Freeport - Port Area

I've been trying to search CC, going in and out of different threads. I heard they've built up the port area in Freeport, but have never been. We've been to Nassau a million times (OK, maybe a slight exaggeration), so we won't be getting off the ship (Liberty) there. So we're just looking to get off the ship for a hot minute and stretch our sea legs in Freeport. I know there is a Senor Frogs and a Fat Tuesday. There are some little shops there too, right?

TIA :)

Yes, there are some shops there as well as an outdoor area with vendors selling things. We walked around, bought the item we were looking for and got some Pink Radler Sands Beers. It is not a large area, but enough to stretch your legs.

Perfect! Thank you jrmende63 ;)

I've been trying to search CC, going in and out of different threads. I heard they've built up the port area in Freeport, but have never been. We've been to Nassau a million times (OK, maybe a slight exaggeration), so we won't be getting off the ship (Liberty) there. So we're just looking to get off the ship for a hot minute and stretch our sea legs in Freeport. I know there is a Senor Frogs and a Fat Tuesday. There are some little shops there too, right?

 

TIA :)

Was just there last week. Yes- lots of shops, an area that slightly resembles the straw market, and a Margaritaville. In my opinion the prices ran slightly higher in the shops than Nassau, Cozumel, etc, but there were some shops that would bargain with the price (some would not.)

The port area is where we will spend our time on our next cruise that stops at Freeport- and we will enjoy Margaritaville and head back to the ship. Very spacious, pool, etc. beers were $2-2.50, huge order of nachos for a snack enough for 4 of us to share for about $15. Port area is nice- but outside the gate is a very different story.

I was with my husband and another couple and we took a stroll outside the gated area- bad idea. I would never do that again! If you plan an excursion, in my opinion the excursion should be booked through the cruise line for your own safety. We were planning on venturing out on our own, strolling around and enjoying the local cuisine as we often do in many ports- NOT THIS ONE! TripAdvisor reviews let us know that even the taxi drivers refused to bring tourists to certain areas. We were planning to go into town, but after reading that we decided to just "wing it" when we got there....oops- not a Port where you can "wing it" either...

I know that booking through the cruiseline tends to be more expensive, but after walking a block outside the gated area (WAAYYYY worse feeling of possible danger I've ever experienced in ANY port) the only thing I'll do in the future is Margaritaville at the port or book a cruise line sponsored excursion.

I hope this helps!

It definitely does!! Thank you so We much mimirdh!!

We (Mom and I) are more about the ship and enjoying it when everyone gets off, but figured we should at least get off for a bit in Freeport since we normally do the 3 nights and we've never been. Didn't really want to go so far as to take a cab or an excursion, so this will be perfect! Pop off, wander around a little, maybe have a margarita, and pop back on.

Thanks you so much for your help!:*

the best way to hop off and have a good experience is to just go to the right after exiting the ship. You will get to the end of the shopping area after seeing everything ( takes 5 min.) and then you find a liquor store.

Do not waste your money at the name brand bars. Go into the liquor store and buy a couple of brews ( about $5 for 2) then walk 50 steps to the very corner of the port. There is a large lanai with seats where where you can enjoy the beer and the port . :cool:

the best way to hop off and have a good experience is to just go to the right after exiting the ship. You will get to the end of the shopping area after seeing everything ( takes 5 min.) and then you find a liquor store.

 

Do not waste your money at the name brand bars. Go into the liquor store and buy a couple of brews ( about $5 for 2) then walk 50 steps to the very corner of the port. There is a large lanai with seats where where you can enjoy the beer and the port . :cool:

Awesome! Thank you for the tip!:)

Was just there last week. Yes- lots of shops, an area that slightly resembles the straw market, and a Margaritaville. In my opinion the prices ran slightly higher in the shops than Nassau, Cozumel, etc, but there were some shops that would bargain with the price (some would not.)

The port area is where we will spend our time on our next cruise that stops at Freeport- and we will enjoy Margaritaville and head back to the ship. Very spacious, pool, etc. beers were $2-2.50, huge order of nachos for a snack enough for 4 of us to share for about $15. Port area is nice- but outside the gate is a very different story.

