Freeport: Lucaya beaches, Gold Rock sandbars and the pigs of West End.
Freeport is the big island of the northern Bahamas, 55 miles off Palm Beach, and the classic first stop on 3 and 4 night cruises from Florida. Ships dock at the Lucayan Harbour Cruise Facility inside Freeport Harbour, a working port and shipyard about 10 miles from anything you came for, so the day starts with a shared van or taxi to Port Lucaya Marketplace, Lucaya Beach and the dolphin lagoon, or a longer ride to Gold Rock Beach in Lucayan National Park or the swimming pigs at West End. Note that Carnival’s Celebration Key, 20 miles east on the south shore, is a separate port with its own pier and its own SmartCruiser page; a Carnival ship bound there does not come into Freeport Harbour. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Freeport 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 Freeport
Head for Port Lucaya and the beach, book the big nature excursion, or go out on the water; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Port Lucaya, Lucaya Beach and the dolphins
- Shared vans leave the terminal when full, about $15 round trip per person, and drop you at Port Lucaya Marketplace in 20 to 25 minutes; a private taxi is about $24 for two plus $4 to $5 per extra rider
- Lucaya Beach is free and directly across the road from the marketplace, with soft white sand, calm water, beach bars and jet ski and paddleboard rentals; the marketplace has straw stalls, duty-free and Count Basie Square
- UNEXSO at Port Lucaya Marina runs dolphin encounters by boat to its lagoon and two-tank dives on the reef; places are limited, so book through the ship or ahead
Best for: families, first-timers, short-cruise beach days
Gold Rock Beach, Garden of the Groves and the caves
- Lucayan National Park is about 25 miles east, 45 to 50 minutes by taxi: two walk-in caves of one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world, a mangrove boardwalk and Gold Rock Beach, a huge sandbar at low tide; entry about $12, taxi about $100 to $120 round trip for two
- Garden of the Groves is 30 minutes from the port, 12 acres of waterfalls, ponds, a hilltop chapel and a cafe; about $17 adults, $11 children
- Ship excursions bundle the park with Taino Beach or the garden for about $60 to $90 and solve the taxi problem
Best for: couples, nature lovers, repeat visitors
Snorkel Deadman’s Reef or swim with the pigs
- Paradise Cove at Deadman’s Reef, 20 to 25 minutes west, is the island’s shore snorkel: about $11 to use the beach or about $65 for a snorkel pass with round-trip transport from the port
- Catamaran snorkel trips from Port Lucaya visit Peterson Cay National Park, a tiny island with a reef, and glass-bottom boats sail from the marina
- The swimming pigs live at Crystal Beach near West End, 25 to 30 minutes northwest; a 2 hour boat trip with transfers sells through the ship
Best for: snorkelers, kids, anyone who wants one great photo
Freeport cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Freeport, Grand Bahama 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 Freeport
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 Freeport
Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.
Things to do in Freeport
Everything worth doing is a 20 to 50 minute ride from the pier; decide before you walk off and share a van.
Which lines call at Freeport?
Margaritaville at Sea calls most weeks from Palm Beach, and the short-cruise ships of the big lines fill in; Carnival’s ships go to Celebration Key instead.
When to go
Grand Bahama is the northernmost cruise island in the Bahamas, so winter is cooler than you expect and summer is hot, humid and in the path of hurricane season.
Freeport questions we answer every day
Where do ships dock in Freeport and how far is it to the beach?
Every ship uses the Lucayan Harbour Cruise Facility inside Freeport Harbour, a three-berth dock in a working port and shipyard; you walk off the ship and 3 to 5 minutes to a straw market, the excursion meeting point and the taxi dispatch. There is nothing else within walking distance. Port Lucaya Marketplace and Lucaya Beach are about 10 miles away, 20 to 25 minutes by van. Carnival’s Celebration Key is a different port on the south shore about 20 miles east.
How do I get around and what do taxis cost?
Shared vans at the dispatch area fill up and go, about $15 round trip per person to Port Lucaya, cash. A private taxi is about $24 for two to Port Lucaya and $4 to $5 for each extra passenger, about $20 each way for two to Taino Beach and $50 to $60 each way to Lucayan National Park. Fares are set per vehicle, not metered, so confirm before you get in and arrange the pickup time for the ride back.
What money, language and cell service will I find?
US dollars are accepted everywhere and the Bahamian dollar is pegged one to one; restaurants usually add a 15 percent service charge. English is the language and Grand Bahama keeps Eastern Time, the same as Florida. US phones roam on Bahamian networks, so check your plan; the marketplace and most bars have Wi-Fi.
Is Freeport safe for cruise passengers?
Yes, with the normal city sense. The U.S. State Department keeps the Bahamas at Level 2, exercise increased caution, and its advice for Freeport is to stay in the tourist areas such as Port Lucaya and the beaches, use the licensed taxis at the port, skip the unlicensed jet ski operators and not wander residential areas south of the harbour. Cannabis products, including CBD, are illegal in the Bahamas.
What is the best excursion and should I book it through the ship?
Gold Rock Beach at low tide is the sight of the island, and the UNEXSO dolphin encounter is the one kids talk about. Both are a long ride from the pier with limited capacity, so book them through the ship; a Port Lucaya beach day you can do on your own with the shared van.
Do I need a passport for Freeport?
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 Grand Bahama International Airport 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 Freeport cruise specialist
We know which Freeport calls give you a full day for Gold Rock Beach and which sailings 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.