NeedToVacation

That's what I've heard also, that the snorkeling is better to the right. But I was just there in May, and it was pretty challenging to get in the water with the rocks. Then the water was very murky and I did not see any signs of life. Maybe I didn't swim far enough (?).

So when we walked to the left (that's where all the people are), we rented a double lounge chair w/umbrella, and I swam out along the rope that floats to keep boats out. It's a mini "drop off" just past where all the cruise people are standing around in the water holding their drinks! I saw a ray swim by, lots of huge colorful parrot fish, and some schools of squid!! I didn't know what they were at first - I had never seen them in real life.

From there, you could continue walking down the beach and reach Jack's in about 8 - 10 minutes.

Hi Ladybella76,

Nassau and Freeport are two of my favorite ports!! (** Love those pis from manmachine! **)

In Nassau: we've done a snorkel excursion with Bay West tours that was awesome. - See attached pictures

I've been to Ardastra Gardens / Zoo probably three times now - love it! - See attached pictures

Cable Beach is a good option if you want access to water sports, take the #10 jitney

Saunders Beach is more of a local beach - very quiet - no water sports gear available - See attached pics

In Freeport: we've done Pat & Diane's snorkel excursion. It was a blast!! Very good company with great service. They also do a

private island / beach getaway. Shopping at Port Lucaya afterwards for each one.

Paradise Cove / Deadman's Reef if you want really good snorkeling just from the beach. Contact them online.

Gold Rock Beach is like a postcard. We did a tour with Jeff Pinder through Bahamas eco tours. He takes you

through the caves at Lucayan National Park, walk through the mangrove areas, then across the street to Gold

Rock Beach ( see pics ). He'll take you to a local restaurant on another awesome beach for lunch - fresh

caught (!). My Mom hasn't stopped talking about her lunch: conch salad w/lobster. Jeff is wonderful.

Enjoy the Bahamas!!! I'm going again in Sept.

Have a blast cruising for the first time!!

Nassau beach zoo pdf.pdf

Bay West Nassau pdf.pdf

Gold Rock Beach Lucayan Natl Park Freeport.pdf

Also look up red sail sports (redsailcayman.com). It looks like they have two tours for just sailing and/or snorkeling. Plus they do private tours. Their boats look pretty nice!

We went with Rony's. The driver took us to a local "outdoor market" to get souvenirs for about a third of the cost that you'll find close to port. And it's up on the highest point of Roatan, so you can get a couple good pictures. We stopped along the road for some local fruit that I've never seen before. Then they took us to a beautiful beach right by some cliffs at West Bay. See attachment for pics:

Just tell them what you want to do on your tour and they will deliver. I would highly recommend Rony's.

Rony's pdf.pdf

Hi all

 

Really struggling to decide what to do in Cozumel, it will be our first time there! I like the look of the Cozumel El Cielo and Columbia Snorkel with Playa Mia Beach Club Excursion offered via Shore Excursioneer, has anyone done this? I'm a bit nervous with it being a long excursion on getting back to the port in time. We sail at 5pm so all aboard will be 4.30pm- on the NCL Escape in October. I like that you get to visit several different places, with it being our first and maybe only time in Cozumel it will be good to do a variety of things- but does this mean it will be rushed?

 

The other two options I am tossing up are Chankanaab or Paradise Beach. We will be beaching it on the other 3 stops though, so although we love beach time I was thinking of doing something different in Cozumel so swaying away from Paradise Beach.

 

Any advice as to what to do?!

We're looking at doing that same excursion in November. I've used shoreexcursioneer a couple times for other tours before and they were great! They definitely want to get you back to the ship on time, no matter which excursion you do. I think the snorkeling will be better from a boat at Columbia Reef than it is at Chankanaab. And El Cielo looks too good to pass up! Playa Mia would be a bonus to go play on the toys.

- Another option for you guys (depending on how many are in your party) is to do a private boat tour that takes you to all those same places. We're looking into fishingcozumel.net as an option, since we'll have at least 6 in our party. It works out to the same price as when you go with 20 or 30 other people on the group excursions. Look at their "snorkel and beach" private tour if you're interested.

Hello everyone,

 

Just looking for information, opinions and experiences with using www.shoreexcursioneer.com.

 

Would you recommend it over the excursions the cruise lines offer?

How was your experience?

Was it easy to find the shuttles or excursion location?

