The Bahamian Officials Found Us Out!

[Markanddonna]

Here is an interesting article that verifies what many on Cruise Critic already knows: many seasoned cruisers don't get off the ship in the Bahamas. Passengers pay a port fee and exercise the right to enjoy the day onboard.

 

https://cruiseradio.net/bahamas-cuts-off-cruise-line-cash-flow/

[donaldsc]

Nassau and Freeport are dump ports.  Maybe that is the reason that people don't get off the ship.  We got off at one port in the Caribbean once(I forget which one) and we were virtually attacked by people trying to sell us stuff or sell us tours.  Once guy actually followed us for several blocks,  At that point, we turned around and went back to the ship.  

 

I realize that they are trying to make a living and competition for cruise ship passengers is brutal but "no" means "no".

 

DON

[sail7seas]

What you describe happened to us in  Jamaica

Edited October 22, 2018 by sail7seas

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, sail7seas said:

What you describe happened to us in  Jamaica

 

Me too!    I have endured offers of pot, etc., taxi drivers that "promise" to return to pick me up at a location and then fail to show, and having to decide whether or not I want to run a gauntlet of taxi drivers when leaving the pier to do some touring on my own.  Jamaica is a beautiful island.  But, I have seen what I want to see in their country.  I won't be a visitor there again except as a guest on a cruise ship making a port call.

[teknoge3k]

We try to avoid Nassau & Freeport. Like anyone who has been there knows, they're a dump. We stay on the ship as well. We did book a short sailing next year that goes to Nassau & HMC. I am not the least bit excited about it but it was a perfect date that we could butt up to another vacation we had in Charleston so it extended that vacation for us. We'll enjoy HMC but will likely stay on the ship in Nassau. If we do get off, we'll go to the British Hilton. 

[sail7seas]

Only thing I like in Nassau is   the Fendi Boutique.    🙂  Nice hand bags   🙂

[Krazy Kruizers]

Don't like Nassau, Jamaica or Acapulco.

 

Nothing worth to get off the ship for in those ports.

[navybankerteacher]

I hope you realize that telling everybody how dreary Nassau and Freeport are will just mean that staying aboard in those ports won’t be as good - in stead of having the ship to ourselves, it will be just as crowded as on a sea day.

[marco]

Hmmm....we pay port taxes to arrive in a port and the government pays the cruise line to bring us to the port?

 

[evandbob]

Yes, go back to the ship where you can get hounded by the CD trying to get you to attend worthless presentations or buy useless junk.

[Warm Breezes]

11 minutes ago, evandbob said:

Yes, go back to the ship where you can get hounded by the CD trying to get you to attend worthless presentations or buy useless junk.

 

Just got off a NCL Getaway last week where we stayed onboard in Nassau.  I can't stand getting off in Nassau.  Been there done that.  Instead of be swamped by vendors, taxi and tour drivers, I enjoyed a relaxing day doing some mini golf, then going to Spice H20 in the jacuzzi drinking my UBP drinks and then returning to my Aft Balcony and enjoying a relaxing afternoon away from the crowds.  I wasn't bothered once by a CD or pressured into seeing an presentations or buying useless junk.

[SRF]

Strange.

 

I have never been hounded by anyone in Nassau.

 

Maybe you all look like saps. 😄  Joking.

 

 

[pacruise804]

On 10/22/2018 at 5:05 PM, teknoge3k said:

We try to avoid Nassau & Freeport. Like anyone who has been there knows, they're a dump. We stay on the ship as well. We did book a short sailing next year that goes to Nassau & HMC. I am not the least bit excited about it but it was a perfect date that we could butt up to another vacation we had in Charleston so it extended that vacation for us. We'll enjoy HMC but will likely stay on the ship in Nassau. If we do get off, we'll go to the British Hilton. 

I've been to Nassau and Freeport each twice and disagree with them being dumps. 

Nassau does have a problem with pushy vendors, but there are several options for excursions. Many cruises from our local ports go to Nassau and if we go again we would probably get off the ship and enjoy a tour of something we haven't seen yet.

Freeport doesn't have much right in the port area, but there is a lot to the island a reasonably short drive away.

 

Most US ports probably seem like "dumps" too (Baltimore certainly doesn't have much right at the port), but the cities offer quite a bit if you are willing to explore a little.

[dkjretired]

59 minutes ago, SRF said:

Strange.

 

I have never been hounded by anyone in Nassau.

 

Maybe you all look like saps. 😄  Joking.

 

 

Harder to believe you’venever Been hounded, that’s SOP in Nassau.

[klfrodo]

I've been approached in Jamaica and in Nassau both.

Hounded? That's a bit harsh in my opinion. 

