Carnival Dream - Excursions??

[thebarkers83]

Heading out on the Dream next week to Freeport, Nassau and Key West. Looking for information on excursions that are beaches and kid friendly. Would love to see Atlantis, but cost is outrageous. Tips?

[bluejay555]

OK, now this was 6 years ago, but we met a couple on our cruise who had booked a night at a hotel near Atlantis because the hotel guests got free admission to the Atlantis water park. Obviously they had no intentions of staying the night in that hotel but apparently it was way cheaper than buying tickets. I wish I could remember the name of the hotel, but maybe you can google? Or maybe someone on here knows? There can't be that many hotels right there by Atlantis!

[Singer4Him]

I've heard great things about Breezes in Nassau. It is all-inclusive and has a lot of things for the family to enjoy. When we get back to Nassau, this will be on my list of things to do.

[bptex]

You can save a little cash by booking a day directly with the Atlantis resort. There really isn't any advantage to booking with the cruise line since you are on your own getting there and back anyway. You can spend all day checking out the aquariums and other habitats with the grounds pass. There are several very nice beaches available as well.

 

I'd also recommend getting a package that includes lunch. Prices are absolutely ridiculous, as in $10 for a bottle of water.

 

I'd recommend booking an excursion in Freeport. It's not really developed as a cruise port. They have a few nice beaches but nothing near the port.

 

Key West is probably my favorite port so far. Granted I don't have kids so my priorities are a little different. It's a very easy city to navigate and you can do most if not all by foot. We toured Hemingway's house and went to a few of his favorite haunts.

[tattoos]

If you want to go to a beach that is close, Cabbage Beach on Paradise Island in Nassau is a beautiful, public, beach next to the RIU Hotel. Take a taxi from the port, it's a 10 minute ride at the most. Upon arrival, walk over the sand dune and down the other side. There are no restroom facilities here but people renting lounge chairs, umbrellas, drink vendors, etc. There are water sports offered here also. You can walk down the beach to the Atlantis Hotel if you want to check it out. When we visited, the water was clean, warm and beautiful.

 

Key West is an amazing place. There is so much history here. If you want to go to a beach that is close to the port, you can visit Fort Zachary Taylor State Park (fortzacharytaylor dot com). There are chair and umbrella rentals, food and beverages, outdoor showers, restrooms, decent snorkeling. If you look at their web site, there is an aerial shot showing the distance from the cruise ship dock and watch the live beach cam. You can also visit the Fort. It's a really great place to spend a few hours and very family friendly. There is lots of shade, picnic tables, etc.

 

If you want to tour Key West and you've never been there, I would suggest taking the Conch Tour Train or Trolley. You can get on and off wherever you want. If you're a history buff, tour Ernest Hermingway's house or visit the Truman Annex for a tour of President Harry S. Truman's winter White House. Another great place to visit is Mel Fisher's Maritime Museum (melfisher dot org). Many of the sightseeing attractions in Key West offer auto club discounts, etc., so don't be afraid to ask.

[topspin1267]

Freeport is really an industrial port. If you want to go to a nice beach next to the Treasure Bay Casino its called Port Lucaya. We paid $10 for chairs and access to beach and pool.