How crowded is Our Lucaya?

[thistoo]

I am cruising to Freeport/Nassau on the Sensation with my parents and a friend in mid-October. Port Canaveral is very convenient to my parents' home, so a quick trip to the Bahamas is easy for us. However, my father is not the most adventurous tourist now that he's getting older, and I can't convince him to head out to Gold Rock Beach for our day in Freeport. (I think he's nervous about trusting someone to come back and pick us up and getting us back to the ship in time.)

 

I've read all the threads I can find about other beaches in Freeport, and the consensus seems to be that Our Lucaya is the path of least resistance. So what I'm wondering is how crowded I can expect it to be in October.

 

We really just want a beach day in Freeport; we don't care about the marketplace, and we can fend for ourselves food-wise if need be. Should we make the effort to go somewhere more secluded, or are the crowds at Our Lucaya bearable? I don't mind people, I'm just used to Florida beaches in the summer and I'm not looking for wall-to-wall bodies. I've read good things about Xanadu in the guidebooks, but is it worth the hassle of talking a taxi into taking us? Is it easier to get a taxi to somewhere other than Lucaya if you wait until the crowds have already left the ship?

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I would not expect it to be very crowded at all around the Our Lucaya resort during the month of October. That's the off-season. If you feel there are still too many people around then walk 100 meters to the west and get away from the hotel area.

 

Being near the hotel offers the advantages of restrooms as well as food and drinks. It's also where you can get to in a shared-taxi van for $5/per person each way. That's because that is where everyone is going. With Xanadu you might be the only ones going in which case the taxi driver is going to charge you market rates which could be considerable. Every taxi driver there wants a full van in order to make $50-$55 for the drive into town.

 

BobK/Orlando

[thistoo]

Thanks for the clarification! I had read somewhere around here about the taxi issues, which was one concern. But my parents will probably feel better if we're near some services, so Our Lucaya it is.

[lupee13]

Do the hotels on Our Lucaya Beach offer day passes? i've been reading that they don't and other posts say they do? does anyone know for sure the answer to this?

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

No one has actually confirmed that there are Day Passes at Our Lucaya. So as far as I know, there is no such thing. You really should not use their pools or pool chairs. But the beach behind the resort is public and you can rent chairs and umbrellas there.

 

BobK/Orlando

[crusinmama06]

Do the hotels on Our Lucaya Beach offer day passes? i've been reading that they don't and other posts say they do? does anyone know for sure the answer to this?

 

I have always been told no. We are leaving in 10 days so I will be able to report back when I return.

 

But here is something to think about cause this is my dilemna...we arrive at 8am...the ship leaves at 5pm

 

A room right now is $103.20 (internet rate for Sheraton)

 

Do I pay the $103.20 to use the facilities? Probably not. Which is why a daypass wouldn't be that much less for a fam of 4.

[Snorkel2Much]

I am cruising to Freeport/Nassau on the Sensation with my parents and a friend in mid-October. Port Canaveral is very convenient to my parents' home, so a quick trip to the Bahamas is easy for us. However, my father is not the most adventurous tourist now that he's getting older, and I can't convince him to head out to Gold Rock Beach for our day in Freeport. (I think he's nervous about trusting someone to come back and pick us up and getting us back to the ship in time.)

 

I've read all the threads I can find about other beaches in Freeport, and the consensus seems to be that Our Lucaya is the path of least resistance. So what I'm wondering is how crowded I can expect it to be in October.

 

We really just want a beach day in Freeport; we don't care about the marketplace, and we can fend for ourselves food-wise if need be. Should we make the effort to go somewhere more secluded, or are the crowds at Our Lucaya bearable? I don't mind people, I'm just used to Florida beaches in the summer and I'm not looking for wall-to-wall bodies. I've read good things about Xanadu in the guidebooks, but is it worth the hassle of talking a taxi into taking us? Is it easier to get a taxi to somewhere other than Lucaya if you wait until the crowds have already left the ship?

We'll be in Freeport Sept 3rd, and if the weather cooperates I'll be trying to hire a taxi to run us out to Paradise Cove on the west side of the island. I'll post here when we return on how easy (or not) it was to hire a taxi to somewhere other than Our Lucaya, and what we paid.

[thistoo]

We'll be in Freeport Sept 3rd, and if the weather cooperates I'll be trying to hire a taxi to run us out to Paradise Cove on the west side of the island. I'll post here when we return on how easy (or not) it was to hire a taxi to somewhere other than Our Lucaya, and what we paid.

 

Thanks, I will look forward to your report! Paradise Cove is another spot I thought sounded intriguing.

[Ellanora]

We were at Our Lucaya in mid/late Sept last year, and it was not at all crowded. There were people walking around, the shops and restaurants were open, but there were only a few in each shop, only a few tables filled at each restaurant. The beach and hotel grounds were practically deserted. Had we paid for a room at the Westin, we would have had the beautiful pool to ourselves, but then, the beach was free and hardly anybody there, either.