Nassau - Things to Do

[ryanbarckley]

Hi Everyone!

 

I'll be on a cruise in January on Allure. We opted not to plan an excursion for our stop in Nassau. I know this port is overdone, and I've been there myself (not for a long time though), so I dont have anything specific I want to do. But! I wanted to see what ideas or things people have done just getting off the ship and walking? Are there beaches available? I know the straw market, any other good shopping, site seeing or interesting places to visit?

 

Thanks and happy sailing!

-Ryan

[Clarea]

This was fun:

 

https://www.trubahamianfoodtours.com/tour/bites-of-nassau-food-tasting-cultural-walking-tour/

[karena1]

1 minute ago, ryanbarckley said:

Hi Everyone!

 

I'll be on a cruise in January on Allure. We opted not to plan an excursion for our stop in Nassau. I know this port is overdone, and I've been there myself (not for a long time though), so I dont have anything specific I want to do. But! I wanted to see what ideas or things people have done just getting off the ship and walking? Are there beaches available? I know the straw market, any other good shopping, site seeing or interesting places to visit?

 

Thanks and happy sailing!

-Ryan

You can walk to Junkanoo Beach.  IF we get off the ship in Nassau, that is the only place we go to.  Water is super calm and clear and it is a public beach.  Few pebbles around and you might see some trash on the beach (plastic cups and such) but bathrooms are clean, lots of vendors to buy food/drink.  Loungers/umbrellas available for rent. Depending on where you dock, about a 20 minute walk.  Walk past the Hilton and just keep going.  You will see the signs for Junkanoo.  For us way better than paying the crazy prices the resorts want just to "allow" you to be on their beach.

[CruisinCrow]

3 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

This was fun:

 

https://www.trubahamianfoodtours.com/tour/bites-of-nassau-food-tasting-cultural-walking-tour/

 

I agree.  We just did this tour a few weeks ago.  Here is my review: http://susancrow.blogspot.com/2018/11/bites-of-nassau-experiencing-bahamas.html

 

Frommer's has a good walking tour of Nassau if you want to see some of the historical places on your own.  https://www.frommers.com/destinations/new-providence/walking-tours

 

We've also walked or taken the bus to the Fish Fry at Arawak Cay a couple of times for lunch.

 

 

[Gheenoe]

I second Junkanoo Beach. Such a easy walk. And cheap buckets of beer. I thought it was very clean when I went in April of 2017.

[karena1]

6 minutes ago, Gheenoe said:

I second Junkanoo Beach. Such a easy walk. And cheap buckets of beer. I thought it was very clean when I went in April of 2017.

It is.  There is nothing wrong with it.  And I agree, food/drinks were not outrageous - especially for Nassau where everything is more than most islands.

[ryanbarckley]

Thanks for the quick responses everyone!

 

Bob - I'd love a food tour but I think my family won't want to do anything formally planned. 

 

But! I like the idea of Junkanoo beach, and speaking of food, whats the best food people have gotten? I like to try and get some good local food I dont need American food or anything like that.

[Clarea]

5 minutes ago, ryanbarckley said:

Thanks for the quick responses everyone!

 

Bob - I'd love a food tour but I think my family won't want to do anything formally planned. 

 

But! I like the idea of Junkanoo beach, and speaking of food, whats the best food people have gotten? I like to try and get some good local food I dont need American food or anything like that.

 

Go past Junkanoo Beach to the Fish Fry for local food.

[DeltaOne]

In March we wanted to walk to Fish Fry for lunch.  Turned out another couple was doing the same, so we walked there with them.  

 

Walk was about 20 to 25 minutes.  When almost there a local started telling us he would take us to the best place to eat.  I'm sure it was a set up.  The other couple went with him, we walked around and selected a place to eat.  

 

I don't recall the name...but we made a good selection.  Had fried conch and fried fish.  It was good.  We mentioned to our waitress that we were interested in taking a cab back to the ship...she went out front with us and called over one of the waiting taxis.  Taxi driver was lots of fun...and he quickly and safely got us back to the ship.  I think the cab fare was about $15.

[karena1]

7 minutes ago, ryanbarckley said:

Thanks for the quick responses everyone!

