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On my family’s recent Royal Caribbean cruise, I hadn’t planned on going on any excursions while on the cruise line’s private island, CocoCay. After all, my boys would be occupied with the Thrill Water Park. And, with plenty of free beach lounge chairs and a ginormous pool, the rest of us would not be hurting to find anything to do.
However, my sister expressed interest in a Swimming with the Pigs excursion through Royal Caribbean. The Bahamas is famous for a feral pig colony that swims on a beach on Exuma. Other tour operators developed copy-cat swimming with the pig excursions in various parts of The Bahamas. After I showed the excursion info to my younger kids, they squealed with delight at the prospect of swimming with pigs. So, during a cruise planner sale, we reserved the excursion for $75.49 per person.
Booking/Getting There
The full price for this excursion on our cruise was $109, and it did appear to sell out closer to the cruise. I recommend booking early and watching the Cruise Planner sales for a better price.
Our excursion time was originally 9:30 a.m., but when we boarded the cruise our tickets said 2:30 p.m. So, we had almost a full day at CocoCay before this excursion.
The meeting point was on the far end of CocoCay, near a dock with boats and jet skis. After checking in, we were given wrist bands to wear and told to wait on the deck. The pigs are not actually on CocoCay, but they are on a nearby island.
Close to 2:30 p.m., we saw several speed boats approaching the dock. Those were the guests from the same excursion an hour earlier. Once they were off, we loaded onto five different boats. I didn’t count, but there were at least 40-50 people on this excursion.
The boat ride was fast and only took about 5 minutes. We could actually still see CocoCay and our ship in the distance.
The Pig Experience
When we arrived, we could see some pigs on the beach and some pigs on the deck where we were. Our guides gave us a brief orientation explaining how to pet the pigs, dos and don’ts, etc. During this time, we could take photos with our cell phones on the deck. The guides used apples to encourage the pigs to pose with us.
We found the pigs to be quite friendly, a lot like dogs.
Soon, we were all invited to go to the beach, where we were not allowed to bring cell phones or cameras. The whole experience was very laid back for both the pigs and the people. We could go into the ocean and swim with the pigs, or stay on the beach and observe. Only some of the pigs wanted to swim, and only a few of the pigs wanted to be held. It was nice to see that the tour guides did not force the pigs to behave like circus animals.
Did the pigs poop in the water? Yes, but not excessively. The guides scooped it up right away. This grosses some people out, which is why some chose to stay on the beach. My daughter was one of those people, and that’s fine.
My 14-year-old son was in hog heaven. He simply adored the pigs and happily swam with them and posed for professional photos.
Near the end of our time, we all headed back to the deck and took more photos with the pigs.
Then, we headed back on the boats for CocoCay. Our time with the pigs was a little less than an hour.
Overall Thoughts
So, Swimming with the Pigs: Yay or Nay? Definitely Yay. I’m glad we decided to book this excursion. It was something none of us had ever done before. The pigs appear healthy and happy.
The professional photos weren’t terribly expensive. I purchased 5 digital downloads for $26.75.
For me, while the experience was great, I probably wouldn’t do it again. There is so much to do on CocoCay. My son, on the other hand, would do it again in a heartbeat. He said it was his favorite thing from our entire cruise.
Have you gone swimming with the pigs in The Bahamas?
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Hi did the excursion come up on the Ships excursion list ? I’m
Wanting to book
Also but can’t see it either we’re with WOS x
@Georgina Yes, the excursion was on the ship’s webpage list.
Going next year in May do not see the pig excursion.
Janet
@Janet I would keep checking as your cruise date gets closer.
I went this month and we had a great time. However, we’re not sure how to gain access to the digital downloads to order. Does anybody else know?
@Brianna Try this link: https://swimmingpigs.photostockplus.com/?fbclid=IwAR0pTysv1ADrJu26WK6vIxMeJjETeCpjBZDJ62sRlvX5OAZ2OQdF8mPGpe0
We did this excursion yesterday! What a wonderful experience!!!
My wife signed up for this excursion, but I don’t plan to go. How far will I be able to go with her to take some pictures? ….just a registration desk? ….to the dock where you saw some of the pigs? ….would I be able to see her down at the beach from the dock with a telephoto lens?
Thanks!
@brian unfortunately you won’t be able to see anything. The participants are loaded onto boats that go to a nearby island where the pigs are. 😢
I booked a royal Caribbean cruise for this upcoming august. Swimming with the pigs wasn’t an excursion option. Did you have to book through a different vendor? I even called, and they don’t offer it
@Stephanie We booked it directly through Royal Caribbean. Keep looking. Maybe it will appear closer to your cruise date.
Hey @Stephanie,
Could you book it to your trip?
Did it appear finally?
I have the same question, but we will visit CocoCay in upcoming November.
I’m taking a cruise soon and was excited to see this excursion, however after reading another blog written in 2019, the writer indicated that the pigs are fenced in on the island and don’t have any shade. I love animals, and from your photos they look happy, but did you have the same thoughts at all? Do the pigs have the ability to leave the area or are they sort of forced to interact with the guests? Thank you so much!!
@Krista When we were there, the pigs weren’t forced to interact, and there was shade available. When we first arrived and were gathering on the deck, only some of the pigs were interacting for photos. Others were snoozing in the sand in the shade. Then when we opened the gate to the beach, only some of the pigs went into the water. It seemed like some really liked the water, but others didn’t. The guides told us that some pigs just like to get their feet wet, and some like to swim in the deeper water. Only two pigs liked to be held. It was pretty chill.
Thank you!
“Squealed with delight”? Groan. (Throwing popcorn)
Ha ha! I snuck that in there.