Budgeting in the Bahamas

[twolittlelovebugs06]

Hello fellow cruisers!!!

 

I'm super excited for my boyfriend and I's first cruise ever, but I also want to be pretty practical about it as well. I want us to remember this for the rest of our lives, but not be paying for it for the rest of our lives, so I want to make this a pretty budget friendly vacation.

 

I think I have most of our expenses planned out (and from reading any thread related to Carnival cruises and the Bahamas), but I want to make sure I consider EVERYTHING! (as much as I can)

 

Are there any weird/unexpected/hidden/last minute expenses that I should consider adding? Of course I want to cushion the budget quite a bit, because you never know whats going to happen, but has anything happened to anyone out there that I need to make sure I remember?

 

We are on a 4 day Carnival cruise out of Port Canaveral, hitting Freeport first and then Nassau, and then a day at sea. We will be getting the Cheers! Program on the ship (because its a good deal right?), so I definitely want to drink most of our drinks on board.

 

For Freeport, we hopefully have a planned excursion I know how much to budget, but for Nassau we were thinking of just walking from the port over through Junkanoo beach, eating at the Fish Fry, just freely walking and exploring whatever we may find for a couple hours, but heading back to the ship to use up our already paid for drinks and ship activities. I'm thinking $100 for just the two of us? Does this sound reasonable?

 

Any suggetions/tips/ideas/last minute thoughts anyone has about trying to budget and prepare my money savings for the cruise??!! I appreciate it!!!

[SchoolNurseMom]

I've been to Nassau three times now on cruises and I would say your plan sounds reasonable unless you end up finding something in the shops or straw market that you can't resist!

[CruisinCrow]

Don't forget to budget for the tips for the crew (unless you've prepaid those), parking at the pier and a few dollars for the pier porters. Depending on the excursion in Freeport, you'll probably want to tip the tour operator. And I'd budget for a photo or two. Since it's your very first cruise, it might be nice to get the embarkation photo or one of the two of you dressed up in the evening.

[bm6pm5]

There is a walking tour that you can do in Nassau for free also. Here is a link to it on Google Earth.

 

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&t=h&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=212915410434543012134.0004943ae4a62b8cf9961&dg=feature

 

Takes you to the Queens Staircase and a few other historical places. Can kill a couple of hours at that too.

[Bronxcutie]

I am trying to figure out the budget as well. I know I will spending at the Straw Market. I am trying to figure out how long it will take and how much it will cost to get to the Fish Fry area. I want a real Bahamian meal and I would like to walk around a bit. I also need to know where I can buy some rum to take back to NYC! This is also my first cruise. I can't go home without rum and White Hennessy!

[bm6pm5]

You can get rum cakes at Tortuga Rum Cakes in Nassau. They have samples there as well. Google it you will find it. The straw market is a bartering place. Don't ever pay what they are asking for their merchandise. Just tell the person that you were quoted a cheaper price on another aisle,

Edited August 11, 2014 by bm6pm5

[Giantfan13]

People think you need to spend a lot of money to have fun. Fun is what you make it to be. There is a great walking tour of Nassau if that interests you. there are free beaches. For an inexpensive thing, try the Pirate Museum.

 

We also were looking forward to the Straw Market, but were terribly disappointed in it. Every booth the exact same 'made in China' trinkets and objects and we saw no bargains there at all.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[bm6pm5]

I am trying to figure out the budget as well. I know I will spending at the Straw Market. I am trying to figure out how long it will take and how much it will cost to get to the Fish Fry area. I want a real Bahamian meal and I would like to walk around a bit. I also need to know where I can buy some rum to take back to NYC! This is also my first cruise. I can't go home without rum and White Hennessy!

 

There is also the John Watlings rum distillery you can tour. I have never done it but have read about it on CC.

http://www.johnwatlings.com/

 

The fish fry area is probably about amile from the ship. Google it and you can see how far. Don't think that it is to far from the rum distillery.

[twolittlelovebugs06]

Thank you so much everyone!!!! We definitely have enough ideas to help us explore around on our stop in Nassau!! I literally keep having dreams about the cruise, I'm so excited!! I can't wait to (hopefully) have a drink in a coconut!!

 

 

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[cruzer452]

I know I plan a lot and it is important when you are cruising on a budget which I do, but I took my wife on our cruise of a lifetime at our 20th wedding anniversary, and now we have been on 5 cruises. We normally have a reason for going but in the end we just want to have fun. Buy the way we are having our 30th anniversary on 8/14 and going on another cruise in January. We really like them.

[tumblew467]

Authentic Crafts

We were in Nassau may of 2013. I did a ton of research on these boards for souvenirs. What I read was that not many cruisers were fond of the straw market. I found this lovely place called Bahama art and handicraft. All items are made by local artists and crafters. It is in a restored Bahamian house on Shirley street. They have strawork, shellwork, paintings, jewlery and woodcraft to name a few. I purchased hand painted christmas ornaments and a handmade Junkaboo ornament made out of straw for a remembrance of my trip .You can google them or they do have a facebook page as well. I wanted to support local artists .So if you want authentic craft this is the place to go.

 

 

http://bahamaartandhandicraft.com

 

http://www.bahamaartandhandicraft.com/images/map.jpg

 

Directions:

 

Coming from Downtown?

 

Head east until you see the Harbour Bay Shopping Centre and turn into it

Drive straight over until you reach Shirley Street. Turn on to it.

Two doors before the next stop light, on your right is Bahama Art

 

Catching a bus from Cable Beach?

 

Catch a #10 bus from Cable Beach to downtown.

When downtown, walk to 'Rawson Square' catch a #9a bus (they line up in front of Scotia Bank)

The #9a will eventually run right past Bahama Art on Shirley St. as shown on the map above. Make sure you get off before the light at the Kemp Road / Shirley Street intersection

 

Coming from Paradise Island / Atlantis?

 

Cross over the bridge

Head east until you see the Harbour Bay Shopping Centre and turn right to enter.

Drive straight over until you reach Shirley Street. Turn on to it.

Two doors before the next stop light, on your left is Bahama Art.

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