Mliddon

4 hours ago, indygirl76 said:

(Although the walk from the ship to the shops was not for the faint of heart. Yikes.) 

 What happened?!?!

On the Jaxport site it states they have to pay 10 dollars if they are picking people up, not dropping off.  Not sure how they handle all of it, but the woman who posted earlier said her uber driver said he is back and forth from the port all day on arrival/departure days.  She is going to post how it goes getting the uber after the cruise.  Will let you know!!!

I just read a post from a woman who said she ubered from a downtown hotel and had no problem. she is on the boat now and reviewing the trip daily!!!  She is going to report on the uber out when she gets back.  

We live in Jax, if you are planning on taking an Uber to the boat I would suggest not staying near the airport.  It is not a nice area.  There are some nice Hotels at the beach that have access to good restaurants.  

We will be on the Christmas Cruise as well.  Any idea if they do anything special for Christmas Day?  Also, we are for Jax if you have any questions about the area for pre-cruise fun!!!!

22 hours ago, indygirl76 said:

After a tasty but expensive breakfast at the Hyatt, and an easy 15 minute Uber, we are at the port waiting to board. They just called Platinum and Diamond, so we should be moving in about ten minutes (FTTF).

 

Was the uber driver able to take you all the way in the port?  I have heard rumors that they do not allow that.  We live in JAx and prefer to Uber to and from the port.  I am curious how easy it is to get an uber out after the cruise!!!  Thanks again for sharing your vacation with us.  Glad you enjoyed the HYatt... next time stay at the Beaches!!!

We are headed out over Christmas!!!  Thank you for taking the time to post reviews!!!  We are living vicariously through you this week!!!

I am not sure if you have already sailed,  here is some info.  The port is in an industrial area of town.  There are no hotels near the port that I would recommend.  There are some great hotels down at the Beach, maybe a 20 minute drive. 

One Ocean in Atlantic Beach

The Palms in Atlantic Beach

Courtyard Marriott in Jacksonville Beach

there are a lot of great restaurants around Atlantic Beach and it would be a fun way to start out your vacation!!!

Hope this helps

Michelle

We have booked a tour through Iguana Mama Adventure Tours. You can find reviews on Trip Advisor. It costs the same as the boat excursion but includes 12 waterfalls versus 7 waterfalls for the boat tour. You can also search this forum for Iguana Mama. All the reviews seem very positive.

I messaged one of the companies providing the tours and they mentioned it was cold but people get used to it quickly. I tend to get cold and stay cold. Has anyone taken this trip in December. I would hate to be miserable for 5 hours.....

Thanks

Michelle

We are cruising in Mid-December and the waterfall tours look like a lot of fun. Has anyone taken these tours in December? Is the water too cold? We are Floridians.... don't handle cold water well!!!! ;) Any advice is appreciated

Michelle

I'll post a review, for sure!

I hope you had a wonderful time on your cruise... how did the Rose Island trip turn out?

I don't blame you! I called back again just to double check, and she said 80% of their guests haves ships that leave the port at 5PM and don't have any issues. So fingers crossed. Maybe add it to your bucket list for a different trip! Have fun! :)

We have a reservation at the end of April, I would love to know how it worked out for you!!!

Have a great time

Thanks guys!!! One more thing, are we charged for the last day? I doubt I can drink that much before noon!!! Although I could try....

Never mind, I just did a google search and found my answer. You can get any drink that costs up to 50 dollars. no need to worry about premium choices

I am trying to determine if the Cheers Package makes sense for me. we will likely choose to upgrade the liquor and wine choices and I was wondering if the program covered those or just house wine and well brand. I noticed that the website states

" All spirits, including cocktails, cognacs, whiskies and other spirits, as well as beer and wine (and Champagne) by the glass, with a $50 USD or lower menu price per serving"

What does this mean? Any drink less than $50 or liquor that would sell for less than $50 a bottle? Are their individual drinks that cost more the $50?

Also, do they serve free drinks inn the casino or will we have to pay for those?

Thanks in advanced

I will be going to Rose Island in April and can let you know how the timing works out. We are going on a Saturday, so it might be a slightly different experience. From what I understand they have a large party out there on Sundays...

We will be going in April. I have signed up for an excursion to Rose Island through Sandy Toes. They have snorkeling and private beach area with, what looks like, a fun bar. I will post a review when we get back!!!!

Michelle

Those are good points. I should ask everyone what they prefer. I appreciate the input.

mich

I was not sure what size group we would have when I booked my cruise and selected ATD option. Now it looks like we might have as many as 8-10 people in my group. Is it easy to get a large table at any time dining? We are sailing on Carnival, if that makes a difference.

thanks for the input

I contacted Sandy Toes regarding an excursion to that beach in February. They responded saying Sunday is the only day they do trips from the cruise port in Nassau. I'm assuming you'll be docked on a Sunday then? If not, I would love to know how you booked your excursion. Thanks!

 

 

That is strange, I was able to book a trip on a Saturday in April. I did it through their website. They do not leave from the cruise port, we will be taking a taxi to the location they meet. I also noticed that the Sunday trips are a party pass, apparently they have a large party there on Sundays. Maybe there was a misunderstanding and they thought you wanted the party pass instead of the normal excursion?

Thank you for the info, our excursion is booked!!!

Good to know. I thought I saw another post about it reopening but limited capacity. If it were open is it a place you enjoyed?

Thank you for the response

No one has any thoughts on Rose Island? I will be booking the trip this weekend through Sandy Toes website... if anyone has a better option, I would love to hear it!!!

I have been looking all over the internet for a good, laid back, beach bar in Freeport where we can hang out on the beach, eat conch fritters and drink rum drinks.... anyone have a favorite? I have read about Billy Joe's and it look promising. If you have been there can you rent chairs and hang out or is it more of a sit down restaurant?

Thanks in advanced

Michelle

Hi all, we are cruising to the Bahamas in April and I am considering booking the day trip to Rose Island during the Nassau stop. Has anyone taken the trip lately? How did it weather the Hurricane? Also if you have any suggestions on tour companies I would love the help!!!

we are looking for a good beach, not crowded with snorkeling and access to a bar!!! If you know of a better option that Rose Island, I am open to suggestions.

Thanks everyone

Michelle