The Boatyard is absolutely a place we would return to. While it may appear a bit pricey on the front end, you do get solid value for what you pay. Each entry fee includes a drink at the bar, with soda options available for kids. The wristband also comes with a tear off ticket redeemable for a selection of alcoholic beverages or a soda, which is a nice touch.

Entry also includes a complimentary snorkeling excursion, and this is something you should not skip. Make sure to arrive early and get your name on the list as soon as possible, because it does fill up quickly. Complimentary does not mean boring here. The snorkeling trip is done on a very well maintained catamaran that takes you out to two shipwrecks where you have the chance to see sea turtles.

You will not always see turtles, but the shipwrecks themselves are impressive and there are tons of native fish living among them. It really is a great experience. The water is on the deeper side, and while they provide inflatable life vests that do a good job keeping you afloat, children do need to be swimmers. Because of the depth, our youngest was a bit apprehensive at first. It took some coaxing to get him in the water, but I held onto him and once he settled in, he had a blast.

Back on the beach, there are vendors, but they were friendly and respectful. A polite “not interested” was all it took to get back to relaxing. Over the course of about four hours, we had maybe two or three people come by offering souvenirs, which was very reasonable.

The beach amenities were a big hit with the kids. The Boatyard has a rope swing into the ocean at the end of their pier, a large trampoline, and an in ocean inflatable waterslide. These are all beyond six feet deep, so again, confident swimmers are a must.

Food is a bit on the pricey side, which seems to be a common cruising caveat since you do not really have other options nearby. That said, the food was good. We ordered a few baskets of seasoned fries and a bucket of Carib beers, which held us over nicely until we headed back to the ship later in the afternoon.

We did have one odd experience where the Boatyard lost power. Staff mentioned it was very rare, but after getting back to port, we learned it is actually a more common occurrence. Either way, it did not take away from the day and we still had a great time.

We do recommend taking a cab to The Boatyard rather than walking. While it is often described as walkable and there are supposed to be shops along the way, it is a longer walk than expected, especially with kids, and we did not see much along the route we drove. The Boatyard does provide a shuttle back to the port, which was great. Just be sure to have a few dollars on hand for a tip.

Our only real complaint about Barbados was the port itself. The port runs a van service between the ship and the port exit, and the return trip was a mess. The line was extremely long and there was a lot of line cutting, which was frustrating. It is something to be aware of. We also noticed that many ship sponsored excursions required walking from the ship to the main port area, which is about a 10 to 15 minute walk.

Overall, The Boatyard delivered a fun, active beach day with great amenities, solid value, and an excellent snorkeling experience. It is well worth considering if you are visiting Barbados by cruise.