Blue Lagoon & Nassau on a tight time frame

[Rewind]

Hi everybody! I have a few questions about Blue Lagoon in Nassau - let me start with my ideal situation and you'll see why I have questions.

 

We will be arriving in Nassau on December 18th at 1pm (until midnight). I would like to do a bit of shopping on Bay Street for an hour+, take a taxi to the Paradise Island ferry terminal, catch the 3:30pm boat to Blue Lagoon, do a Sea Lion encounter and other activities, catch a ferry back to Paradise Island, walk across the street to Marina Village to do some more shopping (Plait Lady), and then take a taxi back to the ship.

 

According to Blue Lagoon's site they have two boats after we arrive - 1:30pm and 3:30pm. I think it is pretty safe to say that trying to make the 1:30 boat is next to impossible which would leave the 3:30 boat. However the site also states that the last return boat sails at 4pm. Is this true? Would they let people over to the lagoon at 3:30 just to have them turn around and leave the moment they get there? If not, does anyone know the last return time?

 

If the times are accurate, it probably means we would HAVE to book through the ship (RCI) to get on their boat to the Lagoon and back in order to have enough time. This also means that the excursion leaves shortly after we dock and kills off the Bay Street shopping (which is ok if required). But does anyone know where the RCI excursion would leave from and return to (ship dock or Paradise Island terminal)? I am hoping it would go to Paradise Island so I can just walk over to Marina Village instead of going back to the ship dock and taking a taxi back over to the Village.

 

I know there are a couple other factors which I need to think about. Would the water temperature be comfortable enough in mid December to do an animal encounter? Even if 3:30pm ferry works, would that be pushing it with daylight as the sun sets by 5:30pm?

 

I'll say thanks now for your input.

[Rewind]

I was able to answer half of my own questions so far. Blue Lagoon does not always run a ferry at 3:30pm and yes the 4pm ferry is the latest of the day going back.

 

Now I just need to know about RCI's excursion.