Caution before you get the ship in Nassau!!!

[Barba21885]

If you have any mobility issues...even minor...I want to caution you about the very very long walk from the ship to Nassau proper.  I have been to Nassau several time s.  The little port housing is no longer there.  We had to walk from the far end of the ship in the second or third slip to the long walk towards where the port house used to be...then walk the length of the ship again to get to the border check in.   I have had back surgery and probably need to have my knees replaced.  I am slightluy overweight but that is not what prevented me from making the walk.  As long as I can sit down every 30-40 feet I am ok.  THERE IS NO WHERE TO SIT OR REST ANYWHERE.  A security guard saw we were in distress and after waiting for 30 minutes a golf cart came and took us the rest of the way.  We had to wait at least another 30 minutes to get someone who took us back to our ship.  I don't know why they don't have benches or seating somewhere along this long walk....there used to be benches under the canopies along the walk.  PLEASE if you have any mobility issues...see if security can call for someone to transport you or be more proactive than me and rent yourself a wheelchair.  Most of it is just solid concrete with no covering.  Almost ruined my entire trip.

[Denise&Paul STL]

Thanks for the update.  I hadn't even thought about port changes that severe.

[mskaufman]

I wonder if anyone has a picture of the new setup.

[tinkr2]

On 9/9/2021 at 12:53 PM, Denise&Paul STL said:

Thanks for the update.  I hadn't even thought about port changes that severe.

It's completely torn down . They're going to put in a super nice are . There is pictures of it  there. 

[BND]

I had a knee and ankle injury two years ago.  Dislocated and broken ankle and dislocated kneecap.  Ankle is healed, but does get sore sometimes as I have a plate on it.  Knee limits how far I can walk although it's improving slowly.  I'm taking my folding camp chair on our Nov/Dec b2b cruises so I can stop and sit if I need to.  I can walk prob 1/3 of a mile without stopping but the chair will be my back up.  It's a lightweight three legged "stool" that weighs almost nothing and has a  shoulder strap.   We'll be in Nassau on the first leg.  After I sit for a minute or two I'm ready to go again.

[moonvine]

This does not sound promising at all.  I guess the tram doesn’t go that far?  I can’t walk a mile.  I have a rolling walker but I really don’t want to bring it.  It is quite heavy 

[perfect match]

We were in Nassau on September 17. We did a snorkel excursion and we’re able to board the snorkel boat directly from the cruise ship pier. There was a harbor tour that boarded from the cruise ship pier. There was very little walking involved. We were on Royal Caribbean, Allure Of The Seas. 
 

I took a few pictures of the construction from our balcony. I’m sure it looks somewhat different by now, but here’s what we saw. The first one is the best I have of where you would have to walk to get ashore. The others show the construction. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by perfect match

[ProfessorandtheGeek]

Can someone just roll off the ship in a scooter in Nassau and into the shopping and all? Is that possible? 

[mets123]

Yes, it's possible. It could be a half mile ride to get out of the port area depending where you dock. Keep in mind much of the area outside the port is part cobblestone and will make for a bumpy ride.

[perfect match]

@ProfessorandtheGeek, if you look at the first picture in the post above yours you will see the path you would have to follow. Remember, though, that these pictures were taken on September 18, and construction is ongoing so things will most likely change by the time you get there.

 

Start at the bottom left corner of my picture, the white you see there is my balcony railing. You would walk, or roll, to the corner and turn right onto the section of the pier that leads towards land. Take another right at the end of the pier and go down a little way where you see the line of people and turn left. This will lead you out to the street. It’s flat, so a scooter shouldn’t be a problem. We will be back there the first week in December, so hopefully we can see how many changes have been made since September.

 

I second what mets123 said about the cobblestone streets. I’m not sure about ramps onto and off of sidewalks, which could be another issue entirely.

Edited November 9, 2021 by perfect match