do or don't do Atlantis Excursion? Excursion suggestions for Key West and Nassau

[Vacayready]

Is the Atlantis excursion worth doing or are there others you would recommend? Any suggestions on excursions at Key West?

[Nascars29]

YES the wife and I did this and had a great time... when ever we see the commercial for Atlantis we say we've done that :D

[Sneezykevina]

I have done it in St Thomas and Cozumel and loved it both times. Neither however were cruise ship related vacations. (if that matters)

[buslady1]

Is the Atlantis excursion worth doing or are there others you would recommend? Any suggestions on excursions at Key West?

 

 

 

We loved it. Food is expensive, bring snacks from ship, they don't check.we got our tickets from the hotel, lots cheaper than getting from carnival. Took a cab, actually we all got into a van and it was cheaper. She was going to be waiting for us afterwards, but wasn't. Don't worry, there are lots and lots of taxis waiting cheap.Walk across the road and enter Atlantis. The hotel has a buffet if you want but we ate before we left the boat. So much fun, you want forget the experience.

 

 

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[nchikk]

Hunny's first time to Nassau we took a taxi to Atlantis and explored it on our own. We also roamed around the dock area checking out the shops, side streets and some of the nice pink buildings downtown. This saved us a lot of money that an Atlantis excursion would have cost us. And we did not feel like we missed out on anything.

 

Key West, just walk around and check it all out. Finish your day at Sloppy Joes and relax with a cold beer and some sloppy fries (super yummy). They had some live music when we went.

[easyboy]

Going to Atlantis is the only thing we do in Nassau. Worth it.

 

 

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[Gypsywych]

Had a blast. Worth it to do it at least once.

[beachbum6264]

Atlantis has greatly limited the areas people can wander without having a wristband now. Used to be you could just go and wander about - not so much any more, so if you want to go and see anything you'll need an excursion of some kind. Not sure if you still can do it, but at one time if you booked a room at the hotel next to Atlantis (the name escapes me now) you got access to all of Atlantis, that turned out to be cheaper than the price of several excursions, so it depended on how many in your party and what time of year.

Key West is easy without an excursion. You can get tickets for the Conch Train cheaper on land, or rent an electric car and drive around the island yourself. We've done that a couple of times and they'll take you back to the ship when you drop off the car when you're done. Or just walk Duval Street (or do the "Duval Crawl", LOL) Hemingway's house is interesting, too. Get some key lime pie while you're there, and a drink at Sloppy Joe's.

[DebJ14]

Atlantis has greatly limited the areas people can wander without having a wristband now. Used to be you could just go and wander about - not so much any more, so if you want to go and see anything you'll need an excursion of some kind. Not sure if you still can do it, but at one time if you booked a room at the hotel next to Atlantis (the name escapes me now) you got access to all of Atlantis, that turned out to be cheaper than the price of several excursions, so it depended on how many in your party and what time of year.

Key West is easy without an excursion. You can get tickets for the Conch Train cheaper on land, or rent an electric car and drive around the island yourself. We've done that a couple of times and they'll take you back to the ship when you drop off the car when you're done. Or just walk Duval Street (or do the "Duval Crawl", LOL) Hemingway's house is interesting, too. Get some key lime pie while you're there, and a drink at Sloppy Joe's.

 

We had a horrible experience at Atlantis in 2015 on a ship's excursion. They force marched us through the grounds to the beach. They were supposed to provide beach towels, but were out. The loungers on the beach were broken down. If you wanted an umbrella, it was an extra $30.00, even for guests staying at the hotel. It was wall to wall people on the beach. We decided to leave the beach and get something to eat. After a long wait at one of the outdoor eating venues we were finally seated. The water glasses and silverware were filthy, so we left. We went to see the fish, but the aquarium windows were so dirty it was hard to see anything. We got in a taxi and left rather than wait another 3 hours for the excursion transportation to return. They definitely checked wrist bands and if you did not have the right bands to be in certain places, you were told to leave. I couldn't wait to get back on the ship and get a shower.

 

This May we again went to Nassau on a cruise. We booked a day pass at the British Colonial Hilton, which is within walking distance of the ship. The $65.00 passes included a $40.00 food and beverage credit. They also provided towels. Snorkel equipment and kayaks were also included. We had the run of the beach and pool area, except for 5 beds by the pool reserved for hotel guests. It was an easy check in (make sure you bring a paper copy of your reservation).You also have to pay by credit card as they accept no cash, both at the front desk, and if you spend more than what you are allotted on the day pass. When we arrived at the beach we were promptly greeted by the servers. They delivered food and drinks to your lounger all day. Each of us got a lunch entree and 2 alcoholic drinks for the $40.00 per person credit. It was super peaceful. The beach was not crowded because they definitely limit the number of day passes. On the way out we stopped in the hotel gift shop to buy stuff for the family back home. They had some unusual stuff and the prices were not bad at all. It was the best day of our cruise!

 

As for Key West, we just hit the CVS for some necessities and then headed down Duval Street. Ladies, listen up, there is a Coach outlet! Stopped in there and discovered they had an additional 50% off sale, so I got a $297 tote for $89.00 and also did some Christmas shopping. We walked all the way down to the Southernmost Point and back.

 

Make sure to stop at the Oldest House in Key West at 322 Duval Street. You go through the gate into the back garden and enter the house from the rear. It was the home of a sea captain, his wife and 9 children and is lovingly restored. There is no entry fee, just a voluntary donation. They also have some soda, water and chips available on an honor system.

 

If you have not been to Hemingway's House or the Truman White House, both are worth a trip.

We have been to Key West many, many times since my inlaws lived in the Keys, so we never felt the need to take an excursion. If you do the Conch Train or the trolley, buy the tickets at the station and pay less than the ship charges.

[cvpends]

My family loved a sailing/snorkeling excursion we took in Key West. People say that North America's only coral reef isn't so great, but my extended family disagreed. We found the reef, the water, and the sea animals to be lovely.

 

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[bury me at sea]

In Nassau we enjoyed the day pass at the British Hilton, described in a previous post.

 

In Key West there are several versions of a hop on, hop off trolley. Self-paced with informative, fun drivers/guides. Visiting Hemingway's house was a treat for me. I am a fan of him, his writing, and I enjoy the architecture.

[MRVEGAS711]

In Key West, I go out to the Hurricane Hole in new town and they have jet ski tours of the entire island of Key West. Its a blast and takes 1 hour. Great restaurant there too.