Is Nassau that bad!? No sugarcoating!

[catflorida]

I do want to add that the U S Embassy in Nassau has issued a critical alert for Nassau as of March 25, 2015, after there has been some more recent incidents. It is a hard choice. But it is your vacation, so the more worry free option.

 

[AngelDisney]

I am not sure how much Nassau has changed over the years. I visited Nassau a few times in the 90's and never felt unsafe. Loved the conch salad made by the vendors on the street. We actually bought while driving along the street. We just stopped, ordered, paid and ate in the car. My two most recent visits were in 2004 and 2011, both on a Disney cruise to Bahamas. In 2004, I went with DH and DD (7 at that time) on the Wonder. We strolled along the main shopping street near the pier then water taxi to Atlantis. We were never bothered by anyone while we walked from the water taxi stand to Atlantis. We enjoyed our brief visit at the Atlantis. It was a beautiful hotel. Then we taxi back to the pier. In 2011, I went with DD (14 at that time) on the Dream. We went on the Blue Lagoon Dolphin Swim excursion and had a blast. Then we went shopping afterwards before going back to the ship. The vendors greeted us with friendly smiles and we were never bothered by any of them. No one approached us within our personal bubble space and no one tried to sell us anything. We never felt unsafe. I actually worried more about pickpocketing and our safety on our cruise/land trip to the Med at places such as Paris, Rome and Barcelona.

When we travel, we always walk with a purpose and never slow down looking like we don't know our ways. We both carry a SafePac waist pouch, and have our hands on our valuables at all times. I think it is important for us to be vigilant when visiting other cities and stay away from night activities to make us less of a target. I never plan any activity past 10:00 pm when travelling and always get a chartered/registered taxi to return to the hotel after dark. This is my personal experience and if I visit Nassau on a Disney cruise again in the future, I may stay on the ship not because I don't feel safe but because I have visited it many times and I may want to experience an empty ship. However, if I cruise with a non-DCL ship to Nassau, I may get off and go on some excursions. It really depends on the circumstances.

Have fun planning and have a magical time!

 

[bumbershoot]

In your subject line you say "Is Nassau that bad!? No sugarcoating!"

Have you seen rampant sugarcoating of negative opinions here? Those who don't care for Nassau are pretty open in their opinions.

I live here and I work as a police officer and I've spent time in Times Square so I'm pretty sure I know what crime happens and what reports we have taken. I also now work in east Flatbush one of the WORST precients in NYC.

If Times Square was unsafe, I would never with any means or ways report that to my DISers to keep them out of harms way.

East Flatbush now that's dangerous

Things can and do happen anywhere...that's a non point.

Then why are you asking for opinions on Nassau? Seems to me a police officer can look up statistics and hard facts and go from that, yes? Seems you're worried about it but with your background I have no idea why.

You keep walking with purpose and don't engage.

And that's super-important everywhere if you won't be buying anything. Wasting peoples' time by listening to a spiel isn't polite. And that's where we went wrong at the beginning of our first foray into Nassau. We were trying to be polite by listening but we had absolutely no intentions of hiring a tour guide or buying anything so we wasted their time and ours. And by the time we got to the actual street my son was exhausted. He's not used to people approaching us like that and was bewildered. The state of the sidewalks didn't help my case for walking much further.

FWIW all Beth is saying that if you're afraid of Nassau you probably shouldn't go to a big US city. If you don't know how to be as safe as possible in one, you will be equally vulnerable in the other. She's not saying NYC is evil. She lives there, after all lol. She's saying what Rick Steves has been saying for years; for Americans (or those who like to visit here) to be afraid of crime elsewhere is nearly hilarious.

Go or don't go into Nassau, but don't be naive about it.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

In your subject line you say "Is Nassau that bad!? No sugarcoating!"

Have you seen rampant sugarcoating of negative opinions here? Those who don't care for Nassau are pretty open in their opinions.



Then why are you asking for opinions on Nassau? Seems to me a police officer can look up statistics and hard facts and go from that, yes? Seems you're worried about it but with your background I have no idea why.