For a land vacation, Jamaica is one of my favorite Caribbean destinations. Better than Hawaii by a long shot.

As a cruise stop?? eh

[Velvetwater]

I think the term to best use is 'seasoned East Coast crusiers' as European et al cruisers often get off as its so far away (P&O particularly)

 

I don't have an interest to visit various ports that side of the Atlantic and the Bahamas is one but I would get off as I may not get another chance to see it. 

 

 

[Zach1213]

On 10/24/2018 at 9:09 AM, SRF said:

Strange.

 

I have never been hounded by anyone in Nassau.

 

Maybe you all look like saps. 😄  Joking.

 

 

 

Yeah same here, haven't been hounded in Nassau or Jamaica. But I...uh...tend to blend in a bit.

[MicCanberra]

I have been looking forward to cruising the Caribbean but maybe I shouldn't be.

[Extra Kim]

3 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

I have been looking forward to cruising the Caribbean but maybe I shouldn't be.

You SHOULD be. I would take the Caribbean over the west Med anyday of the week. I don't need to return to Nassau, Falmouth or St Kitts but for the rest I wouldn't mind going back. 

[teknoge3k]

5 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

I have been looking forward to cruising the Caribbean but maybe I shouldn't be.

 

The Bahamas aren't in the Caribbean. The Caribbean is wonderful! 

[PROCRUISE]

On 10/22/2018 at 1:54 PM, sail7seas said:

What you describe happened to us in  Jamaica

Exactly - will never go to Jamaica again.

[rkacruiser]

12 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

I have been looking forward to cruising the Caribbean but maybe I shouldn't be.

 

The Bahamas and Jamaica are atypical of what I have experienced in the Caribbean.  St. Lucia, St. Maarten/St.Martin, both of the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Barbados, Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire, Martinique,  Puerto Rico, St. Barts, St. Kitts, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, and Grand Cayman are all islands that I have enjoyed and enjoy visiting again, although admittedly, I enjoy repeat visits to some more than others.  I am not a fan of the Mexican Caribbean ports.  I find some of the cruise company-developed ports to be more interesting than others.  I have only visited Princess Cays, Half Moon Cay, and the NCL-developed Bahamas private island (whose name escapes me) in the Private Island category.  I look forward to return visits to the first two; but my experience on the NCL island has memories of Sand Fleas, but that was many years ago and the experience would now be improved.

 

Since you have never visited the Caribbean, carefully choose a cruise that goes to islands/ports that match your interests.  Be prepared for much commercialization in the larger islands/ports, such as St. Thomas.  But, the true Caribbean "vibe" can be found even on those islands as well. 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2018 by rkacruiser
Edited for a couple of more thoughts

[MicCanberra]

8 hours ago, Extra Kim said:

You SHOULD be. I would take the Caribbean over the west Med anyday of the week. I don't need to return to Nassau, Falmouth or St Kitts but for the rest I wouldn't mind going back. 

Thanks

6 hours ago, teknoge3k said:

 

The Bahamas aren't in the Caribbean. The Caribbean is wonderful! 

Okay, thanks for the clarification, it just seems that so many of the cruises that leave Fort Lauderdale or Miami have stops at the Bahamas.

[MicCanberra]

17 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

The Bahamas and Jamaica are atypical of what I have experienced in the Caribbean.  St. Lucia, St. Maarten/St.Martin, both of the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Barbados, Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire, Martinique,  Puerto Rico, St. Barts, St. Kitts, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, and Grand Cayman are all islands that I have enjoyed and enjoy visiting again, although admittedly, I enjoy repeat visits to some more than others.  I am not a fan of the Mexican Caribbean ports.  I find some of the cruise company-developed ports to be more interesting than others.  I have only visited Princess Cays, Half Moon Cay, and the NCL-developed Bahamas private island (whose name escapes me) in the Private Island category.  I look forward to return visits to the first two; but my experience on the NCL island has memories of Sand Fleas, but that was many years ago and the experience would now be improved.

 

Since you have never visited the Caribbean, carefully choose a cruise that goes to islands/ports that match your interests.  Be prepared for much commercialization in the larger islands/ports, such as St. Thomas.  But, the true Caribbean "vibe" can be found even on those islands as well. 

 

 

Thanks very much, the information is greatly appreciated. It will help us decide which ports we would want to go to.

[teknoge3k]

1 minute ago, MicCanberra said:

Thanks

Okay, thanks for the clarification, it just seems that so many of the cruises that leave Fort Lauderdale or Miami have stops at the Bahamas.

 

A lot of them do, yea.

 

I am still perplexed at the comment above yours about the "Mexican Caribbean ports". Now that's a new one on me. Maybe people just don't understand where the Caribbean actually is...