Monday, September 21, 2026

Diamonds are Forever- Day 5

Swimming with the Pigs
Nassau, Bahamas July 8, 2026


It certainly was an adventure for the memory books. 

Morning
We got up early as we had a schedule shore excursion mid-morning and wanted to ensure we got off the ship and had enough time for Chris to walk to our meeting location. The Windjammer was especially crowded on this morning and we felt the "port day" hustle as we ate our breakfast. TIP- On port days it is best to wait to go the buffet until about 30 minutes to an hour after the gangway opens for the least amount of crowd. 


Royal Caribbean's Royal Beach Club in Nassau! 
This used to just be a strip of land... 


They have finally arrived in the Bahamas. 

There were only 4 ships in port on this day! 

The line for the Royal Beach club tender boats. 


Happy Wednesday y'all! 

We got off the ship around 9:15AM and started to make our way towards the exit of the cruise terminal. TIP- Nassau has completely overhauled the cruise terminal and made some GREAT changes but the Royal Caribbean ships port at the furthest pier due to being near the Royal Beach Club on the south side of the island. This means a LOT of walking. They offer small shuttles but they request these to be used for those with disabilities. With Chris's neuropathy, we opted for him to ride in the golf cart and we could walk but a manager took us all the front of the terminal. 


They clearly LOVE the selfies along the way! 


Nassau, Bahamas- CHECK! 
I am so glad we were able to take the kids to this gorgeous island! 

Once we were at the front the manager called the Bahamas Jet Boat (our tour company) to ask where we should meet as there was some discrepancies. We did have to leave the terminal and walk about 6+ blocks to get to the meeting location but with enough time, Chris did very well. We got checked in and then waited nearly an hour for our tour to start but there was free Wi-Fi which helped a lot!  

We started walking to our boat that would take us to Mansa Bay, our private island where we would swim with the pigs, at 10:15AM and were on the water within 7 minutes. We passed by Paradise Island and Atlantis Resort as well as many celebrity homes like Michael Jordan, Oprah and Tiger Woods. The water was perfectly blue and smooth as we made our way to Mansa Bay. 


One of my favorite things- Explore new things with my girl! 


Symphony of the Seas- She is a beauty! 


We are loving this boat ride! 


Atlantis and Paradise Island... They are so gorgeous! 


Michael Jordan's Bahamian home. 


Oprah Winfrey's house. 

The long row of celebrity homes on the eastern side of Paradise Island. 

Once at the island we noticed there was another group already there and pigs were in the water. The island is VERY small and the workers had to bring out more chairs and umbrellas to accommodate our larger 10:30AM tour. We got our chairs and umbrella set and then met to get the food to feed the pigs. It was chicken sausage and apples we would put on skewers to feed the pigs once they were released and got into the water. All of this was included in the excursion price. 

This hidden gem is so pretty! 

The pigs were released and it was such a neat experience. The pigs were all shapes and sizes and there was even a baby of only 6 months getting food from all of us. We all got in the water and fed the pigs but both Chris and I gave a lot of our food to the kids to allow them a longer experience. We were also able to hold an infant piglet of only 6 weeks. TIP- This excursion was $129/ person through Bahamas Jet Boat and was worth the money for this experience. However, be forewarned that the pigs do poop in the water and it is not necessarily the most sanitary. That did not bother us (at the time). 


Despite having been in the water when we arrived just 20 minutes before this... These fatties were HUNGRY and came running! 

The kids absolutely LOVED this! 


They wanted more and more food to feed the pigs! 

Some of the pigs were cute... 

This was one of my favorites! 

We LOVED this excursion:




Another adventure and memory made with my family! 


Priceless... 


And then they were able to hold the piglet... worth the wait! 

The Professional Pictures INCLUDED with our excursion (emailed to us):


I loved getting to share with memory with my family! 


#Priceless 

Holding the piglet may have been their favorite part! 


Worth the 20 minute wait! 


Thank you for these memories (oftentimes I am the one behind the camera). 


As seen in this picture... But it was worth it! 

After we fed the pigs, we were able to enjoy this private island for over 2 hours. The kids enjoyed the clear kayak and the beach swings for a long time before it was time to eat lunch. Lunch was included with our excursion and the food was not bad at all. Although as a later tour arrived, the pigs were out and tried to come and get food from other guests. Again, this didn't bother us and we thought it was funny. 

This island was so picturesque and we loved it all! 


Be still my heart! 


