Sailing on Sunshine, need port advice

[Hanzo]

This may not be the right area to ask, but the most intimidating part of my upcoming cruise is planning the shore excursions. Is it better to schedule beforehand? Do when we get off the boat? Skip and just explore? We are stopping in Freeport (8am-3pm) and Nassau (1130am to 11pm).

 

We definitely want beach time, do you have to do an excursion for that or are there public beaches? Which stop would be best for snorkeling?

 

Any advice is appreciated!

[peppergal]

Head on over and peruse the port of call board for the Bahamas to get the best info.

 

In Nassau we headed over to the Colonial Hilton and paid for a day pass. We didn't try the snorkeling (I don't think there's much of anything to see there) but it was a nice beach day away from the large crowds and was in easy walking distance from the ship.

 

You can pre-book through Hilton if you want, or if they aren't full can just pay the same rate as a walk-up when you arrive.

[CoW mAn]

Generally I suggest not booking too far in advance because the itinerary and weather can change so I say wait until you're on the ship.

 

For Freeport there is nothing to do at the port if you just get off and walk around so I recommend booking something.

 

For Nassau I'd also suggest booking something just because the area around the port can be full of people trying to sell you stuff using some pretty dodgy tricks so I'd say have a plan. I highly recommend Atlantis but it's super-pricey.

[A&Jfamily]

This may not be the right area to ask, but the most intimidating part of my upcoming cruise is planning the shore excursions. Is it better to schedule beforehand? Do when we get off the boat? Skip and just explore? We are stopping in Freeport (8am-3pm) and Nassau (1130am to 11pm).

 

We definitely want beach time, do you have to do an excursion for that or are there public beaches? Which stop would be best for snorkeling?

 

Any advice is appreciated!

 

If this is your first cruise adventure, I would recommend booking through the cruise line - just til you get a feel of how traveling feels to you and your comfort level in a foreign country. There is a premium paid by booking through, the ship, but with that comes the peace of mind of the structure - they tell you where to meet, walk you off the ship, send you on your excursion and are responsible for getting you back. So, for first timers, that is a simple price to pay. Look at what the cruise line offers and then read the reviews there, and on the ports of call boards. Freeport is really a beach day, and its a 20 minute cab ride to the area - nothing just off the ship. Nassau has HORDES of people, name brand shops (Beneton, Diamonds International etc), the straw market, Adastra Gardens and the fort within about a mile, so there, if money is a factor, you could just get off and explore.

[Hanzo]

Ok, I think I found some excursions through Carnival I like. My question now is when they list the port times, like 8am to 3pm is that anchor up and down? I read somewhere from docking to off the boat is two hours and they want you back on the boat two hours before departure....does that mean on a 8am to 3pm time it is really 10am to 1pm? That doesn't seem like any time to do anything.

[CoW mAn]

My question now is when they list the port times, like 8am to 3pm is that anchor up and down? I read somewhere from docking to off the boat is two hours and they want you back on the boat two hours before departure....does that mean on a 8am to 3pm time it is really 10am to 1pm? That doesn't seem like any time to do anything.

 

Nassau and Freeport aren't tendered, so the ship pulls up to the wharf and lashes to it and you just walk off so those times are the times you can get on and off the ship. If you're looking at Carnival excursions the detailed description will tell you how much time for each activity.

[mjkacmom]

I definitely recommend planning ahead for Nassau. There are several hotels that have day passes, all very easy to get to on your own.