 

We normally book directly through the cruise line, but I heard about this website and they offer some of the same excursions for a better price. I know that cheaper isn't also better so that is why I wanted to check.

 

Any information is extremely appreciated!

 

Thanks!

Hi. I have used shoreexcursioneer in the past. They are great! Everything is spelled out very simply in the email confirmation they send you. I'm pretty sure I used them for "Papito's" in Cozumel. It's a beautiful sandy beach all the way down by the lighthouse (Punta Sur, I think). No crowds - just us and about maybe 6 other people there all day. The driver stays with you for your return.

- Also used them in Belize for cave tubing. It ended up being cancelled because of too much rain. The representative there offered us an alternate activity - 4 wheelers and zip lining, but we did not want to do that. So, I requested a refund through email when I got back home, and no problems.

** Good customer service! ** I would recommend them.

We did Rony's freestyle tour a couple years ago. It was just 5 of us. * I would highly recommend. *

- The animals at Daniel's are awesome!! The sloth is amazing!

- He took us to a little local straw market along the way to buy t-shirts and souvenirs at 1/3 the cost of the prices by the cruise port. Plus you're high up on a hill for some good pics.

- We brought some toys / candy / school supplies for the local school-age children in his home village.

- The driver then took us to an amazing beach on West Bay.

We always book tours with local companies. Rony was very nice, and our driver and guide were wonderful.

See attachments for a few pics:

Daniel's Roatan pdf.pdf

West Bay Beach Roatan pdf.pdf

1. In your opinion, what is the best snorkeling from beach site in Cozumel?

2. Are the snorkeling from beach options remotely close to the excursions by boat to the reefs in regards to quality?

3. Ideally, an option that has great food, a great beach and snorkeling from beach which is all inclusive would be perfect!. We aren't really interested in water sports.

 

Thanks

Hi. We went to Papito's in Cozumel; I think we booked it through shore excursioneer. We had the whole beach practically to ourselves! * I would totally recommend this place. *

Umbrellas, loungers, snorkel gear, transportation to and from cruise pier was included. They have a cute local restaurant right there, where you can purchase food and drinks. ( I think there was an option to have it be all-inclusive, but we didn't want that. )

- Three of us snorkeled out right from the sandy beach. You don't see much except sand for about 8 or 9 minutes of swimming. Then you find some brain coral, all different colors of fish - we even saw a stingray swimming by. The water was calm and warm and beautiful. The beach is quiet and relaxing.

- Our driver stayed there the whole time. We asked him about the option to go climb the lighthouse. So we left the beach area a little bit earlier which allowed us time to walk around and see the mini ruins, and climb the lighthouse. - See attached pics -

Papitos Cozumel pdf.pdf

Looking for something new to do on Roatan. Love snorkeling and want to see as much of the reef as possible, but also want to make it adventuresome for the kids and this tour looks like it does both. What I am wondering from anyone who has done it, do you get to see the same snorkel sites or is the snorkeling not as good because of the distance limitations from kayaking out?

 

Thanks!

Elle

Hi. We did this kayak / snorkel excursion a couple years ago. The snorkeling was wonderful!!! You end up staying in the water for at least an hour and a half after kayaking out to the reef. Two of us got a little pink on our backs, even though we had used sunscreen. Better to wear a rash guard (swim shirt) if anyone is prone to burning. Kayaking out through the mangroves is really cool. Then it's maybe a 10 or 12 minute paddle out to the reef - not too far.

** Two women in our group of 6 people opted to stay at the Upachaya Resort grounds with Barbara after hearing how long we would be out on the water. They lounged by the pool in the shade with drinks instead.

One of your guides will get in the water and snorkel around with you, while the other one stays in his kayak, circling around making sure if anyone needs to hold on and rest. I remember seeing tons of coral, all different colors. My brother showed us a flounder-type fish resting on a rock. The water is warm and so beautiful. You do have to pull yourself back up onto your kayak after snorkeling, which sounds a bit challenging...but if I could do it...(a 50 year old petite woman with skinny non muscular arms !!) anyone who is an active person shouldn't have a problem.

- I'm trying to find some of my pics to show you. I do have a review with some pics on trip advisor. And probably on my cruise critic review of the actual cruise we were on: Carnival Magic Nov. 2015, I think.

