Bahamas safety reports

Family says they became sick after pork gyros at Acropolis Cafe

A visiting family says they became ill after eating pork gyros at Acropolis Cafe in Nassau. They were unhappy with the meal itself and believed the pork caused their illness. The review does not provide a diagnosis, test results or an official investigation establishing the cause.

The TripAdvisor account, titled “Shocking Disgusting,” was posted December 22, 2021, about a family visit that month. This is a historical customer allegation, not a current food-safety finding. The text was available in the search index; direct access was restricted during this check. The link opens the restaurant’s review listing. Verify the original review before publishing.

Parent says airport chicken nachos were raw and their child became ill

A family stopping at Rhythm Cafe in Nassau airport says they discovered nearly raw chicken after their child had eaten part of a plate of nachos. The parent describes several days of vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps afterward.

The TripAdvisor review was written September 6, 2024, about an August 2024 visit, under the title “Completely uncooked chicken--Food poisioning.” This is the parent’s account of suspected food poisoning, not a laboratory-confirmed finding. The review text was available in the search index; direct access to the listing was restricted during this check. The source link opens the restaurant’s review listing, not an individual-review permalink. Verify the original before publishing.

Visitor describes a hand injury when pigs crowded around food on the beach

A traveler’s May 24, 2022 TripAdvisor review describes seeing a visitor bitten on the hand during a feeding encounter earlier that month. The reviewer says people had brought food onto the beach without seeing warning signs, and that a large pig swallowed a snack bag before the encounter became chaotic. They also describe seeing animal waste in the water.

This is the reviewer’s eyewitness account, not a medical record. The injured visitor’s outcome and tour operator are not established. The review is linked directly so readers can see the original account, including its concerns for both visitors and the pigs.

Guest flags pig-bite warning, jellyfish and limited shade on Pearl Island day trip

A visitor describing a September 2, 2024 excursion says staff warned guests they would need to handle any pig bite themselves. The account also mentions jellyfish stings, limited shade and a tiring walk back to the ship. It does not say the writer was bitten. The same reviewer praised the clear water, animal interaction and straightforward transfer, and said the day delivered what they expected overall.

Source: Royal Caribbean Blog community forum, posted September 11, 2024. This is a guest’s review, not an official cruise-line notice.

Crowded Pearl Island stop and concerns about food and bar cleanliness

In a discussion of shore excursions, one visitor describes Pearl Island as overcrowded and says the food and cleanliness of the bar made them uncomfortable. They felt multiple excursion groups were competing for limited space. This is the visitor’s assessment of their beach stop, not a food inspection, laboratory result or report of confirmed food poisoning.

Source: Reddit comment in “Share your best and worst shore excursion.”

Free facial ended in a $9,897 purchase and a failed refund dispute

A couple says a short Nassau shopping stop became hours of sales pressure, alcoholic drinks and almost $10,000 in purchases. They later tried to return the products, but the merchant relied on final-sale terms and their card dispute failed. Consumer Rescue reviewed their documents and found no evidence proving drugging or fraud. It also clarified that the purchase included three expensive devices, not just ordinary creams. The couple remained unhappy, but the article did not substantiate their claimed scam.

Source: Consumer Rescue, August 26, 2024, updated July 14, 2025.

Shark sighting prompted staff to clear swimmers from the water

A guest visiting Rose Island in June 2022 says they spotted a large shark and alerted staff, who immediately got everyone out of the water. The guest enjoyed the beach, lunch and other parts of the Sandy Toes excursion but felt uncomfortable swimming afterward. This is a reported sighting, not a shark attack on that guest. The review’s speculation connecting other attacks to the same operator is not established by this account.

Source: TripAdvisor review posted November 7, 2022.

Guest reports rough seas and a loose fire extinguisher; operator disputes details

A visitor on the January 2, 2025 Pink Sand Beach and Swimming Pigs trip says rough seas frightened passengers and a fire extinguisher narrowly missed them. Born Free responded that the crew had assessed conditions as safe and disputed the stated extinguisher weight, saying its units are three pounds and mounted near the floor. The operator also disputed the guest’s conduct during the trip. The source records both sides; it does not establish a safety violation or an injury.

Source: TripAdvisor review of January 6, 2025, and operator response of January 7.

Pigs kept in cages and brought out for tourist photos, visitor says

An April 2025 visitor was upset by the way pigs were handled at Sand Dollar Beach. The review describes animals being released from cages in turns, prodded with an object and guided to food in the water before being put back. The guest also says a piglet was passed between tourists for photographs. These are the reviewer’s observations and welfare concerns, not an official animal-welfare inspection.

Source: TripAdvisor review “Terrible, sad, ugly,” April 15, 2025.

Rough return ride left guests bruised and shivering, reviewer says

A February 2026 reviewer describes a frightening two-hour return ride from Exuma, saying the group was soaked, bruised and not given life vests. Aqua Shores responded that sea conditions were assessed as safe, its boats carry required safety equipment, and life vests are available to wear on request. It said it cancels trips when conditions are unsafe and that open-water travel may not suit every family. The complaint and response describe a disagreement about that trip, not a regulatory finding.

Source: TripAdvisor, “Not safe, awful experience,” and management response of February 23, 2026.

Paid pig-photo lines instead of a swim, CocoCay guest says

A March 2024 visitor says the excursion felt more like waiting to hold pigs for paid photographs than swimming with them. The couple paid about $265 and were disappointed by restrictions on personal photos and an additional photo charge. They also describe pigs defecating in the water and staff removing the waste. Those observations do not establish a tested water-quality violation or resulting illness.

Source: Reddit review of a Royal Caribbean CocoCay-area excursion.

Little beach time and no pig swim, guest says

The family enjoyed parts of the day but felt the trip fell short for the price. Their December 2024 review describes roughly 20 minutes of snorkeling in rough water, a brief turtle sighting and waves making the Rose Island landing difficult. They fed the pigs rather than swimming with them and had little beach time.

Seas ’n Cays responded that, if this was the December 24 trip, it provided boat transport for another company, not the tour. It said the photographed location was not one of its stops and offered to relay the feedback.

Source: TripAdvisor review, ‘Good but not great. Not worth the cost.’, December 24, 2024, and operator response. Source-linked summary, not a firsthand submission to this site.

Cloudy water, nipping pigs and rough stingray handling at Great Stirrup Cay

“The pigs will also nip at you if you’ve got food (which they give you to feed them).”

The visitor describes seeing a pig with diarrhea, cloudy water and staff collecting waste. At the stingray stop, they say guides held the animals at the surface for paid photos and restrained them when they struggled. They also say personal photos and videos were restricted. These are the visitor’s observations from the original Reddit post, not water-test results or a confirmed infection.

Source: Reddit public post.

Shortened pig tour, rude guides and dirty-water concerns at Goat Cay

The visit felt much shorter than advertised, according to this guest’s one-star review. They described rude guides, belongings left unattended and pigs that looked unhappy. They were also concerned about dirty water around the animals. The review describes what the guest saw and felt; it does not provide water-test results.

Source: Google review aggregate.

Pigs appeared reluctant to swim and struggled in waves, guest says

The pig-swim stop was upsetting for this guest, who described animals that seemed unwilling to enter the water and struggled in the waves. Their review concerns a Nassau swimming-pigs and turtle excursion. The operator disputed mistreatment in its response on the listing.

Source: Tripadvisor public review.