NeedToVacation

Awesome! I'm looking at using this company in May 2024. Thanks for the info!

Thanks!! I got the name wrong!! "Coral World" Ocean Park, that's it!!

We've been to Sapphire Beach also -- very nice. Our boys did tandem parasailing there. We swam. Also went to Honeymoon Beach -- took the ferry over to "Water Island". It's pretty, but very calm, shallow water; most people just lay around on the beach or in the water with drinks in their hands. We took our boys to Ocean World (kind of like an aquarium) where you can walk down a ramp which goes into their underwater building. You watch the fish swimming around the building in a full 360 degrees -- windows everywhere! There are some tanks up at street level with sharks, seals, etc...we loved Ocean World! ... Then Coki Beach is very close by (right across the main road, I believe). We didn't make it over there, but I've read reviews that say you can snorkel there.

I think so - there were a couple of those Christmas tree-looking things attached to the fans. I don't bring along an underwater camera, so I have to go by memory. (And I don't know the names of most of the things I see, just descriptions!)

Yes, I have LOVED the MSC cruises I've taken!! Are you thinking of trying them out? This last one was on the Divina, which I've already sailed on 3 times (I go solo because they give such good deals). My husband and I have have also been on the Meraviglia, and the Seashore. ** MSC has a wonderful private island 🏝️ in the Bahamas, Ocean Cay. ** And I enjoy their low-key entertainment onboard; lots of musicians, usually a juggler, magician, acrobats, etc. ** See my Cruise Critic review of my last trip if you'd like more details: APR 14, 2023 departure

** It will be whale season in December. ** Cabo San Lucas: Many people do whale watching excursions, or take water taxi tours to see Land's End (the big rocks that you see in the water) and there's a chance you might see whales, dolphins, or sea lions. (I have done both of these) Mazatlan: Many go to Stone Island for a lunch / beach day to relax or do activities. (I did this as part of a day tour that also showed us around the city center) Puerto Vallarta: I have seen a lot of reviews about going to the Malecon / Boardwalk for shopping, sightseeing, and lunch. Also Playa Los Muertos is a favorite in that "Centro" area. (I have only taken boat tours or done a long hike to a beach here, so I will be trying the Malecon in Oct when I go again) Try looking up each port on Trip Advisor maybe (?)... See what is popular. Or have you looked at Johann and Sandra's website? They show tours for each port separately: puerto vallarta tours . net cabo san lucas tours . net mazatlan tours . org That might give you some ideas. Good Luck!! And have fun!!!

** Agree ** (Although I've never been to Money Bar), but I just went to Sky Reef last week because of the pictures and description you gave online. THANK YOU so much!!!! It looked exactly the same as your pictures - beautiful!! - and I wouldn't have looked so closely for all the small stuff if you hadn't mentioned those things. It's now my new second-favorite place to snorkel...after Tahiti (!)

We actually just walked off the ship and started asking around - we did not make a reservation in advance. I can’t remember the name of the company we ended up with, but it was one of the very last ones outside of the cruise terminal. (They were all charging just about the same though) *A couple guys said they didn’t have any 6-seaters available, since they had already been reserved in advance.

Hi, We were just there in February. We rented a 6-passenger golf cart, drove around to see the lighthouse, saw Pillory Beach, got some cold drinks around Cockburn Town, and sat on the beach there. Had the place to ourselves. (It's the exact place that's in the picture on the map the golf cart guys give you) **As for lunch, we pulled in and parked our golf cart where the sign says "Jack's Shack", but we walked past Jack's, a little closer to the ship. There's a little yellow shack - "Island Jerk Bar and Restaurant" (it's tiny). There were a few picnic tables. We had two plates of Curry chicken (YUM!!!) and two plates of Jerk chicken (delicious, and spicy) between five adults. The Pepsi's were icy cold, which we loved.