 

I was with my husband and another couple and we took a stroll outside the gated area- bad idea. I would never do that again! If you plan an excursion, in my opinion the excursion should be booked through the cruise line for your own safety. We were planning on venturing out on our own, strolling around and enjoying the local cuisine as we often do in many ports- NOT THIS ONE! TripAdvisor reviews let us know that even the taxi drivers refused to bring tourists to certain areas. We were planning to go into town, but after reading that we decided to just "wing it" when we got there....oops- not a Port where you can "wing it" either...

 

I know that booking through the cruiseline tends to be more expensive, but after walking a block outside the gated area (WAAYYYY worse feeling of possible danger I've ever experienced in ANY port) the only thing I'll do in the future is Margaritaville at the port or book a cruise line sponsored excursion.

 

I hope this helps!

Thank you for that info

Sorry to say a lot of this info is wrong.

Was just there last week. Yes- lots of shops, an area that slightly resembles the straw market, and a Margaritaville. In my opinion the prices ran slightly higher in the shops than Nassau, Cozumel, etc, but there were some shops that would bargain with the price (some would not.)

The port area is where we will spend our time on our next cruise that stops at Freeport- and we will enjoy Margaritaville and head back to the ship. Very spacious, pool, etc. beers were $2-2.50, huge order of nachos for a snack enough for 4 of us to share for about $15. Port area is nice- but outside the gate is a very different story.

 

I was with my husband and another couple and we took a stroll outside the gated area- bad idea. I would never do that again! If you plan an excursion, in my opinion the excursion should be booked through the cruise line for your own safety. We were planning on venturing out on our own, strolling around and enjoying the local cuisine as we often do in many ports- NOT THIS ONE! TripAdvisor reviews let us know that even the taxi drivers refused to bring tourists to certain areas. We were planning to go into town, but after reading that we decided to just "wing it" when we got there....oops- not a Port where you can "wing it" either...

 

I know that booking through the cruiseline tends to be more expensive, but after walking a block outside the gated area (WAAYYYY worse feeling of possible danger I've ever experienced in ANY port) the only thing I'll do in the future is Margaritaville at the port or book a cruise line sponsored excursion.

 

I hope this helps!

The Freeport Harbor is a mixed use port, a little bit of private docking, room for 1 large cruise ship or 2 smaller ships, and lots of commercial cargo ships. There was no Margaritaville in the immediate port area at least as of June 2016, and no evidence of ground breaking for any new large structures. Though I do believe there is either a smallish Fat Tuesday where the staff encourages ship passengers to over-drink.

Most of the long standing stores in the port are not part of the "chain" stores the cruise ship general steers passengers to, but the X shaped permanent building does have several independent shops mixed with the port authority offices. In one of the 3 annex building there is a Cariloha and Del Sol. Then in another annex of the jewelry chain stores. The rest of the shopping is at the 3 craft tent markets scattered around the port areas, mixing hand-made and mass-produced souvenirs, so make sure you look the items over well for the "Made in XXXXX" label before buying. Most of the rest of the large buildings there are commercial and government storage warehouses.

It's just about a 1/2 mile walk past a whole bunch of nothing to the port gates which puts you on Queens Highway right by the island's fuel storage complex. If you go another 2 miles to the left of the port gates you have the Bahamian Brewery. Most of the better attractions and shopping areas are at least a half hour drive away, many in Port Lucaya, or further away like at West End.

If you just want to get off to "stretch your legs" don't let what you see in the port area deter you from booking a cruise to here in the future. The best bet to experience this island, since the immediate port area is less than picturesque, is to either sign-up for a cruise line sponsored excursion, research & book private tour companies that will pick-up at the port area prior to boarding the ship, or get one of the mini-van shuttles with a set per person fare (I think it's $10/person each way) to take you to the resort area and shopping mall in Port Lucaya.

Sorry to say a lot of this info is wrong.

