Not a Nassau Fan

[cltnccruisers]

We'd never been to Nassau.  When we go to a new smallish port for the first time we like to walk around and get a feel for the place.  On this cruise we had first stopped in Key West and loved it - eclectic is a good word.  We took the same kind of stroll in Nassau and had the opposite feeling.  To start with, the infrastructure is awful.  Sidewalks and streets are broken up and, frankly, dangerous.  I can understand that they might want to keep the olde time ambiance for the tourist industry but don't do it at the expense of safety.  Also, DW is a shopper and a good one.  I thought it was just me, but she also felt that shopkeepers were rude and surly.  There were four ships in port.  You would think these folks would be happy for the business.  Since they were not, and given the general congestion and noise, we'll probably stay on the ship if we ever (unlikely) stop in Nassau again.

 

[Tapi]

Many frequent cruisers have similar thoughts about Nassau, partly because of the perceived rudeness of the locals, and partly because the area closest to the cruise terminals is indeed not very attractive and somewhat dumpy, at least compared to other destinations in the region. Add the hordes of cruise passengers that are dumped in Nassau on a daily basis and you have a recipe for a less than pleasant visit. The other reason why many cruisers dislike Nassau is because, if you cruise enough times on Eastern Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries, chances are that you’ve been there way too many times.

 

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been to Nassau, and my most recent visits were because it was included in the itinerary or ship that I wanted to sail on. For my last cruise in July to Cuba, sure enough Nassau was part of the itinerary. I was determined to do something different and enjoy my visit. So we decided to charter a private boat and enjoy a day away from the thousands of other passengers. It was absolutely AMAZING and it gave me a new found appreciation for what Nassau has to offer. Our boat captain met us by Senor Frogs. From there, we made a stop for drinks and snack to take with us. He then took us to a remote location where we jumped in the water and swam surrounded by sea turtles! From there, he took us along the coast for a scenic ride along Cable Beach and Paradise Island. We then continued on to Rosen Island. Once there, we anchored at a secluded beach. Literally, we were the only humans there. No other boats or any sign of civilization in sight. Blue skies, white sand, and crystal clear water, it was absolute paradise. 

 

We then returned to our ship, not before stopping at another location to snorkel at a wonderful reef. Overall, it was the best day I’ve ever had in Nassau and, as mentioned before, it gave me a newfound appreciation for this destination. From now on, if I ever see Nassau on my itinerary again, I won’t roll my eyes and huff. I will just choose something that keeps me away from the port area.

[luckyinpa]

26 minutes ago, cltnccruisers said:

We'd never been to Nassau.  When we go to a new smallish port for the first time we like to walk around and get a feel for the place.  On this cruise we had first stopped in Key West and loved it - eclectic is a good word.  We took the same kind of stroll in Nassau and had the opposite feeling.  To start with, the infrastructure is awful.  Sidewalks and streets are broken up and, frankly, dangerous.  I can understand that they might want to keep the olde time ambiance for the tourist industry but don't do it at the expense of safety.  Also, DW is a shopper and a good one.  I thought it was just me, but she also felt that shopkeepers were rude and surly.  There were four ships in port.  You would think these folks would be happy for the business.  Since they were not, and given the general congestion and noise, we'll probably stay on the ship if we ever (unlikely) stop in Nassau again.

 

 

did you go to the straw market. if you go and know what to expect i guess it could be fun but id rather shop for a mattress while getting a root canal and dickering over anew car price 😉

 

when my friend was getting her hair braided IN the straw market they kept trying to hawk more things. it was nuts but i had to stand there and endure cause thats what BFFs do. also i had to basically stand over their money ominously to demand we get change back from the 20, they really didnt wanna give it back. if you are the least bit timid you will die in the straw market with all that goes on there. i feel bad if these people are really that poor but stop forcing yourself upon us like you do. then we will not complain about you and we will feel we can leisurely walk through. 

 we did 2 aisles and stopped cause it was so miserable there.

 

best line of the day was on the way back to the ship a woman stood in front of my BFF and said look at this tshirt.do you want this tshirt. she said 'no i'm blind so i cannot see it' and we just kept walking with her long white stick in front of her. classic!

 

 

[cltnccruisers]

Good comment, Tapi, and perhaps we'll do such sometime down the road.  But for now the sour taste is too recent and there are too many options we haven't yet sampled, as I'm sure you understand.

[mjkacmom]

We love this stop! We’ve done aqua adventure at Atlantis twice, RIU daypass, Melia daypass, and Hilton daypass (least favorite, too close to the port). There are other things we want to do on our bucket list. The beaches are gorgeous! Of course, if you do no research and just get off of the ship without a plan, I can see not liking it. Every trip, we have a hard time deciding what to do. Next time check out TripAdvisor.

[cltnccruisers]

2 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

We love this stop! We’ve done aqua adventure at Atlantis twice, RIU daypass, Melia daypass, and Hilton daypass (least favorite, too close to the port). There are other things we want to do on our bucket list. The beaches are gorgeous! Of course, if you do no research and just get off of the ship without a plan, I can see not liking it. Every trip, we have a hard time deciding what to do. Next time check out TripAdvisor.

We actually do a lot of research before we go to a new port.  CC, Tripadvisor, local sites like chambers of commerce or visitors' sites.  In this case we used a walking tour we'd found online - we don't just wander blindly.  We've done much the same thing in many stops across the Caribbean and Europe with many more to come.  For what we prefer, Nassau is easily at the bottom of the list.  To each his own.

[BNBR]

Seems like your failure to research and plan is resulting in your negative remarks about Nassau.