You could also take a cab to their "zoo", Ardastra Gardens, if that's something of interest to your family. There is a flamingo show, and you or the kids could pose with a flamingo for a picture! Peacocks and hens are out walking around the grounds. There are unique exhibits, and it's not too big that you'd get tired or have to spend more than about an hour or two there. Ask the taxi driver to show you Saunders beach or Goodman's Bay - both are very close when you're leaving Ardastra. Then you could spend the afternoon back on the ship, where your water slides and lunch / drinks are all included.

We took a great tour with Bahamas Interisland Tours -- but it's been a while -- maybe 8 or 9 years ago. They might not be in business anymore. Maybe try looking up our guide on social media: Jeffrey Pinder. He was wonderful! We had his email also: jpinder.west@gmail.com if you want to try that. He took us to Cleveland's restaurant, right on the beach. AWESOME food and service! Otherwise, you could probably bargain with a local when you get off the ship. I would guess for about $200 - $275 (?!) maybe... you could get a taxi or van driver to take you and hang with you for a couple hours. Good luck!!

Have you gone yet? I'm going to do that exact thing (solo) in April. I think it's a great plan - and I feel totally safe doing it alone. My two girlfriends and I took the bus to Saunders Beach a few years ago, and we only saw one family in a couple hours. They didn't stay long, so it is relaxing and beautiful. There is a Shell gas station right there where the bus drops you off, in case you want a soda or chips. And traffic will be going by, so you won't feel like you're "alone".

This will be my first time going to Sonia's (this April), but I've been to Nassau many times. Looks like it's next to all the places at the Fish Fry, at the bottom of Chippingham Rd, which is where the #10 Jitney drops me off for Ardastra Gardens. ** Try looking it up on trip advisor -- it gets very good reviews, and you can see pictures of the food and menu. It does show the hours as 2pm - 8pm, so if you're going for lunch, it'll be a late one. Also, we did the rum distillery tour (John Watling's) last time, and it was pretty interesting. It's close by the port area. They give you samples, and my Pina Colada sample was awesome!!! Just a suggestion. 🙂

* My vote is for Half Moon Cay * You can't beat that long stretch of white sandy beach and that beautiful turquoise water! Get the jerk chicken for lunch on the island, and enjoy the brownies too! We went to Coco Cay for the first time last year, and were not as impressed. At the first beach we tried to snorkel, which was ok, but there were a lot of tiny jellyfish. They didn't "sting" so much as tingle your skin wherever they bumped into you (!) So we wandered over to South Beach (I think that's the name) which was nicer. But Coco Cay seemed more like an amusement park to us, where you have to pay extra to ride any of the slides / air balloon, etc... To us, that's what all the fun stuff on the ship is for! And it's included.

Hi. I've been to Ardastra a couple times in the past 10 years. I LOVE it! It's small enough, so you don't get tired walking around the whole place. But the animals and gardens are just so cool and out-of-the-ordinary, that it's very unique. Try to catch the flamingo show if you can. If I remember correctly, it would cost about $10 - $12 each way for the taxi. (?) Definitely ask beforehand. Also, if you're feeling adventurous, you can take the #10 Jitney (local bus) for $1.25 per person each way! That's what I'm doing again in April on my solo trip, then heading to Saunders Beach (very close by), and grabbing lunch at Sonia's Jerk Shack just past the Fish Fry. Have fun if you end up going!

Try the pumpkin soup if it is offered! ** You MUST enjoy the chocolate melting cake for dessert a couple times ** And my faves for dinners are: jerk pork chop, braised beef ribs/brisket (can't remember exactly) , mashed potatoes with brown gravy, BBQ ribs, and meat lasagna. -- If you go to MDR for a sit-down breakfast, try their French Toast. --

We always head straight to Big Chicken (YUM!!) because lots of people have not discovered where it is on the ship yet!! Or Guy's Burgers is always a hit, and delicious. The line on embarkation day will be hit-or-miss, but they usually serve everybody pretty efficiently. ** WE try to avoid the Buffet that first day **