Nassau....Unsafe?

[FLACRUISER99]

Nassau is one of my favorite ports. As safe as any large city in the USA, And I probity have spent more time in Nassau then anyone on this Board.

[babs135]

Reading some of the posts I wonder why ships still call here? Surely they can see what it's like and there must be other ports they could use.

 

If it's as dangerous as is being said, then wouldn't it be in the cruise lines interest to remove it from their list of ports of call?

[elainmir]

We've been several times and while I admit they are pushy and want to give you "free" stuff but I just say no and walk on..but we've never felt unsafe but that being said we only go in the day, we have taken the number 10 jitney many times with NO issues. I love Pirate's Island brewery. We've also been to Atlantis for a week. I think it does look more run down than ten years ago.

[cruiseapril]

When we read the State Dept. write-ups on countries, we find many ports have problems. Cruise lines must be aware of these problems, but know that

people stay on board if they feel uncomfortable. I do think it would be good to have more port safety instructions in the daily ship bulletins.

 

There are quite a few ports where we don't walk around the pier area, but plan an excursion before we sail. Nassau is one place where we plan an excursion- as are St. Lucia and Dominica. The aggressive vendor problem is not just a Nassau problem.

[Psych Cruiser]

Thanks everyone for the great comments.

 

We received a report from the United States Department of States – Security. It states that the crime and safety rating is now CRITICAL in Nassau, Bahamas.

 

We will be there May 9th and my wife wants to cancel our off-ship excursion there and not get off the ship. After reading the report in its entirety I am tending to agree with her.

Below is the link to the, 03/01/2016, OSAC, Crime and Safety report:

https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentRe...aspx?cid=19192

Not only do we have to worry about the Zika Virus, Dengue Virus, and Norovirus, but also our safety, at our 1st port of call, rated CRITICAL.

 

Drat.

[babs135]

Thanks everyone for the great comments.

 

We received a report from the United States Department of States – Security. It states that the crime and safety rating is now CRITICAL in Nassau, Bahamas.

 

We will be there May 9th and my wife wants to cancel our off-ship excursion there and not get off the ship. After reading the report in its entirety I am tending to agree with her.

Below is the link to the, 03/01/2016, OSAC, Crime and Safety report:

https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentRe...aspx?cid=19192

Not only do we have to worry about the Zika Virus, Dengue Virus, and Norovirus, but also our safety, at our 1st port of call, rated CRITICAL.

 

Drat.

 

Wow. Assuming these stats are correct, and I have no reason to believe they are not, I repeat my earlier question - why are ships still calling here?

 

I'm looking at a cruise later in the year which stops here and this makes me hesitate as to whether I want to get off the ship.

[Psych Cruiser]

Wow. Assuming these stats are correct, and I have no reason to believe they are not, I repeat my earlier question - why are ships still calling here?

 

I'm looking at a cruise later in the year which stops here and this makes me hesitate as to whether I want to get off the ship.

 

The saying: "Better to be Safe than Sorry" applies here. We are staying on the ship.

 

You are right with your question. Why are cruise companies going to a safety :CRITICAL port?

[metsfan1968]

If cruise ships didn't call on destinations with high crime rates, they would have very little destinations to call on in the Caribbean. If you check the report for Eastern Caribbean as a whole, the rating is High. Jamaica in the Western Caribbean is Critical. The site started hanging up on me when I tried to search other locations, but I would suspect many areas of Mexico and Haiti are similar.

 

Most of the places that cruise ships visit in that region have very little in the way of industry, and the locals are quite poor with substandard living conditions by US standards. This leads to higher rates of crime, and tourism being a huge factor on the economy... with some people benefitting from it legitimately and others not so legitimately.

 

In many of these places, it's safest to stick to organized activities rather than wandering around on your own. And, if you visit without a cruise ship, stay at your resort rather than roam.

Edited March 7, 2016 by metsfan1968

[tikib]

We'll be going here next month. We have an excursion to Atlantis booked through Disney, and 2 of us will be separately taking a taxi to Atlantis to get an observer pass.

