Popular Bahamas Cruise Excursion Destination Reopens

The popular shore excursion destination Blue Lagoon Island has officially reopened for visitors following a comprehensive review of policies, staff training, marine fleet maintenance, and other protocols after a tragic incident in December 2023.

Additional training has also been held beyond required exercises, and the destination is ready to welcome visitors once again.

Blue Lagoon Island Now Reopen

Blue Lagoon Island has now fully reopened with a variety of wildlife encounters, snorkeling, beach excursions, and other tour options for visitors, more than two months after rough waves caused a tour excursion boat to the island to partially capsize and sink, with one visitor fatality – a 75-year-old woman. The exact circumstances of her death have not been publicly disclosed.

The incident happened on November 14, 2023, and immediately after, the island was temporarily closed for review procedures and inspections. In the meantime, Royal Caribbean International suspended all shore excursions to Blue Lagoon Island. The guest who died in the boat incident had been a passenger aboard a Royal Caribbean ship.

Now, Blue Lagoon Island has successfully undergone a variety of inspections and reviews of its fleet of vessels, excursion policies, staff training protocols, and other safety operations. Approval for reopening comes from the Bahamas Port Authority.

“Our hearts and thoughts steadfastly remain with those impacted by the maritime incident in November 2023,” said Robert Meister, Managing Director of Blue Lagoon Island. “At Blue Lagoon Island, we prioritize safety and look forward to continue welcoming visitors to our beautiful island.”

Officials from Blue Lagoon Island note that while the destination has consistently complied with and exceeded industry standards for safe operations, all employees underwent enhanced safety training before the island first reopened at Christmas.

Blue Lagoon Island is located northeast of downtown Nassau and Paradise Island in the Bahamas, a short ferry ride from Nassau Cruise Port. With Nassau breaking records for numbers of cruise visitors, shore offerings like those available at Blue Lagoon Island are critical to offer amazing opportunities for guests to enjoy.

In addition to shore excursions, Blue Lagoon Island also operates a variety of educational experiences and works tirelessly for local conservation efforts to preserve the natural beauty and the flora and fauna of the Bahamas.

Will Cruise Lines Resume Shore Excursion Offerings?

While Blue Lagoon Island has fully reopened, cruise lines may choose to continue their suspension on shore excursion offerings while they conduct their own reviews of the safety inspections and other protocols for the destination.

With the Bahamas Port Authority’s endorsement for reopening, however, it is likely that cruise passengers will soon be able to book Blue Lagoon options through their cruise lines once again. Dates of tours being offered will vary as each cruise line makes their own individual determinations.

Typical excursions to Blue Lagoon often include beach breaks, snorkeling tours via boat or from pristine beaches, nature hikes, and wildlife encounters with dolphins, stingrays, sea lions, and nurse sharks. Different cruise lines often offer similar tours, but selections, tour length, and group size will vary.

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It should be noted that another popular shore excursion – a shark diving encounter – where a young boy was attacked just days ago, is not affiliated with Blue Lagoon Island, despite operating in the same area near Nassau. That particular tour is operated by Blue Adventures by Stuart Cove, affiliated with the Atlantic Paradise Island Resort.

The boy involved in that incident is expected to make a full recovery, though the tour has been temporarily closed while the situation is thoroughly reviewed.