Sir_Randy

Take a taxi (walk thru the shops out the gate to get one (should be about $4 pp) and have them drop you off a Tropicante. From there you can walk the boardwalk and find all kind of places on the beach. Across the street (back side of beach bars) you used to be able to find real local mom and pop shacks.

 

We are going back to Tropicante in January for the 1st time since the new owners. Hope it is as much fund and reasonable as when Steve owned.

Did you have an assigned check in time?

What is the light show?

We sail 5/1 but not overnight at the Cay, just until 10pm

Any suggestions? Do/Don'ts? 

Where can I Find the best conch salad within walking distance of Nassau Docks?

 

Get off ship, head to your right along the water, you will come to some beach bars (we always stop at the 1st 1) that offer free wifi if you order a beverage/food. Will be on the 12/2 Sky

Titos Vodka!

 

I guess I just need to call NCL and ask them.....what I'm going to get for their price of

$299...I will say I was most intrigued that this ship is "open bar" but bottled water isn't included....they want you to get smashed I guess.....I would think they would want to hydrate you.....my friends are paying almost $40 for a 12 pack of water in their room......ridiculous..

Take several reusable water bottles and fill them (using a glass to get water from dispenser and pore into your bottle, not directly from dispenser into your bottle) at the beverage dispensers at the buffets and put in you fridge.

We booked the Ecape to Jost van Dyke on the catamaran and the footnote stated that we must swim the last 30 feet because the cat can't go too close. Is that so and if not a swimmer is there help? Can we cancel the excursion once on board on Wednesday?

Hello ottmar, just wondering how things worked out for you at Jost van Dyke? Hopefully you went!

Thanks for the information.

I see Crown Royal, Southern Comfort and Miller lite is included. I'm all set!

I wonder if they will make me a Painkiller?

Painkillers are one of the "drink of the day", complete with nutmeg.

If it's from the excursion company ( Rebel Yell) they will tell the OP the same things people here on CC are.

 

They make every effort to get as close to shore as possible. Weather, current, waves, amount of private boats all come into play.

 

Which none of the above situations the excursion company can answer any differently.

I do not see where the OP mentioned they had contact the touring company voicing their concerns and getting an answer directly from them, if I missed that post, I apologize, if not, I stand by my recommendation to talk to them. I would not want to take an excursion and then find out it was not what the kind people on CC stated it to be. I have been to Soggy Dollar but got their by private Cat, and came ashore in our dingy, so I can not say how this particular excursion will handle the dropping off at the beach.

This is the walking tour we created and did last Thanksgiving.

 

Thank you! I've been trying to figure out something for this port and this gives me some good ideas. I don't go until the end of July but it will be just my kids and me so I know I have to be careful also. Been trying to do some research but everything seems expensive for a single mom budget.

I believe it is very warm and humid in July. You might want to take a cab to Queens Staircase, Fort Fincastle is at the top of the Staircase and to your right. Maybe take another cab to Junkanoo Beach, and then walk back to the ship when you are done at the beach. I do not know what cabs cost is Nassau, but the walk to the staircase is uphill.

I love this thread. Thank you, all, especially Sir Randy. I was supposed to go to Nassau last Sept but we missed that port. I'm going in Sept and Nov, hoping to do self-directed walking tour. When you get off the ship is there an information booth right at the port where I might get a map to carry around with me?

I am thinking there were maps, I had printed out mine but I am thinking I had a shiny folding one also?

We were in Nassau in February on Navigator and went to Junkanoo Beach. I would say it is closer to a 30 minute walk from the ship. On Sir_Randy's map, it is between Nassau and West streets. You have to walk AROUND #14 The Hilton, (Marlborough-W Bay Street). Senor Frog's is next to the Hilton by the water, but there is no exit to the beach.

 

The beach is pretty nice with a good and clean bath house to change. They will charge you for chairs, regular or lounge, or lounge with umbrella. I think it was $5, $10, and $20. We ended up taking a taxi back to the ship.

 

After leaving the downtown area, the vendors become MORE aggressive, (about like the cruise people trying to upsell specialty restaurants!!)

Some of the beach bars have free WIFI if you buy some drinks from them.

This is the walking tour we created and did last Thanksgiving. I would end the walk at Junkanoo beach bar, not worth the walk or money to go to Fish Fry. I am 63 and not the best of shape and was able to complete. At least walk to Queens Staircase and then everything else is down hill. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Nassau+Walking+Tour/Queen's+Staircase/Fort+Fincastle/Government+House/Graycliff+Hotel+%26+Restaurant/St.Francis+Xavier+Cathedral/John+Watling%C2%B4s+Distillery/Junkanoo+Beach+(a+beach)/Goldie's+Conch+House/Straw+Market/@25.0762845,-77.3574568,15z/am=t/data=!3m1!4b1!4m62!4m61!1m5!1m1!1s0x892f7d04505130c5:0xf28d547dad31a7c3!2m2!1d-77.3404288!2d25.0782955!1m5!1m1!1s0x892f7d06abee5961:0x6338d56dc6c38c3d!2m2!1d-77.3378179!2d25.0738372!1m5!1m1!1s0x892f7ce546d4bd2d:0xf10fbc5cdc90cf7e!2m2!1d-77.33852!2d25.0735953!1m5!1m1!1s0x892f7d1caf44c6fd:0xe14903e94241c8e6!2m2!1d-77.3445849!2d25.0758295!1m5!1m1!1s0x892f7d191ad5ef75:0x5054a8994ba1f6d2!2m2!1d-77.345546!2d25.075836!1m5!1m1!1s0x892f7d1c72c1f705:0x29794928365647dd!2m2!1d-77.3481455!2d25.0758643!1m5!1m1!1s0x892f7d1c41380a5f:0xbb69f09798099186!2m2!1d-77.3491412!2d25.0741003!1m5!1m1!1s0x892f7d1bd7293e6b:0x107f4905755613a7!2m2!1d-77.349341!2d25.0789552!1m5!1m1!1s0x892f7d239ade5fdb:0x8b2219302d247d34!2m2!1d-77.3597681!2d25.0798706!1m5!1m1!1s0x892f6321140b93cf:0x61c54bcad60e3aed!2m2!1d-77.3433899!2d25.0784597!3e2