 

I'm wondering though how bad the port itself is... I've seen posts in this thread saying it is horrible, and others saying it is fine.

 

What is an observer pass? What does it entail and how much? Is this for Dolphin Cay??

[deladypilot]

Wow. Assuming these stats are correct, and I have no reason to believe they are not, I repeat my earlier question - why are ships still calling here?

 

I'm looking at a cruise later in the year which stops here and this makes me hesitate as to whether I want to get off the ship.

 

My guess is that if you just look at the back of the ship it is most likely registered in Nassau, Bahamas and they probably have some deal that they must port there at least some. Im sure the cruise lines are aware of more and more people staying on the ship at these ports but do not care.

 

We were in Nassau in 2014 and to me it was a trash dump when you get off the ship. The drug pushing and hard sales were terrible but we got away for the immediate area and walked the shop area a bit then went back on the ship. We are headed there again in October. If we did not have friends who have never sailed before going with us, we too would stay on the ship

[grillinchillin]

We wandered down to Junkanoo Beach back in January and did not feel intimidated or pressured. Having said that I travel enough and know how to avoid the usual suspects. Regardless, as many have posted here, it is important that you do your homework and there is value in booking a legit tour to avoid the zoo when choosing to discover a port on your own.

[tiff54]

Thanks everyone for the great comments.

 

We received a report from the United States Department of States – Security. It states that the crime and safety rating is now CRITICAL in Nassau, Bahamas.

 

We will be there May 9th and my wife wants to cancel our off-ship excursion there and not get off the ship. After reading the report in its entirety I am tending to agree with her.

Below is the link to the, 03/01/2016, OSAC, Crime and Safety report:

https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentRe...aspx?cid=19192

Not only do we have to worry about the Zika Virus, Dengue Virus, and Norovirus, but also our safety, at our 1st port of call, rated CRITICAL.

 

Drat.

 

After reviewing this, we have decided to stay on the ship as well. With two women and two female teenagers, we're just not going to chance it.

[Psych Cruiser]

After reviewing this, we have decided to stay on the ship as well. With two women and two female teenagers, we're just not going to chance it.

 

GREAT decision to not get off the ship.

 

What are these cruise companies thinking?

 

Now the bigger ships are only going to 2 ports and their private island. When you can not get off the ship because of all the dangers, that only leaves one port and their private island. Not much of a choice.

 

Seems the Caribbean is getting more and more dangerous for Americans. If these areas want our tourist dollars they need to clean up their act. Get the message out.

[Blondeee]

I was in Nassau the last week of July 2015, and as we were about to get off the ship in Nassau, the cruise director came over the speaker system and warned that the US Embassy had issued a warning to travelers due to crime. The announcement warned against taking cash and jewelry into Port and said to always be aware of your surroundings.

 

It scared me, I'm not going to lie. It was just me and my 18 year old daughter. That particular sailing kept us in Nassau until midnight. I thought we might really enjoy the time but we decided after leaving Atlantis to just return to the ship.

 

Another thing that really concerned me was when we got in the taxi van we realized that there were no handles on the inside of the van and the only way out, was by the driver who would open the door from the outside.

[Psych Cruiser]

A “different take” on a skit on Saturday Night Live.

Please excuse this Hyperbole. It is not meant to offend, it is only meant to be funny.

I take the violence in Nassau very seriously and so should you.

Chevy Chase: Here with an editorial reply is Miss Emily Lattella.

Emily Lattella: What's all this fuss I keep hearing about violins in Nassau? Why don't you want to see violins in Nassau? I thought the Leonardo Bernstein concerts were just lovely, now, if they only had more violins in Nassau, people would learn music appreciation. They'll learn to play guitars, and bongo drums and go to Africa and join these rock'n roll outfits and they won't drink milk! I think there should be more violins in Nassau and less game shows, it's terrible the way...

Chevy Chase: Um, Littella, that's Violence in Nassau. Not violins.

Emily Lattella: Oh, well that's diffrent. Never mind!

