Nassau for the day...First time cruiser question

[kateandy08096]

Hello everyone. Is it better to book an excursion for the dig at atlantis through Disney or on my own? Thanks everyone

 

[MSPeeler]

Good question, surprise no one has answered you. I don't have any experience with this excursion. But here's a bump to the top to see if somebody else has any information on it.

 

[kateandy08096]

Thank you we will be traveling with a 17 month old so I thought the aquarium would be great to visit

 

[Bethany10]

We're looking at the aquarium also, and I'm looking into just getting a day pass. I believe I read on mousesavers that you can just get the pass for that side and skip the water park. I actually just asked about this on another thread trying to get current pricing and apparently you don't pre-buy these but they rarely sell out.

 

[JWG]

It will likely be cheaper not through Disney. That said the upside of booking through Disney is ease and peace of mind. The excursion providers don't want to mess up their relationships with the cruise lines so are very careful to have you back to the ship in time and follow cruise line protocols.

 

[RedSox68]

We did the Atlantis aquarium through Disney. The reason: when I checked with them they start selling the tickets at 9 a.m -- but they are first come first serve and I knew we would not be able to get there before that time, so we risked not getting tickets. Plus, you'd have to find your own transportation. With the Disney excursion, the shuttle took us over, we got a lovely tour of the hotel, and then we were on our own after the acquarium until the last shuttle. It came and went I think every 20 minutes or so until a certain time. We had a great time!

 

[Steph1992]

On our last cruise we booked the Discover Atlantis Port Adventure. Just like RedSox68 mentioned above...there is a shuttle to take you there. We walked through two aquariums and then were able to explore and experience Atlantis on our own after the tour was over. We actually walked through the aquariums again just to catch things we missed. I thought it was a great way to spend time. There are shuttles available that take you right back to the ship. The port adventure would cost 64 dollars for you and be free for your little one because of the age. I think it's well worth it and will most likely book the port adventure again in the future.

 

[Otimon]

We have done this tour both ways: through Disney and on our own. Last year we went again through Disney but it didn't take long before we left the
group and wandered around on our own at our own pace. Following the group along was just too quick as we enjoy stopping and looking at the exhibits
along the way.

Less expensive on your own if cost is that important to you. For us, it was worth the extra cost to have the convenience of the Disney pre-arranged transportation over and back. Afterwards, with our wristbands on, we just wandered out back enjoying the grounds until we decided to head back via Disney transportation.

 

[RedSox68]

We have done this tour both ways: through Disney and on our own. Last year we went again through Disney but it didn't take long before we left the
group and wandered around on our own at our own pace. Following the group along was just too quick as we enjoy stopping and looking at the exhibits
along the way.

Less expensive on your own if cost is that important to you. For us, it was worth the extra cost to have the convenience of the Disney pre-arranged transportation over and back. Afterwards, with our wristbands on, we just wandered out back enjoying the grounds until we decided to head back via Disney transportation.

Yes, the acquarium tour especially was very fast, but at the end you were left to explore the grounds on your own, so we went back through the acquarium and then through the grounds and even explored the hotel a little more. The aquarium is a great place on a hot day as it is surrounded by stone and rock and is so nice and cool

 

[travellingmom1983]

We did an Atlantis tour including the Dig and beach day with my 2 yr old last march through Disney. I couldn't believe the cost, but in the end knowing we were getting there to and from safely, tour was good and it came with a lunch coupon. For me personally with a small child, I like the comfort in booking it through Disney vs. saving money doing it on my own. Have fun!

 

[cariann77]

We just did this on Tuesday and hated it! We booked through Disney. They had us meet at D-Lounge at 11:15am and then we headed out to the bus. Nice, air-conditioned bus and it's a quick ride. Atlantis is beautiful. However, we had the worst tour guide. She was just awful, slow, monotone with very outdated jokes. Some of her comments made zero sense with what was going on at all. The tour was way too long and drawn out for my kids. Honestly, we wished that we would have stayed on the boat.

Overall, I loved the comfort of booking through Disney for their transportation to Atlantis but would have rather explored on our own instead of a tour. It would have been much more enjoyable for us that way. I felt it would have been rude to leave the tour, but I really wished that we would have. Disney makes it easy to get there and was worth the extra money. If you decided to break away from the tour, grab a map! The aquariums are a little spread out and might be tricky to find on your own. Also, make sure everyone leaves their wristbands on and visible. Their security is very tight about what areas you can access. Kids wanted to see the waterparks, but you can't get anywhere near it without the proper band.