Carnival dropping Nassau port of call?

[T&J1014]

Wife and I have our second cruise booked Nov 24, 2018 - was Eastern Caribbean from Miami. Original schedule was Nassau, Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk. Got an email yesterday for itinerary change. Was actually looking forward to Half Moon Cay - Nassau.....unsure. Now it is leaving Miami, full day at sea, Amber Cove, Grand Turk, full day at sea, Miami.

 

Sounds like Nassau is being dropped maybe? "Due to operational considerations..."

[hapytobehr]

I would take Amber Cove over Nassau anytime...

Happy Sailing!

[jimbo5544]

I would be shocked if Carnival dropped Nassau.

 

 

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[LabRat33470]

Same here - just got back from Nassau/Amber Cove/Grand Turk and we would prefer not to waste time at Nassau.

 

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[T&J1014]

Any reasons for not liking Nassau? I think we would have probably ended up just walking to Junkanoo Beach and hanging out there at Tiki Bikini Hut - there actually didn't seem like much to interest us there.

[LabRat33470]

The condition of the pier and the sidewalks and roads are terrible (I was in a wheelchair and had an able body son who helped push me) and it was difficult to navigate the curbs and potholes. You were mobbed by taxis/private tour operator and street 'vendors'. Nassau did not have much of interest to us. We found the other ports much better in condition, design, and interest.

 

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[Doggielover68]

It was probably just your booking or select bookings. We are still going there in December 2018.

 

 

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[OCruisers]

Can understand your disappointment at not going to HCM .

Nassau is a different story: Better to be going to Amber Cove. ;)

[ray98]

I would've been elated if my last cruise had skipped Nassau.

[evandbob]

I have the opposite sense - I would gladly miss Amber Cove and keep Nassau. I like the beach, and Cable Beach in Nassau is where I park myself. There is no beach in Amber Cove.

[T&J1014]

I have the opposite sense - I would gladly miss Amber Cove and keep Nassau. I like the beach, and Cable Beach in Nassau is where I park myself. There is no beach in Amber Cove.

 

It does appear there are some all-inclusive excursions for reasonable price to some nice beaches though....I think that is what we will end up doing.

[Jdfireman]

Could be #CNN or the fact the new pier is being built

[evandbob]

The closest beaches to Amber Cove are in Puerto Plata. Gray Atlantic Ocean and coarse brown yellow sand with 2 star hotels. I stayed there for a week once and never went back. I go to Punta Cana instead.

 

 

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[cloudninecat]

I'd take Amber Cove over Nassau too. It's a beautiful port. Nassau was too pushy, dirty, and there didn't seem to be a lot to do if you didn't want to go to the Atlantis. Half Moon Cay I can understand being upset at missing.

[KappaLady]

So far, is the change only affecting itineraries for early next year? I plan to be in Nassau later this year and have not received a notice of any changes.

 

 

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[jayscore]

I say if you have never been to Nassau, by all means, check it out!

That way you can decide if you are with the the crowd that declares, "Nassau Sucks!" ;p

[gottaluvcruises12]

Love Nassau would be disappointed if they dropped it.

[Gypsywych]

We've always enjoyed Nassau. Last time we booked a private tour that took us all over the island. It was loads of fun.

[cruzeluver]

We are the opposite. Never had a problem in Nassau and we like going to actual places with actual culture and citizens. We have never been accosted, attacked or mobbed. You can keep your fake private islands although whoever came up with them was a financial genius. Great way to keep all the profits with the cruise line.

 

I would be very, very surprised if Nassau is removed from itineraries permanently. One of the few places shorter cruises can get to outside of the fake private islands.

[lizardhowson]

I have the opposite sense - I would gladly miss Amber Cove and keep Nassau. I like the beach, and Cable Beach in Nassau is where I park myself. There is no beach in Amber Cove.

 

I also thought Amber Cove was a DUD

[teknoge3k]

We don't book cruises that go to Nassau because for us, it's a waste of money. We just thought it was comparable to somewhere like Detroit or places in NJ. Not somewhere we enjoy going. Wouldn't hurt my feelings if they did away with going there, but I know there are a few who actually enjoy it.

[bury me at sea]

I enjoy Freeport and Nassau. I purposely chose an itinerary that includes both for my farewell to the Breeze cruise even though it wasn't my preferred date.

 

I'm not interested in Atlantis or in stops developed and maintained by cruise lines. I visit ports to experience different cultures, people, history and even architecture. I've never understood the dislike of the Bahamas expressed here but to each his own.

 

I will be quite disappointed if Carnival drops Nassau and/or Freeport as ports of call.

[Organized Chaos]

Any reasons for not liking Nassau? I think we would have probably ended up just walking to Junkanoo Beach and hanging out there at Tiki Bikini Hut - there actually didn't seem like much to interest us there.

We were there last year during our first cruise. The area right outside the pier is mostly souvenir shops. Very tourist trap'ish. A lot of it is stuff you can basically get in any tourist town in the U.S. And lots of taxi/tour drivers, store owners, & vendors hounding you to buy. I'd just rather be left to browse the shops in peace. They got so bad in the indoor flea market that I had to tell my group I had enough, and went back to the ship. If we were to ever go back there, we will definitely get away from the pier area where there's more to offer.

 

There's a lot of people who love Half Moon Cay, but we can easily do without it. It's a small, private island so there are a few excursions, but it's mostly a beach stop. We took the island tour and there's seriously not much to it. We snorkeled a little bit, but not a lot to see. We're going to Amber Cove next June for the first time. Like all of the other ports of call, I've read good & bad things about it. We'll be returning to Grand Turk for the second time and looking forward to it. We had some pretty good luck snorkeling there last year. And we'd like to explore the island more.

[Towel Critter]

I don't have a problem with Nassau. The locals may sometimes be a little too pushy, but they aren't as bad as some (Jamaica anyone?). The town has some wear on it, but at least it is a real town and a real port with real history. Grand Turk and Amber Cove on the otherhand... well, I'm not much for fake ports. If Carnival was going to drop a port, I'd prefer it be one or both of those two. They aren't much more than extensions of whatever ship you happen to be on. Of course, that's NEVER going to happen... higher profit margins for the participating cruise lines there.

[T&J1014]

We don't book cruises that go to Nassau because for us, it's a waste of money. We just thought it was comparable to somewhere like Detroit or places in NJ. Not somewhere we enjoy going. Wouldn't hurt my feelings if they did away with going there, but I know there are a few who actually enjoy it.

 

Detroit eh......that is right across the river from me, see it daily, and shopped there regularly when the CDN dollar was better. ;) Mind you some places are scary big time. Plus Detroit metro is the airport we use to get to Miami.

 

Odd - I can fly direct to Cuba and other caribbean places from our own airport, but not Miami - and it's too expensive to drive 4 hrs and fly from Toronto.

 

We saw some eye opening poverty in Belize on our ride to the Mayan ruins our last cruise, but it is what it is.

 

Still looking forward to both Amber Cove and Grad Turk (wanted to join Canada a few years back!). As I said, Nassau was probably going to be a beach day most likely.