Bimini: 50 miles off Florida, lagoon pools, conch salad, Hemingway’s bar.
Bimini is the closest Bahamian island to the United States, a seven-mile sliver of sand 50 miles east of Miami that cruise ships reached only in 2021, when Resorts World Bimini opened its pier at the north end of North Bimini. One ship at a time ties up and you walk off into the resort: a free tram runs to the marina village, the casino hotel and the beach clubs, while Alice Town, the old fishing village where Ernest Hemingway drank and fished, is a $5 taxi ride south. Virgin Voyages sailors get their own Beach Club with two lagoon pools and lunch included; everyone else buys a resort beach pass, takes a boat to the Sapona wreck or the stingrays, or simply finds a conch shack on Radio Beach. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Bimini from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Bimini
Stay inside the resort and its beach clubs, go out on the water for the wreck and the stingrays, or taxi down to Alice Town and Radio Beach; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
The Beach Club at Bimini and the resort pools
- On Virgin Voyages the 4.5-acre Beach Club at the last tram stop is included: two lagoon pools, six bars, a free lunch, DJs, hammock groves and Wi-Fi; the poolside loungers go within the first hour, so take the first tram
- On other lines the Resorts World beach pass runs about $40 to $65 bought on the island, or about $110 to $130 through the ship with lunch; cabanas, umbrellas and loungers are extra
- The free tram loops every 15 to 30 minutes; the queue back to the ship stretches in mid afternoon, so leave the beach 90 minutes before all-aboard
Best for: first-timers, couples, anyone who wants a pool and a bar
The Sapona wreck, stingrays and sharks
- The SS Sapona is a concrete cargo ship that ran aground in 1926 in about 15 feet of water a few miles south; snorkel it on a ship excursion for about $85 to $105 or a local boat from Fisherman’s Village Marina for about $55 to $75
- Honeymoon Harbour on Gun Cay is a 20 minute boat ride to a beach where wild southern stingrays and small nurse sharks swim around your feet; about $80 to $145 depending on who sells it
- The Bimini Shark Lab on South Bimini runs tours by advance booking for about a $20 donation; the island ferry from Alice Town is about $3 to $8 per person
Best for: snorkelers, families with teens, repeat visitors
Alice Town, Radio Beach and the conch shacks
- Alice Town is 2 to 2.5 miles south, about $5 to $10 per person in a shared taxi; three streets of pastel houses, the Bimini Museum, the Dolphin House and the ruins of Hemingway’s Compleat Angler hotel
- Radio Beach is a free public beach on the ocean side with chair rentals for about $15 to $20 and conch salad made in front of you; Sherry’s and the End of the World Saloon are the bars
- Rent a golf cart at Fisherman’s Village (about $90 to $115 for a four-seater) and the whole island is yours; drive on the left and lock it
Best for: explorers, foodies, Hemingway fans
Bimini cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Bimini from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Bimini
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Bimini
Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.
Things to do in Bimini
The resort is at your feet, the beaches are a tram or a $5 taxi away, and the best of Bimini is on a boat.
Which lines call at Bimini?
Virgin Voyages built its beach club here and calls most, and the Florida short-cruise ships of the big lines fill the other days.
When to go
Bimini’s weather is Miami’s: mild, dry winters, hot humid summers and a hurricane season from June to November.
Bimini questions we answer every day
Where do ships dock in Bimini and how far is it to town?
Every ship docks at the Resorts World Bimini pier at the north end of North Bimini, which takes one ship at a time and can handle Oasis-class ships; there are no tenders. It is an 800 to 1,000 foot walk along an uncovered pier to the resort, where the free tram starts. Alice Town, the island’s only real town, is 2 to 2.5 miles south.
How do I get around and what do taxis cost?
Inside the resort, the free open-air tram loops between the pier, Fisherman’s Village, the Hilton and casino, and the beach clubs every 15 to 30 minutes. To go further, shared taxis at Fisherman’s Village charge about $5 to $10 per person to Alice Town or Radio Beach, and golf carts rent for about $90 to $115 a day for four seats (driver’s license required, drive on the left). There are no buses or ride-share apps.
What money, language and cell service will I find?
US dollars work everywhere and the Bahamian dollar is pegged one to one; carry small bills for taxis, conch shacks and golf carts, which often prefer cash. English is the language and Bimini keeps Eastern Time, the same as Miami. US phones pick up Bahamian networks, so check your roaming plan or use the free Wi-Fi at the Beach Club.
Is Bimini safe for cruise passengers?
Yes. The resort is a gated complex and Alice Town is a small, friendly village where the main hazards are sun, no-see-ums in the mangroves and golf cart traffic on the one road. Use the licensed taxis at the marina, lock a rented cart and give yourself a wide margin for the afternoon tram queue.
What is the best excursion and should I book it through the ship?
The Sapona wreck snorkel is the classic and the Honeymoon Harbour stingray beach is the one families love. Boats are small and sell out on two-ship days, so book through the ship if you want the guarantee of getting back on time; the local charters at Fisherman’s Village Marina are cheaper if your ship is in port all day.
Do I need a passport for Bimini?
On a round trip from a US home port (a closed-loop cruise) US citizens can sail with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate, but we recommend a valid passport; it is the only document that lets you fly home from the Bahamas if you miss the ship.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on SmartCruiser includes the cruise fare, government taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.
Talk to a Bimini cruise specialist
We know which sailings stay in Bimini into the evening and which carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit; call to check availability and book. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.