A day on Nevis in one of two shapes. The catamaran is the one most people should take: out of Port Zante at 10:00, a snorkel stop on the way across, ninety minutes or more off Pinney’s Beach, back about 17:00. US$145 an adult and US$89 a child. The land version crosses on the passenger ferry with a guide, takes about four hours, and costs US$189 an adult and US$115 a child. The sail is for people staying on the island, and the ferry version is the one that fits a cruise call.
What it costs
| Price | What is in it | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, full day sail | US$145 | Boat and crew, snorkel gear, 45 minutes snorkelling, 90 minutes or more on Pinney’s Beach, lunch, open bar |
| Child, full day sail | US$89 | The same, without the bar |
| Adult, ferry version | US$189 | Return crossing on the passenger ferry, guide, lunch, one drink, every entry fee on the route |
| Child, ferry version | US$115 | The same, with a soft drink |
The US$4 dock departure tax is not in the price. You pay that at the pier when you leave Nevis. Tips are not included.
The sail has no hotel pickup, which catches people out. You make your own way to the marina at Port Zante in time for a 10:00 departure. Tell us where you are staying and we will tell you what that taxi run costs under the government fare schedule before you book.
What does the day actually look like?
On the sail you leave the marina at Port Zante around 10:00 and cross the channel under way. The snorkel stop runs about forty five minutes, with gear on board. After that the boat settles off Pinney’s Beach and you get ninety minutes or more there. Lunch is served on board and the bar is open. You are back at Port Zante around 17:00.
Pinney’s Beach has no lifeguard. Neither does any other beach in St Kitts or Nevis, and there are no warning flags anywhere, and Canada’s government travel advice says rescue services here may not meet international standards. That is why the crew get in the water with the group at the snorkel stop and keep count of everyone through the beach time.
The land version crosses on the passenger ferry between the pier at Basseterre and the pier at Charlestown. Nevis Tourism puts that crossing at 25 to 45 minutes. A guide meets the boat. Lunch and a drink are included, and the entry fees on the route are already paid. We send you the stop list when you pick a date, because the guide sets it around the ferry times, and printing a route we cannot promise is how people end up disappointed.
Dietary requirements are handled on request on either version.
How long does it take, and will it fit a cruise day?
The ferry version takes about four hours and fits a normal call with room to spare. Most ships in Basseterre are alongside from about 8am to 5pm or 6pm, and the pier is a short walk from Port Zante.
The sail does not fit a ship day. It returns around 17:00, which is the hour your ship starts calling everyone back, and on a 5pm all aboard you would be watching it leave. Take the sail if you are staying on the island, or if your call runs late into the evening and you have checked the time in writing.
What should you bring?
A towel, and your swimsuit on under your clothes.
Small US notes. You need US$4 for the dock departure tax when you leave Nevis, and the rest for tips. US dollars are accepted on both islands.
Sun cover. On the sail you are outdoors from ten in the morning until five in the afternoon, with ninety minutes of that on an open beach.
Seasickness tablets if you are prone to it, taken before you board. Both versions cross open water and the channel can be lively in the afternoon.
Closed shoes for the land version. You are in and out of a vehicle all day and on your feet at the stops.
Who should not book this one
Very young children. There is no age limit on either version, so nobody will stop you, but seven hours on a boat with one beach stop is a long stretch for a toddler, and the ferry day is not much shorter. Children come with an adult who stays responsible for them.
Anyone who gets seasick on an open crossing should take the ferry version and sit near the middle of the boat. It is a short crossing, twenty five to forty five minutes, and it is over quickly either way.
What happens if the weather turns, or your ship is late?
Sea state cancels the sail, and when the captain calls it off you pay nothing. Anything already paid comes back in full.
The ferry is a scheduled service and keeps running in weather that stops a catamaran, so the land version is the more reliable of the two in a rough week. If your ship arrives late and the ferry slot is gone, you pay nothing. If your call is cancelled or the ship skips St Kitts, the same.
Book it
Tell us which version you want, your date, how many adults and children, where you are staying, and your ship name if you are on one. Put any dietary requirements on the form. We confirm the slot and come back to you within one working day, and only then do we send a payment link. Nothing is charged until the day is confirmed.
Questions people ask
What does it cost to cross to Nevis on your own?
The passenger ferry between Basseterre and Charlestown runs EC$30 to EC$35 one way, about US$11 to US$13, with an EC$1 departure fee added to passenger tickets. Leaving Nevis you pay the US$4 dock departure tax as well. So the crossing comes to roughly US$30 return a head. What that buys is a seat on a boat. No guide, no lunch, no entry fees and no transport waiting at Charlestown, where you will be negotiating with a taxi driver on the pier with your return sailing in mind.
A cruise line sells the full day sail from US$129.99 an adult and US$99.99 a child. Our adult price sits about US$15 above that, and our child price about US$11 below it. What the adult difference buys is a smaller boat, forty five minutes of snorkelling and ninety minutes on Pinney’s Beach, where the cheaper day is a coach tour with a beach stop in it. An agency sells a Nevis panoramic drive and beach at US$125, which is the figure to weigh the US$189 ferry version against, and ours carries the crossing, a guide, lunch, a drink and every entry fee on the route.
Which version should we pick?
Take the sail if you want the water and you are staying on the island. Take the ferry version if you are on a ship, if seven hours afloat sounds like too much, or if you want somebody talking you through what you are looking at. It costs US$44 more an adult, because the crossing, the guide, the lunch and the entry fees are each paid for separately on that version.
Can we take a hire car over?
Yes, on the car ferry, which is a different crossing. The Sea Bridge runs Major’s Bay to Cades Bay in 25 to 30 minutes, six trips each way daily, with nothing on Wednesdays. It is not part of either version of this trip, so if you want to drive Nevis yourself, book that separately and leave us out of it.
Can you deal with a dairy allergy or a vegetarian?
Yes, with notice. Put it on the booking form and we pass it on when we confirm.
Do we tip?
Tips are appreciated and not required. Ten to fifteen percent is normal here, split between the crew or the guide and the driver.
Written by Khareem Cabey. Prices and fees last checked 30 October 2026.