Is Nassau that bad!? No sugarcoating!

[ladyred92]

I would try it once. If we had the extra money, we might had done something through Disney at Atlantis, but we didn't. We (my Dh , myself, and my 2 yr old DS) got off and walked the market. It was NOT fun for me. My nerves were on pins and needles. I am glad we got some souvenirs. We were only off about 2 hours. We will not be getting off when we go again in 4/2016. I will try new ports once, lol.

 

[Frozen2014]

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.

Agree with this. If never been somewhere, then why not get off? Our cruise s
(Not DCL) stops at Nassau. Unfortunately we're only there a few hours, but if longer we'd either check out the Atlantis or Blue Lagoon. Both look great with kids

 

[mevelandry]

Bumping this thread...

I was one of the people who was scared of going to Nassau and did not get off the ship on our first cruise. We came back yesterday from our second DCL cruise.

On Nassau day, we ended up having free time and Had a "Come on, it's not Syria, let's take our ID, 10$ and let's go buy a Tortuga rhum cake in Nassau" moment and decided to see for ourselves if it was as bad as some decribed it.

Conclusion: We spent a total of 30 minutes out of the cruiseship.

The walk to and from the "Welcome to Nassau" sign is not that bad. Then you get in through the "Welcome Center" : Pushy vendors (could not spend 1 minute without being offered something), dirty streets, very bad odors, poor underweight horses in a very bad shape, cops, security guards and people dressed with army suits...

Then you get out of the "secured perimeter" and the streets are in a bad shape, the buildings are in very bad shape (that's an understatement) with safety grills on every windows and doors. We felt like we were in a ghetto. We did not feel safe.

So we bought the pineapple rhum cake, got back in the "safe perimeter" and the best moment of our short excursion turned out to be: going back on the ship with a fresh towel and watermelon-pineapple water.


From now on, I know I would only get out the ship if I were to go to an Atlantis excursion organized by DCL ... but that's it.

 

[deanimal]

I found Nassau to be disappointing but I never felt unsafe. It puzzled me the thousands of cruise tourists could come through every day and yet there could be so many boarded up shops, broken pavements and other signs of obvious neglect. Someone is making a lot of money off the cruise ships but it sure doesn't look like any of it gets to the ordinary Bahamian citizen. It made me rather sad to be perfectly honest.

We wandered around for a few hours on our first trip and walked as far as the fort overlooking the town. We had a lovely chat with a few of the people who worked there and bought some cold drinks from a rather scruffy looking teenage boy who took the time to answer our questions about the area and was very kind to our young kids. It seemed like such a shame that there was so little infrastructure for independent travellers.

On our second visit we arrived the morning of New Years Day. I had done some research on the town and found out that there was a major event called "Junkanoo" that happened New Year's Day. If you went a few streets in from the port you found the most amazing festive atmosphere with several huge parades going on at once with live bands, dancers in beautiful elaborate costumes and incredible homemade floats. There were hardly any tourists there despite the three huge cruise ships in town. I couldn't believe that thousands of people were so scared to get off the ship that they missed out on this amazing spectacle happening a few minutes walk away. We agreed that it was one of the highlights of our trip. I put a short clip of the "real Nassau" on my blog.

https://exploredreamdiscoveries.wordpress.com/2015/01/30/junkanoo-in-nassau/

So in summary, I didn't find it scary at all, but there wasn't much to recommend it on an ordinary day. But until people stop being so scared to get off the boat or venture from organized tours it will probably stay that way.

 

[Lisa Lisa]

We've been to Nassau three times and have gotten off the ship each time. If we were to stop in Nassau on a future cruise, we would get off the ship again. I have no interest in walking around on our own, but there are some great excursions offered there. We've gone to Atlantis twice (both times on our own via Comfort Suites) and to Blue Lagoon Island once. When we were at Blue Lagoon Island, DH and DD did the deep water dolphin swim and loved it. I would consider going back to Blue Lagoon for a beach day. It's secluded and very pretty, and the boat ride over was easy and enjoyable. I would also consider going to an all-inclusive resort on Paradise Island for the day as the water and sand there are gorgeous. In addition, DCL offers a couple of excursions that sound promising, including a Sea World glass bottom boat excursion. As much as I love the DCL ships, I look forward to new experiences on land when I cruise as well!

