Royal Beach Club Paradise Island: Is It Worth It? Real Costs, Food and What to Skip
Yes, at the right price. I paid around $100 per person on both visits, food included, and I would pay it again. It is not worth it at peak pricing, and the pass is priced by sail date, so the same day runs anywhere from $99 to $234 per person. Entry is not included in your cruise fare. Getting there took me 15 to 20 minutes door to door from the ship on the free boats.
In this article
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What is Royal Beach Club Paradise Island?
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How much does Royal Beach Club Paradise Island cost?
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Is Royal Beach Club free?
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How do you get there from the cruise port?
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What is included in the day pass?
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What is the food actually like?
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The three neighbourhoods, walked in order
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Are the cabanas and day beds worth it?
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So is Royal Beach Club Paradise Island worth it?
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Frequently asked questions
What is Royal Beach Club Paradise Island?
It is a 17 acre paid beach day resort on the western tip of Paradise Island in Nassau, open only to Royal Caribbean Group passengers. It opened in December 2025 as the first in the Royal Beach Club collection, built through a partnership with the Bahamian government, so there is genuine Bahamian food, local artisans and local music rather than a generic resort feel.
The thing people get wrong: this is not CocoCay. CocoCay is a private island your ship docks at and general admission is included in your fare. Royal Beach Club is a shore excursion in a working city, and you pay to get in. Different product, different budget line.
How much does Royal Beach Club Paradise Island cost?
Costs fluctuate by sail date due to Royal Caribbean's dynamic pricing software.
Pass Type | Price | What’s Included
All-Access Pass | $99 – $234 | Your rate features club entry, buffet dining, unlimited alcoholic drinks, high-speed Wi-Fi, and ferry transit.
Refreshment Pass | $81 – $184 | This option covers entry, buffet meals, soft drinks or mocktails, club-wide Wi-Fi, and round-trip water transportation.
Basic Admission | ~$49.99 | This entry-level price includes only resort access and the ferry ride with food and beverages sold separately.
Party Day Bed | $550 – $650 | You receive a reserved lounge for two people plus two full admission passes to the club.
Resort Cabana | $1,800 – $2,400 | Your group gets a private shaded retreat for up to ten guests with all admission passes included.
VIP Party Deck | $4,999.99 | This premium package offers a secluded social area for twelve guests including their individual club entrance fees.
Ultimate Villa | $9,999.99 | You enjoy a luxury twelve-person suite featuring a private water slide and inclusive admission for the whole party.
Two things worth knowing. First, the average sits nearer $134 for open bar and $111 for the non-alcoholic tier, so if you are quoted over $200 you are paying a peak date premium and should think hard. Second, the cabanas and day beds are priced per unit and already include everyone's admission, so you are not buying day passes on top of them.
The admission-only pass is newer and was still being tested on limited sailings, so it may not show on your cruise planner. If it does and you are not a big drinker, run the numbers. At $16 to $17 a cocktail and $8 to $9 a beer, the open bar tier needs roughly eight drinks to break even.
For what it is worth, I have been twice and paid around $100 per person both times, with the food included. That is below the average on both tiers, so it is achievable, but I was not sailing on a peak date. If your cruise planner is showing you $200 plus, wait and keep checking rather than booking on the spot. The price moves.
My last visit was in February on Wonder of the Seas, and the pass was around $100 per person with the food included. February is not a peak date, which is exactly why I got it at that price. If you are sailing over Christmas, New Year or a school holiday, expect to be looking at the top end of that range instead.
Is Royal Beach Club free?
No. Entry requires a paid day pass and it is not included in your cruise fare. The only people who get in free are children aged three and under. This catches a lot of first timers out, because Perfect Day CocoCay works the opposite way, where general admission is included and you only pay for the extras.
How do you get there from the cruise port?
Your pass includes a return boat from the Nassau cruise port and there is nothing to book and no separate fare to pay. You walk off the ship, through the port terminal and the shops, and follow the signs to the transport area.
