From the deck of a ship moored in Nassau, it fills your entire field of vision: Paradise Island, the salmon-pink silhouette of Atlantis, its bridges spanning the channel, its rows of coconut palms. The island facing the Bahamian capital was long the backdrop you admired from afar. It has become a destination in its own right during the port call, reached in a few minutes' crossing — by road or by sea.

Crossing the channel

Passengers have two options. Guests of Royal Caribbean's Royal Beach Club board colourful water shuttles directly at the terminal, which make the crossing continuously, reservation in hand. Everyone else can take a taxi that crosses the bridges in about ten minutes, or a local water taxi from the Nassau waterfront. In every case, bring U.S. dollars and agree on the fare before getting in: the ride is negotiated, the crossing is savoured.

The Royal Beach Club, a turnkey formula

Opened in December 2025 at the western tip of the island, this seven-hectare property is divided into three atmospheres: a family area, a party zone around what is billed as the largest swim-up bar in the world, and a quiet corner for those fleeing the decibels. Three pools, two developed shorelines, and meals and drinks included depending on the pass chosen: the day unfolds without a wallet. Since access is reserved for the cruise line's passengers with a reservation, it is best to book before departure, as spots go quickly in high season. Private cabanas, available at an extra cost, sell out even faster; groups and families will do well to book as soon as sales open.

Atlantis, unabashed extravagance

It is impossible to ignore the resort that reshaped the island in the 1990s. Its towers frame Aquaventure, a sprawling water park whose slides pass through lagoons populated with sharks, accessible with a day pass. Less daring visitors opt for The Dig, a series of underground aquariums staged as the ruins of a sunken city, where giant rays and groupers glide behind the picture windows. Marina Village, at the entrance to the resort, lines up yachts, galleries and Bahamian food counters, no ticket required.

Cabbage Beach and the unexpected cloister

The north coast unrolls Cabbage Beach, a ribbon of golden sand open to all, vast enough to absorb the crowds near the hotels and become peaceful again toward the east. A few minutes away, the Versailles Gardens — Bahamian version — terrace their way down to a 14th-century French cloister, dismantled in Europe and then rebuilt here stone by stone in the 1960s. Few visitors know about this fragment of the Middle Ages set before the arm of the sea; the silence of the place, ten minutes from the bustle of Aquaventure, feels almost unreal.

Choosing your day

Paradise Island lends itself to three scenarios: the all-inclusive package at the Royal Caribbean club for its passengers, the Atlantis day for thrill-seeking families, or the independent option — water taxi, a swim on the north coast, the cloister and a return over the bridges. Whatever you choose, the trip back to the ship offers the finest view of the day: Nassau on one side, the island on the other, and between them this channel where liners, sailboats and pelicans cross paths, under the gaze of the oldest lighthouse in the Bahamas, lit at the western tip in 1817. You then understand that the paradise promised by the name is not an advertising pitch, but simply a matter of perspective.