 

[sambycat]

we just returned yesterday from a wonder cruise with a stop in nassau. we did the ardastra garden and city tour. i enjoyed it. the gardens/zoo were actually really nice and neat, a small jewel with many birds and rescue (small) animals. excursion included a drive around the island. our driver was great and it's the most i've seen of the island, i felt like i was on "house hunters international"! ha!

i don't think it is any less safe or that much different from the ports at cozumel or grand cayman really, as far as the basics go. it's the same non-local chain, cruise port only stupid shopping places and people hawking stuff. i've gone before and done a group walking tour and something else i can't recall - i think i went to the pirate museum (solo). my DH and DS did a junkanoo excursion and still talk about it! i prefer to stay on the ship usually, mostly because i am the one that likes to lay in the sun nd watch funnel vision and on shorter cruises, there is less opportunity for the sun worshipping.

actually, the more i think about it, the more i enjoyed the excursion we did. really got to at least see a bit of the "real" island and i left with a better impression of nassau then i had before. would i go walking around alone really? no. but i probably wouldn't do that too much in any unfamiliar foreign port, which includes most of the ports i've visited on DCL. i'm not one that enjoys haggling or that whole situation. we walked back through the straw market and it seemed really mellow to me compared to previous trips and also i thought the port area looked great - i thought a lot of it was rebuilt after storms a couple years back.

YMMV

 

[Jsoenning]

If you like beer, Pirate Republic Brewing is worth checking out. We walked to the straw market and it didn't seem different than Mexico...

 

[Savikins]

I've only ever taken one cruise that stopped in Nassau, on the Dream. The best word I can use to describe Nassau is "junky". The vendors in the Straw Market and the people trying to get you to rent scooters and take pictures playing drums and braid hair were all ridiculously pushy - I'm used to saying "no thanks" to vendors in Cozumel and other ports, but the vendors in Nassau kept pushing even after I made it clear I was not interested... I didn't even stop to browse their merchandise. My bf and I asked some locals where the best place to eat or get coffee on the island was and they both shrugged and suggested Starbucks. Really?! Bleh. Maybe we should have done an excursion.

 

[NCConch]

I have been to Nassau twice - about 20 years apart. Nassau is a foreign country. It is not like visiting Downtown Disney. Safety is important. Being a 225 lb guy may be helpful. Being experienced with visiting a foreign country helps when dealing with the locals. My wife is an int'l purchaser for a large company. She had a field day in the straw market with the few vendors that actually had nice things to sell. They love to bargain. Don't flash money. Say "no thanks" and keep moving.

I have also brought my children to Times Square. Life is about experiences. Only experience what you can safely handle.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

We've been to Nassau three times and have gotten off the ship each time. If we were to stop in Nassau on a future cruise, we would get off the ship again. I have no interest in walking around on our own, but there are some great excursions offered there. We've gone to Atlantis twice (both times on our own via Comfort Suites) and to Blue Lagoon Island once. When we were at Blue Lagoon Island, DH and DD did the deep water dolphin swim and loved it. I would consider going back to Blue Lagoon for a beach day. It's secluded and very pretty, and the boat ride over was easy and enjoyable. I would also consider going to an all-inclusive resort on Paradise Island for the day as the water and sand there are gorgeous. In addition, DCL offers a couple of excursions that sound promising, including a Sea World glass bottom boat excursion. As much as I love the DCL ships, I look forward to new experiences on land when I cruise as well!

Well said.

As an annual visitor to Nassau (Atlantis), I agree that the downtown area by the dock is nothing to write home about. In my 12+ week-long visits, we went to the dock area once, and have never had a reason to go back.

The Bahamas is special for its beaches, coast line, amazing ocean water, and marine life. You're missing out on something great if you just visit Nassau by walking a few feet from the dock. Would you judge Orlando by what's in its airport?

 

[yorkieteacher]

Walked around a little to say we had been there-The Straw Market is a cheap tourist trap we hurried past. We went to the Pirate Museum, which scared our three year old grandson, but its an easy walk and would be fun for older kids. As we never walked far from the ships, we felt safe. Saw at least four policemen around, one gave us directions to the Pirate Museum. There were several musical groups such as a steal drum band performing around the public squares during our walk, which we enjoyed. We spent maybe a little over an hour just looking around and were ready to get back to the ship.

 

[over50visits]

We love going to new places. The first few times in Nassau we did different things and enjoyed it (Pirate Museum, Straw Market, Graycliff, Atlantis). But after visiting many Caribbean, Central American, and Mexican Riviera ports, something has to be the best and something the worst. Well, Nassau is the worst. It's poorly maintained (the words junky, dirty and rundown come to mind), and it feels like most of the stores have nothing to do with the Bahamas. Color changing clothes, international jewelry and food chains, and a straw market filled with things made in Korea. Pushier people along the walk off the ship and in the city than anywhere we've seen, I agree with a PP that my heart went out to the poor horses at the pier, it just all feels icky.

