Roatan Cruise Port Guide

Roatan has two cruise ports, and they are not next to each other. Which one your ship docks at decides how far you walk, what you see when you step off, and how much of your day is left for the island. This guide covers both, written by the team that runs adventure tours right next to the Isla Tropicale terminal every ship day.

The short version

• Isla Tropicale (formerly Mahogany Bay) is Carnival's own terminal on the south side of the island. Carnival ships normally dock here. It has its own beach, a pool area, shops and a chairlift, and the Xplore Roatan park is a five minute walk from the pier.
• Port of Roatan at Coxen Hole is the terminal next to the island's main town. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, MSC, Celebrity and most other lines dock here. It has a shopping plaza at the pier and taxis outside the gate, and our free shuttle takes about 15 minutes to our park.

Your cruise line's app or daily program names the port. If it says Mahogany Bay or Isla Tropicale, you are at Carnival's terminal. If it says Roatan, Coxen Hole or Port of Roatan, you are in town. You can also check which ships are in on your day in our cruise ship schedule.

Where Roatan is, and why the port matters

Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras, a long, narrow island about 40 miles off the Caribbean coast of Central America, with jungle hills down the middle and reef along both shores. Both cruise ports sit on the south coast, a 10 to 15 minute drive apart. That does not sound like much until you are watching the clock on a port day.

The island runs on Central Standard Time (UTC minus 6) all year, with no daylight saving. Many ships keep a different time, and that gap trips up more passengers than anything else on the island. All our tour times are Roatan local time, and we time every tour to your ship.

Isla Tropicale (formerly Mahogany Bay)

Carnival opened this terminal in 2009 as Mahogany Bay and renamed it Isla Tropicale as part of an expansion that finished in 2026. Older guides, forum posts and even some cruise documents still say Mahogany Bay, and so does Google Maps. Same pier, same place.

What is at the pier. Two berths, a walkway into a village of shops, bars and restaurants, and a chairlift or a short walk to the terminal's private beach with loungers and cabanas. In May 2026 Carnival added Mangrove Bay, a pool area with a splash pad for kids and a swim-up bar. Everything inside the gates is priced in US dollars, and the whole complex is fenced with controlled access, which is why many first-time visitors to Honduras like this port.

Who docks here. Carnival Cruise Line is the main user, and two ships can dock at once. Check your line's port name, because the same ship can use either port on different itineraries.

Getting to Xplore Roatan. Walk. After you get off the ship, head east past Fat Tuesday toward the main shopping village. When you reach the road, look across and you will see our sign. Our park sits in a 165 acre nature reserve, so the Ultimate Adventure Package fits easily into a standard Isla Tropicale call: about 2 hours 35 minutes of activity, a five minute walk each way, and time left for the beach.

Watch out for. The beach fills up fast on two-ship days. If you want both an adventure and beach time, do the adventure first while you are fresh, then finish on the sand next to your ship.

Port of Roatan at Coxen Hole

Coxen Hole is Roatan's main town, and the cruise terminal here is a pier with a covered shopping plaza (Town Center) at its foot and the town itself beyond the gate.

What is at the pier. Duty-free and souvenir shops, a few bars and cafés and tour desks inside the plaza. Beyond the gate is a working Honduran town with banks, a market, local restaurants and a long line of taxis and tour vans. Prices in the plaza are in US dollars. Outside, dollars and lempiras both work, and ATMs dispense lempiras.

Who docks here. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, MSC and most lines other than Carnival.

Getting to Xplore Roatan. Coxen Hole has no beach of its own worth your day, so most passengers head west to West Bay or West End, or book an excursion with a pickup. Choose Port of Roatan at checkout and our free shuttle picks you up and brings you back, about 15 minutes each way. A call of 6 hours or more fits the full three-activity package. A shorter call fits a single tour or a two-activity combo.

Watch out for. Agree any taxi fare as a total, in dollars, before you get in, and ask whether it is per person or per car. Traffic on the main road can be slow in the morning rush when everyone leaves the port at once. A pre-booked pickup skips the negotiating.

Side by side

How much time do you really have?

Take your all-aboard time, subtract 30 minutes as your own buffer, and subtract the trip to wherever you are going and back. What is left is your adventure window. Our tours, on the ground:

• Extreme Zip Line: about 55 minutes
• Horseback Riding: about 55 minutes
• ATV Jungle and Beach Safari: about 45 minutes
• Any two-activity combo: about 1 hour 40 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes
• Ultimate Adventure Package (ATV, zip line and horseback): about 2 hours 35 minutes

Those are planning estimates. When you book, tell us your ship and we schedule your group around its all-aboard time.

Booking an excursion from either port

You have three ways to spend a Roatan port day: book through the ship, book direct with a local operator in advance, or walk off and negotiate at the gate. Ship excursions cost the most and run the largest groups. Walk-up deals can be good, but you are gambling with your day. Booking direct in advance gets you the operator's own price, a guaranteed spot and a plan that fits your ship. Xplore Roatan guests book online and tell us their port at checkout. Groups of 6 to 15 save 10%, and 16 or more save 15%.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mahogany Bay the same as Isla Tropicale?

Yes. Carnival renamed the Mahogany Bay cruise terminal Isla Tropicale. It is the same pier on the south side of Roatan.

Can I walk to a beach from the Roatan cruise port?

From Isla Tropicale, yes: the terminal's own beach is a short walk or a chairlift ride inside the complex. From Port of Roatan at Coxen Hole, no: the nearest good beaches are a 20 to 30 minute taxi ride west.

What time zone is Roatan on?

Central Standard Time, UTC minus 6, all year with no daylight saving. Check whether your ship keeps ship time or local time before you leave the pier.

Do I need lempiras?

Not inside either port complex, where prices are in US dollars. In Coxen Hole small vendors accept dollars, but change often comes back in lempiras, so carry small bills.

Is a 5 hour port call enough for an excursion?

Yes. From Isla Tropicale any of our tours fits, including the Ultimate Adventure Package. From Port of Roatan, pick a single activity or a two-activity combo for a 5 hour call and save the three-activity package for a longer one.

Which port will my ship use?

Your cruise line's itinerary names it. Carnival usually means Isla Tropicale. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, MSC and Celebrity usually mean Port of Roatan. Our cruise ship schedule lists upcoming calls by port.

Ready to plan your port day? See how the Ultimate Adventure Package fits your ship's hours, read 12 things to do in Roatan from a cruise ship, or browse all Roatan cruise excursions.