Planning a cruise? Check itineraries for a cruise port day in Barbados!
We recently sailed out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas to the Southern Caribbean. It had been several years since we sailed out of San Juan and we were excited to see some new islands. Our first port of call on our 7-day itinerary was the gorgeous island of Barbados.
The water is amazing!
But, I’m getting ahead of myself. First, if you are planning a cruise port day in Barbados, there are a few things to note about this exciting port of call.
Checking out the Pier in Bridgetown, Barbados
I really enjoyed this pier. It’s not often you see antique looking silos on your cruise pier. The Jewel of the Seas was docked at the furthest point on the pier so shuttles and buses were available to assist passengers to the port center.
As always, we opted to walk. The raised sidewalk or “catwalk” was a lot of fun! (I’m easily entertained). It was great to be able to look back and snap a few pics of the ship, gazing out at the water and just enjoying the stroll.
Once in the port area, there were very long lines of taxis and tour buses.
We walked out of the secure area via the pedestrian exit which is located on the left side of the terminal (as you exit). 
After exiting the terminal, we then shifted back to the right where there is a nice sidewalk to head towards Bridgetown. The sea will be on your right. You can’t beat it! Don’t worry, there were periodic signs that direct you to Bridgeport. 
Tip: Download google maps for offline use. You can always ask a local for directional guidance but having the map keeps me nice and calm.
We followed the beautiful path, strolling our way toward town. Then ventured through town making our way to The Boatyard, stopping to look at anything that caught our attention along the way. It was about a 30-minute walk at a comfortable pace. Bridgetown, Barbados was lovely and I can’t wait to go back to Barbados and explore more of the town.
The Boatyard in Carlisle Bay
Barbados Beach Day at The Boatyard!
The Boatyard in Barbados was a great choice for our first port of call. I always think that kicking a vacation off with a relaxing beach day is the way to go. It helps us to relax and really get into vacation mode!
The rum punch doesn’t hurt that process. 😉
The Boatyard has an informative website so I had researched ahead of time and knew there was an entrance fee.
Entrance Fee: $25 per person ($50 Barbados)
- Chair
- Umbrella to share
- 1 Welcome drink
- Snorkel/turtle swim – Boat excursion (about an hour total time)
- Return transportation to the cruise terminal
Even though there wasn’t a food credit included with the entrance fee, I felt that the fee was reasonable. It had a private beach feel, loungers, access to food/beverage and clean facilities as well as the opportunity for a snorkel excursion without additional charge!
Take the Snorkel/Turtle Opportunity – It’s Included!
There are two snorkel stops – the sea turtle area and then a shipwreck. Both stops are very short but it was worth the effort. The shipwreck was so interesting and I saw a sea turtle and a stingray at the first stop.
This little snorkel adventure was the reason Brian got me a GoPro for Christmas! We were so bummed that we didn’t have any pictures of our little adventure.
Tip: Bring your own snorkel gear. At least the mouthpiece. Like most snorkel experiences, they dump them in a cleaning bucket afterward but still eww. You can grab an inexpensive set on Amazon. They do not allow fins on this particular trip so bringing your own wouldn’t take up a ton of extra packing room.
Food & Drinks at The Boatyard in Barbados
After our late morning snorkel adventure, we were ready for lunch.
Except for the welcome drink, food and beverage were not included in our entrance fee. But, we felt the food cost was reasonable and the drinks were tasty. It was nothing to write home about but it was tasty and hit the spot.
We shared a sandwich & fries for lunch and I believe it was around $15. But the view of the water from this beach was priceless.
Return Transportation to the Ship Included
After a few cocktails in the sun, you’ll appreciate the “free” transportation back to your ship. Transportation is announced of the speaker so that you know when a shuttle is departing.
Tip: Get your cruise card out and handy during the very short 5-10 minute drive back to the ship. Security at the port will ask everyone in the taxi or shuttle to hold up their card for viewing before the taxi will be allowed in the secure area.
Would we go back to The Boatyard in Barbados?
YES!
The staff was very friendly, restrooms were clean and the water was gorgeous! The Boatyard in Barbados was a fantastic place to spend our cruise port day in Barbados. It had a fun atmosphere without being “wild”. Of course, we sailed in December while school was in session so if you head to The Boatyard around spring break or in the summer it may be a little more “wild”.
For us, it was the perfect amount of “lively”. Have you been to Barbados?
How did you spend your cruise port day in Barbados?
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