Nassau Atlantis Beach Day? First timer looking for advice

MsSimone

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jun 26, 2019
We are first time cruisers, and I'm looking for feedback on the Atlantis Beach Day and Discover Atlantis excursion. I've tried searching the forums; mostly am finding a lot of people saying 'stay on the ship' :) But we've never been on a cruise or to the Bahamas, so we'd like to get off the boat.

Has anyone done this excursion, and did you like/dislike it? What time of year did you go? We are cruising right after Christmas and one concern I have is temperatures on the beach. Is there another excursion you're recommend instead?

Thanks!
 
Haven't done the beach day but we have done Discover Atlantis on our last cruise and it was nice.

The ocean could be a bit chilly in December-January.
 
We have stayed at Atlantis but have not done the excursion. Atlantis is a great resort and if you’d like to experience it, go for it. However, it is expensive and make sure to read the fine print. Not everything available at the resort will be available to you.

Also, I’ll add that I totally disagree with the notion that you should stay on the ship. We’ve done day passes at both the Hilton and Melia resorts and have great days there. With access to the beach, pool and resort amenities, we enjoyed some time off the ship and loved that we could go back when we were ready. Have fun! The Bahamas is a great place to visit!
 
One more thing. We were there for thanksgiving last year and the kids swam. Too cold for me but they had a blast.
 


Did the Ardastra Gardens/Zoo tour last year. Not too expensive and my 14/12 year old sons enjoyed it.
 
Just know the Atlantis Beach day does NOT give you access to their amazing water park. I believe you will be able to walk thru the aquariums and use their beach, but not get in the pools. There are other beaches closer to the ship for less. You might look into the HIlton for a day pass.
 
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We are cruising right after Christmas and one concern I have is temperatures on the beach. Is there another excursion you're recommend instead?
We've cruised four times in late December / early January, and have enjoyed the beach at Castaway Cay (which is further north than Nassau) each time. Water has been chilly but our bodies adjust quickly once in it. The air has always been very warm during daylight hours.
 


We like to go to Blue Lagoon instead of Atlantis. More laid back and (usually) less crowded.
 
Someone suggested that I look at the Hilton that's a few blocks from the ship. Less expensive, private beach, and food credit.
 
We did the Atlantis beach day and I'd never do it again. All you get is access to an overcrowded beach where locals try selling you stuff every 30 seconds. I recommend against it. We're going in September and are staying on the ship at that port.

We also have done Blue Lagoon which is nice. A bit of a boat ride to get there. Much better than the Atlantis beach except both of my daughters were stung by jelly fish; one minor sting the other pretty bad.
 

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