free things to do in nassau?

[zetalove08]

Hi everyone!

 

I am planning a last minute 4-night cruise on the Monarch for the end of this month. I have been to Nassau once in 2007 and my DH has never been. We are trying to do this trip as cheap as possible... any suggestions for what to do?

 

When I went in 2007 we took a taxi to the Atlantis and back and we walked through the casino (even played and got some free drinks), saw aquariums, etc. and it didn't cost anything. Am I correct in reading you can't do that anymore for free? If so, I wouldn't want to pay taxi and pay to get in as well.

 

What about the queens staircase? Looks cool- is there any fee for this? How far from the port- do you have to take a cab or can you walk?

 

Junkanoo Beach is the only free beach correct? Any thoughts on this beach? Is it walkable from the port?

 

Any other suggestions of free things to do/see that are within walking distance from the port?

 

Thanks in advance!! :)

[cb at sea]

You can still do that at Atlantis...only the WATERPARK will cost you.

 

There are other public beaches...Cable or Cabbage...something like that! Don't think it's walkable, tho.

 

Of course, you can always stroll thru the straw market...free, unless you buy something!

 

We may get off the ship for a short time, but a port day is a great way to use that ship you've paid to use...without crowds!

[kenevenpar]

Been there many times. Unless it changed recently, you may be able to get into Atlantis if it is not full; but limited to lobby, shops and casino. I would check with Atlantis before going over.

 

There is a beach next to Atlantis (watter shuttle or cab).

 

Cable beach (short cab ride) and a casino.

 

Shops in town.

 

We usually just walk around in town for a while, then head back to the ship.

 

Have a great time!

[yogimax]

There isn't that much to do in Nassau. The Queen's Staircase is certainly within walking distance of the port.

 

You can also reach Paradise Island and Atlantis by boat. I believe it is $3 O/W. Your husband might enjoy seeing the fancy yachts moored and there is always the casino. Actually, we have walked from the ship to Atlantis but I wouldn't recommend it for everyone.

 

Other than that, collect all the coupons the shopping guy/gal offers and spend a couple of hours collecting free stuff from Diamonds International, et. al..

[akcruz]

Hi everyone!

 

I am planning a last minute 4-night cruise on the Monarch for the end of this month. I have been to Nassau once in 2007 and my DH has never been. We are trying to do this trip as cheap as possible... any suggestions for what to do?

 

When I went in 2007 we took a taxi to the Atlantis and back and we walked through the casino (even played and got some free drinks), saw aquariums, etc. and it didn't cost anything. Am I correct in reading you can't do that anymore for free? If so, I wouldn't want to pay taxi and pay to get in as well. You can still get to the casino but that's about it unless you buy some type of pass. They are really locking the resort down nowadays.

 

What about the queens staircase? Looks cool- is there any fee for this? How far from the port- do you have to take a cab or can you walk? This is walkable, not right around the corner, but definitely do-able. No charge once you are there, but not really a whole lot to see except stairs.

 

Junkanoo Beach is the only free beach correct? Any thoughts on this beach? Is it walkable from the port? Junkanoo is walkable as well. There are other free beaches but need to taxi to them. Only walked past it so can't comment on more than that. Try on the bahama board and you find a lot more.

 

Any other suggestions of free things to do/see that are within walking distance from the port? Again, try the bahama board, scubagirl is a local who post often and has great advice. She also has a walking tour on her website, or try frommers for another version of free walking tour.

 

Thanks in advance!! :)

 

See comments above.

[temple1]

Go to your local library, or even go on line to get a walking map of Nassau. There are some really great local sites you can see for free. There is an old church and cemetary dating from the early days of European settlement, forts, the Queens Staircase, the library was the original jail, etc.

 

Jitneys are available to take you all over the island and they cost about $1.25 per person.

[scubagirrl]

Jitneys are available to take you all over the island and they cost about $1.25 per person.

 

 

These days, crime in areas over the hill is out of control. i no longer recommend traveling to places outside the tourist areas.. unless you know where you are going and that it's safe to do so.. please don't just hope on a jitney and roam around the island.

 

the #10, #10a and #10b will get you anywhere you want to go in the tourist corridor

[scubagirrl]

Hi everyone!

 

I am planning a last minute 4-night cruise on the Monarch for the end of this month. I have been to Nassau once in 2007 and my DH has never been. We are trying to do this trip as cheap as possible... any suggestions for what to do?

 

When I went in 2007 we took a taxi to the Atlantis and back and we walked through the casino (even played and got some free drinks), saw aquariums, etc. and it didn't cost anything. Am I correct in reading you can't do that anymore for free? If so, I wouldn't want to pay taxi and pay to get in as well.

 

Atlantis has very little that is viewable for free. You can no longer wander the lobbies or check out the aquarium viewing area. When you enter, security will "escort" you to the casino... that's about it.

You can no longer look outside on the balconies or even move towards an exit without security stopping you .. it's downright uncomfortable to try and 'visit".

