Nassau Excursitions Question

[IM4MU]

Will be sailing to the Bahamas for the first time. My husband wants to go snorkeling and seashell hunting and I want to do Atlantis. Since the ship is in port for 24 hours, is it possible to do 2 ship excursitions? I didn't know if they offered a morning one and afternoon ones? If not, what excursitions do you recommend?

 

Thanks

Janet

[richfret]

It would be difficult to do both in one day. On the Valor, you arrive at 7 am and leave at about 2 pm. If you plan to do breakfast or lunch, then one excursion is all you can do.

 

Tell your husband that he can do the snorkeling and sea shelling at both of the other ports while Atlantis is one of a kind. We went to Atlantis last year and will do it again this year. The hotel is magnificant and is probably one of the fanciest hotels I have ever been to. At Atlantis, they have probably one of the best aquariums in the world. Yet it does not seem like an aquarium but rather like you are diving in the ocean. The viewing area of the windows are not just a few feet wide but are the entire wall. You will see just about every fish that you can remember and it is all done with an Atlantis background.

 

The last time I was there, the hotel was free and you could see some portions of the aquarium without a ticket. To see the remaining 2/3's of the exhibit and the grounds will cost you about $28.00 a person. We did it last year so this year we are sticking to the free portion. You can also visit the Casino (naturally) and make a deposit if you care to. (There are no withdrawals).

 

I recommend that you take the land taxi to get to Atlantis. They also have a ferry that can be used but most people recommend the land route. The ferry trip can get rough, the trip can be crowded and it is more expensive.

 

I highly recommend Atlantis. Many times you can see pictures of some of the sights on the photo web locations.

[NHLady]

We were on the Fantasy in January. I don't remember all of them, but the dolphin encounter had at least three different times that you could sign up for. I noticed that there were alot of others that had choices, too. There is definitely time to do more than one excursion. We got up in the morning, had a leisurely breakfast, went downtown to the pirate museum, went for a carriage ride, back to the ship, had lunch, went for a swim, went out to the straw market and shopped, had DD's hair braided and were back on the ship in time for our 6:15 dinner!!!

[JrMafia90]

Most of the excursions have a couple of times that you can do them.

[tankersbabe]

We were on the Fantasy last February and we took a taxi over to Atlantis first thing, went through all the free stuff (it was GORGEOUS!), made a deposit in the casino and brought back $6.50, took a taxi back, ate some lunch, and then spent the afternoon with Stuarts Cove snorkeling. Highly recommended. Then went back, took a nap, grabbed some food, and hit Senor Frogs....needless to say, it was a great day!

 

Stef

[Robin G]

You CAN do both! My family and I stayed AT Atlantis in August. There is a wonderful beach for shelling and a lagoon for snorkeling. The grounds are just incredible.

[JStarbrite]

Be advised that shopping and most attractions like the zoo close early, like 4:00! Also you can do excursions on your own (not through Carnival) cheaper. A Lonley Planet Guide will give hours and prices for all attractions.

 

I would suggest picking a must do excursion, then a couple alternetives to play by ear. Do Atlantis last, it never closes and when I went, after 6:00 you could tour the digs for free.

[halos]

In Nassau we went to the Blue Lagoon to snorkel...and it wasn't that great. Blue Lagoon is lovely, but snorkeling off the beach is NOT nearly as nice as getting on a ship, going out into the ocean and snorkeling away from any land. Unless there is an excursion from Nassau that takes you out in a boat to snorkel, go to Atlantis.

 

OH...I just noticed...if you'll be docked for 24 hours...sure you can do a couple excursions!! Have fun!!

[JStarbrite]

There are scuba charter outfits that will take snorklers out to the best reefs for $25- $30 including gear. Stuart Cove's and Dive Dive Dive come to mind.