What to do in Nassau...

[MommyTo4Kids]

I also have read some mixed reviews.. I hate to pay 69 pp to go to blue lagoon but it sounds like it's going to be much more relaxing than just a free public beach.

 

[Disneymomoftwinz]

For what it's worth, we were just at the Blue Lagoon (Dream-Feb 7-10th) and we really enjoyed ourselves. We went there to do a Dolphin excursion in the morning but decided to stay there all day. Even if you are not doing the dolphin excursion, you can still see the dolphins playing around in the common areas. We were able to stay the remainder of the day and enjoy their beaches, but we also paid plenty to do the dolphin experience! We did have to pay extra for the kids to enjoy the inflatables in the water but also thought that was money well spent.

As for their beaches, just lovely! They are not very crowded, the lagoon was very nice to sit in, look at the fish, picked a few shells, enjoyed some tropical drinks and I even enjoyed a massage on the beach! The boat ride to get to the Blue Lagoon is very nice and not too long, you get to check out some beautiful homes on Paradise Island.

Next time, I would go to the Blue Lagoon simply for the beach. Food was average (despite all the negative reviews that I had read) and a bit pricey. You can take the morning boat over and there are 3 returning trips...1pm, 2pm or 4pm. We stayed all the way until 4pm and do not regret it a bit. If you have any other questions, just let me know and I will try to help you out but I say "go for it"!!!!

 

[McDonald5]

We're planning to spend the day at the Sheraton on Cable Beach. $2-5 per person bus/cab. Supposedly it's $25 per adult for beach/chairs/umbrellas/pool/towels (IDK if they charge for kids). AFAIK food and drinks are extra so we'll probably bring some bottled water and snacks for the kids until we get back to the ship. I've read about some people just walking in though and not paying. IDK about that though.

 

[Jeannie]

We, DH, 2 DDs (20s), and I walked over to the Hilton. You can use the pool and there is a small, quiet beach. It's more of a business hotel, so there were plenty of chairs and not many people. The day pass gives you a food voucher. We had lunch, burgers maybe (can't remember), and sodas. DH and I were even able to get an 'adult' drink, too!

We liked it. It was a nice, relaxing day.

 

[sweelu]

I was reading about sandytoes resort. Any reviews?

 

[Feisty Fairy]

Hi all my DH and myself will be sailing on the Dream, without our children this time, and want to get off the ship in Nassau and maybe have a little beach time. We are not interested in the Atlantis excursion but was considering the Blue Lagoon excursion but we don't really want to spend the entire day there. On our last trip to Nassau, we did a little shopping at the Straw Market and some of the other shops and do not really feel it necessary to do that again. I have been looking into some of the day passes that are offered by some of the area resorts but again we really want to head back to the ship around 1:00 (ish) so are there any passes that are great for maybe the morning or a nice, clean beach that is easy to get to on your own for a few hours? I would love to hear from some DCL veterans, but I welcome all suggestions.

Can I also recommend you walking to the Tortuga Rum Cake Shop and purchasing one of their delicious cakes. Me and my husband loved this.

 

[tweis]

Can I also recommend you walking to the Tortuga Rum Cake Shop and purchasing one of their delicious cakes. Me and my husband loved this.

YUMMY!

 

[bumbershoot]

I just know it.... I"m gonna get lost......

It's not a foundless fear, IMO.

I had a map printed out with the walk to take us to the staircase, the fort, pirates museum, etc, and we ended up turning around and going back. The streets that we were on were just barely marked. I had to ask a woman driving (and stopped at a light) what street we were on, and she didn't know despite living there, she just goes by landmarks. That was NOT helpful. That's the point when we went back to the ship.

The street with Starbucks on it was easy to walk on, but the streets we were on after that had dubious sidewalks, too little signage, and it just wasn't fun. And like in ANY city, I don't like pulling out a map, so I had it folded in my hand (like what I do in any new-to-me city), but it just didn't work, when there were no signs.


If we went to Nassau again, I would buy an official excursion and get off the ship with a group with people who know where they are going. If only to get beyond the people wanting to sell you their services! We were having a really hard time just ignoring them, even though I *know* that wastes their time, and it made my son incredibly nervous to be approached by so many different people.


Ultimately, we saw Parliment and that's it, which was a big bummer, but it just wasn't easy for us to figure out where we were.

 

[nabi]

beach day or dolphin swim

 

[MommyTo4Kids]

After a little more research I think we may just visit a few of the shops then head back to the ship. I'll save beach day for Cast Away.

 

[QuiltTeddy]

We did the Atlantis excursion. I would strongly recommend not wasting the money on this. You basically did it at a run, while you were herded through the premises.

 

[tweis]

We did the Atlantis excursion. I would strongly recommend not wasting the money on this. You basically did it at a run, while you were herded through the premises.

Wow! Good to know.

 

[disdel]

My DW & I were on a Carnival cruise that stayed overnight in Nassau, and wanted to spend time on the beach and not use any of the resort facilities. So paying so sit on the beach in front of Atlantis would have been a waste of money.
There is public beach access on Paradise Island, we took a water taxi ($3) that is adjacent to the cruise terminal. The water taxi staff provided commentary (as well as directions to the beach) on Nassau during the short trip. We were dropped us off on Paradise Is. under the Atlantis bridge, it is a 10-15 minute walk to the path public path access beside the RIU resort. There were about a dozen of the water taxi passengers who were walking to the beach, so we had safety in numbers.

DW & I ducked into Atlantis and bought some souvenirs from the shops inside the resort, also to take a shortcut to avoid walking around the large complex.
Once on the beach beside the RIU, you can rent beach chairs and there is a beach bar to quench your thirst.

As other posters wrote you can take a taxi which will drop you off at the same path, for DW & I we got to stretch our legs and do a little 'Atlantis' resort shopping.

This is a great option, and you can always catch a cab back at the staging area in front of Atlantis.

We did the Atlantis excursion. I would strongly recommend not wasting the money on this. You basically did it at a run, while you were herded through the premises.

and the one time DW and I did this, we took a cab to Atlantis, walked up to the tour desk and purchased a ticket. Our timing was such that while we waited with our guide , no one else joined us. We had a leisurely, in-depth tour, and when the guide saw our genuine interest in her subjects, she went into even more depth, and then brought us places that weren't on her standard itinerary. So, luck of the draw.

 

[tweis]

This is a great option, and you can always catch a cab back at the staging area in front of Atlantis.



and the one time DW and I did this, we took a cab to Atlantis, walked up to the tour desk and purchased a ticket. Our timing was such that while we waited with our guide , no one else joined us. We had a leisurely, in-depth tour, and when the guide saw our genuine interest in her subjects, she went into even more depth, and then brought us places that weren't on her standard itinerary. So, luck of the draw.

Very good to know. I guess it just depends on the day/guide when it comes to the Atlantis tour, huh?
Where exactly do I find a water taxi and how far from the actual beach does it drop you off? Is this a public beach or do I purchase a day pass from Atlantis or from the Riu?