Visiting Nevis from Port Zante: A Beach Day or Private Island Tour
Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas called at Port Zante on Thursday 1 October 2026, listed on the Port Zante cruise schedule from 08:00 to 17:00. WIC News reported that the ship brought 7,069 passengers to St Kitts.
Whichever ship you arrive on, Nevis can be a realistic way to spend a St Kitts port day, provided the trip is planned around your ship’s timings. This guide explains how the journey works and compares the two private Nevis options that start at Port Zante.
Port Zante is on St Kitts
Port Zante is in Basseterre, the capital of St Kitts. Nevis lies to the south-east across The Narrows, so a Nevis day involves a drive on St Kitts, a water-taxi crossing and a drive on Nevis, then the same journey back to the ship.
Both Book Nevis options are private to your group. Your driver meets you at Port Zante Cruise Terminal with a Book Nevis sign, and you cross to Nevis on a private water taxi rather than a scheduled ferry.
Beach day or island tour?
| Ganzies Beach Day | Nevis Cruise Excursion | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Time on the beach | Seeing the island with a guide |
| On Nevis | Ganzies, Pinney’s Beach | Around 4 hours of touring |
| Lunch | Not included | Included, with one drink |
| Days | Mon–Sat, from 21 Dec 2026 | Monday to Friday |
| Price | US$699 for 1–4 guests | US$990 for up to 4 guests |
| Extra guests | US$174.75 each, up to 10 | US$247.50 each, up to 20 |
| Book ahead | At least 72 hours | At least 72 hours |
The Ganzies beach day
The Private Ganzies Beach Day from Port Zante, St. Kitts is open for advance booking now, for visits from Monday 21 December 2026. It runs Monday to Saturday, so it is not available for October or November port calls.
From Port Zante, the drive crosses St Kitts’ Southeast Peninsula to Reggae Beach. A private water taxi takes you over to Oualie Pier on Nevis, where a driver takes you a short way down the coast to Ganzies on Pinney’s Beach. The journey takes about 60 minutes each way.
Ganzies sits close to the waterline, and your lounger and umbrella are set up on the sand when you arrive, with a welcome rum punch or local beer. Ganzies does not serve food, but several beach bars are within walking distance, including Sunshine’s Beach Bar & Grill a few steps away. Lunch and extra drinks are paid for separately.
The transport is private, but Pinney’s Beach is a public beach, so expect other people on the sand. It is a natural beach with no lifeguard, and sea conditions vary.
The private Nevis cruise excursion
If you would rather see the island, the Private Nevis Cruise Excursion from St. Kitts includes around four hours of guided touring on Nevis. Entry to the Nevisian Heritage Village, the Museum of Nevis History at Alexander Hamilton’s birthplace and the Bath Village hot springs is covered. Stops at historic estates such as Montpelier Nevis or Golden Rock Inn depend on opening hours and access on the day.
Lunch is at Passion Bar & Grill in Cox Village, with one drink. You can upgrade to lunch at The Hermitage for US$25 per guest, subject to availability. The whole excursion takes 5½ to 6 hours from Port Zante and back. It runs Monday to Friday, so check that your port day falls on a weekday before planning around it.
Planning around your ship
When you book either option, you give us your ship’s name, its arrival time at Port Zante and your all-aboard time. All-aboard is the time you must be back on the ship, and it is earlier than the published sailing time. Take it from your ship’s daily programme, and check whether the ship keeps local St Kitts time. Ship’s time and island time are not always the same.
We plan the return journey from Nevis, the crossing and the drive back to Port Zante around that time, with a margin built in. Port days vary too much for one fixed timetable. A ship in port from 08:00 to 17:00 allows a different day from one leaving in the early afternoon, so your start time may be brought forward to protect your connection. If your call is short, message us before you book.
Both options are booked in advance as private excursions. There is no walk-up water taxi to join at Reggae Beach on the day.
Both excursions share the same cruise cancellation terms and the Cruise Ship Guarantee: a full refund if your ship cannot call at St Kitts, or if a late arrival leaves too little time to run the excursion and the timings cannot be adjusted. It is a refund protection, not a promise that a ship will wait. Read the full wording in our terms and cancellation policy, or compare all our private tours of Nevis.
