The Beach Club at Bimini: A Complete Guide (and the One Move Most Sailors Miss)

If you have a Virgin Voyages cruise on the calendar that leaves from Miami, there is a very good chance your final full day is spent in Bimini. It tends to be the quiet, golden bookend to a sailing: no rush, no big city, just turquoise water about fifty miles from Florida. As a Top 100 First Mate who plans Virgin Voyages and nothing else, I get more questions about this one port than almost any other, so let us walk through all of it.

This is the kind of detail that sits at the heart of our Platinum Tier service, which is simply the standard of care we hold ourselves to with every Sailor: not just booking the cruise, but making sure you actually know how to enjoy it.

What the Beach Club at Bimini actually is

The Beach Club at Bimini is Virgin Voyages’ private beach retreat on the western edge of North Bimini, in the Bahamas. It was built in partnership with Resorts World Bimini, and when a Virgin ship is in port, the club is reserved for Sailors. The single most important thing to understand is this: Bimini is not a private island. It is a real, inhabited Bahamian island with a town, local beaches, restaurants, and history. Virgin simply has an exclusive, beautifully designed slice of it.

That distinction matters more than almost anything else in this guide, and we will come back to it. For now, picture lagoon-style pools, soft white sand, palm-shaded daybeds, a hammock grove, and six bars spread across the property. Virgin’s whole approach is to ease you into the day with calm mornings and then turn up the energy by the afternoon, while still leaving quiet corners for anyone who just wants to read in the shade.

One more Virgin signature worth knowing: the ship stays in port well into the evening, far later than most cruise lines linger at a beach day. That gives you the rare luxury of an unhurried day and a sunset, instead of a scramble back to the ship by mid-afternoon.

What is included, and what costs extra

This is where a little knowledge saves you from surprises. The Beach Club leans into the same all-included spirit as the ship itself, but a few things are still extras. Here is the honest breakdown.

The food follows Virgin’s small-plates style rather than a sprawling buffet, and it is genuinely good. Think fresh, Bahamian-leaning bites built for a beach day. If you want the full picture of how Virgin’s all-included dining works at sea and ashore, my guide to what is really included on Virgin Voyages covers it in depth.

On the drinks: they are not free here, and that catches some first-time Sailors off guard. Your Bar Tab works at the Beach Club exactly as it does onboard, so if you carry a Bar Tab, this is a great place to spend it. If you are still deciding whether a Bar Tab makes sense for your trip, run the numbers with my Bar Tab guide before you sail.

How to spend your day

The Beach Club is small enough to feel relaxed and varied enough that you never feel stuck in one spot. From the entrance you walk through the Main House into the heart of the club, with the lagoon-style pools stretching out in front of you and the beach beyond. Sailors staying in RockStar suites have a dedicated retreat area with its own service.

A loose rhythm that works beautifully:

• Morning: arrive early, claim shade, and ease in. Mornings are calm by design, so this is the time for a quiet swim, a slow breakfast bite, and the beach at its most peaceful.
• Midday: the energy builds. A DJ takes over, the pool scene picks up, and the bars get busier. This is the lively, social heart of the day.
• Afternoon into evening: because the ship lingers, you can ride the high-energy stretch or peel away for the calmer side of the island. More on that next.

Are the cabanas worth it?

The Beach Club offers a few styles of cabana to rent, set in different spots across the property, from beachfront to poolside to a quieter grove. They add shade, space, a home base for your group, and a more elevated level of service. Whether they are worth it depends entirely on your day and your group size. For a couple who plan to roam, a daybed or a clamshell lounger is often plenty. For a celebration, a multi-couple group, or anyone who simply wants a private anchor for the day, a cabana can be the thing that makes it.

Cabana options, pricing, and availability shift, and they can sell out, so this is exactly the kind of thing to lock in early. Rather than chase a number that changes, reach out and I will check current options and help you decide whether it is the right call for your sailing.

The one move most Sailors miss: turn right

Here is the insight I share with nearly every Sailor sailing to Bimini, and the reason this guide exists. When you step off the tram and into your day, the Beach Club is the easy turn to the left. It is curated, it is included, and it is wonderful. But because Bimini is a real island and not a manufactured private destination, you have a second option that almost no one takes. Turn right instead, and you walk into the actual Bahamas.

About a fifteen minute walk from the port along the water, you will find Pat and Ebbie’s, a family run waterfront spot serving some of the freshest conch and seafood on the island. Bring a little cash, settle into island time, and you get a side of Bimini most cruisers never see. This is my signature Bimini move, and the Sailors who take it always come back talking about it.

If you feel like wandering further, the heart of Alice Town, the main settlement on North Bimini, has more to discover. Radio Beach is the local, public, west-facing beach known for some of the best sunsets on the island, and it is an easy taxi or golf-cart ride from the port. Nearby, the National Geographic-funded Dolphin House, a string of local conch shacks, and the faded ruins marking Ernest Hemingway’s time here all reward a little curiosity. Add the island lore, from the Bimini Road that some link to the legend of Atlantis to the fabled Healing Hole, and you have a day with a real story behind it.

Excursions and Shore Things worth booking

Because Bimini is a true island, your options stretch well past the beach. Virgin’s official excursions, called Shore Things, are bookable in advance through the Virgin Voyages app, and the best ones do sell out, so book early. Bimini is genuinely special for the water: this is one of the few places where you can do a shark snorkel or dive, swim with dolphins, or explore the SS Sapona shipwreck just offshore, alongside island history tours and scuba options.

As someone who is scuba certified and dives often, I have a soft spot for this port, and I am happy to help you sort out which experiences are worth your time. For the full strategy on choosing and timing shore excursions across Virgin Voyages, see my shore excursion guide, and for trusted operators beyond the standard menu, my look at the CamJon Preferred Partner network.

A Top 100 First Mate’s day-of tips

• Bimini is usually your last full day. On most Miami sailings it lands the day before you disembark, so do not burn the day perfecting your hair and makeup. Spend the time on the beach instead, and read my disembarkation guide so the next morning is smooth.
• The tram is free and frequent. It runs between the pier and the Beach Club in just a few minutes, so there is no need to plan complicated logistics to get there.
• Pack reef-safe sunscreen and water shoes. The sun is strong, shade fills up, and a little prep goes a long way.
• Jellyfish can appear seasonally. It is rarely a problem, but it is worth knowing so you are not caught off guard.
• Hydrate and pace yourself. It is a long day in the heat, and the bars are generous. Water between rounds is the move.

If Bimini is part of a larger Caribbean itinerary you are still shaping, my guide to finding your perfect Virgin Voyages Caribbean itinerary and my roundup of Caribbean voyages worth booking now are good next reads.

Bimini FAQ