Favorite Dawn/Bahamas Excursions

[emirelli]

I love the thread about your favorite onboard thing to do, but what about shore excursions? We are trying to save a little this trip and thinking about skipping excursions altogether, but if we were to splurge on ONE excursion, what should it be?

 

The stops are Orlando, Nassau, Grand Bahama Island and Great Stirrup Cay. Also there is someone in our group who isn't able to do anything too physical.

[Luckyroot]

We didn't care for Grand Bahama Island at all. Did the ship's Island tour, shopping and beach stop. The island tour consisted of the driver pointing out banks, gas stations, food stores, and driving thru a couple housing developments to show us homes with and without roofs. (I kid you not!). Shopping at Port Lucaya was okay, and it was across the street from a Hotel/Casino (don't remember the name but some from our ship went there for the day and said it was nice). The beach stop was Taino Beach. It was awful. Beach was very shallow, covered with seaweed, and the water didn't even look appealing. The beach stop was only 30 minutes (this should have been a clue) and most in our tour group were back on the bus after 15 minutes. Friends took the Junkanoo beach excursion which was a day at Taino Beach. They were VERY disappointed!

 

For an inexpensive, fun excursion, go to Atlantis at night when you dock (I'm assuming you're on the Dawn arriving in Nassau at 8pm, leaving the following morning at 11:30am). The Dig is free after 7pm, and it's awesome! Just walking around the grounds of the Atlantis is an experience, it's HUGE. A walking tour the following morning is free (although could be difficult for your one family member). The straw market is an experience......and great place to pick up inexpensive souveniers.

 

Great Stirrup Cay is beautiful, and you can bring your own snorkel gear and have a great time. If your family member is very limited mobility, they have sand wheel chairs that make the beach accessable for everyone.

 

I would say that the money excursion should probably be Orlando, and go to one of the theme parks (assuming you haven't been there before......or even if you have!) Cocoa Beach is nice and the taxi fare is about $10 (although friends had a problem finding a taxi, might want to take the ships excursion to be safe).

 

Enjoy your cruise!!