But for the first time visitor, I wouldn't worry about safety. Many thousands get off cruise ships every single day. Just stay where the tourists are, be confident. The pushy sales people have never felt one little bit like a threat, just a bother. The straw market may be junk, but the ladies selling there are pretty cool to talk to. Pirate museum has always been fun. Take an excursion (or taxi, again hundreds of people do that every day) to Atlantis and enjoy that classy resort. Then realize every other port will be better!

 

[JulieCee]

I've been to Nassau several times over the years. There are some fun and interesting things to do there. The Pirate Museum is lots of fun and very well done. Great for children and not that pricey. My family has walked around extensively downtown. You just have to get through the pushy vendors at the dock. One you get to the main street a block or two up from the dock its not such a problem. We have also caught a taxi and gone to the beach. This was never a problem because taxis go to and from the beach all the time.

If you haven't been before, I would suggest going.

 

[jlemieu1]

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!

I personally never felt unsafe there. Yes it is worth getting off the ship in my opinion. I love picking up Rum cakes and visiting the zoo/garden. The feeding of the parrots apples and flamingo shows are pretty cool. I've done it twice and I would do it again.

 

[ludari]

I was in Nassau in November and it was fine for me. Granted I didn't spend any time near the port except to jump on a shuttle to the other side of the island to go scuba diving.

 

[AquaDame]

From he DIS unplugged podcast and others on this board it sounds like a not fun port...

Should I just stay on the ship that day or would you guys say to venture out???

Thanks my fellow cruisers!

We have done both and had a good time each time. Is there something you WANT to do? I've heard great things about Atlantis and want to go there next time I'm in port, and we had fun on a stingray excursion there one year. I will ALWAYS go get some rum cake from Tortuga to take home too - yum!

In the end it is going to come down with what you are comfortable with. Disney's #1 priority is always safety - they will not knowingly put you in harms way, but they also aren't able to watch every person who debarks the ship. If you stick to the Disney excursions they will continue to do all they can to take care of you, but if you go off the ship on your own then yes, once your heels hit the ground you have to take personal responsibility for yourself and your surroundings.

Personally, I don't let fear dictate my moves much - I let my gut. Every port we get off at I take a look around and go from there. For what it is worth I have yet to ever go back on the ship! I did not feel any more unsafe in Nassau than I have in any other large city. The only time I do feel unsafe is if something is going on to MAKE me feel unsafe - unsavory people, unsavory sounds, etc. You can look at a block and say nope and go to the next one in any city - I often do it in my own city.

 

[psutrain]

We've been to Nassau three times and have gotten off the ship each time. If we were to stop in Nassau on a future cruise, we would get off the ship again. I have no interest in walking around on our own, but there are some great excursions offered there. We've gone to Atlantis twice (both times on our own via Comfort Suites) and to Blue Lagoon Island once. When we were at Blue Lagoon Island, DH and DD did the deep water dolphin swim and loved it. I would consider going back to Blue Lagoon for a beach day. It's secluded and very pretty, and the boat ride over was easy and enjoyable. I would also consider going to an all-inclusive resort on Paradise Island for the day as the water and sand there are gorgeous. In addition, DCL offers a couple of excursions that sound promising, including a Sea World glass bottom boat excursion. As much as I love the DCL ships, I look forward to new experiences on land when I cruise as well!

We are going on our first cruise on dream in January and doing the atlantis via comfort suites option. Any valuable information you can provide us prior to the trip next month?

 

[Lisa Lisa]

We are going on our first cruise on dream in January and doing the atlantis via comfort suites option. Any valuable information you can provide us prior to the trip next month?

There is a pretty detailed explanation of the process in the trip report I wrote after our cruise on the Dream a couple of years ago. The link is in my signature. The process was exactly the same when we did it two weeks ago! Pretty easy and I definitely recommend it.

 

[cijay]

From what I'm reading, Nassau is similar to Santa Catalina Island in California? Sounds familiar. I want to do the chocolate tour and Blue Lagoon. I lived in Istanbul so I'm bombproof to street vendors.

 

[jerseygal]

Blue Lagoon was AWESOME and when we went on the Dream in 2011, it was part of the arranged excursions with Disney. We met as a group in the morning got on a boat as a group that took us to Blue Lagoon and spent a BEAUTIFUL FUN day there; would definitely do it again if it is a Disney Excursion. Our family also got off the ship in Nassau for a brief time and would NOT do it again; felt unsafe.