Anybody not doing excursions in Nassau?

[MandyMommytoReaghan]

Hi everybody! We are taking our first cruise...August 11, 2005 on the Wonder. I am all confused about which is the best or the most fun excursion in Nassau. Have any of you guys ever just got off the ship and explored the island yourself and then went back to the ship? This is our first cruise so we want it to be great Please let me know what you guys have done on your previous cruises and what you plan to do on your future cruises Mandy

 

[HIHO...HIHO]

Hi - Our first cruise is coming up May 26th...Yippee!
Anyway we are planning on dropping the kids DS-7, DD-5 off at the kids club for a few hours and going to shop at Nassau. Not sure I want to lug kids that age along! I heard that we can do that...but the pager may not work. We'll see I guess! Being our first cruise, I don't want to be gone too long so we can enjoy the ship! We are hoping for lots of time off the ship at CC.
Have a great time!

 

[la37]

Our first cruise is May 5. My mom, Neice (age 9) and I are going into Nassau to the straw market and the Del Sol store and then back to the ship. I understand the pools are a lot less crowded on port days so we will probably take advantage of that.

 

[Brittwoman]

I have NO desire to go into Nassau when we arrive there. Me & the DH are spending the day on the ship....doing Palo's for brunch and just enjoying the almost empty ship

 

[madisonsmom]

We are doing the 4 day wonder in Dec. I have been conflicted about going into Nassau, as I have heard many conflicting views on it; but I have decided, that it will be a cultural experience, if nothing else. It will be the 1st time my dd5 will be out of the country and I want to be able to show her how other people live. I figure if it gets too be too much we can always head back to the ship. I am not one to overdo it on the plans, so we will skip the planned excursions and head out on our own.. I am looking at Ardrasta Gardens, and it looks much cheaper to do it on our own than to "book it". Plus the weather could be horrible and might not even want to venture out, and if we were prepaid I will feel obligated to go...but that is my own issue I have to deal with Ideally I would really like to find a true Bahamian restaurant with local foods.. and not food to necessarily please the american palatte. Hoping a local or 2 might be able to help out with that.

 

[hmneal]

We have sailed DCL twice now. We got off the ship, visited the Pirate Museum (the first time) went to the straw mkt, walked around a little, and were back on the ship by lunch time! We enjoyed the pools & ship while most the other passengers were in Nassau.

The 2nd cruise, I doubt we would have even disembarked at Nassau except that our 20yr DD wasn't with us the first trip and wanted to see it. But our 4th DD (11yr) had no desire to see it again and stayed in the kids club!

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

We have been to Nassau 3 times. We took the sunshine glass bottom boat tour the first time. The water was choppy, but was still a nice tour if you like colorful fish. It's a good one for smaller kids. They can move around the boat some, there is a bathroom on board and they do give a complimentary fruit punch on the way back.
We also did the Atlantis tour. That has a lot of walking for some people. We did enjoy the architecture of the Atlantis hotel. The aquarium there was excellant the way it was layed out. After the tour ends you can show your wrist band and go through it at your own speed which is really nice. The windows are large and are down low enough for children to easily see the fish. However there are a lot of stairs to go up to reach the last part of the tour. Impossible to take a stroller up them unless you fold them up and carry them and the child. They don't wait for you either. They keep a tight time schedule.
3rd time we took the Historical 2 hour tour in the air conditioned van to see queen anne's staircase, 2 forts etc... This was a good tour if your interested in the local history of the area. You can hike up the stairs and meet your tour at the top or you can have 5 minutes for pictures and then ride up to the fort with your tour and meet up with everyone.
The dock area was really run down our first time, looked scary. Last January they had improved it by 90% and still working on it. The straw market looks a little run down, but it's not a permenent building. It's small isles, crowded, no place for little kids and strollers, but lots of good buys if you like to dicker prices with people. People there are very friendly, but sometimes a little pushy to get you to stop at their booth, but this is how they make their living, so can't really blame them. The main street for shopping is just behind the straw market, very easy to walk to from the ship. They do have a lot of security people there where you can easily see them now. This time we are just going to walk into town and look for some bargains, but no excursions.
Hope you have a Magical cruise!!!!
momx4,grandma x4

 

[dbond]

If this is your first trip to Nassau, whatever you do will be an adventure.

If you're trying to keep it simple, walking around the shopping area gives you a nice feel of the flavor of the island. They do depend on tourists for their livelihood, so be prepared for the locals to ask you to buy things. It's all part of the experience.

You can walk to the pirate museum, it's just a block or two from the shopping area. Our family found it very interesting.

http://www.pirates-of-nassau.com/

If you have an interest in marine-life, I do recommend the Discover Atlantis excursion (walking) or the Stingray Adventure (snorkeling).

The most popular excursions are the dolphin swim & encounter. You can book the encounter through DCL, the swim on your own from this website:

http://www.dolphinswims.com/

Have fun!

 

[JJsmama]

I never even got off the ship in Nassau. Those of my party who did get off, came back quickly.

 

[swandiverpatt]

I've gotten off the ship each time in Nassau and found nothing scary enough or nasty enough to make me head back to the ship. We did the 2-hour Historical Tour last year and it was wonderful to see the old forts, the Queen's Staircase, etc. We also usually go over to Atlantis for a little gambling and always take the water ferries instead of taxis. We're there to enjoy what Nassau has and we find the water ferries to be a little more Bahamian than getting into a cab. Wish I had a trip on the horizon!

