whats wrong with nassau

[LIFERBABE]

I appreciate the honest comments too. We have never been on a cruise before, but we do travel often. We visited Cancun years ago and although very beautiful, I found it to be touristy and commercial. I didnt like the pushy sales when visiting the beach or in town.

It does open your eyes and you realize that we dont begin to understand the real meaning of poverty. You may have saved dearly for your trip and on a strict vacation budget, but to these people you are wealthy.

 

[4formickey]

AS I said Once before this not my frist cruise but it will be the frist time in nassau. Every day at work I see people in the US who has very little. I see people that can barely afford the $2 bus fare that chicago charge. I see areas that have 2 famailies staying in a 2bed apartment. Childern that do'nt have winter coats.This I see daily. Must I go on vacation to see the same thing? When we went to the Caymen a few years back, no one was begging, the beach was clean and the water was clear. The caymen dollar is worth more than our dollar but that place is beatiful.To me this is what we are told how the caribbean is, not the constant begging and trying to make you spend your money. We talk about the Spa and how pushy the are with thier sell pitch but the same thing happens at some of these ports. Some times I think we are the ones being taking for a ride.

 

[crisi]

Nassau, where the cruise ships dock, is touristy and commercial. And its touristy and commercial in that "the people on this island aren't rich (well, except the Oprahs and Tiger Woods') sort of way.

Cruise ships are an important part of the islands economy, and they are a great way for someone with a little hustle to feed their family. Annoying, perhaps, to us. But, like telemarketers, that is how they are making a living.

We didn't get to far - pirate museum and that was about it. The first four blocks off the dock we covered reminded me of a tropical Wisconsin Dells - or all that "make a buck off the tourists" junk that used to be in Kissamee (haven't been off Disney property is years - is Shell World still going strong?) or Anaheim.

I don't think its a great cultural education experience (a few hours on any cruise stop is not exactly a culturally immersive experience) - but if this is the first time you've been off U.S. soil, take what you can get.

One thing to be aware of, while there are probably deals to be had on Nassau (I'm not a shopper, we didn't go near the jewelry stores or straw market), there are also scam artists. If you are planning to spend anything more than a few dollars on touristy junk - attend Disney's shopping seminar or at least read what DCL gives you.

 

[Regina]

4forMickey, I see that you were thinking of a quick visit to the Straw Market and back. Please know that it isn't one of the Disney's recommended shopping areas.

Since it seems that you want to avoid the pushiness, that would be the last place that you want to go. It's cramped aisles of the same merchandise with islanders barraging you with their sales pitch.

You may want to take the shopping map and just hit some of the shops that DCL recommends. Be sure to go to the excursion desk. They'll have a display of coupons. You can get some freebies and discounts by using them.

 

[4u2dream]

It sounds to me like you need a quiet undisturbed getaway. I would recommend Blue Lagoon. It is quiet and relaxing and has no one around pushing sales. You won't see slums and you can be in charge of your day. Just you, sun and nature. It is a very scenic ride to the island and you will be able to view the better side of Nassau, it really is a beautiful place. Especially from the water. If you decide to go, bring lots of water and suntan lotion. Some snacks from the ship and a good book. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

[4u2dream]

Enjoy!
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[rae519]

Originally posted by crisi
Nassau, where the cruise ships dock, is touristy and commercial.

It also looks like a warzone that hasn't been cleaned up. Would it hurt them to get rid of the trash, clear away or rebuild the broken down wait stations? For the money the cruise ships pay to dock, it would be a minor expense to clean the area up, plant a few flowers and keep it looking attractive.

Rae

 

[Beth8266]

I have been there 3 times. I am staying on board this time around. first time there got asked if I wanted to buy drugs! Have stayed out at Cable which is beautiful, but the straw market there was a joke. At the end of the day those folks loaded up all their wares into late model Caddies!! I dont remember the third time but it wasnt pretty!!

 

[webray]

We have never figured out why Nassau gets a bad review from Disney cruisers. We loved it (me and hubby 40ish and
daughter 22)

We took the 2 hour historic island tour, ate at Conch Fritters, visited Senor Frogs, Hard Rock Cafe, the liquor stores (lol), straw market, pharmacy (for postcards and stamps). We had a snack at the filipino restaurant near the straw market..the day was wonderful. We had so much fun...we didn't even make it to atlantis. We would definately go back again..there is a lot more fun to be had.

