Exploring Nassau with the family

Since I've seen a number of folks asking about exploring Nassau on their own I'd like to give a little review of my family's experience last week. Our experience was positive and we'd happily go back to the island if we're given the chance.

We were on the Norwegian Spirit and got in relatively early (8 AM) on a Sunday. We exited the boat and bounced through the port shop area pretty quickly. There were the omni-present tour sellers at the gate. My wife commented they were pretty laid back compared to other ports, but that may have been because it was still early.

We took a taxi ($20 for 4) to the Cricket Club and ate breakfast. The club is situated between Fort Charlotte and West Bay St, with the beach and ocean within view. My son had french toast that looked like the best stuff on earth. My own British Breakfast was awesome. My daughter had eggs and sausage and reported it was very good. The wife ordered a more traditional Bahamian breakfast dish and demolished it. Add in the balcony seating overlooking the cricket field and beach and it was very enjoyable! The servers were friendly, the guests were mostly local, and everything moved on island time. I think the total came out around $45.

We walked from the Crick Club to Ardastra Gardens. It was a little less than 1 KM, mostly downhill. We walked from the back of the club to the corner of the Botanical Gardens, then followed the road down to the zoo. The area was nice enough, no worries there.

The zoo was $54 total for two adults and two kids - and was well worth it. The kids (9 & 11) had a blast. There were plenty of shady spots to sit down and take in the grounds while they chatted up the parrots and played games. The workers there were all friendly and seemed to love the zoo and sharing it with tourists. The zoo took longer than we anticipated, in fact. We had originally planned to walk back up to the fish fry area but our ship was leaving early (3 PM) and everyone wanted to hit the straw market for a souvenir.

We called the same taxi from before and got a ride back over ($20 more). We had a bit more sightseeing coming back with the driver talking about the different neighborhoods and sections of town. The driver directed us to the plaza outside of the straw market for more authentic Bahamian crafts. There was a local dance troop there and the vibe was more relaxed outside the market than inside.

We walked back to the pier and got hit up a couple of times for Cuban cigars and 'free' friendship bracelets. It just took a straightforward no thanks and no one pushed past that.

When we go back I'd like to do the fish fry area, pirate museum (it's closed by noon on Sunday) and Pirate Republic Brewery (really busy when we walked by, and time was running out).

Overall Nassau was a very nice port for the family!

Thank you for the excellent review. Have not been to the Cricket Club and will have to check them out.

Thanks for the upbeat review. After reading several of the posts on the thread, I was beginning to wonder if it was safe to even get off the ship but you have put Nassau in a better light. We are in port from 1 PM until Midnight. I was hoping to be able to get off the ship and do some sightseeing in the afternoon and make sure we are back on the ship before it gets dark. I feel better, now, about our plans.

Interesting review. We also enjoyed Ardastra Gardens & Zoo.

Great review!! We went to the Beach, which was safe, too. There was a security guard posted at the beach. Nassau Bahamas was a blast!!

Hi,

This is Diane, Guy and Isabel. We remembered that you and your family said that you were from Tampa Florida when we met you on the cruise in March 2016 on the NCL Spirit. We remember you and hope you are okay, under the hurricane Irma circumstances. From the news reports it seems that residents from Tampa are being evacuated. We wanted to send our well wishes and hope you all stay safe. Our hearts go out to y'all, and what can we do to help ? You are welcome to come here in Ottawa Canada to stay for a few days. It is far to travel hey I know but is there something else we can offer to help you during the storm evacuation ? Kindest regards!

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Hi,

This is Diane, Guy and Isabel. We remembered that you and your family said that you were from Tampa Florida when we met you on the cruise in March 2016 on the NCL Spirit. We remember you and hope you are okay, under the hurricane Irma circumstances. From the news reports it seems that residents from Tampa are being evacuated. We wanted to send our well wishes and hope you all stay safe. Our hearts go out to y'all, and what can we do to help ? You are welcome to come here in Ottawa Canada to stay for a few days. It is far to travel hey I know but is there something else we can offer to help you during the storm evacuation ? Kindest regards!

 

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Hi Diane, Guy and Isabel! It's awesome to hear from you, and thank you so much for the offer. We came through just fine - just a broken window and dented garage door to deal with. Power and internet has been spotty, so we've been playing lots of board games with the kids. And eating lots of campfire type meals, so it's like a mini-vacation. :p

So the positive of living in Florida is quick access to the major cruise ports. The negative is the periodic craziness of a hurricane. We got lucky with this one!

Going on any cruises next year? We're going to try Carnival next March with a southern Caribbean itinerary. It's the first time branching out from NCL, and first time on a mega ship, so we'll see how it goes!

It's awesome that you folks are doing great ! We have joined the CC roll call for Mar 10 2018 NCL Escape, but at this time, not sure if we will do the final payment as st. Thomas most probably will not be ready as it is being restored after Hurricane Irma was there ! We have our flight looked though so we will be going to beautiful Florida in March 2018!

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And we are all booked for March break 2018 and may explore Nassau, too! It is the last port of call, so we may stay on the ship, and will decide on the day the ship docks. Thanks again for your posting. Cheers!

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Great review!! We went to the Beach, which was safe, too. There was a security guard posted at the beach. Nassau Bahamas was a blast!!

Which beach did you go to and how did you get there? We will be there in 3 weeks and looking for ideas for a beach day without spending too much money

Thanks Tony

The beach is located within a 10 minute walk from the pier called Junkanoo Beach, walk towards the right from the pier along Bay Street, past the straw market (we bought alot of souvenirs and such there on the way back from the beach) continue walking around the Hilton on Marlborough Street, you will need to walk through the adjacent parking lot to reach the Junkanoo Beach. It's a small beach with a view of the ships in port and blue blue water, so beautiful. Please check for more recent CC reviews as my comments are over a year old. Cheers

https://www.google.ca/maps/search/nassau+bahamas+cruise+port/@25.0779813,-77.3492041,1236m/data=!3m1!1e3