Why Do So Many Cruisers Dislike Nassau

[sunshinejessica]

On 6/17/2019 at 8:21 PM, BNBR said:

This is a good question and it is odd.  It's seriously a better port than most others in the Caribbean.  I think it has to do with being less exotic. It's more accessible, more people go, it's common.

 

The reality is that Nassau is awesone. Countless things to do. Historical tours, amazing private islands and beaches, resorts, all inclusive, food tours, caves, zoo, etc. Even plenty of good food and bars near the port. Heck, a brewery too and chocolatier.  Some of the clearest, most beautiful water and scenery you will ever see.

 

People are miserable about Nassau for no valid reason.  It's utterly ridiculous. Don't let it away you. It's my favorite port by a mile. It's just not "cool" to say that I guess... 

 

Where did you find clear waters? I have never found that in Nassau. Snorkeling is my favorite cruise activity and I have yet to find good snorkeling in Nassau. 

[BNBR]

11 minutes ago, sunshinejessica said:

 

Where did you find clear waters? I have never found that in Nassau. Snorkeling is my favorite cruise activity and I have yet to find good snorkeling in Nassau. 

 

I'm not even sure how to answer. I've never not seen clear waters in Nassau. I don't snorkel there, though. But all the beaches, islands, resorts, etc. Always gorgeous clear water. 

[scubagirrl]

Gotta agree with BNBR  Nassau has stunning gin colored waters.. and clear visibility on most days.   If you aren't finding clear water, stop taking crowded cruise tours that chum up the waters enmasse.    

[sunshinejessica]

4 minutes ago, scubagirrl said:

Gotta agree with BNBR  Nassau has stunning gin colored waters.. and clear visibility on most days.   If you aren't finding clear water, stop taking crowded cruise tours that chum up the waters enmasse.    

 

I've never taken a cruise tour in my life, but thanks for assuming. 

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, sunshinejessica said:

 

Where did you find clear waters? I have never found that in Nassau. Snorkeling is my favorite cruise activity and I have yet to find good snorkeling in Nassau. 

The last time we were at cabbage beach, you could see beautiful black and white fish swimming without a snorkel. I swam way out and forgot my sunglasses were on my head. Swam back and could easily see them at least 8 feet down in the sand with my eyes, dove down and grabbed them. Cable was also really clear.

[sunshinejessica]

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

The last time we were at cabbage beach, you could see beautiful black and white fish swimming without a snorkel. I swam way out and forgot my sunglasses were on my head. Swam back and could easily see them at least 8 feet down in the sand with my eyes, dove down and grabbed them. Cable was also really clear.

 

Thank you so much! This is very helpful, I will give cabbage beach a try. Everywhere I’ve been in nassau has always been cloudy with super low visibility and no sea life. Our cruise to Cuba was rerouted to Nassau so I was bummed but I will definitely give Cabbage a try. This is the kind of info I was looking for, thanks! 

[LynnT3]

On 6/7/2019 at 10:08 AM, GA Dave said:

I think the issue nowadays is how crowded it gets.  Example:  If you look at the schedule below, there are five cruise ships in port tomorrow.  Plus, there may be a couple of more that were scheduled for Cuba that were re-routed.  When you have 20,000 - 30,000 people all getting off in a port, the crowds can be pretty miserable.

 

Can I ask where you found this information? Is there a web site that will show what ships are in which port each day? 

[CruisinCrow]

4 minutes ago, LynnT3 said:

Can I ask where you found this information? Is there a web site that will show what ships are in which port each day? 

 

I use CruiseTT: http://ports.cruisett.com/schedule/Bahamas/455-Nassau

 

It's usually pretty accurate but as mentioned, there may be ships that were rerouted from Cuba that aren't listed.

Edited June 21, 2019 by CruisinCrow

[GA Dave]

On 6/21/2019 at 5:25 PM, LynnT3 said:

Can I ask where you found this information? Is there a web site that will show what ships are in which port each day? 

 

On 6/21/2019 at 5:29 PM, CruisinCrow said:

 

I use CruiseTT: http://ports.cruisett.com/schedule/Bahamas/455-Nassau

 

It's usually pretty accurate but as mentioned, there may be ships that were rerouted from Cuba that aren't listed.