Contact the excursion company and voice your concerns and get a solid answer from them, not opinions from CC'rs.

So what does this actually mean:

"To better address the demands of the enormously successful all-inclusive product aboard Norwegian Sky"

Looks like the bartenders are needing to work harder since the drinks are free, therefore NCL is going to add an increase to the DSC to pay them for their extra work load? If that's the case, the $15-$20 per day that we normally tip bartenders is already being covered by the increase in the DSC?

So what does this actually mean:

"To better address the demands of the enormously successful all-inclusive product aboard Norwegian Sky"

Looks like the bartenders are needing to work harder since the drinks are free, therefore NCL is going to add an increase to the DSC to pay them for their extra work load? If that's the case, the $15-$20 per day that we normally tip bartenders is already being covered by the increase in the DSC?

Another spin on the subject, this $18.99 per day "discretionary daily service charge" equates to approximately 20% tip on a 4 day Sky cruise at $399 (someone can check my math if they like). We usually tip 20% when we go out to dinner, where a waiter waits on us, but not when we got to a buffet. If we are sitting at a bar and just order drinks, I usually throw the bartender a $1 for bring us a couple drinks, but it's not 20%. If you went to Golden Corral or the Golden China for a buffet dinner, and they automatically added a 20% tip, you would be ok with that when all they did is clear your plates and bring you water? If you eat at the specialty restaurants, you get charged another 18% gratuity, they are double dipping on the tipping! Not a fan of forced tipping, if they are going to automatically charge you $18.99 per day, just add it to the price of the cruise and call it a day! Just food for thought.

Another spin on the subject, this $18.99 per day "discretionary daily service charge" equates to approximately 20% tip on a 4 day Sky cruise at $399 (someone can check my math if they like). We usually tip 20% when we go out to dinner, where a waiter waits on us, but not when we got to a buffet. If we are sitting at a bar and just order drinks, I usually throw the bartender a $1 for bring us a couple drinks, but it's not 20%. If you went to Golden Corral or the Golden China for a buffet dinner, and they automatically added a 20% tip, you would be ok with that when all they did is clear your plates and bring you water? If you eat at the specialty restaurants, you get charged another 18% gratuity, they are double dipping on the tipping! Not a fan of forced tipping, if they are going to automatically charge you $18.99 per day, just add it to the price of the cruise and call it a day! Just food for thought.

It is not that easy. Better read the rules on reducing tips/gratuities/service charge.

I have only done it once before and it was an RCL cruise where the dining room reservation system was a joke. I wanted to just remove the Maitre D "tip?" but was told I had to cancel ALL discretionary service charges. I hated to screw everyone else, but there was no way any of my money was going to that idiot. I did leave my Room Steward a cash tip, and located my favorite bartenders and tipped them very well. Cost me the same, but the deserving peeps got the money that they worked hard for, and the Maitre D $00.00. Sorry for the behind the scenes peeps that may have got left out, but that was the flaw in RCL's process of changing your discretionary service charge.

So that confirms it then.

Wouldn't say that confirms anything, but adds a little more meat to the bone! I am booked on the Sky 11/27/17 and would be fine if they moved a stop from Freeport to Cuba!

Posted to their FB page: I am a fan of the NCL Sky and their all inclusive cruises. I am not a fan so much now! 2nd "service charge" increase in past 2 year. 50+% increase from $12 per day per passenger to $18.99 per person per day. 4 day cruise for 2 peeps was $96 and is now $151.92. We have always generously tipped your bartenders for every drink (and we drink a lot), but feel as if you have raised your "service charge" to force your customers that normally do not tip bartenders to tip. I feel bad for your bartenders because we would normally tip the bartenders at least $20 per day, but not now, since you are forcing us to pay in the form of a higher "service charge". However, since this is a "discretionary daily service charge", I will probably say screw the rest of your employees and get my "discretionary daily service charge" removed the last night, and tip my bartenders very well!

NCL abandoning Freeport? I am booked on 11/27/17 Sky and just got a letter from NCL that they canceled my Freeport excursion do to operational issues. Just spoke with the tour operator to book direct and she (Diane from Pat and Dianes) informed me that she is suspending her tours when NCL is scheduled to be in port because word on the street is that NCL is going to stop going to Freeport!!! I know the SKY is now going to Cuba, but they were going to keep the Thanksgiving/Christmas cruises going to the Bahamas.

We were at Fish Fry in November, not impressed at all!!!!!!!