 

[maminnie]

In 2002 we went on the Atlantis Beach Day through DCL and enjoyed seeing the resort very much as well as using the beach. Just walking through the resort and the underground aquarium was great. We had a very nice day on the beach too.

If I were to go again, I think I would consider a day room at the Comfort Inn which supposedly allows access to Atlantis beaches and pools. Some people on the boards have discussed this if you want to do a search.

Have a great trip.

 

[LindaBabe]

Military wife, here. Lived overseas for more than 10 years out of my husband's 21 year career. Sometimes comments about a place tell us more about the commentator than the place.

I'll give it to you straight as I saw it. I enjoyed my sojourn to Nassau, the straw market, and Ardestra gardens. They are folks trying to make a living, just like anywhere else - and to them - the poorest cruise passenger IS a wealthy American.

I walked and rode the public bus and walked some more, alone. Yes, it's different than in America, where you have to hunt to find a sales clerk, and then they don't care if you buy something or not. These folks care, and they want you to buy it from them.

If I didn't want to see something different than America, I wouldn't travel. In other countries, their ways are differnt than ours. Better? Worse? I couldn't say. All I can say is - they're different. If you don't want to buy - say no, thank you. That worked for me just fine.

Along the dock on the way back to the ship there were women selling meals to the market workers, out of the backs of their cars - genuine 'native' food. beans and rice. savory smelling stew. My one regret from the whole day is that I didn't have the courage to try it.

 

[SparkyC]

Our cruise in August was the first time out of the country for my husband and I, so we were excited to set foot on Nassau if for no other reason then to finally set food on "foreign" soil.

We booked the Catamaran Reef and Snorkel, and were (ultimately) thrilled with it. There were relatively small negatives which were in the end completely, totally outweighed by the positives.

The tour got off to a shaky start, because the man the met us to bring us out to the catamaran was, well, large, surly, and more surly. The guy just didn't speak, or even try to gather the group together or lead us, so we had to be really careful walking along the dock area to pay attention and stay at the front of the group at a very brisk walk---if we weren't in decent shape at 95 degrees out it would've been less fun. When we got to the catamaran we initially thought it was overcrowded, we had been promised it was just a DCL group, but it ended up being several groups of course. The equiptment was kind of old and rag-tag and I was skeptical about how quickly it was "sterilized" but we just wiped it down with some hand wipes, which worked VERY well.

SO---the positives. The man that was actually the guide and instructor was great fun. He was shy at the beginning, but spoke more and more and cracked jokes by the end of the trip. He told us a lot about local life, the port area, etc. The catamaran ended up being large enough and was a GREAT way to sail out of the harbor area. The snorkeling out at the reef area was great (well, it was my first time), it took my breath away. We saw a thousand times what we saw at CC and then some. Schools of bright blue fish, brilliant large starfish, and more. We were out on the water for enough time to really enjoy, snorkel, and even relax and float. In fact, any more and we would have been exhausted.

Now that it's cold November, I find myself looking back on that day almost every day. While the island wasn't someplace we were "at ease" exploring, and the area was broken down, I wouldn't have missed it for the world, if only for the fact that is it something different, something I've never seen before. The snorkeling made it a day to remember forever.

 

[disneygatorfan]

I've always met very nice people in Nassau. All of the Taxi drivers I had were very polite and nice, and shared info about the city and the islands.

The people in the straw market can be pushy, but in my experience, and firm no is usually all it takes, and they have never been rude.

I've always felt safe during the day in Nassau as well. It's not the most pretty, well maintained city, but during the daytime it's just a busy down town. Just look both ways before you cross the street! They have nutty drivers!

 

[Regina]

I don't know when others were at Nassau, but I did a three day and four day back to back about a year ago. The dock area is actually quite nice. They've added a colorful, clean market right where you disembark.

They have a number of different vendors here. We didn't encounter any of the pushiness that you find elsewhere. If anything, it seems to "off limits" to the taxi drivers, hairbraiders, etc. We browsed around the shops and enjoyed a hassle free shopping experience.

While there are some less than desirable areas in Nassau, they have made major improvements to the dock area.