Great Nassau excursion- Clifton Heritage National Park

[lizroxy24]

I just got back from a cruise that stopped in Nassau and used this forum to explore excursion options.  We ended up going on an excursion that I don't hear reported on very often and I wanted to promote it as we had a great time.  We did the combination snorkeling and heritage tour through the Clifton Heritage National Park.  It was a wonderful experience.  They book tours directly through their website: https://tourcliftonheritage.com/

The tour included personal pick-up/ drop-off directly at the port, snorkeling, beach time, lunch, and a tour of the historical and artistic parts of the park.  We were the only ones signed up from our cruise and we basically had a personalized tour. There was no rushing or feeling that they were herding you like cattle, instead, the staff were excited to share information and to help people explore their national park.   The snorkeling is off the shore and includes some amazing underwater statues.  There is a snorkeling guide that goes out with you on a kayak and is available to assist if needed.   One of the best parts of the experience is you feel you are contributing to local conservation and preservation efforts for a site that is valuable to the local population. There is just a lovely spirit to the place and the people working there.  Travel from the port was about 30 mins each way but they were very conscious of cruise ship schedules and had good communication so we didn't feel like there were any concerns over getting back to the ship in time. Our driver provided information about the island and pointed out points of interest along the way so the drive was also very interesting.  The beaches were beautiful, clean, and uncrowded. It would be a great option for groups with kids who are big enough to swim/snorkel.  Lunch was basic (Chicken tenders, fries, and a bottle of water) but tasty and served right at the beach. 

I heard so many people who say they skip getting off the ship at Nassau or people who have had negative experiences with the over-commercialized ship-sponsored excursions.  I just wanted to promote this alternative.  

[txjeeplady]

Wonderful review! Adding this to my list for Nassau in the future. 

[wildcats40]

Thanks for the recommendation.  We're looking at their website.  One place it shows 45 minutes to 1 hour for the $90 snorkeling tour but then it says "all day".  Does that mean the snorkeling portion is about an hour and the rest of the time you are free to enjoy the beach and have lunch?  I see an estimated time to pick up from the cruise port but don't see what time you are taken back to the port.  It sounds good but am trying to understand the details.  Thanks.

[vivalv66]

We just booked on the website. Beach day only. I got an email canceling my reservation and then another confirming from the tour company. They give you directions to the pick up spot. Ours is 9:45-10am. We have use of all the beaches and a lunch. The website states we will depart around 2pm.

We are going March 18. Hope that helps a little.

[lizroxy24]

To answer the question above, Yes snorkeling takes about an hour, and the rest of the time you can hang out at the beach.  We did the combo snorkeling, and heritage tour.  We did snorkeling in the morning when we arrived, then beach time and lunch for about an hour, and then the tour of the banana hole, slave houses, and art overlook in the afternoon.  I think the website starts a reservation for you if you put anything in the cart.  I ended up with a duplicate reservation and then got an alert that it had been canceled which worried me initially.  I was able to email and confirm that the tour wasn't actually canceled just the duplicate reservation.  I also called to confirm pickup instructions and since they had my cell number they were able to call the morning of and let me know the driver's eta at the cruise port.  The fountain where they do pick-up was very easy to find.  We ended up getting back to the ship around 3.

[Peachy59]

Thanks for that review. I was looking at this but they don't really answer all my questions on their website. Do they provide loungers on the beach? Are there places to purchase water or any kind of beverages?

[Meram]

Sounds wonderful, and I really wanted to do the combo snorkel and heritage tour

However, the site says the max age for the snorkel is 64 (no exceptions)! I am truly shocked. My husband and are in our late 60s but are experienced snorkelers. This is the first time I’ve ever seen these kind of restrictions. 
Anyone else experienced something like this. 
 

[jean87510]

On 2/11/2024 at 8:07 PM, Meram said:

Sounds wonderful, and I really wanted to do the combo snorkel and heritage tour

However, the site says the max age for the snorkel is 64 (no exceptions)! I am truly shocked. My husband and are in our late 60s but are experienced snorkelers. This is the first time I’ve ever seen these kind of restrictions. 
Anyone else experienced something like this. 
 

I have now that we are turning 60 this year on a couple of snorkeling excursions.  My answer is to give my truth on what age I think I am (if that makes sense).  

[jean87510]

On 1/17/2024 at 6:43 PM, lizroxy24 said:

I just got back from a cruise that stopped in Nassau and used this forum to explore excursion options.  We ended up going on an excursion that I don't hear reported on very often and I wanted to promote it as we had a great time.  We did the combination snorkeling and heritage tour through the Clifton Heritage National Park.  It was a wonderful experience.  They book tours directly through their website: https://tourcliftonheritage.com/

The tour included personal pick-up/ drop-off directly at the port, snorkeling, beach time, lunch, and a tour of the historical and artistic parts of the park.  We were the only ones signed up from our cruise and we basically had a personalized tour. There was no rushing or feeling that they were herding you like cattle, instead, the staff were excited to share information and to help people explore their national park.   The snorkeling is off the shore and includes some amazing underwater statues.  There is a snorkeling guide that goes out with you on a kayak and is available to assist if needed.   One of the best parts of the experience is you feel you are contributing to local conservation and preservation efforts for a site that is valuable to the local population. There is just a lovely spirit to the place and the people working there.  Travel from the port was about 30 mins each way but they were very conscious of cruise ship schedules and had good communication so we didn't feel like there were any concerns over getting back to the ship in time. Our driver provided information about the island and pointed out points of interest along the way so the drive was also very interesting.  The beaches were beautiful, clean, and uncrowded. It would be a great option for groups with kids who are big enough to swim/snorkel.  Lunch was basic (Chicken tenders, fries, and a bottle of water) but tasty and served right at the beach. 

I heard so many people who say they skip getting off the ship at Nassau or people who have had negative experiences with the over-commercialized ship-sponsored excursions.  I just wanted to promote this alternative.  

We were booked on this back in January but it was unfortunately canceled that am due to choppy conditions.  We have rebooked for an upcoming trip in November.  

I cannot stress how nice and responsive the online staff has been with me.  I had accidentally booked the beach day instead of the snorkeling for November and Bernique the rep said "let's wait and see what conditions are so at least you can enjoy beach.  If its good to go,  we will add a snorkeling for you".  

[rhcpchika1]

Thank you for sharing!  We have been to Nassau 4 times now, so looking to do a guided excursion this time.  This one fits the bill perfectly!

Edited March 17 by rhcpchika1

[perfect match]

On 2/11/2024 at 8:07 PM, Meram said:

Sounds wonderful, and I really wanted to do the combo snorkel and heritage tour

However, the site says the max age for the snorkel is 64 (no exceptions)! I am truly shocked. My husband and are in our late 60s but are experienced snorkelers. This is the first time I’ve ever seen these kind of restrictions. 
Anyone else experienced something like this. 
 

Unfortunately, we have run into age restrictions on snorkel tours all too often. I have had fewer problems when booking privately than through the ship. The Clifton Heritage National Park. tour is sadly a private tour that does have age restrictions. I would book it in a minute if I could.