You can also enjoy the Marina Village area which is located adjacent to Atlantis outside the main property.

What about the queens staircase? Looks cool- is there any fee for this? How far from the port- do you have to take a cab or can you walk?

 

Queens Staircase is an historical site. It's free.. you can walk or take a cab (about $8 for 2 pp). It's on the historical tour as well ..

http://www.********.com/nassau.html

 

Junkanoo Beach is the only free beach correct? Any thoughts on this beach? Is it walkable from the port?

 

Junkanoo is the closest free beach.. Cabbage Beach is free and on paradise island, sanders if free and is on bay street heading west on the #10 jitney. Junkanoo and Sauders have restrooms.. cabbage does not.

Cabbage is also much rougher than the others.

Junkanoo is walkable.. the others are not

 

Any other suggestions of free things to do/see that are within walking distance from the port?

 

http://www.********.com/nassau.html

 

 

Thanks in advance!! :)

 

Depending on when you are going .. there may be events taking place in and around town for the summer..

Arawak Cay often sponsors cultural events and sports.

Cricket Club has cricket matches.. located just past junkanoo beach on the left by Fort Charlotte. Check their website for schedule.

[louisville fan]

@scuba girl...how nice is Saunders beach or cable beach and they are free correct. ALso I know there are some other beaches that are free like Lovers beach, Caves beach. Are they just for locals or would you recommend just not going........ thanks for helping.

[zetalove08]

Thanks so much everyone!

 

I think I will just find a walking map and go to the staircase, library, etc. and see those sights and eat back on the ship to save $.

 

Maybe check out Junkanoo too!

 

I think I will want to avoid Atlantis, hopefully DH is okay with that! Just seems like a lot of effort to get over there to not really be able to see that much!

[scubagirrl]

@scuba girl...how nice is Saunders beach or cable beach and they are free correct. ALso I know there are some other beaches that are free like Lovers beach, Caves beach. Are they just for locals or would you recommend just not going........ thanks for helping.

 

Saunders beach is ok.. it's a bit too close to the roadway for me.

 

Cable beach has a few entry points, but they are desolate, dirty and quite frankly I wouldn't recommend.

Love Beach is not easy to get to.. and is usually strewn with glass from partying, unless Compass POint allows you access thru their property (which they usually DO NOT) .. Cave Beach is mainly coral rock.. which is very dangerous if you are slammed into it.

 

These days we've had robberies on the "out of the way" beaches, so I don't recommend going anywhere where you are not in the public eye,

 

Also.. there are many spots along bay street (cable beach) that have either sink holes, dangerous rip tides, or jagged coral.. Unless you know where you are going and know how to read the waters.. I don't recommend going anywhere that's not managed or overseen by either a hotel or some sort of staff.

[scubagirrl]

Thanks so much everyone!

 

I think I will just find a walking map and go to the staircase, library, etc. and see those sights and eat back on the ship to save $.

 

Maybe check out Junkanoo too!

 

I think I will want to avoid Atlantis, hopefully DH is okay with that! Just seems like a lot of effort to get over there to not really be able to see that much!

 

There is a Great website for walking tour linked to my website.

 

Google bahamas treasures.. then check the link on the side of the page.

[jakesmom04]

I printed out a free walking tour for us to use. I believe I just googled walking tour maps of Nassau and scroll around until I found one. The one I printed says it takes about a good 2 hours to do this.

[Armedaneian]

The link to that great walking tour is now being censored on this board. :eek: That doesn't make any sense to me, because it's not even a commercial site! Maybe offering free activities just cuts into cruise line profits and they have more influence on C.C. than it seems? :confused: Does anyone know, or have another hypothesis?

 

The web page (www. brent jes .com/nassau.html) includes pictures, descriptions, and a map at the bottom of the page. Print it out or save it on your smartphone, and you will have a private walking tour... for free! :cool: And you better do it soon, because the link police may censor this too! (Just Kidding! I'm sure it's being censored by mistake! :rolleyes:)

[scubagirrl]

The link to that great walking tour is now being censored on this board. :eek: That doesn't make any sense to me, because it's not even a commercial site! Maybe offering free activities just cuts into cruise line profits and they have more influence on C.C. than it seems? :confused: Does anyone know, or have another hypothesis?

 

The web page (www. brent jes .com/nassau.html) includes pictures, descriptions, and a map at the bottom of the page. Print it out or save it on your smartphone, and you will have a private walking tour... for free! :cool: And you better do it soon, because the link police may censor this too! (Just Kidding! I'm sure it's being censored by mistake! :rolleyes:)

 

Most of the regulars know why it's censored.. and don't agree.. but we don't own the boards..

 

easy enough to find by googling it.

[Armedaneian]

Most of the regulars know why it's censored.. and don't agree.. but we don't own the boards..

 

easy enough to find by googling it.