 

Bob - I'd love a food tour but I think my family won't want to do anything formally planned. 

 

But! I like the idea of Junkanoo beach, and speaking of food, whats the best food people have gotten? I like to try and get some good local food I dont need American food or anything like that.

We love the BBQ chicken one of the vendors make.  But he is not always there.  But there are 5/6 vendors that make a variety of food so you can just walk around to them and see which one catches your fancy.  My husband has had the couch fritters out there and some other stuff.  You will have plenty to choose from

[Jarmo]

Junkanoo Beach

Pirate Republic Brewing Company

Pirates of Nassau, pirate museum

[CruisinCrow]

17 minutes ago, ryanbarckley said:

Thanks for the quick responses everyone!

 

Bob - I'd love a food tour but I think my family won't want to do anything formally planned. 

 

But! I like the idea of Junkanoo beach, and speaking of food, whats the best food people have gotten? I like to try and get some good local food I dont need American food or anything like that.

 

Anything with conch (fried conch, conch fritters, conch salad).  The fresh fish is very good and I love the peas and rice.  For a Bahamian drink, try Sky Juice.

[drneal]

I always think that I won't get off the ship.

But then why not.

Last time we were in Nassau we took a cab to Paradise Island/Cabbage beach.

The entrance is a mob scene but turn right (heading AWAY from Atlantis) and we

had a really nice stretch of beach to ourselves.

No chairs to rent so bring towels from the ship.

$4/person cab ride back to the ship.

Nice beach and $0 (except for the cab.)

I was able to rent a on the beach. 

One year we did the Hilton which was nice but not exactly a tropical paradise.

This year I rented a room at the Comfort Suites which gives us full access to

the Atlantis waterpark, pools and beaches, cost = $420.

People knock Nassau....but it's still better than NJ in December.

Enjoy !

 

 

 

[island lady]

56 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

This was fun:

 

https://www.trubahamianfoodtours.com/tour/bites-of-nassau-food-tasting-cultural-walking-tour/

 

My favorite...and got that idea and recommendation from you a few years ago.  Loved it!  We had Captain Ron.  In fact we now enjoy going to lunch the last few times we were there at "Ms. Wallace's" place. Going again to see her next week.  Love her little place and the local Bahamian food she makes is fantastic!  

[Clarea]

25 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

My favorite...and got that idea and recommendation from you a few years ago.  ...

 

And we got the idea from Carol (Merion Mom).

[Hoopster95]

I'll be there in a couple of weeks....

 

Taking a taxi or Jitney bus to either Goodman's Bay or Saunder's beach in the morning

Walking over the Arawak Cay (Fish Fry) for lunch (google Rosie's or Gone Fish'N)

After lunch walk up to Adastra gardens ... Fort Charlotte is right there also but GF hates forts

Then self walking Historical tour through Nassau to the ship: St Mary the Virgin, John Watling's Distillery, Christ Church Cathedral, Queens Staircase, Graycliff, Parliament Buildings, etc.

[SAmome]

If walking to Junkanoo are you able to walk along the beach or do you have to go onto a road?  I assume some sort of sign marks the beach, any particular restaurant or venue to rent chairs from?  Bathrooms are beach property and not related to a restaurant or vendor?

 

I'm also wondering about Nassau and staying on the ship.  Ideally it seems like a good port to get out on a sailboat but I don't hear of private (not thru ship) options the way I do for St Thomas/Martin/Tortola and a personal charter of a vessel for only our group isn't of interest.  

 

Anyone know of a snorkel and sail good private excursion in Nassau for 100pp or less?

[Chipmoose]

14 minutes ago, SAmome said:

 

 

Anyone know of a snorkel and sail good private excursion in Nassau for 100pp or less?

We did Rainbow Reef snorkel excursion thru RCL and really enjoyed it. 

[robtulipe]

1 hour ago, SAmome said:

If walking to Junkanoo are you able to walk along the beach or do you have to go onto a road?  I assume some sort of sign marks the beach, any particular restaurant or venue to rent chairs from?  Bathrooms are beach property and not related to a restaurant or vendor?