And that's super-important everywhere if you won't be buying anything. Wasting peoples' time by listening to a spiel isn't polite. And that's where we went wrong at the beginning of our first foray into Nassau. We were trying to be polite by listening but we had absolutely no intentions of hiring a tour guide or buying anything so we wasted their time and ours. And by the time we got to the actual street my son was exhausted. He's not used to people approaching us like that and was bewildered. The state of the sidewalks didn't help my case for walking much further.

FWIW all Beth is saying that if you're afraid of Nassau you probably shouldn't go to a big US city. If you don't know how to be as safe as possible in one, you will be equally vulnerable in the other. She's not saying NYC is evil. She lives there, after all lol. She's saying what Rick Steves has been saying for years; for Americans (or those who like to visit here) to be afraid of crime elsewhere is nearly hilarious.

Go or don't go into Nassau, but don't be naive about it.

I was never concerned about the safety of the port I'm a big boy I can take care of myself. It seemed to snowball into it I just wondered if the port was worth leaving the ship to explore as I've heard mixed reviews.

 

[DCL4LIFE]

I've never been any more concerned with safety in Nassua than anywhere else I've traveled on cruises.

I simply just don't find Nassau very interesting, therefore I don't get off the ship anymore.

 

[MUN]

My basic point was that Times Square is not really that much safer than the TOURIST AREAS in Nassau. And I've been there all hours of the day between doing rush for shows and having worked at the Disney Store. You keep walking with purpose and don't engage.

But I've been far more harassed by panhandlers and others pawning off stuff in NYC than I have in Nassau or anywhere else - including Florence, which is known for gypsies.

The bottom line is, when you act like a victim (and flipping out the moment someone calls out IS making you look vulnerable), you're going to be a target. And I suspect that the way many on here do seem to flip out if someone sitting and/or working a sales stall on the street in Nassau calls out to them (from their reports on here) truly ARE better off staying on board because they're going to look like scared, weak targets.

I've been harassed by "Mickey" and "Minnie" in Times Square. But I love going there because that's where real New Yorkers go to get the best pizza!

 

[Dug720]

I've been harassed by "Mickey" and "Minnie" in Times Square. But I love going there because that's where real New Yorkers go to get the best pizza!

So wrong! That is typical touristy pizza. The best is found in the outer boroughs in the little mom and pop shops.

The majority of real New Yorkers avoid Times Square like the plague unless we have to be there for theatre (and then it's all about 8th Ave for theatre access) or a job. And NYE? Those aren't real New Yorkers. They are tourists. Real New Yorkers are most definitely elsewhere.

 

[southerngirl528]

Wonder if any of that "best NY pizza" can be found in Nassau since Nassau is the thread topic……. Hahahahahahahaha!!

 

[dmunsil]

I really have to agree with Beth - Nassau isn't really any worse than lots and lots of other places as far as vendors talking to you, sketchy street people and panhandlers, etc. If you've explored any big city, you've encountered all kinds of random hassles at least as bad as anything you'd see in Nassau. If you've lived your life in a small town or suburb, then yes, Nassau could be a shock to the system, as could visiting New York, London, New Orleans, etc.

As to whether it's worth getting off the ship in Nassau, it's hard to say. I don't think the shopping there is really very special. Atlantis is unique and pretty amazing, but expensive as all get out, even if you work every angle to get a discount. Ardastra Gardens & Zoo was a nice little excursion that I'd certainly recommend, but I wouldn't book it through Disney. I'd just take a cab to and from the cruise terminal and pay the regular admission.

I hear good things about the Cloisters and Versailles Gardens at the One & Only Club on Paradise Island, and that's probably where we'll visit next time we're in Nassau. The Watling's rum distillery supposedly has a nice little tour. There's a culinary tour from Tru Bahamian that gets good reviews and we'll probably give it a try at some point. Greycliff has a nice restaurant, chocolate factory, cigar bar, etc.