I have to treasure these moments as soon they will be gone! 


I was actually impressed the kids were able to get out in the kayak! 


They kayaked for over an hour before lunch! 


I am in my happy place... a gorgeous crystal clear beach! 


After lunch the kids went out on paddle boards too! 
We applied sunscreen but it was here we all started to feel the sunburn! 

Afternoon
About an hour before we were supposed to leave the island the kids wanted to try out the Twister Ride that was hauled by a jet ski and spins you around super fast. Luke was not thrilled but Natalie talked both Luke and I into it. Chris would have none of it and just laid out the rest of the afternoon. 

This Twister Ride cost an additional $25/ person but I paid it willingly hoping it would be a good experience. The kids and I, plus a young small Bahamian boy got on the Twister and were taken out to the open ocean and within one spin of the ride, I was under the water with the weight not balanced. I yelled and asked to be taken back to shore in hopes the kids could continue. A worker came and picked me up but when got off, it sent Luke flying off and he slammed into the ocean. He hit the water very hard and was shocked a bit. I on the other hand was on a jet ski with a Bahamian headed back to shore. The kids and the 3rd wheel Bahamian boy made their way back to the beach and got Luke some ice for his elbow and were very helpful. (Luke was totally fine, btw... just shocked). They offered us to go out with the jet-skis but I am not a fan of those and not supposed to ride them. So Natalie was able to take a jet-ski out completely by herself and she had a BLAST. She drove around for nearly 30 minutes before we to start getting ready for our return to our ship. Later in the week she said that was her favorite part of the entire cruise; of which I am not surprised. I am seriously glad we were able to make lemonade out of lemons and Natalie had a great time! 

Once back on our boat back to the cruise terminal, we were able to get snorkeling gear and head towards Pearl Island for a snorkeling adventure. The kids jumped right off and were able to see lots of fish and coral. I stayed on the ship as I was very sunburnt and Chris was not tried and ready to be back on the ship. 


It is time to snorkel... They LOVED it! 


Luke seemed like a natural after only just experiencing snorkeling for the first time on our Harmony of the Seas 2026 cruise this year. 

We rode back to the Bahamas Jet Boat pier and then started our journey back to the Cruise Terminal. Chris was having a really hard time with his neuropathy and was walking very slow but was making it. We had an all aboard time of 3:30PM and by the time we got to the terminal check-in, it was almost 3PM. We were able to ride the golf carts back to our ship which helped Chris a lot. 


Cruise #30 on the Symphony of the Seas- Adventure of a lifetime! 

Check out our Swimming with the Pigs Recap:


And be sure to check out all MANSA BAY has to offer (included with the excursion):

WORTH EVERY PENNY! 

We were back on the ship before sail away and all took showers to get ready for dinner and then met in Vintages to play cards. Once again, we LOVE the Vintages on the Oasis class ships as they are completely tucked away and somewhat hidden to the general public. We played cards for nearly 2 hours and then went to the Crown Lounge for Happy Hour before dinner. 

Evening
Dinner in the Main Dining Room was Caribbean Night and it is usually not a favorite of ours and we usually eat in a specialty restaurant; but the kids were very intrigued to try this menu so we opted to stay in the MDR. The food was still just "mid" but the service was outstanding. 


Taste of the Caribbean menu 


Tiger Shrimp 
Luke-3.5, Natalie- 2.0, Kellie & Chris-3.0


Jerk Chicken 
Chris- 4.5


Royal Chocolate Cake 
Natalie- 3.5 & Luke- 4.0


Carrot Cake
Chris- 4.0


Pineapple Cake (Sugar Free) 
Kellie- 2.5 (There's a reason it is SF)

We grabbed drinks in the Pub before going to the Main Theater for the ventriloquist who was hilarious and we all LOVED the show. I have not seen (or heard) Luke laugh this much in a very long time! We had seen this guy before on the Jewel of the Seas 2025 cruise and we loved him. We ended the night in the Pub listening to live music and the kids went to deck 16 to play table tennis. 

It was a GREAT day and a very unique shore excursion for us. We enjoyed getting to Swim with the Pigs and Mansa Bay was gorgeous. But I was ready for my favorite part of this itinerary, Coco Cay! 

Check out our day in Nassau:
It was a day for the memory books... for sure! 

Up Next... Our final stop in the Bahamas- Royal Caribbean's Private Island... Coco Cay! 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Mariner of the Seas- June 2026










 


Carnival Conquest- 2006
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