blue_water

Taxis are expensive, just hop the jitney (bus) that stops at the beach and drops you in town or wherever you want to go for $1.25

For Nassau check out the “Rum, Reggae, and Rhythms Tour”. You can find the itinerary (Graycliff cigar “factory”, chocolate shop, wine shop, and John Watling’s rum factory, + Bob Marley’s house/property if renovations have been completed). You can find great reviews on CC’s sister site TripAdvisor. You book through TA/Viator, and the tour is provided by BahTours for $65 USD/pp. Fun, low-key day if you want something like that..

The new stage/cover was nearly completed May 5, not sure if that will be used for live music/entertainment or what…

Drake’s Seat is just a vantage point to see Magens Bay from above; MountainTop is a shopping stop, with amazing views of the north shore; Skyline Drive is a scenic drive with a stop at a lookout where vendors are waiting for you, and the skyride/gondola to Paradise Point is a short ride up to PP where you can have a cocktail/lunch with a view of the harbor. So no history really, other than what you learn from the driver… There is a historic section in Charlotte Amalie that you can do on your own, or with an independent tour. Search this forum (or Google it) for ideas on the historic area for self-excursion ideas… Regarding the other stuff, are you interested in an island tour to the most touristy spots, perhaps with a stop at the most popular beach? If so you can choose one of the tours offered by the cruise line, or better yet one of the popular independent tours.

I know they offer day passes (limited numbers) to Baha Bay (the water park) for $160/adult (those over 48”), $65 for those under 48”. You also have access to the public areas (casino, restaurants). Last I knew they did not provide access to the beach lounges and other guest facilities to day visitors. Perhaps that has changed?

We always use ISIS for long-term (5-6 mos) rentals in Playa, and when we spend a day on Coz. Excellent family-run outfit and very honest. The owner, Margaritaville, passed but it is still a great outfit. We rent an intermediate sedan for $900 pesos (~$45 USD), no need for a Jeep on Cozumel. Recent gas prices were ~$21 pesos/ltr, or $4/gal. But you won’t use that much gas…Definitely book ahead and get confirmation.

Yes Spring Bay is much easier to access, but as noted no public facilities. You’d need to walk back to the Top of the Baths restaurant for restrooms, etc…Or better yet Mad Dog Cafe. Be sure to carry water… https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Spring+Bay,+British+Virgin+Islands/Top+of+the+Baths,+Spanish+Town,+British+Virgin+Islands/@18.4314074,-64.4421792,548m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x8c057925b0efc5a7:0x75176fec07a7e26e!2m2!1d-64.4459545!2d18.4321559!1m5!1m1!1s0x8c0573df809631bd:0x6a8de662a9897170!2m2!1d-64.442391!2d18.4293272!3e2

Junkanoo is ok and a close option you can walk to. Goodman’s Bay is a short jitney ride ($1.25/pp, exact change) and a better choice. You can hop a #10 bus where they pick up and drop off at Bay and Frederick Sts. The buses stop to return you to the cruise dock. We just stayed next to Baha Mar and the Melia (still closed) for two weeks and they were bringing sand in every day by the truck loads. The beach in front of our property was nonexistent, but in front of the Melia (which is still closed) we had a small beach all to ourselves. Not sure if Baha Mar offers day passes, you can check. There is no public beach access on that section of Cable Beach that we know of. There is a public beach access next to Sandals, but no amenities that we saw…

Looking at the independent excursions you get much more but you pay more too.

It was already “that” port, IMHO... Similar to Cozumel in that unless you want a beach with zero amenities, there just isn’t any way to escape the mega-crowd you are a part of with so many ships in port… We’ve avoided cruising to Nassau for years, I know others do as well, or just stay on the ship if it has to be part of the itinerary. But we did very much enjoy a recent two-week vacation there.Two very different worlds I will say (visiting by cruise ship vs land). The people who live here are very warm and welcoming. And you have time to explore Eleuthera and other Out Islands if that interests you. Highly recommend a land visit - short flights from the east coast of the US, and after visiting and wintering in Mexico for 20+ years, it’s nice to have the English language and $USD!

From what we saw 2 weeks ago construction will be going on for awhile. It is very disruptive between the dock and Pompey Square, but it looks like it will be worth it when completed. The new restaurant and bar inside the dock area was expected to be open now..,

Meant to add you may board a #12 or another bus, just as long as they are going that direction…

While staying near the Baha Mar and waiting for a bus to go into town, a group from a cruise ship got off a bus that picked them up in town (the main bus stop is at Frederick and Bay Sts). They looked confused, and it turned out they were looking for public beach access on Cable Beach. Cable Beach is now lined with hotels, condos, and of course the mega-resort, Baha Mar. The closest public beach access we saw during our two-week stay was on the other side of Sandals, a 15 minute walk from where they were dropped, but there are no lounges or facilities for non-guests. There was public access next to the Melia (the old Sheraton), but that area is closed, and the beach is virtually non-existent there. I suggested they take our bus back toward town and get dropped at Goodman’s Bay. But they walked the other way and I hope they found a spot. But just posting this for others considering getting dropped along Cable Beach. Others may be able to share public access points we aren’t aware of as well.