 

I did some searching, but couldn't really find anything... now I'm confused! :confused: I'd ask you for some specific keywords to search, but have a feeling it might get us both in trouble! And we (the community, not the owners ;)) don't want to get you in trouble... I'm not sure what the Bahamas forum would do without you! :cool:

[thegreens]

Most of the regulars know why it's censored.. and don't agree.. but we don't own the boards..

 

easy enough to find by googling it.

 

We did most of that walking tour when we were in Nassau this week. We pulled it up on our phone and used it as a guide. Now I'm curious as to why it's been censored.

[JWGrayson]

...a port day is a great way to use that ship you've paid to use...without crowds!

 

amen!

[JWGrayson]

Abbreviated Walking Tour...We have visited Nasau twice in the past two week and covered everything on the walking tour from a crowded tour bus. We are going back at the end of May and I will use an abbreviated version of the walking tour. We will only hit sites 1-3 and 10-13. I already have pictures of and from Fort Fincastle, but could not get pics of other stuff from the bus. Thanks to Scubagirrl for getting us to the link.

 

Questions on stuff we saw from the bus:

 

1. Is Fort Charlotte worth visiting? I know it costs $5 each to enter plus we will need to take a taxi to and from the ship. Is it worth it?

 

2. Is the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas worth a visit. Same issue as the fort as it is not walkable for us old folks.

 

Thanks, John

[Purplefin]

Many friends said "You must go see Atlantis" before our first trip to Nassau. I tromped my family of 5 over by taxi and we returned by water taxi. The regular taxi was expensive for such a short trip and the water taxi was hot and we waited a long time until they filled the boat FULL.

The Atlantis staff were so rude and it was so difficult to figure out where we could see anything without being a hotel guest. We almost walked out a door to a garden but a worker kindly pointed to the sign that said no re- entry without hotel pass. We finally wandered into the underwater viewing area and that was pretty to watch but if you have been to an aquarium... you have already seen most of the experience. I had 3 kids with me so we didn't make use of the casino. Mostly this was the biggest "bust" of our trip. I would not recommend the trip over unless you were staying there. I've seen more of Atlantis from the commercials than I saw on the property. I don't think it is really a tourist destination. They want to keep it for hotel guests and day pass folks only and that is their right.

[tvlbum]

There is a Great website for walking tour linked to my website.

 

Google bahamas treasures.. then check the link on the side of the page

 

Hi Scubbagirrl,

I found the walking tour but have not been able to find your website. Any help?

[govgurl]

There is a Great website for walking tour linked to my website.

 

Google bahamas treasures.. then check the link on the side of the page

 

Hi Scubbagirrl,

I found the walking tour but have not been able to find your website. Any help?

 

If you found the walking tour on the Bahamas Treasures website, that IS Scubagirrl's site :-) Just as she says, google "Bahamas Treasures"

 

This will be my first visit to Nassau, but based on the posts I've read so far, and Scubagirrl's recommendations of course, I've come up with a plan that should be both pleasant and cheap (we're young adult cruisers on a budget). So far I'm thinking we will walk from the ship to Junkanoo beach to spend some time there. Then head to the Fish Fry for lunch in the afternoon. Then we'll head back into town and do as much of the walking tour as we feel motivated to do. If there's time, and the weather is not too windy (i.e. the waves are reasonable), we'll go to Cabbage Beach in the early afternoon, and probably head back to the ship for dinner, maybe hitting the straw market on the way if it's still open. There will be some cost incurred for taxis (I'm sure after spending the morning in the sun and the afternoon walking around Nassau we're going to need a taxi at some point) and lunch, but the whole goal of our Bahamas trip is to enjoy the free stuff (the beaches) as much as possible.

[GloriaF]

The walking tour for Nassau that I found is

www. b r e n t j e s .c o m /n a s s a u (leave out the spaces)

 

We've done the National Art Museum and we found it interesting. We were there in late Nov 2011 and displays were dedicated to a local artist. It is an interesting building. Can't recall if there was a fee - sorry. We got there by walking up the hill to the Governor's/Government House and wandering from there. Sorry I don't have better directions.

 

Junkanoo Beach looked fine with colorful local vendor shacks. There seemed to be small bits of coral in the water, and possibly in the sand. I would advise wearing water shoes or some sort of foot protection. It had started to rain by the time we got to Junkanoo, so we didn't swim but we did see it and would go again for a close and free beach. From the ship walk out the gate and turn right - there will be signs as you go along.

[JWGrayson]

...I would not recommend the trip over unless you were staying there.

 

We have been to Nassau 3 times, but have not been to Atlantis. On our next cruise, which will be a B2B, we will spend a couple more days there. So, in addition to ScubaGirl's walking tour, we want to see something of Atlantis. Carnival has an excursion called "Discover Atlantis." It looks like it will cover a lot of the site. Carnival's price is $55.99 pp.

 

Would this be a good way to see Atlantis, or can it be done more cheaply? Or, does anyone have a better suggestion?

 

Thanks, John

[Mistyhon]

I'm wanting to shop in this port. Is there good shopping at a place within walking distance or where should I go?