Barbados cruise port

Barbados: swim with sea turtles ten minutes from the pier.

Barbados is the easternmost island in the Caribbean and the anchor of most Southern Caribbean itineraries. Every ship docks at the Bridgetown Cruise Terminal in Deep Water Harbour, about a mile from the Broad Street shops and the Careenage, with the calm water and sunken wrecks of Carlisle Bay just beyond. Most cruisers snorkel with the turtles, ride the tram through Harrison’s Cave or taste rum at Mount Gay. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Barbados from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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DockedBridgetown terminal, up to 6 ships, all walk-off
USDtaken everywhere, Barbados dollar fixed at 2 to 1
Dec to Aprdry season, low 80s, steady trade winds
All inevery price includes taxes and fees
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Three ways to do Barbados

Turtles and a beach, the cave and the rum, or Bridgetown on foot; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Beach day

Carlisle Bay and the turtles

  • Carlisle Bay is the first bay south of the port: calm, clear, lifeguarded, with six shipwrecks you can snorkel from the beach
  • Taxi about $10 per car for the 10 minute ride, or a flat 25 minute walk along the boardwalk
  • Catamaran sails from the port swim you over the wrecks and the turtle grass; about $90 to $140 a person through the ship with lunch and rum punch

Best for: families, snorkelers, first-timers

Big excursion

Harrison’s Cave and Mount Gay rum

  • An electric tram rolls through a mile of limestone caverns, underground streams and a 40 foot waterfall; about 1 hour inside, 3 to 4 hours door to door
  • Admission about $30 at the gate or about $100 to $140 a person on a ship tour that adds the drive through the parishes
  • Pair it with a Mount Gay Rum tour and tasting near the port, home of the oldest rum brand in the world

Best for: couples, rainy-day backups, anyone who has done the beach

Town on foot

Historic Bridgetown on your own

  • Walk the waterfront path to the Careenage, the Parliament buildings and the Broad Street duty-free shops in about 25 minutes
  • Bridgetown and its Garrison are a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the Nidhe Israel Synagogue dates to 1654
  • A fish cutter and a Banks beer at Cuz’s Fish Stand on Pebbles Beach is the lunch everyone remembers

Best for: short calls, shoppers, history fans

Live from the cruise lines

Barbados cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Barbados 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

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Every cruise that calls at Barbados

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Prices 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.

In port

Things to do in Barbados

The island is only 21 miles long, so a beach, a cave and a rum tasting all fit in one day.

Carlisle Bay beachesBrownes and Pebbles beaches share a calm, lifeguarded bay 10 minutes from the pier with six shipwrecks in 20 to 50 feet of water. Taxi about $10 per car, or walk the boardwalk in about 25 minutes; chairs and umbrellas rent from the beach bars.
Swim with sea turtlesCatamaran and glass-bottom boat trips from the harbor stop over the turtle grass where hawksbill and green turtles feed, then the wrecks. About 3 to 4 hours with lunch and open bar, about $90 to $140 a person; shorter boat-only swims run about $40.
Harrison’s CaveA tram ride through a mile of lit limestone caverns, streams and waterfalls in the center of the island, about 30 minutes from the port. Admission about $30 per adult; ship tours with the drive run about $100 to $140 and take 3 to 4 hours.
Mount Gay Rum tourThe visitor center on Spring Garden Highway is 5 minutes from the pier and runs tours and tastings of the world’s oldest rum brand, about 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. Book ahead on multi-ship days; the lunch-and-tasting option is the best value.
Atlantis submarineA real submarine dive to about 150 feet over the reef and the Lord Willoughby wreck, boarding on the Careenage in town. About 1.5 to 2 hours, about $120 per adult; the pick for non-swimmers and kids.
Historic Bridgetown walkFree and flat: the Careenage, the 1870s Parliament, the 1654 synagogue, St. Michael’s Cathedral and the Garrison Savannah. Allow 2 hours; the Barbados Museum and George Washington House at the Garrison are a 10 minute taxi from the center.
Bathsheba and the east coastAtlantic surf, sea stacks and rock pools on the wild side of the island, about 45 minutes by taxi or on any island tour. Not a swimming beach; go for the photos and a lunch at the Round House.
St. Nicholas AbbeyA 1658 Jacobean plantation house in the north with its own rum distillery, gardens and a steam train ride, about 50 minutes from the port. Island tours by taxi (about $40 an hour per car) or ship tours with a rum tasting, 4 to 5 hours.
Timing

When to go

Barbados sits in the trade winds at 80 to 88 degrees all year; December to April is dry and busy, June to November is the showery season, and the island is far enough east and south that hurricanes rarely make a direct hit.

December to AprilHighs 82 to 85, lows around 73, the driest months and the calmest west-coast water; peak season with the most ships in port.
May to JuneMid 80s, a short shower some afternoons and far fewer ships; the best-value window with the same beach weather.
July to AugustUpper 80s and humid with brief tropical downpours; hurricane season has started but Barbados sits on the edge of the track.
September to NovemberThe wettest stretch, with October the rainiest month and the statistical peak of hurricane season; November dries out and the winter fleet returns.
Good to know

Barbados questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in Barbados and how far is town?

Every ship docks at the Bridgetown Cruise Terminal in Deep Water Harbour on the northwest edge of the city; there are enough berths for six ships and nobody tenders. Downtown Bridgetown, Broad Street and the Careenage are about a mile away: a flat 20 to 25 minute walk along the waterfront boardwalk, a shuttle bus for about $2 a person, or a taxi for about $10 per car. The terminal has duty-free shops, free Wi-Fi, ATMs and a taxi dispatch desk.

How do I get around and what do taxis cost?

Taxis line up at a dispatch center outside the terminal and charge government-set rates per car, not per person: figure about $10 to town, about $12 to the Garrison, about $20 to the Rockley and St. Lawrence Gap beaches, about $30 to Holetown or Harrison’s Cave, and about $40 an hour for a private island tour. Confirm the price and whether it is US or Barbados dollars before you get in. The blue government buses and the yellow minibuses cost about $1.75 and reach every beach; there is no Uber, though a local app called PickUP operates.

What currency, language and time zone?

The Barbados dollar is fixed at 2 to 1 US, and US dollars are accepted everywhere, though change usually comes back in Barbados dollars. English is the language. Barbados stays on Atlantic Standard Time all year, which equals US Eastern Daylight Time in summer and is one hour ahead of the East Coast in winter; most US phones roam here but check your plan.

Is Barbados safe for cruise passengers?

Barbados is one of the safest islands in the Caribbean and the U.S. State Department rates it at its lowest advisory level. The port, Carlisle Bay and the west-coast beaches are busy and patrolled; use the licensed taxis from the dispatch desk, keep valuables on the ship and watch the Atlantic surf on the east coast, where swimming is not advised.

What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?

The turtle snorkel catamaran is the one most people rave about, and Harrison’s Cave is the best rainy-day choice. Carlisle Bay you can do on your own by taxi with no booking. For the catamaran and the cave, the ship’s versions cost more than booking direct but include the transfers and guarantee the ship waits for you; on a short call that is worth it.

Do I need a passport for a cruise that stops in Barbados?

On a round-trip cruise from a US port, including San Juan, US citizens can sail under the closed-loop rule with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate. We recommend a passport anyway: Barbados requires one to fly in or out, so it is your only way home if you miss the ship or need to leave early.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on SmartCruiser includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions, drinks and gratuities are extra.

Talk to a Barbados cruise specialist

Our consultants know which Southern Caribbean sailings give you a full day in Barbados and which carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit, so call to check availability and book. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560