Nassau

[Gaspode38]

Leaving for our first cruise next week and I have also never been outside the United States. I have a question about recent experiencestudy in Nassau? The reports are saying it's not particularly safe and with the hurricane last fall wjat is the damage like?
I would at least like to get off and see at bit of the city but I also don't want to be scared to death. Any thoughts?

 

[cmph]

You're going to get opinions/thoughts all over the place. I was there in January, and I thought it was fine, as did my husband. Neither of our kids seemed to think anything was weird or worrisome (8 and 11yo), and DD would absolutely have said something if she felt uncomfortable. Since you are not experienced in international travel, it'll come down to how nervous you are in typical American cities, really. DH and I went to college in downtown Baltimore, so there was nothing about Nassau that was scarier than parts of Baltimore (or St. Louis, or DC, or NYC, or other cities we've lived in or are very familiar with). I guess we're experienced enough not to look like nervous tourists as we weren't approached whatsoever by vendors. We did the semi-sub tour, which dropped us off at the far end of the pier, so we had to walk past the straw market to get back to the ship. My kids were crabby about getting off the ship at all (we parents insisted - they would never get off the ship even once if they had their way!), or else I would have taken a cab to see other parts of the city.

I hesitate to definitively tell you that you will be fine if you're already nervous... but if you are used to cities here and have a desire to see Nassau, I would give it a try. It's a short walk back to the ship if you don't like the looks of things!

 

[MUN]

Leaving for our first cruise next week and I have also never been outside the United States. I have a question about recent experiencestudy in Nassau? The reports are saying it's not particularly safe and with the hurricane last fall wjat is the damage like?
I would at least like to get off and see at bit of the city but I also don't want to be scared to death. Any thoughts?

It's safe, don't worry about it. At the very least you should get get off the ship and walk around, and if you don't like it, you can quickly get back on the ship. Nassau doesn't appeal to some people, but murderers are NOT waiting by the ship to kill you.

The one nice thing about Nassau is it is very easy to come and go from the ship. The downtown area is right by the port.

 

[TestingH2O]

Nassau doesn't appeal to some people, but murderers are waiting by the ship to kill you.

I think you might be missing a word here.

The alternative is going to have the OP rethinking this whole travel thing.

 

[LSUfan4444]

The reports are saying it's not particularly safe

What reports?

I would at least like to get off and see at bit of the city but I also don't want to be scared to death. Any thoughts?

If you feel uncomfortable you can always stay on the ship but you've got a better chance of being struck by lightening than having your life taken in Nassau. Relax, have fun, stay near the ship (you can enjoy alot of things and keep the ship within sight the entire time) and if at any time you feel uncomfortable, just get back on.

We feel totally safe (i've even got off the ship and went for a 5 mile run in Falmouth Jamaica without issue but we don't stay long in Nassau.

 

[jeepnjudy]

We rent a Jeep every time and go around the island playing for the day...never had any problems but we are seasoned travelers who have been to many corners of the world and maintain situational awareness when we are traveling around. My kids love our adventurous spirit!

 

[Otimon]

Have been to Nassau several times, the last being in Dec. If you've never been there by all means get off the ship and do a bit of exploring.
If not on an excursion, explore the dock area, Straw Market and the Bay Street shopping area.

As with anyplace you may go, be aware of your surroundings and don't wander off to isolated areas. We never felt unsafe or had any problems. The
tourist area around the dock has a visible police presence. Enjoy and bon voyage.

 

[MUN]

I think you might be missing a word here.

The alternative is going to have the OP rethinking this whole travel thing.

Thanks! It was way too early when I posted this!

MUN

 

[n2mm]

We just got back off a b2b cruise last week. On the dcl app there is now a warning for their guest.

 

[99Wendy]

We were there a few weeks ago. I thought it was fine, we stuck to the main areas.
There are definitely aggressive vendors around the port, that was probably the worst part for us
Did we love it? Nope. But I never felt like there was a safety issue. We spent about hour walking around and shopping then got back on the ship

 

[LSLS]

Eh, Nassau wasn't too bad when we were there like 10 years ago(though keep in mind I would go to downtown Detroit for concerts in my teenage years). If you are nervous about it, either take the boat over to Paradise Island, or just stick strictly to the touristy area around the ship. Obviously I can't say a definitive you will be safe, but I wouldn't worry too much.

For those asking about the reports, the US Embassy did issue a warning about crime in Nassau last summer, though there are some questions if it was retaliation for the warning the Bahamas made about black citizens traveling to the US. Bassically the suggestion is don't use isolated ATMS, and keep your valuables out of site. When we go, I honestly just really want to go find some Conch Fritters. Beyond that, we may just head right back to the ship. Still debating if we want to head to Atlantis or not (though I will say being 33 and 6'3 with the build and look of a Viking, I also don't worry quite as much about criminals coming after me).

 

[disneygirl922]

Leaving for our first cruise next week and I have also never been outside the United States. I have a question about recent experiencestudy in Nassau? The reports are saying it's not particularly safe and with the hurricane last fall wjat is the damage like?
I would at least like to get off and see at bit of the city but I also don't want to be scared to death. Any thoughts?

We were there for the first time last week. I don't normally feel nervous about new places and situations, but the people I was with have not traveled out of the country before. We didn't have alot of time there, and didn't want to do any excursions. So we planed to just explore a little bit.

These are the mistakes we made: we got off the ship at about 8:30, and it was too early. There were not many other tourists around and none of the shops were open. Everything seemed to open up around 9:30-10.

In addition to that, we didn't get a map right off. Whenever we came into the vendor area around the port, there were alot of people trying to get us to take their taxi, excursions, etc. And trying to get away from this area, I neglected to get a map. We had to walk around for a little bit until we found one. So it added an extra stress on us because we didn't know where we were going.

Once we found a map, and more shops opened, more people were around, we felt fine. We walked to Junkanoo Beach just to see it, and then went in the shops/straw market, then walked to the Queen's Staircase and Fort Fincastle.

Just be aware of your surroundings, go out when there are people around, and if you plan to do a little exploring, get a map!

Hope this helps!

 

[Napoleon Dynamite]

I got off with my two kids this past Monday, a woman cruising solo. I was nervous after reading all the warnings from people on social media. We got off, walked through the little market area to the taxi stand. Got in a taxi with other cruisers (they are shared vans), paid my $4 PP and were at Atlantis in 15 minutes. Did the same coming back, and felt completely safe the entire time. Now to venture out on the island alone with them...eh, not so sure! But we had a blast at Atlantis.