 

 

The Freeport Harbor is a mixed use port, a little bit of private docking, room for 1 large cruise ship or 2 smaller ships, and lots of commercial cargo ships. There was no Margaritaville in the immediate port area at least as of June 2016, and no evidence of ground breaking for any new large structures. Though I do believe there is either a smallish Fat Tuesday where the staff encourages ship passengers to over-drink.

Most of the long standing stores in the port are not part of the "chain" stores the cruise ship general steers passengers to, but the X shaped permanent building does have several independent shops mixed with the port authority offices. In one of the 3 annex building there is a Cariloha and Del Sol. Then in another annex of the jewelry chain stores. The rest of the shopping is at the 3 craft tent markets scattered around the port areas, mixing hand-made and mass-produced souvenirs, so make sure you look the items over well for the "Made in XXXXX" label before buying. Most of the rest of the large buildings there are commercial and government storage warehouses.

It's just about a 1/2 mile walk past a whole bunch of nothing to the port gates which puts you on Queens Highway right by the island's fuel storage complex. If you go another 2 miles to the left of the port gates you have the Bahamian Brewery. Most of the better attractions and shopping areas are at least a half hour drive away, many in Port Lucaya, or further away like at West End.

If you just want to get off to "stretch your legs" don't let what you see in the port area deter you from booking a cruise to here in the future. The best bet to experience this island, since the immediate port area is less than picturesque, is to either sign-up for a cruise line sponsored excursion, research & book private tour companies that will pick-up at the port area prior to boarding the ship, or get one of the mini-van shuttles with a set per person fare (I think it's $10/person each way) to take you to the resort area and shopping mall in Port Lucaya.

umm.....NO. I WAS JUST AT MARGARITAVILLE IN FREEPORT ON THE ALLURE LAST WEEK!!

There was a Disney Ship and the Allure, there were many shops in the port area and a large Margaritaville where they had a pool and a large area to eat. NO Senior Frogs, NO Fat Tuesday. MAYBE there are TWO places to dock as there were NO CARGO SHIPS where we were.

So is there two different ports at Freeport? I thought I saw pics with Senor Frogs and Fat Tuesday

umm.....NO. I WAS JUST AT MARGARITAVILLE IN FREEPORT ON THE ALLURE LAST WEEK!!

There was a Disney Ship and the Allure, there were many shops in the port area and a large Margaritaville where they had a pool and a large area to eat. NO Senior Frogs, NO Fat Tuesday. MAYBE there are TWO places to dock as there were NO CARGO SHIPS where we were.

I think you are confusing Freeport, Montego Bay, Jamaica or Paradise Island, Bahamas with Freeport, Grand Bahamas Island. See https://www.margaritaville.com/ for a complete list of locations. Again there is no Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville anywhere on Grand Bahamas Island, though there is a resort called Margarita Villa in Mathertown, Grand Bahama Island. There is currently no second docking area on Grand Bahamas Island though there have been rumors of Carnival Corp building their own port (a la Amber Cove) on the north-side, strictly for their 10 cruise lines.

Their is definitely a Senor Frog's at the dock area in Freeport. I was there in January. There was another such establishment that was also well patronized whose name I do not recall.

As I have posted in other threads, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with what I found available at the dock area as compared to what I remembered from previous visits.

umm.....NO. I WAS JUST AT MARGARITAVILLE IN FREEPORT ON THE ALLURE LAST WEEK!!

There was a Disney Ship and the Allure, there were many shops in the port area and a large Margaritaville where they had a pool and a large area to eat. NO Senior Frogs, NO Fat Tuesday. MAYBE there are TWO places to dock as there were NO CARGO SHIPS where we were.

You went to Falmouth, Jamaica not Freeport.

Definitely no Margaritaville in Freeport. As others stated, there's a Senor Frog's and Fat Tuesdays, and plenty of shopping to be had a typical local vendors and a few larger souvenir shops. Just got back yesterday.

Ditto Maryred - take an excursion. We saw Lucayan National Park (Gold Rock Beach is beautiful!) and Banana Bay (delicious food, fantastic beach). Never felt unsafe for a moment.

did you book your excursion with what ship or on your own? Im going on carnival and dont recall seeing this one. T.Y