the busiest part — sailings still go, but itineraries get changed at short notice, so travel insurance is worth having.
Can I stay a night in Nassau or Freeport?Yes, and it is often the smart move — flying into Florida the same morning your ship sails is how people miss cruises. The links on this page go to hotel lists for Nassau and Freeport on Trip.com. For the night before you board, look instead at our port guides for Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral.
Is there a Bahamian tax on cruise passengers?Yes, and it is bigger than most people expect. The Bahamas charges a departing cruise passenger $23 for leaving by sea from any Bahamian harbour, then adds a $5 tourism sustainability levy and a $2 tourism enhancement levy on top — $30 a person. There is a higher rate of $25, which makes $32, and the Bahamas Customs schedule is precise about when it applies: only to a passenger leaving from a cruise line's private island on a sailing that calls at no other port in The Bahamas. So the usual short Florida itinerary — Nassau plus a private island day — pays the $30, and the $32 is for a sailing whose only Bahamian stop is the line's own island. The charge is for leaving the country rather than for each stop, and a round trip from Florida leaves once, so it is paid once. The $23 and $25 rates took effect on 1 July 2023 and the $2 enhancement levy on 1 January 2024. Do not confuse any of this with the $15 departure tax on the Bahamian government's general departure page — that is the figure for leaving by air, and the cruise schedule is a separate one. Your line collects it and almost always folds it into the taxes, fees and port expenses line of your invoice rather than naming it, so you may never see it itemised. These rates have been raised before, so confirm the current amount with your cruise line before you sail.
Curated by Our Guild Explorers · Updated September 2026
Destinations Guild is an independent travel company and a proud partner of Trip.com. Book through our links and you pay the same price while the Guild earns a small commission that keeps our guides free. Hotel prices are shown live on Trip.com. Cruise sailings are booked with your travel agent or the cruise line.