 

 

[JT1962]

I have been to Nassau many times since the mid 1980s and will be there again in May. I have never had any issues other than pushy vendors. As many have said on this post, use common sense, don't flash cash / valuables, don't wander into areas where few people are, etc. These are the same things you should do in most U S cities as well. I live in a city of 600,000 and there are reports of murders, shootings, robberies, rapes, etc. every morning when I turn on the tv, but I do not feel I need to stay locked in my house. To each his own, but if you read the crime reports of most cruise ports they would look similar. I am not going to be foolish and wander around clueless, but I am going to enjoy my vacation.

[NightOne]

 

Seems the Caribbean is getting more and more dangerous for Americans. If these areas want our tourist dollars they need to clean up their act. Get the message out.

 

Apparently you never go to St. Louis:

 

2015 Was St. Louis' Deadliest Year in Two Decades

 

or Kansas City:

 

2015 was Kansas City’s deadliest year for homicides since 2011

 

However, crime rates don't always tell the true story. For example, see this:

 

The Most Dangerous City in Missouri Is ... Branson?

[tiff54]

We were just in Nassau last week. I originally had reserved day passes at the Hilton BC, but after I read all the warnings I really didn't want to get off the ship. I was traveling with my sister and 2 teenagers, and was concerned for our safety. The ship also had the warning in the fun times regarding safety in Nassau.

 

Just our experience... the port was extremely congested. With 5 ships in port, you can imagine the number of folks roaming around. Our girls has strict rules... keep up with me, walk briskly, don't make eye contact or talk to anyone. I've been to Jamaica before, and the pushy street venders are all the same. If they have any inclination you might buy something, they won't leave you alone. Our walk was about 20 minutes to the Hilton, and while we didn't experience any issues, it was very uncomfortable.

 

Needless to say... that is the only time I will ever experience Nassau because I won't get off the ship if I ever port there again.

[CruisinCrow]

It's interesting that people have such different experiences. We were also in Nassau last week (Good Friday). We walked back from the Fish Fry and not once were we hassled by anyone. We did not feel unsafe or uncomfortable at all.

 

We did the Segway tour before going to the Fish Fry and our van driver actually stopped to make sure that a couple of tourists walking around were not lost. I've found the people in Nassau to be really nice and helpful once you get away from the crowded port area.

[metsfan1968]

It's interesting that people have such different experiences. We were also in Nassau last week (Good Friday). We walked back from the Fish Fry and not once were we hassled by anyone. We did not feel unsafe or uncomfortable at all.

 

We did the Segway tour before going to the Fish Fry and our van driver actually stopped to make sure that a couple of tourists walking around were not lost. I've found the people in Nassau to be really nice and helpful once you get away from the crowded port area.

 

I actually think what we're seeing here is pretty consistent experiences. Those staying close to port getting hassled or generally feeling uncomfortable, while those venturing further away not so much.

[vakamalua]

Been to Nassau many times; actually, been in ports and cities all over the world. Use the same common sense you would anywhere. As for vendors, look them in the eye, and firmly but politely say 'No thank you'...no more hassling. When you avoid eye contact and scurry like a scared rabbit, they rightly think that you might change your mind.

 

Overall,the Bahamian people are lovely and could use your tourist dollars at truly local restaurants and shops.

[CruisinCrow]

I actually think what we're seeing here is pretty consistent experiences. Those staying close to port getting hassled or generally feeling uncomfortable, while those venturing further away not so much.

 

Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head.

[metsfan1968]

When you avoid eye contact and scurry like a scared rabbit, they rightly think that you might change your mind.

 

That couldn't be more wrong. That type of behavior (nervously attempting to completely avoid them) in no way suggests you might change your mind. What they think is that you're weak and an easy mark to be pressured into buying something.

[metsfan1968]

Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head.

 

Thank goodness... because the other day while hammering, I hit my finger instead! :D

[CruisinCrow]

Thank goodness... because the other day while hammering, I hit my finger instead! :D

 

Moral of the story - don't use a hammer in Nassau and you should be safe. :)