Guest writer Wess Jacobs is a longtime cruise fan who has been sailing with Royal Caribbean for years. He recently visited the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau and shared his thoughts with Cruise Blog.
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In late December, Royal Caribbean opened its first-ever private beach club. Situated on the dreamy Paradise Island in Nassau, the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island offers guests an exclusive beach day in an otherwise unpopular port of call.
Unlike Perfect Day at CocoCay, access to the beach club isn’t included in Royal Caribbean’s base fare. Essentially, it operates like a traditional shore excursion, though it promises guests an elevated, resort-style experience, complete with attentive service, lounge chairs, multiple pools, local cuisine, and more.
Wess Jacobs recently visited the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island on a cruise aboard Utopia of the Seas and shared his review with Cruise Blog. While he noted a few areas where Royal Caribbean could make improvements, he praised the club as a welcome addition to Nassau, offering cruisers a compelling reason to visit the Bahamian capital.
Here are his thoughts.
Jacobs disembarked around 9:30 a.m. and headed to the water taxi for the complimentary shuttle to the beach club
We docked around 9 a.m., and the gangway was lowered around 9:30. Although we had a little bit of a late start, the all-aboard time was 5:30 p.m., so we still had plenty of time to enjoy the beach club.
It was about a 100-yard walk to the water taxi, which was a nice double-decker vessel. The trip took around 7 — 8 minutes to get to the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.
We docked near Chill Beach and spent most of our time there and at the adjacent pool. We found a double lounger with an umbrella and were immediately greeted by a server telling us that she would be assisting us. She was great, and while there are multiple bars and self-service drink stations, the server was nonetheless a good addition.
The beach
The beach was well-manicured, and the sargassum was at a minimum. We did see one man-o-war, but other than some minnows and a turtle, we didn’t spot any other sea life.
The swimming area is roped off and only goes out about 30 yards. This seemed odd, but once we entered the water, it became apparent that the reason for the limited area was due to some severe rip currents.
The sea temperature was 74.8 degrees, but it was comfortable within a minute or two. The waves were impressive and knocked my wife and me down twice.
If you are a Floridian, the waves were reminiscent of Sebastian Inlet. Two lifeguards and a security officer were in clear view the entire time.
Read more: First look at the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island
The pool
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island doesn't have a standard infinity pool. Rather, it's rectangularish and infinity-adjacent.
There's plenty of room on the Atlantic side to look at the waves, as well as a swim-up bar with shade about 10 yards away on the opposite side of the pool.
If I had to guess, I'd say the pool's temperature was in the low 80s, so we didn't have to warm up to the water like in the ocean. It was really perfect!
There were a few children around, but the vibe was chill. We enjoyed listening to the live music. It wasn't dull, but it wasn't as lively as other areas, either.
The food
Admission to the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island includes food, which we were excited to try! The food shacks are all named Paradise Grill, and there's one in each zone, from Chill Beach to Party Cove and Family Beach.
One of my favorite dishes was the pinwheel shrimp skewers. The six seasoned and grilled shrimp were served on a bed of pineapple coleslaw. I enjoyed the Bahamian mac and cheese and pineapple whip from the soft-serve machine, too. However, the crab cake sandwich with crack sauce (a slightly spicy ketchup/mayo blend) was even better. I'm dating myself, but I have not had crab this good since they closed the Maas Bros. restaurant.
The only food complaint I have, and this is minor, is that the fritters were made with corned beef instead of conch. According to a Royal Caribbean Blog post, this is because conch isn't a sustainable food.
Jacobs spent time exploring the rest of the Royal Beach Club
Since it was our first time visiting the beach club, we spent time exploring the other areas. Walking from Chill Beach, we passed some food outlets that reminded me of the ones at CocoCay.
Likewise, we found a towel station that resembled the ones from the Coco Beach Club and lockers. There are so many towels at the beach club that you don't need to worry about remembering to grab towels from the ship!
Finally, we entered Party Cove. The EDM at Party Cove was bumping, and there were lots of people grooving to the vibe and dropping it like it was hot.
It wasn't our cup of tea, but the DJs had good energy, and it looked like the guests were enjoying themselves. Like Chill Beach, there's another pool with a swim-up bar.
Next, we stumbled upon Family Beach, and it's about what you'd expect: lots of families, live music, another pool, and more food shacks. Overall, it was nicely done.
Jacobs stayed at the Royal Beach Club until around 3 p.m.
While at the beach club, we reapplied our sunscreen and alternated between Chill Beach and the adjacent pool. When we were ready to leave, we took the water taxi back to the port area.
Aside from the fritters, the only other complaint I have, and again, it's a small one, was that the water taxi dropped us off on the far side of the Nassau ship port instead of where we embarked. As a result, we passed by multiple shops and restaurants, adding about half a mile to our return walk.
In conclusion, I'd rank the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island a 9 out of 10. I have to say that I prefer the wholly owned private destination (i.e., CocoCay), rather than the partnership model of the beach club.
Read more: 10 Best Reasons to Get Off Your Cruise Ship in Nassau
While I don't mind paying for a shore excursion, "partnerships" often result in a few inconveniences and possible safety issues since passengers must leave the Royal Caribbean bubble. That being said, Royal Caribbean did a great job with this iteration.
We had decided years ago to never get off in Nassau again. Now, Royal has given us a reason to get off the ship in Nassau, and I highly recommend visiting the Royal Beach Club, so long as Royal maintains price sensitivity.
How much does the Royal Beach Club cost?
Pricing for the beach club in Nassau varies based on factors like the cruise ship and sailing date. However, according to the cruise line, all-inclusive fares start as low as $109.99 for kids between the ages of 4 and 12. The pass that includes unlimited alcohol is more expensive, coming in at at least $169.99 per person.
To get the best price on admission, you'll want to book in advance through Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner. Waiting until you are on the ship is risky, as availability may be limited and last-minute rates are almost always higher.
As an example, the Cruise Planner lists the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island pass for an upcoming Utopia of the Seas sailing at $129.99, thanks to a 35% promotional discount. If bought onboard, the price rises to $200 per person.
Read more: Royal Caribbean's new beach club has all-inclusive passes and a $10,000 cabana
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
In addition to writing for Cruise.Blog, Elizabeth has bylines in Business Insider, Royal Caribbean Blog, and Cruiseshipfood.com.