 

 

You have to go west from the cruise terminal on the road, Bay St.,  past the Straw Market, Senor Frog's and just beyond the British Colonial Hilton and The Pointe hotels is where you can walk along the beach. There are many beach rental places but I can't make any recommendation.

[Gatordad815]

We were recently at Junkanoo Beach on a big family trip earlier this month. We chose it based on the perceived ease of being able to walk & the generally good reviews here & on Tripadvisor.  While I can see the appeal (very clear water, local feel, fun music and fun party vibe), we just did not have a great experience there & I’ve never been so happy to leave a beach after only 2 hours (and I love beaches)!

 

I love walking and I think if I were solo or just with my wife the walk would have been quite manageable, but with 4 eager kids and 6 adults in our group, I felt like we were playing a game of Frogger walking along and across the busy roads. Just not a pleasant or easy walk at all with a larger group and small kids. Perhaps we didn’t choose the easiest route...

 

Once we got to the beach, 2 chairs & umbrellas magically went from $25 when we were walking up to $38 when they charged us. The kids were happy to be finally getting settled on the beach and I didn’t have the energy to argue, so I just paid it.

 

I’m pretty certain the first Bottled beer I ordered had been opened and refilled and recapped with a different brand of draft beer. After one sip I took it back to the bar & made them open one in front of me which tasted “normal”. That was just weird. They were like $6 each. Not over the top but no bargain either. 

 

I picked up and threw away no fewer than 10 big pieces of glass (broken beer bottles) on my travels to & from our chairs. The same area my kids & nephews were running around barefoot. Great. That was the part I really didn’t like.

 

The sand was very rocky. Everybody around us was smoking. 

 

We took a van cab back & all 10 of us squeezed into one. It was actually pretty funny! $4 per person I guess isn’t bad but $40 for a mile seems excessive. I happily paid it though to get back to the ship quick!

 

I wanted to love the place. I really did. And I’m generally easy to please. I acknowledge part of what made it challenging was having a larger group & smaller kids so it wasn’t easy to just mobilize & walk another 50 yards to a spot that was more conducive to relaxing. I genuinely think (hope) if we had made it to the far end of the beach it could have been a better beach experience. But it just wasn’t for us and once was enough for me.

 

If you’re with a small group that’s easy to manage in a crowd and willing to keep walking to a better spot once you get to Junkanoo, I suspect you’ll have a better time than we did. If you can find another beach altogether without so much darn glass all over the place, you’ll probably have an ever better time!  

 

I hope you enjoy your time whatever you decide!

 

 

[zdad59]

We'll be back in Nassau again in February.   Its likely most of my group will stay on or near the ship.    If I do anything I like to go over to the docks near Atlantis and Paradise Lake to look at the super yachts docked there.    They are pretty spectacular.     That whole thing might take an hour or two, then back to the ship for a massage.

[SRF]

In August we did our own tour.

 

We went to the Pirate museum.  Then walked up the hill to John Watlings distillery for the tour and for some sampling in the bar.

 

They across to the cigar place and the chocolate place.  Then back to the ship.  A nice afternoon.

[Artemus]

The Margaritaville on Paradise Island 🌴 near Atlantis is fun. I’m heading there on my next cruise after visiting Baha Mar (the new mega resort on New Providence Island) and of course Atlantis.

[bobmacliberty]

In researching Nassau for our cruise last summer, I ran across what looks like a new place.  It looks like a full sized flight simulator where you could try your hand at a Boeing 737.  I asked about it on the Bahamas board and didn't get any replies.  I was tempted but we didn't try it ourselves so I can't recommend it or even comment more than what's on their web site.  It's on the way to Junkanoo Beach just past the Hilton.  Anyone tried this yet?

[Iowa_Vike]

On 11/27/2018 at 6:18 PM, Hoopster95 said:

n self walking Historical tour through Nassau to the ship: St Mary the Virgin, John Watling's Distillery, Christ Church Cathedral, Queens Staircase, Graycliff, Parliament Buildings, etc.

Heading to Nassau next week and going to John Watlings.   Anyone have any idea where someone might get a true Cuban Cigar?