There are several nice beaches, though for the best experience you probably are going to want a day pass to a resort to get a more relaxing and hassle-free experience.

You can hire a driver to just take you around the island and show you different things, take you to the Fish Fry for lunch, etc.

Frankly, the reason we travel is to see new places, so we would pretty much always get off at any port unless we felt like we'd really explored everything, and that hasn't happened for us with Nassau yet.

 

[BelleWannabe4]

I have to agree with several of the previous posters. I spent a long weekend on Paradise Island earlier this year with 3 other young women. We went to the public beach that is free (next to Atlantis) every day, and other than people trying to sell us chairs and some island drinks, we weren't bothered at all. We stayed in a condo and felt perfectly safe the entire weekend. The one time that I felt mildly unsafe was walking 2 miles back to our condo around midnight after we had been out to have dinner because there were few streetlights. We decided to catch a cab instead and we were all fine.

What I would say is that if you haven't spent much time in larger cities or in foreign countries, it can feel overwhelming. I walked through the Straw Market with my mom once and she didn't care for it. Like others have said, walk with purpose and ignore anyone you don't want to speak to. When traveling alone abroad, my tactic is always to pretend like I don't understand them and that I don't speak English. It really works wonders when you just smile and nod and keep on moving.

While you definitely do not need to leave the ship if you don't want to, I would not be afraid to walk around the well-touristed areas. Would I go off into a local neighborhood with an expensive camera around my neck and a map in my hand? No, but I wouldn't do that in many neighborhoods here in Chicago. But going to Paradise Beach or the areas near the port or Atlantis are just as safe as many areas in the US.

Also, there's a restaurant close to port (Lukka Kairi) that's awesome! Amazing food, nice servers and it was reasonably priced for the island. If you do get off the ship, I recommend stopping there.

 

[TheRealDrDisney]

I live here and I work as a police officer...

Thank you for your service!

 

[runnerchick]

Just wanted to chime in - We just got off the Wonder yesterday. My husband & I got off the ship in Nassau with our daughters (9, 10) and walked over to the Straw Market. Lots of aggressive people trying to get you to take a cab to see the island or have your hair braided. I consider myself fairly street wise - I lived in Boston and walked across the Commons many times at night alone - never feeling unsafe. My guard was up the entire time we were off the ship. The Straw Market is tight quarters and the same stuff over and over. My daughters wanted to go back on the ship to swim - which we did after about 30 mins in port. My advice - enjoy the ship and stay safe. I have stayed at Atlantis and did not venture off the property. If you are thinking of seeing Atlantis I would arrange that through Disney. I would not recommend arranging transportation on your own. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Just wanted to chime in - We just got off the Wonder yesterday. My husband & I got off the ship in Nassau with our daughters (9, 10) and walked over to the Straw Market. Lots of aggressive people trying to get you to take a cab to see the island or have your hair braided. I consider myself fairly street wise - I lived in Boston and walked across the Commons many times at night alone - never feeling unsafe. My guard was up the entire time we were off the ship. The Straw Market is tight quarters and the same stuff over and over. My daughters wanted to go back on the ship to swim - which we did after about 30 mins in port. My advice - enjoy the ship and stay safe. I have stayed at Atlantis and did not venture off the property. If you are thinking of seeing Atlantis I would arrange that through Disney. I would not recommend arranging transportation on your own. Have a wonderful trip!

Sounds good since I'm only going on a three day Disney I'm going to enjoy he ship that day and explore then to venture out into a skippable port thanks.

I'm dieng to go to castaway cay!

 

[runnerchick]

You will LOVE Castaway Cay. The sand is soft and the color of the water is just incredible! There are character meetings and a character dance party. They had crab races when we were there - quite funny! The Cast members that arrange all of the entertainment are just full of energy (don't miss Bingo - lots of fun!).

 

[CampbellzSoup]

You will LOVE Castaway Cay. The sand is soft and the color of the water is just incredible! There are character meetings and a character dance party. They had crab races when we were there - quite funny! The Cast members that arrange all of the entertainment are just full of energy (don't miss Bingo - lots of fun!).

