whats wrong with nassau

[4formickey]

we never been to nassau but are planning to go in Feb. Why do so many people give this place a negative review?

 

[aprilgail2]

I just found it a bit dirty and the people around the dock area very pushy. Unless you go over to Atlantis there are really no nice public beaches. Shopping was so-so and I just prefer to stay on the ship. We did a carraidge ride and it was the craziest ride I ever had...cars almost hitting us, we went up on the sidewalk once!! I am sure there are some nice places there but its just not for me. The straw market was WAY over rated...every aisle is filled with the same things just different pushy vendors selling them...the aisles were narrow with everyones wares out in the middle of them....

 

[ericamanda01]

You have to think about it this way, the ship is probably the best service you'll ever receive. When your on board cast members are wonderfully helpful and nice. The rooms are always clean and the food is great. Once you leave the ship it's like leaving a fantasy and being hit right in the face with reality. Nassau isn't bad but ,I personally feel this way, it's not great. If it's your first cruise then by all means go and check it out and form your own opition. You might find something the rest of us have missed!

 

[musicgirl]

We did excusions (blue lagoon and the catarmaran sail & reef snorkel) both times we were there. We loved them.

The second time we went, we did go into the straw market. You only have to go up and down a few aisles to see the whole thing.

It may not be a fancy vacation spot. But I think the experience of visiting another culture is important as well. It really makes you stop and count your blessings.

We would have done more exploring had it been a little cooler. We had temps around 95 (at least!!!) and no clouds in sight!

Lorie

 

[dclwdwlover]

We got off once just to experience it, but it's not our thing. Some people really enjoy it, though. I'm the type of person that would prefer a salesperson not approach me in a store - I would rather approach them if I need help. Our experience in the market was that we were basically 'hounded' by the people trying to get us to buy their things. It was very annoying to me. I prefer to shop - or even browse - leisurely. However, when asked, I usually tell people to experience Nassau themselves, because not everyone feels as I do.

The only time we get off the ship now is in CC, because that is a very relaxing experience. It is non-commercialized and very, very enjoyable.

We figure that if we want to shop or experience places like Nassau, we will fly directly there. Our vacation is the ship. There is plenty to do - or NOT do - there.

 

[4formickey]

thanks for your comments, this will be our fourth cruise and some islands,I would not step foot on again. It seems like most of these ports are very depressed areas and they look at us as being rich americans. I sad to see the conditions of these areas and I really wonder way would the cruise line keep sailing there.

 

[inkkognito]

I find some ports of call to be great, even when there is poverty (for example, Cozumel...I never get tired of visiting there). But Nassau is more "pushy," and there is not nearly as much to do there as Cozumel. I've disembarked there a few times, and we've had some fun experiences (like the regatta, horseback riding, and the speedboat). But we also experienced a major ripoff/scam while renting a jet ski, and that was enough to sour us. Now we just stay on the ship and pretend that it's a day at sea.
Barb

 

[rae519]

Originally posted by inkkognito
Now we just stay on the ship and pretend that it's a day at sea.
Barb

You have just said it all in a nutshell. Even the dock police are rude and pushy there. It's better to just enjoy an emptier ship and catch the rays!

Rae

 

[FreeTime]

It will be our 1st cruise and I will feel like I missed something if we don't get off as Nassau. So if we do get off of the ship how long is the process to get off then back on? I don't want to get off in Nassau and stay for an hour or two if it takes just as long to get back on. I am assuming that you can come and go. Or once you get off can you not come back until a certain time?

 

[Otimon]

No negative review here. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting Nassau, especially walking through the wonderful Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.

Just remember you are experiencing a different culture so the people and places will be different from what you're used to. Enjoy Nassau for what it is.

Best wishes.

 

[rae519]

Originally posted by FreeTime
It will be our 1st cruise and I will feel like I missed something if we don't get off as Nassau. So if we do get off of the ship how long is the process to get off then back on? I don't want to get off in Nassau and stay for an hour or two if it takes just as long to get back on. I am assuming that you can come and go. Or once you get off can you not come back until a certain time?

Oh, by all means, get off the ship and judge it for yourself. It's a short process to get off the ship, card swipe plus picture ID and through the "machine" on the return. You can come and go easily and often!

I've travelled extensively both as a military member and a civilian in third world countries, but have yet to encounter as many rude and pushy people as I did in Nassua on three separate trips. In fact, the CM's will give you the best tips you can ever get, so feel free to ask them many questions during your dining experience.

Enjoy your first cruise and may you have many, many more!
Rae

 

[Regina]

Getting back on the ship does take a moment or two more than getting off. You go through a metal detector and your bags are screened, similar to an airport.

It does take longer than getting off the ship, but it's not that bad.

 

[Jillpie]

This is our first cruise too, I posted last week about taking the bus to Cable Beach at Nassau and got some pretty favorable reviews there. So what do you guys think of doing this? Will we be hounded on the way to the bus? Will it be worth doing for the morning, then returning to the ship for lunch? Or will it be a hassle?