It looks like there is a tour on viator. We actually drove by the bird sanctuary when we hired a taxi to take us to Mayfield Falls from the port, so that may be an option too, if you don't need a whole organized tour.

Sailing the Carnival Breeze in early November. After reviewing the excursions, we are considering staying on the ship in Montego Bay. We both have been to Jamaica before (not on cruise) and most all excursions include 4+ hours of driving back and forth to excursion. Only local one that I saw includes laying on the beach for the day. Not sure that is how we want to spend the day. We are in our early 50's but live an active lifestyle. Other ports of call on our trip include Grand Cayman and Cozumel. However, wanted to get input from others before making final plans. Thoughts or recommendations?

Hi. We went to Mayfield Falls about 7 years ago from the port at Montego Bay and had a blast!. It was 4 women, 2 in our 40's and 2 in their 70's. I remember the drive being maybe an hour, not much more, to get there. It's all uphill (!), but relatively close to Montego Bay. Only about 40 minutes to get back down. We just hired a taxi driver at the port, but it looks like there may be an organized excursion on viator.

It's beautifull!! Look it up online if you're interested. You walk across a hanging wood bridge, hike along the river, and actually through the water to all different sizes of falls. Guides go along with you and will take pictures of you with your own camera if you like. We were probably on the river for at least 2 to 3 hours. There was an option for lunch there, but we declined.

Our taxi driver ended up taking us to The Jerk Shack afterwards (back down in Montego Bay) for some delicious Jerk chicken right off the outside bbq grill. A local man chopped a coconut in half for us to sip the coconut water.

We still laugh and tell stories about that tour. It was a great day! I would recommend it.

Does any one have suggestions on who does a tour like this. Is it possible. I haven't done much research yet, but these seem to be the most interesting option for me for this port day. :cool:

 

Thanks much, G

Hi. We're booked with jamaicaphil dot com for November. If your ship is coming into Falmouth, it's offered as one tour for $75 and does both activities. He responds very quickly to email. Seems nice. Gets good reviews.

First time out of the United States and first cruise ; going to Nassau for first stop and wanting to get my passport stamped for fun, but can't find a straight answer about where to get it done. Anybody have a good description of where?

 

Also wanting to know about some local fun things to besides beaches and atlantis? I have the queen's staircase, señor frogs, rum factory & straw market listed but wanted to know if there a must see that i'm missing.

 

Thank You to everyone for you help!(:

Hi. We've gotten our passports stamped in Nassau before. Like the article says, there is a gate right at the port shopping area (first walk through building, pass the information desk, go outside - it's on your left). You'll see armed guards standing there in military uniforms - don't be intimidated (!). Just tell them you want to get a stamp in your passport. They'll check your ship card and ID and let you through. It's just in the little building - they'll direct you. They've always been very nice to us.

** And if anyone in your party is up for the zoo, Ardastra Gardens is pretty cool. It's small, so you can leisurely walk through at your own pace. The select animals that they do have are very interesting, and not in typical "cages". They are in outside enclosures surrounded by lots of the local trees. Peacocks wander around freely on the paths. There's even a flamingo show at certain times throughout the day.

Hi. My mother and I went with Jeff Pinder through Grand Bahama Eco Tours (he still took us even though we were the only two people who signed up!!). It's his Eastern Heritage Cultural Tour to Grand Lucayan National Park and Gold Rock Beach. He was the nicest guide imaginable -- took us to a great restaurant on another beautiful beach for lunch. The whole trip is about 4.5 - 5 hours. I would highly recommend him.

 

 

Trying to attach a picture...but I'm not sure how to

 

 

OK... Trying once again to attach a couple pictures of our tour.

** And at Gold Rock Beach, the water was very shallow - it's like being on a sand bar. People were still standing in knee deep water very far out. So I don't think it would be a good place to snorkel.

Gold Rock Beach : Lucayan Natl Park.pdf

Grand Bahamas Eco Tour.pdf

3 questions, if you can answer, please! 1)Timewise - how long of a ride on the jitney to get there? 2) Is there any shade? 3) Can you snorkle from the beach there? This sounds like a good option for us in October. We're not a fan of the "party" scene that Junkanoo apparently offers... Thank you!

Hi Kelly

1) It's maybe 5 or 6 minutes on the jitney - not far at all. I would ask the driver when you get on to let you know when you're there. If you look out the right side window, you'll pass Junkanoo first, then Arawak Cay (Fish Fry / Ardastra Gardens & Zoo), then it's just a couple more stops down. You'll see a Shell gas station.