 

It's pretty well known that the port area in Nassau is less than ideal.  Sure, there is decent spots like the Hilton nearby, and even some really solid restaurants, breweries, chocolatiers, etc., but generally speaking, you need to get away from the port.  Nassau is big, over 1/4 million people.  It's not some small island.  It's like visiting Miami, going to Liberty City and determining that Miami is a terrible place and "not for me."

 

You did Nassau wrong.  Too bad.  Because the Bahamas is absolutely amazing.

[Oleander3401]

If you want to get to know Nassau better you could try "people to people." They match you with a local person with similar interests to spend much of the day with. They matched me with a woman about my age who had a similar job. We went to her house, met some of her friends, saw parts of the island away from the tourist areas, ate at her favorite restaurant and learned a lot. Just wanted to offer another idea for those who have been to Nassau many times. It's free and fun.

[vacationlover_mn]

We were initially planning on staying on the ship there.  But now that it is cold and snowy here, I want a beach and sun 🙂

 

I was overwhelmed with all of the choices for beaches, but a made a list, noted the pros and cons, and have narrowed it down to Hilton, Melia, or an excursion to a beach island 🙂. It turns out we both had the same preference- private beach, moderate price, no need for all inclusive features, food & drink available, chairs and umbrella 🙂. The one downside I see with Hilton, is it seems like the beach isn’t very scenic and relaxing, since it’s right by the port?

[BNBR]

53 minutes ago, vacationlover_mn said:

We were initially planning on staying on the ship there.  But now that it is cold and snowy here, I want a beach and sun 🙂

 

I was overwhelmed with all of the choices for beaches, but a made a list, noted the pros and cons, and have narrowed it down to Hilton, Melia, or an excursion to a beach island 🙂. It turns out we both had the same preference- private beach, moderate price, no need for all inclusive features, food & drink available, chairs and umbrella 🙂. The one downside I see with Hilton, is it seems like the beach isn’t very scenic and relaxing, since it’s right by the port?

 

The trade off with the Hilton is that it's convenient, but not the best beach.  But it's a good beach.  I wouldn't say it's a bad view at all, it's not an industrial port view or anything.

 

Here is a Google 360 picture to see for yourself what the Hilton beach looks like:  https://goo.gl/maps/w5pLX6ETLz42

 

All 3 of your choices are good.  Melia and an excursion to a private island will be a tad more adventurous.  But I wouldn't discount the Hilton, you may enjoy it more...  For example, unless you book "VIP" at Blue Lagoon, then getting shade is almost impossible and there is no pool.  The Melia is nice but it's still a beach and pools. etc.

Edited November 10, 2018 by BNBR

[vacationlover_mn]

Now after researching more, I’m leaning towards VIP at the blue lagoon 🙂. Kinda pricey though...  it ends up being about the same as a daypass at breezes....

[vacationlover_mn]

Note, thanks to those of you who recommended going outside of the port area!  Ugh, I really don’t like that area.  It’s been fun reading all of the trip advisor reviews about the more remote, beautiful beach islands... maybe I’ll end up falling in love with this port 🙂

[CruisinCrow]

We've been to Nassau many times (3 times just this year) and we like it.  We do something different almost every single trip.  We just got back from a cruise yesterday and this time we did the Bites of Nassau walking tour with Tru Bahamian Food Tours.  It was a 3-hour tour with lots of good Bahamian food and lots of information about Bahamian culture and history.  If you want to find out about a place, this is the kind of thing you need to do instead of shopping at the straw market.  You won't learn anything about the Bahamas that way.

 

I hope to post a full review of the tour soon.  I definitely recommend it.

[l2f]

On 11/7/2018 at 4:15 PM, Tapi said:

So we decided to charter a private boat and enjoy a day away from the thousands of other passengers. It was absolutely AMAZING...

Tapi,

 

Would you mind sharing the name of the charter.  Thanks

[Tapi]

3 hours ago, l2f said:

Tapi,

 

Would you mind sharing the name of the charter.  Thanks

We went with Bay West Adventures. Our captain was a young man whose family had moved to the Bahamas from Europe. He was born in the Bahamas and he even showed us from the boat the house where he grew up in. Very accommodating, polite, and informative. You could tell that he absolutely loved his country and his job. I wouldn’t hesitate to book another excursion through this company. 

 

The initial cost shocked us a bit, but there were 12 family members and, when we split the cost among us, the per person cost was less than if we’d taken an excursion through the cruise line, main difference is that we had our own boat and a captain that tailored the day based on our preferences, rather than sharing a big boat with a hundred other cruisers. Completely worth it. 

[cruiseapril]

The Melia is a good choice- on Cable Beach.  Do get  away from the port area- the Melia is about 5 miles away- by van cab only $5 per person.

[l2f]

On 11/13/2018 at 10:05 PM, Tapi said:

We went with Bay West Adventures. Our captain was a young man whose family had moved to the Bahamas from Europe. He was born in the Bahamas and he even showed us from the boat the house where he grew up in. Very accommodating, polite, and informative. You could tell that he absolutely loved his country and his job. I wouldn’t hesitate to book another excursion through this company. 

 

The initial cost shocked us a bit, but there were 12 family members and, when we split the cost among us, the per person cost was less than if we’d taken an excursion through the cruise line, main difference is that we had our own boat and a captain that tailored the day based on our preferences, rather than sharing a big boat with a hundred other cruisers. Completely worth it. 

 

Thanks Tapi

[jdvmd]

We've been to Nassau numerous times and pretty much stay on the ship whenever we stop.  Once had two hairbraiding women haggling over my daughter's long hair and it was getting nasty between the two of them.