 

[Hanover]

We did the 4 day Wonder in February with our DS7 and DS 3 turning 4 on the trip. We did the Blue Lagoon dolphin encnounter excrusion in Nassau and I couldn't recommend it more. It was one of the highlights of our cruise, and the boys still talk about it. We did walk throught he straw market on the way back to the Wonder, but weren't impressed with any of the offerings. When we go on our next DCL cruise, if we don't do the dolphin encounter we'd skip getting off the ship.

 

[mom_rules]

DH and I strolled around Nassau for 4 hours-just on our own. Shopped, took in the touristy sites, went to the straw market. It really was quite nice-just be firm and polite when you say "no". They really do leave you alone.

Next trip we intend to do the same and also take in Atlantis(Casino) and Senor Frogs for a bit of munchies and drinks!

 

[BahamaPapa]

We went with our extended family of 13 in January and spent the day at the Radisson on Cable Beach. There is a huge pool complex with pool bars and outdoor restaurant and a beautiful beach. The hotel staff is very accommodating and does not mind that you use the facilities--of course, buy some food and drinks while there. The pool is wonderful for kids with fountains and a huge shallow area. For variety, the Wyndham is next door with a nice casino and a playground (but the beach is not as nice).
We have been to Nassau several times and this more fun/relaxing/entertaining than any tour or event.

If you really want to add to the experience, ride the Jitney, Route 10A, to Cable Beach. It runs every 10 minutes or so and only costs $1. It is very safe and reliable. Our kids loved it. After you get off the ship, turn right down Royal (toward the Straw Market) and go about 5 blocks to the bus stop. This will allow to stroll past most of the shops as well. The bus drops you off at the Radisson.

For those who have negative comments about Nassau, I understand. Shopping, sightseeing, etc., do not compete with most other ports. Do NOT feel compelled to buy an excursion. IMO, you are throwing money away that is better spent on other things. However, the beach is beautiful, safe and free. It is a GREAT way to spend the day. Our kids still talk about their time on the beach. Feel free to e-mail with questions.

BP

 

[3mickeys&me]

We Honeymooned at the Raddison at Cable Beach!!! Its very nice!! Can't wait to get back there and see it again!!

They really let you use their pools and beaches without hassle??

 

[BahamaPapa]

3Mickeys,

Yes, it is a superb arrangement. We learned about it from others on cruisecritic.com. We just walked through the lobby and out to the pool. We even had our towels from the ship. We were cautious at first, but no one cared. The wait staff were all very nice.

We had debated renting a "day room," but did not because we could not be guaranted early check-in. We were very happy we did not. We also had considered taking an excursion to a beach, but did not.

In the end, we only paid $26 ($1 bus fare each way times 13 people), plus a modest amount for drinks and food (probably $200 total) instead of the $780 we would have spent on the excursion. And, as you know, Cable Beach is beautiful.

BP

 

[inkkognito]

Granted, I've been on Disney cruises over 40 times, but I never bother to get off in Nassau anymore. I would get off and walk around if it was my first time, but I find it more enjoyable to pretend it's a day at sea on the ship. Enjoy the absence of crowds on board! Nassau is okay, but the shopping deals are not all that great unless you really know your prices and your jewelry. Conversely, I never get tired of Key West, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. But Nassau is just not a very exciting port of call.
Barb

 

[Disneybridein2k3]

I have NO desire to go into Nassau when we arrive there. Me & the DH are spending the day on the ship....doing Palo's for brunch and just enjoying the almost empty ship

Brittwoman -- Unless I have read it wrong, Palo's is only open for brunch on at-sea days -- which, for the 4 night is only one day. Sorry!

 

[mom_rules]

You are correct re: Palo Brunch on 4 day Wonder. For us it was Wednesday (at sea day) and that was the only morning offered. We had 10:30 ressies and it was packed!

 

[greentooth2003]

3Mickeys,

Yes, it is a superb arrangement. We learned about it from others on cruisecritic.com. We just walked through the lobby and out to the pool. We even had our towels from the ship. We were cautious at first, but no one cared. The wait staff were all very nice.

We had debated renting a "day room," but did not because we could not be guaranted early check-in. We were very happy we did not. We also had considered taking an excursion to a beach, but did not.

In the end, we only paid $26 ($1 bus fare each way times 13 people), plus a modest amount for drinks and food (probably $200 total) instead of the $780 we would have spent on the excursion. And, as you know, Cable Beach is beautiful.

BP

This is exactly what we are looking to do. Nothing else caught our eye...2 & 4 yr old with us. I know you just described it, but really...The Radisson people do not care you are using their facilities? Why not? Too good to be true? Please let me know, we are leaving next week.

THANKS!

 

[Jillpie]

I took the advice on this board to hop a bus to Cable Beach two weeks ago and really, really regretted it. We got the kids up early to get off the ship, very excited to experience this beach on our own. We found the bus and really got a nice taste of the native people on board, they were nice and we saw alot of the island (very poor). Gospel music was blaring on this bus (there was something very cool about that), but wasn't cool was the swear words written all over the backs of the chairs. Then we finally (after about a 30 minute drive) got to Wyndam Palace at Cable Beach. Walked thru the lobby, to the beach...found some lounge chairs and went down to the water. It was FREEZING COLD. Now this was only two weeks ago! I thought it would be beautiful in April. We couldn't even swim.
So we thought we'd take the kids over to their pool and swim and try their slide. The slide was closed. Got to the pool and wondered why nobody was in it...it too was FREEZING cold. Too cold to stay in for more than a few seconds. We packed up the kids and headed back to the ship! Extremely disappointed. But, I gotta say, we had an awesome afternoon at the adult pool on the ship that day, it was virtually empty and so relaxing. So I just wanna warn you, if you want to swim here, wear a wet suit!