 

[JLSE50]

I shop for hand-made items not imported goods when on a trip and one of the things I like about shopping at a stall rather than a store on the islands is I think that my money is going to the craftsman not a foreign company.

I think my money is helping a family put food on the table or pay for school expenses for their children. In many countries families have to buy their children uniforms and text books and if they cannot afford them, the kiddos don't go to school.

I aways come home from a cruise and marvel as I walk around my house wondering how I was so fortuante to be born in the USA and realizing that a VILLAGE in a third world country could live in MY HOUSE.

Amaziing

I am so blessed

Jan
PS: Hi Rae and Barb!

 

[4formickey]

when i posted this question,I really did'nt know what to expect as replies. Every day when I go to work ,I have some one coming to me and asking if I can help them out. After 8 hours at work ,I feel that on vacation I should not have to deal with the things that I left here back in chicago. For this reason ,I may go to the straw market and be back on the ship before our bed is made back up. Every one talks about how wonderful these trips can be but it really seems that if take the time and ask the right question that you can get a honest reply. when a former military person give me their honest report of what they have seen, I really take that to heart.

 

[kaykels]

I think you are doing yourself a dis-service if you don't get off the ship. Anyone that just walks around the straw market will be very disappointed, but I strongly disagree with another poster because there are some awsome public beaches. Cable Beach is awsome. I went three times and I can't wait to go back. If you want to experience a beach day in the beautiful Caribbean then I don't know how you could be disappointed with a beautiful beach, big pool with swim up bar, waterslides, etc. IT's great. Nobody bothered us to sell anything. In fact, they had contests on the beach and my daughter won one of them. The kids LOVED it there. We did pretty much the same things as we did on Castaway Cay, except no awomse lunch buffet or characters!
Check it out! If you don't like it, go back on the ship and spend the rest of the day there, but I honestly don't see how you wouldn't enjoy it.

 

[rae519]

Originally posted by 4formickey
Every one talks about how wonderful these trips can be but it really seems that if take the time and ask the right question that you can get a honest reply. when a former military person give me their honest report of what they have seen, I really take that to heart.

Thank you very much. As a disabled veteran and RN, I try to relate my experiences as much as possible to others so they will not be shocked, surprised or become depressed when they see what poverty is. For my family, as Jan E has said, we could furnish a village with our surplus. We must remember that they have so little and have to struggle to get the basic necessities. So we go, spend our money and try to come home feeling good.
Guess this is as good as attitude as we can muster up, so many of us do stay on the ship because we just can't take another "look here" or "buy this". But we are blessed to live in this country and have all our basic necessities (food, clothing, shelter), we may not have an ideal or perfect world, but with God's help, we can all do our best to help others.

Rae

 

[jodifla]

I agree with the posters who say you should get off the boat and try to experience a different world than what your used to! Isn't that what travel is about, anyway??

I'm not wild about the pushy vendors, of course, no more than I like telemarketers calling. But I always tell myself: This poor person is just trying to feed his/her family! So I politely say no and move on, and don't hold a grudge just because most every other country in the world is poorer than we are!

The pirate museum is lots of fun, and Atlantis is a sight to behold at least once. I like some of the shopping there, too. And Cable Beach and Paradise Beach are lovely!

As for the poster who says they don't know why they stop at these ports, uh, where do you think they're going to stop?Pretty much that entire part of the world is poor by our standards.

 

[Franco56]

We are going on our first cruise in Dec 24-31, 2005 and I would like to ask you pros about the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. How are the casinos there, up to par? We have been to Vegas (To get married) and Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are they comparable? And whats up with the water park? Is it a good one for kids and do you need to get a room to use it? I don't know how practical that would be? Comments please. Thank You kindly!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It's really very individual. Doing an excursion of some sort seems to make people happier than just walking around the straw market area (from what I've read on the boards and heard from others' experiences). DH walked around for an hour or so last trip just to check it out and take some (lovely) pictures of the ship in port, but he was back onboard after an hour and a half to enjoy all the ship has to offer. (Meanwhile I spent the day enjoying time to MYSELF in the hot tub with another DISer, justus3d, it was so nice with the kids in the club to be able to do what I wanted to do for a change...)

Our first cruise we were anxious to do our dolphin excursion which we did in Freeport. I have to say being with the dolphins was fun but overall the experience was somewhat disappointing: it was a long ride on a drab bus (and the driver made us dump our newly poured cups of coffee), a long check-in and wait for the boat captain followed by a long boat ride, an hour wait to get in the water with the dolphins which when it finally happened only lasted 5 minutes or so. We then did the reverse to get back on the ship, narrowly missing lunch onboard. All this for $300! That's why we choose now to stay onboard, though we haven't ruled out other excursions in the future. I'll watch the comments with interest until then to decide what we'll do in 2006.