🇧🇸 Cruise port day · The Bahamas
Nassau cruise port: taxi fares, scams and restrooms
Nassau Cruise Port (Prince George Wharf) · checked 2026-09-29 from the sources below.
Taxi fares from the pier
No meters. Fares are set by the government by zone (raised 10% in 2024) and cover the first 2 riders; each extra rider adds about $3–4. The official stand is in the port's Arrivals Plaza / Ground Transportation Area. Agree the total for the whole group before you get in.
| To | Time | About |
|---|---|---|
| Cable Beach / Baha Mar per car, 2 riders | 15–20 min | $18–25 |
| Paradise Island / Atlantis per car, 2 riders, plus the $2 bridge toll Shared vans often quote per person (about $5–12 each). Ask which it is. | 15–20+ min | $20–35 |
| Anywhere downtown per car, 2 riders | 5 min | $6–9 |
| Arawak Cay Fish Fry per car, 2 riders | 5–10 min | $5–9 |
| Lynden Pindling Airport per car, 2 riders (estimate: airport-to-downtown is about $36) | 25–35 min | $32–40 |
Got a quote? Check it
Type the fare the driver quoted.
- Jitney (bus) #10 to Cable Beach from Frederick St: about $1.25–1.50, exact change.
- Water taxi to Paradise Island: about $6–10 each way, cash, roughly 9 am–6 pm. Recent reports say it doesn't always keep its schedule, so check at the dock.
- Sir Sidney Poitier bridge toll: $2 per car, only toward Paradise Island; the way back is free. (Guides that say "$1 each way" are out of date.)
Tip: About 15%. The "$3 plus $0.40 per quarter mile" meter formula in older guides predates the 2024 rules; taxis here don't use meters.
Open this in Leave the Resort: all-aboard countdown, fare check and mapScams to dodge in Nassau
Jet ski rentals
On June 15, 2026 the US Embassy told US citizens to avoid renting jet skis near the cruise port and beaches, after sexual assaults by operators, injuries and a death.
Don't rent jet skis from beach solicitors. Book water sports only through the ship or a licensed operator.
SourceHair braiding "$2 a braid"
The quote is per braid, then the braids get tiny ($60+), or the braider stops halfway and asks for more.
Agree a total for the whole head before any braiding starts.
"Free" bracelets and braids
A vendor ties something on you, then demands payment.
Keep walking; don't let anyone put anything on you.
Per-person taxi quotes
A driver quotes "$10" and charges it per person, or raises prices when many ships are in.
Ask "total for all of us?" and check the posted zone rate at the dispatch desk. Use the fare check.
Free day pass pitches
A "free resort pass" turns into hours of timeshare sales.
Say no to free passes from street touts.
Atlantis day passes from resellers
Passes sell out on busy ship days and touts resell them; Atlantis can refuse passes it didn't issue.
Buy only from atlantisbahamas.com or at Atlantis (from about $195 an adult, $95 a child in 2026).
SourceStraw Market prices
First prices are high and many goods are imported.
Haggling is normal: counter at about half, pay cash. Real palm straw has an irregular weave.
Restrooms near the pier
| Cruise port welcome centre Inside the port by the Arrivals Plaza | Map |
| Straw Market Bay St, inside the market (accessible) | Map |
| Junkanoo Beach West of the port along West Bay St (basic) | Map |
Walkable from the pier
| Parliament Square 2–5 min walk | Map |
| Straw Market under 10 min walk | Map |
| Pirates of Nassau Museum about 8 min walk · About $15 adults, $7–10 children. | Map |
| Queen's Staircase about 13 min walk · Uphill; poor sidewalks near the hospital. | Map |
| Fort Fincastle about 15 min walk · At the top of the Queen's Staircase. | Map |
| Junkanoo Beach 13–15 min walk · Don't rent jet skis here (see scams). | Map |
| John Watling's Distillery about 15 min walk · Free tours, 10 am–6 pm. | Map |
| Arawak Cay Fish Fry 20–30 (or a $5–9 taxi) min walk | Map |
Time and all aboard
Eastern Time, same clock as Miami (daylight saving too). Usually matches ship time, but the ship's clock always wins. Ships typically leave 4–6 pm; all aboard is often 3:30–5:30 pm.
Money
- The Bahamian dollar is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar; both are used everywhere, so you don't need to exchange.
- VAT is 10% (5% on grocery food since April 2025).
- Many restaurants add a 15% gratuity automatically. Check the bill before tipping again.
- Use bank ATMs (RBC, Scotiabank on Bay St). Skip standalone machines at the port (B$5+ fees) and always choose to be charged in the local currency, never "in USD at our rate" when paying by foreign card.
Safety
- US State Dept level 2, "Exercise increased caution". Avoid the "Over the Hill" area south of Shirley St.
- Emergency: 919 or 911 (police, fire, ambulance). Police: (242) 322-4444.