Allow 15 to 20 minutes door to door. That is the honest figure from my visits, and it is worth knowing because the crossing itself is short but the walk through the port and the wait for a boat is what actually eats the time. If you have read somewhere that it is a five minute hop, that is the boat ride only, not your morning.
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island
What is included in the day pass?
The all-inclusive tiers cover more or less everything you need for the day:
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Return water taxi from Nassau cruise port
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All day dining at the Paradise Grills
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Unlimited soft drinks, and alcohol on the open bar tier
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High speed Wi-Fi
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Loungers, umbrellas and towels
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Access to all three pools and both beaches
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Live music and entertainment
What is not included: a reserved spot. A standard pass gets you in, not a guaranteed lounger in the shade. If you want a specific place to sit, that is a day bed or a cabana and it is booked separately.
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island
What is the food actually like?
Honestly? It is fine and nothing more. There are three Paradise Grill locations across the site serving beach barbecue and Bahamian dishes, so grilled shrimp skewers, fire engine fritters, wraps, burgers and chicken. It is all included in the all-inclusive passes and you can go back as many times as you like. Ten bars, seven on the beach and three swim-up.
But here is the bit nobody tells you before you book. It is basically the same standard of food you get for free at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Same grill setup, same sort of dishes, same level. The difference is that at CocoCay it is included in your cruise fare, and here it is bundled into a pass that cost me around $100. So if you are booking Royal Beach Club because you think the food is a step up on CocoCay, it is not. Book it for the beaches and the pools. Treat the food as something that keeps you going through the day rather than a reason to come.
If you want one thing to actually aim for, the chicken tenders were my favourite. Not a very exotic answer for the Bahamas, I know, but they were the thing I went back for.
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island
The three neighbourhoods, walked in order
The site is split into three zones, each with its own pool, beach access and atmosphere. All the pools are heated.
Chill Beach. The quiet end. Shaded loungers, ocean views, acoustic music, and The Deep End pool with a calmer swim-up bar. The far ends of the beach are the quietest spots on the whole site.
Paradise Beach. The family zone. Beach games, and The Shallow End, a big zero entry pool you walk straight into, with a swim-up bar doing mocktails.
Party Cove. The loud end. DJs, and The Floating Flamingo, a two storey swim-up bar that Royal Caribbean calls the world's largest. This is where the day beds are, and the Party Deck sits on the second floor above the bar.
So the practical thing to know, and this is the bit that decides your day: you are not locked into one zone. I moved between all three. Party Cove does get noisy, and when I wanted quiet I just walked over to the other side and that sorted it. The zones are far enough apart that the DJ does not follow you to Chill Beach.
That means you do not need to agonise over which zone to aim for when you arrive. Drop your stuff wherever there is space, and move when the mood changes. It also means a standard day pass gets you into all three, so you can have a look at Party Cove and the Floating Flamingo even if you have no intention of spending the day there.
For planning purposes it is a 5 to 10 minute walk from Party Cove to Chill Beach, so escaping the noise costs you nothing more than a short stroll.
Are the cabanas and day beds worth it?
Choosing a rental depends on your group size as each booking includes all-inclusive day passes for all guests.
Option | Price | What You Get
Day Bed | $549.99 – $649.99 | A reserved lounge for two people located in the energetic Party Cove area.
Pool Cabana | $1,799.99 | A poolside retreat at Chill Beach that accommodates up to eight guests with full admission.
Beach Cabana | $1,799.99 | Shaded shoreline seating for eight people at Chill Beach with all passes included.
Royal Cabana | $2,399.99 | An upscale Chill Beach retreat for ten guests featuring premium shaded comfort and club access.
Party Deck | $4,999.99 | A massive second-story social space for twelve guests overlooking the Floating Flamingo pool.
Ultimate Villa | $9,999.99 | A flagship twelve-person suite in the family area with a private slide and full dining.
Work it per head and it reads differently. A $1,799.99 Beach Cabana across eight people is $225 each with admission already in it, so against a typical $134 pass you are paying about $90 a head extra for shade, an attendant and a guaranteed spot. That is defensible for a family group.