2) There is not much shade. Only up by the sidewalk area, there are some bushes and small "trees". Not sure if they would even provide any shade.

3) The water is crystal clear. So if you bring your own snorkel gear (even just a mask), you will be able to see whatever is there. It is mostly sandy though, so probably not the best place for a whole lot of undersea life. One local guy was trying to show us some fish right around the rocks - so that's your best bet to see any fish.

Saunders Beach Nassau.pdf

We are booked to go directly through their website next week, Aug 3rd 2017.

They told us to meet the bus beside the Harley Davidson store at the port.

 

Can anyone tell me how to get to the Harley store?

and how far it is from the dock?

 

I've been looking for a map and can't find a good one.

 

Thanks

Hi. We did this same excursion direct through their website last Dec. The port area is pretty small, but we couldn't find our driver right away. So I just asked another local excursion person if he knew where our guy would be. He showed us where to sit and wait...there were some tables out in the middle surrounded by food booths, stores, and live music playing. Our driver was not there quite yet (we were a little early). If you just keep an eye out...and even ask around, everyone knows each other and they were very nice and willing to help. * Once our driver arrived, he had a list of names that he was checking off. He even started calling out for names of people who were not right there. They don't want to leave anyone behind. (I'm not sure exactly where the Harley place is, but it might just be one of those little booths).

** Good luck! ** Have fun!! ** We saw 6 huge spotted eagle rays, lots of coral, and tons of fish while we were snorkeling. You have to swim out through the three big rocks though. It's not as far as it looks - don't be intimidated. Plus, there are floating mats and tubes along the way - and even on the other side of the rocks - so you can just hold on if you need to rest, or pull yourself up onto them. Wear a watch out there so you know how much time you have.

I have seen good recommendations for Pat and Diane Snorkeling, their website says they have taken kids as young as 2 years old out.

 

I am hoping someone with personal experience can tell me how they were.

 

My DD is 4 years old. She is very comfortable in water and has been in swimming lessons since she was 2. She is comfortable in a life vest. However she has never used a face mask, and generally does not like putting her face under water. Additionally she wears glasses, so I guess she'd need to take those off.

 

Thoughts??

 

 

 

Thanks in Advance!

Hi. We did the double decker boat trip a couple years ago with our 2 boys (they were maybe 8 & 10). It has a rock climbing wall and a water slide off the back of the boat. We had a blast! Not sure if that boat is still running after damage from hurricane last year though.

** People were great!! Good equipment for snorkeling, crystal clear turquoise water. Diane will answer any questions you have through email. She's very helpful. I would highly recommend.

Our family of 3 is looking for a relaxing beach day while in Nassau for the day. Has anyone been to Saunders beach recently? It sounds like it has a bathroom, some possibilities for food/drink if desired, and not many vendors to hassle with on the beach. Can anyone confirm this?

 

 

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Yes, I was just there in May. There are three "cove" areas: the first 2 did not have anyone at them. The third one had maybe about 5 other people besides us, since it was a Sunday - the busiest day (!), and since it is the closest to the restrooms. We took the #10 jitney bus there and back, brought some chips and a little fabric cooler with some water bottles. But there is a Shell gas station right there across the street and the KFC and Pizza Hut also.

The water is clear and beautiful! Very nice beach -- no vendors. I would go again.

So we are sailing to Freeport as one of our ports with Carnival next year and I really want to see Gold Rock beach because I hear it's beautiful. But there doesn't seem to be any official ship excursions there. Can anyone offer tips on ways to get there and /or excursions you've done there. Or is it too far away for a day trip?

Hi. My mother and I went with Jeff Pinder through Grand Bahama Eco Tours (he still took us even though we were the only two people who signed up!!). It's his Eastern Heritage Cultural Tour to Grand Lucayan National Park and Gold Rock Beach. He was the nicest guide imaginable -- took us to a great restaurant on another beautiful beach for lunch. The whole trip is about 4.5 - 5 hours. I would highly recommend him.

Trying to attach a picture...but I'm not sure how to

file:///Users/Wendy/Desktop/DSCN0086.jpg

I cruising on 11/29 on the Carnival Ecstasy. I will be with a group of 8 women. I am trying to find interesting things to do on Nassau and Freeport.