Your not making the wait any easier!!! Again, thanks I'm glad you guys had an excellent time now I got something to look forward to.

I had no idea how this thread snowballed into being safe anywhere - I guess the point is use common sense and watch out as anything can happen anywhere. I'll personally be skipping this port as I'll be enjoying the ship instead of wasting the day!

 

[wcw57]

as someone implied earlier, you need crime stats based on per capita....If there is just Cain and Abel and one of them ends up dead, THAT'S AMAZING....IF there are 17 bazillion people and 500 murders, not so much. I 'm not making light of crime BUT you need to consider population density: that is, percent of apparent crimes per resident.
And these nasty Nassau rumors are not just created out of whole cloth. They are factual and long-standing. Unchanged and unabated.

 

[richmo]

I'm going to try to stick to the original question...

Is Nassau a favorite for us? No. Personally, I'd much rather have a second day at Castaway Cay. But, I also didn't feel particularly unsafe in Nassau. Unless you're on an excursion, I'd probably stick to the near downtown area and do most of my exploring in daylight.

There's usually at least a couple cruise ships in Nassau and if you don't wander off too far, there are tourists everywhere. You may get approached near the custom building to take tours, get ladies hair braided, etc., but I've found that if you just don't engage and walk on, they'll leave you alone and once you're in the downtown area its basically all tourists and shops. Our first trip to Nassau we walked a few blocks away to the Queen's Staircase and the fort next to it...there were a couple vendors in the area, but I found them quite polite.

Near the ship there are a couple fun eateries: Senor Frogs and Hard Rock Cafe, among others. The former is practically at the dock.

The straw market is also near the ship...there you may get some vendors trying to persuade you to purchase with some negotiation, but they seem to be mostly good-natured.

Now that we've been there a couple times, I wouldn't say we stay on the ship...it is nice to get off. We'll usually just get off pretty early, walk around downtown for a short time, maybe go thru the straw market and return to the ship by lunchtime.

Of course, be careful about your surroundings, but I don't think its necessary to stay on the ship out of fear.

 

[mevelandry]

I'm going to try to stick to the original question...

Is Nassau a favorite for us? No. Personally, I'd much rather have a second day at Castaway Cay. (...)

If there was a cruise with 2 day at Castaway Cay, I would definitely pick that one. That place is heaven on earth.

 

[ahain]

Get off at least once to see it for yourself. I've been 3 times. There's no way I'd be on a ship and not get off at an island I've never been to.

I would agree with this. We've been to Nassau 3 times now. First time, we (me, DH & DD) did the Disney excursion to the Dolphin Encounter at Atlantis; 2nd time, we (just DH & I) got off the ship & walked to & through the straw market, then back onto the ship; 3rd time we (me, DH, DD & DD's friend) booked the Comfort Inn for day passes to the Atlantis Water park. If we go again, we'll stay on the ship, as we now feel like we've done anything worthwhile that Nassau has to offer.

 

[dmunsil]

I really don't understand why someone would refuse to get off the ship in a port they had never visited, based solely on reports from random people on the internet. I totally understand not getting off the ship if you've already explored and either exhausted everything you might be interested in or figured out that it's not your thing. But it seems like it's that time-worn question: how do you know you won't like it if you haven't tried it? I used to think I'd hate cruising, based on things I'd read. I finally got dragged onto a cruise ship and it turns out I love it. If you think you'll hate Nassau, do yourself a favor and at least give it a chance. Go to Ardastra Gardens. It's small, but nice. It's pretty hard to imagine anyone hating it. Along the way you'll see some of the town, the hair braiders, the traffic, the old buildings, etc. and if you're like us, you'll basically wonder why people are so negative about it. On the other hand, maybe you'll hate it. But you'll at least have seen something of it.

Obviously everyone is different. My family travels primarily to see new things, so we'll always check out any cruise port we've never seen. I know a lot of cruisers just like to cruise - the ports are basically irrelevant. Takes all kinds to make a world and all that.