The Party Deck is the one that does not survive the maths for most people. At $4,999.99 across 12 it is roughly $417 each, so about $280 a head over just buying the pass. I had a look inside it to film it. It is a genuinely good spot, right above the swim-up bar with the DJ below you and views across the whole club, but I did not book it and I would not. Unless you are celebrating something specific with a full group of 12, that money buys a lot of other things.
All rentals sell out early, so they are a cruise planner job rather than a decide-on-the-day one. Prices move with your sail date like everything else here.
Downsides Worth Knowing About
To keep this guide honest it's not all upside. Some recurring feedback from early visitors:
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It's not free, and many reviewers feel the pricing runs high for what's included, especially on busy days when multiple ships are in port.
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Chair and space availability can get tight on days when several Royal Caribbean ships are docked in Nassau at once.
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Portion sizes on some dishes (like the shrimp skewers) have been described as more "beach snack" than full meal though the unlimited nature of the buffet-style Paradise Grills means you can simply go back for more.
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There are no public waterslides the one private wet-dry slide is reserved for guests renting the Ultimate Villa.
So is Royal Beach Club Paradise Island worth it?
At around $100 per person, yes. Above roughly $150, no. That is the whole answer.
What you are actually paying for is the beach and the pools, not the food. The food is ok and nothing special, and it is the same standard you get free at CocoCay, so if that is your reason for booking, save your money. What you do get is a sorted, easy Nassau day: a boat that is included instead of haggling for a taxi, a lounger, three heated pools, and no planning. Compared with fighting for space on a public Nassau beach or paying an Atlantis day rate, that is decent value at the low end of the pricing.
I have paid to go twice, which probably tells you where I land on it.
Who should skip it: anyone who wants to actually see Nassau, anyone travelling with a big group where the per person cost stacks up fast, and anyone quoted a peak date price. It is a good beach day, not a once in a lifetime one, and it is priced like a good beach day only when you catch it right.
I have paid to go twice and I would pay again, so that is my answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Royal Beach Club Paradise Island free?
No. Every guest age 4 and older needs a paid day pass. Children 3 and under are admitted free.
How much is Royal Caribbean beach Club Paradise Island?
Pricing is dynamic and set by sail date. The open bar All-Access pass has ranged from about $99 to $234 per person and the non-alcoholic Refreshment pass from about $81 to $184. I paid around $100 per person on both of my visits. Children 3 and under go free.
Is food included in the price?
Yes. All dining at the three Paradise Grill locations is included and unlimited with every day pass there's no extra charge for food.
Is Wi-Fi included at the Royal Beach Club?
Yes, free high-speed Wi-Fi is included with every day pass across the entire property.
Do I need to book in advance, or can I book once I'm on the ship?
You can book ahead through the Royal app or My Royal Cruise, or book once onboard at the Shore Excursions desk but space is limited and pricing tends to increase closer to your sail date, so booking early is recommended.
Can I rent a cabana at the Royal Beach Club?
Yes. Pool and Beach Cabanas are $1,799.99 for up to eight guests, the Royal Cabana is $2,399.99 for ten, and the Ultimate Villa is $9,999.99 for twelve with its own private slide. Every rental includes admission for the whole group, and prices move with your sail date.
Is Royal Beach Club Paradise Island good for families with young kids?
Yes. Paradise Beach was specifically designed for this, with a large zero-entry pool (The Shallow End) that's easy for young children to walk into, plus a calmer beach area.
How do I get there from the cruise port?
Round-trip water taxi transportation from the Nassau cruise pier is included with your day pass.
Are alcoholic drinks included?
Only with the Unlimited Open Bar pass (ages 21+). Guests on the non-alcoholic pass can purchase alcoholic drinks a la carte at any of the bars.
Is Royal Beach Club Paradise Island the same as Perfect Day at CocoCay?
No. CocoCay is Royal Caribbean's private island and is typically included free with Bahamas cruise fares. Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is a separate, paid destination near the Nassau cruise port, and the two are marketed as complementary experiences.
Have you booked a day at Royal Beach Club Paradise Island yet? Let me know in the comments if you want a full day-in-the-life review sandcastles, swim-up bars, and all. The Walking Cruiser on YouTube.