When you get out of the port area take a right (going toward the straw market and Senior Frog’s) and walk 2 blocks or so to Frederick St. You will see buses lined up at main bus stop on the corner of Bay St. Just look for a #10 jitney, board and tell the driver Goodman’s Bay. They usually remember, and will probably be dropping others there. But it is normal to say “bus stop please” when you get close. The fare is $1.25 (USD or Bahamian, exact change), you hand it to the driver as you get off. Just flag a bus for your return, buses will stop if they have space…

No need to apologize, your opinion is just as valid as any other! I understand now what you meant by “feared for my life”. It’s funny that I associated that with some reports on Coki beach! But it makes more sense knowing you were not speaking about fearing for your life at Sapphire, thank you for clarifying 🙏 We are biased toward Sapphire, as we stay there when we are vacationing on STT and consider it one of the nicest beaches we’ve enjoyed throughout the Carib. But more facilities have been added since your last visit, and that means more day visitors… Thanks again for clarifying!

Ok…Your description of Sapphire was very confusing to me as it sounded more like Coki - “feared for my life ( chairs, how crowded it was, service, facilities, etc... )“. That is a common description of Coki from many first-timers who did little research before going there… Sapphire, on the other hand, is home to 3 condo properties with security, space to find a spot, and quite the opposite of “ordinary”. Magens is also beautiful, but just lacks the character, water colors and island views (and the snorkeling opportunity) that Sapphire offers. Magens and Sapphire can be crowded, but Magens gets the biggest crowds, and the food leaves a lot to be desired… Just our opinion of course…So you were there a few years ago, pre-pandemic I guess? Perhaps with the new restaurant, pizza place (and the beach bar with music if that was not there for your last visit) you will enjoy it more. But STT does offer different beach experiences, which is great!

Beaches, daysails, island tours and hiking are the main activities so a rainy day is no fun. And it could rain any day regardless of the forecast, but your week looks excellent.

When are you there? The current 10-day forecast shows zero precipitation, which is very, very rare! Any forecast beyond that is not at all reliable…

The clothes are expensive but they have some nice stuff. You can buy the Pusser’s rum (and the Soggy $$ rum) online too if you want more at home…

Yes VPN is a way of life anywhere… As mentioned above, Aristocat, Kuralu, and Joe at Patouche offer alternative itineraries (shared, or private if your group is large enough, or you have enough $$) between the East snorkeling and the West beach time on Jost. Often the first group to book chooses the itinerary… They sometimes have smaller boats for excursions to VG or Jost. It’s all about booking early… And there are private options including Capt Malcolm at Sunshine - https://sunshinepowerboats.com/ And someone else recommended Capt Phil at Antilles - https://antillespowerboats.com/

We’ve cruised to Nassau a few times in years past, and the beaches are beautiful and the people wonderful. But after 2 or 3 times here it gets old, and for many return cruisers staying on the ship becomes the best choice. Having said that, we are spending a couple weeks here and we decided to take the “Rum, Reggae, and Rhythms Tour” with friends this week. You can find the itinerary (Graycliff cigar “factory”, chocolate shop, wine shop, and John Watling’s rum factory) and reviews on CC’s sister site TripAdvisor. You book through TA/Viator, and the tour is provided by BahTours for $65 USD/pp. Fun, low-key day if you want something like that with rum punch on the bus, and Swiper and Dora are great hosts. Is it worth the price? We didn’t regret taking the tour, although we had expected rum samples at Watling’s which were not provided, and the Marley Hotel (house) was closed for renovations and we did not see that. They were disappointments…But for someone new to Nassau or wanting to see these places this tour is a decent option…

By “private” you mean “independent and private” I assume? Check on the independent, shared excursions to Pearl Island or Rose Island. The Exuma options are typically too far or just too expensive for most day visitors to Nassau, but not impossible. The Sandy Toes excursion is very popular - https://www.sandytoesbahamas.com/swimming-pigs/ We look for independent excursion operators when possible, and when it makes sense, as here, STT, Tortola and other ports…But your comfort level, and time in port, should drive your decision of course…

We’ve cruised to Nassau in years past, and we now look for cruises that may include a “private” island but not Nassau. Having said that, we are spending a couple weeks here and we took the “Rum, Reggae, and Rhythms Tour” this week. You can find the itinerary (Graycliff cigar “factory”, chocolate shop, wine shop, and John Watling’s rum factory) and reviews on CC’s sister site TripAdvisor. You book through TA/Viator, and the tour is provided by BahTours for $65 USD/pp. Fun, low-key day if you want something like that..

The construction will definitely be ongoing for some time…Along with the street and walk update, they are adding a new stage and cover, new “mini” straw market, and a restaurant/bar on the point which may open next week…

That sounds good but you will want to do more research…