I am interested in the Garden of the Groves and City Tour in Freeport, but of course do not want to pay to tour the Gardens if they have been ravaged by the storm.

 

If you have been there since the hurricane, please share what the extent of the damage is.

 

Also, if you have been to the Garden of the Groves please tell me if it is as nice as it looks on the Carnival website.

 

Thanks for your help!

Hi,

I just happened upon this article about damage to Garden of the Groves:

"Garden of the Groves had extensive damage to the landscape but restoration efforts are underway. Grand Bahama Nature Tours reported that they were able to secure all of its equipment and will be able to run Jeep, bike, ATV and kayak tours as soon as all routes are assessed and cleared for safety. Tours are expected to recommence on October 31, the company said. "

I have not been there myself, but I would give it a try if I were you. They need all the support from tourists that they can get now.

Hope that helps. Have Fun!!

Does anyone know of a reputable boat tour operator in Nassau. We wanted to do something a little more private than a large tour. Thanks for any information!!

Hi,

I'm looking at Bay West Adventures. They seem like great guys. You get the whole 18 ft pontoon boat for 1/2 or full day. They've gotten really good reviews.

Good Luck!

Is it possible to get on the beach without paying any fee at all? If we just want to sit on the beach and don't need a pool or bathroom?

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Forums mobile app

Hi,

I took the #10 bus to the Melia hotel. I walked in to their lobby and asked where the Starbucks is. (through lobby, veer right, then down the stairs). That's where the door is out to their pool area. Walk past their pools and bar and you're on the beach.

* If you do happen to see a security guy, just tell him where you want to go - to the public beach. They'll direct you. I had no problem.

When I was done for the afternoon, I walked right back out through their lobby, down their front stairs, and that's where the bus stops. Convenient.

Good Luck! Have Fun!

Hi, anyone with any recent experience with this tour group? Last posts here seem to be 2013. They look great and get wonderful reviews on Trip Advisor, but they haven't responded to my email. I never know what to think of a poor email response as none of the islands seem to make this the priority that we do here in the states. But we are talking about the Bahamas, so I would think they'd pay a little more attention. I asked if they picked up cruise passengers because their web site doesn't clearly say that they do or don't. Without a good private tour guide I'm beginning to think that Freeport will be a waste of time for me. Laurie

Hi. Did you ever get a response from Jeff at Bahamas Interisland Ecotours? My Mom and I just had a wonderful private tour with him in May 2016. We did the Eastern Heritage Cultural Tour. He takes you in a comfortable van (right from the port area) to Lucayan National Park, with informational stops along the way. You explore the caves and mangroves, then walk across the street to Gold Rock Beach. That is probably the coolest-looking beach I have ever seen!

** I'd email him once more. He responded very quickly when I emailed in May. He even set up a time to call me to get my credit card # over the phone.

They may be experiencing problems with electricity / internet if there are any tropical storms in the area (?). You never know...but we would highly recommend Jeff and any of his tours.

-- Another excursion to try (if you want to be on the water) is Pat & Diane Snorkeling. We've done that one before and it was a blast!

Sunshine-y

That one is awesome.

Hey - "awesome"!! ...Or I was going to say "dreamy".

This was my thought too...UNTIL I went and heard the story of how Daniel started his sanctuary. He is nursing animals back to health in order to reintroduce them to their native habitat - many are brought to him from the mainland as abandoned (or orphaned) infants. The sloths come and go (slowly! :p) with no restraints. His animals are well cared for and "cages" are huge, far bigger than any "traditional" zoo I've been to. You know that nasty smell at a zoo that you can even smell in the open (and you feel like you can still smell it long after you've left??)? Not at Daniel's! His place is clean and there wasn't a scrap of waste - He has volunteers from the local schools that are learning about animal welfare as well as tourism - the young man that showed us around was smart and polite and knew a lot about the animals he was showing us. Also, unlike other zoos I've been to worldwide where they feed the animals nonstop to get them to "pose" and such...not at Daniel's - his are just cute and happy because they are well cared for, not because they're getting treats!

 

I'm sorry Monkeylala, but you're picking on the wrong guy and the wrong sanctuary.

*** Awesome!! *** I totally agree with you and jorezba. This is a wonderful place for the animals! It was a great experience. Our guide, Owen, knew so much about the animals and was very soft spoken and respectful.

...And...We love the Magic too!!