Cruisemapper is awesome.  Shows every ship, every port, etc.  

You can also view live cameras from many ports on PTZtv.

https://www.cruisemapper.com/

https://www.portmiamiwebcam.com/

 

[LynnT3]

10 hours ago, GA Dave said:

 

Cruisemapper is awesome.  Shows every ship, every port, etc.  

You can also view live cameras from many ports on PTZtv.

https://www.cruisemapper.com/

https://www.portmiamiwebcam.com/

 

Thank you very much for the information!

[CrazyIrving]

On 6/7/2019 at 10:03 AM, vpearlkc said:

I have been on this board for quite some time and found it very useful when planning a cruise. I have noticed that Nassau seems to be held in disdain by a great many cruisers on this board. 

 

Just wondering why? We have only been there once on our first cruise in the mid 90s on a three day cruise on the long gone Premier Cruise Lines Big Red Boat and enjoyed the stop. Went to a nice beach at Atlantis at no cost and hung around the main st. downtown shopping and drinking. Have even considered going back for a longer stay. Seemed like a fun place to me.

 

We just went to Nassau on June 11.  We had did our homework and research before.  On arriving at the port on Carnival Liberty being the last to arrive. We go off and noticed the crowds were pretty much lost or disoriented going from the ship through the building to get to the port gates. Every one was following the crowd being funnel out a signal gate. That’s where the the signs holders were pushing for tourists attention.  We went the other way out the gate where delivery was comming and going.  

 

We we made our way through town visiting on our own. It was a very pleasant and wonderful place. 

Yes, it’s old. It has it’s charm that we found fascinating.  We spen about an hour at the Queen staircase.  During the visit, met a guitarist who told me there is a tunnel that leads to the other fort. 

He showed me the hole.   We can feel the drafts pulling the air in. WOW 😮!!  Dugout by hands. 

 

vist the Fort walked to the Graylord  Chocolate.  

 

Junkanoo beach, pirates museum, never say never again, ice cream parlour,  it goes on and on during our 7 hours. Not one I met a crowded area. The people were friendly and directed us to the proper places.   

 

I had question about the Atlantis. 

Was told it’s very crowded. 

 

We did enjoy Nassau and we will go back there again. 

 

 

 

[MississippiMom]

I am finding planning for the Nassau port stop to be a bit challenging.  I wish RCCL had more than just Atlantis listed as excursions during out 2 p.m. to midnight stop in Nassau.  We have been to Atlantis,  so we would like to see something else.  Some version of a rum tour seems to be a family preference, since now everyone is over 18.

[Cruise-Crazy]

I have been there on many cruises and worked there for a short time back in the 80s. I like it there. 

[mkaalong]

On 6/7/2019 at 9:45 AM, sun_lovin!1 said:

I have been to Nassau, on various cruises, 8 times.  I have found something enjoyable to do each time.  I will continue to go on cruises that have Nassau as a stop and will not be one to stay on the ship!  On the last visit, we did a Foodie Tour and it was fun, informative and very filling!

What are some of the favorite things you have done there?  We are 2 couples and I've found info on snorkeling, food tours, Atlantis, private island tours, walking tour...so many options!  We have the whole day there and the other couple is new to cruising, so I want to do something super awesome that's not too expensive  🙂  The husband wants to snorkel, so that might be a main contender!

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

7 hours ago, mkaalong said:

What are some of the favorite things you have done there?  We are 2 couples and I've found info on snorkeling, food tours, Atlantis, private island tours, walking tour...so many options!  We have the whole day there and the other couple is new to cruising, so I want to do something super awesome that's not too expensive  🙂  The husband wants to snorkel, so that might be a main contender!

We did snuba there, and that was a lot of fun. 

 

The pirate museum is walking distance to the port, and only takes a couple of hours. It was nice, but I wouldn't plan my day around it.  That's more of, "we have a few hours left, let's try it."

 

Atlantis is overpriced for what it is.

 

We are thinking of trying blue lagoon in Aug. They have a nice special on our cruise. 

[sun_lovin!1]

mkaalong, My favorite thing to do there is Atlantis.  I have been there probably 6 times.  I just love it.  It's beautiful, the tour is fun and informative.  The grounds are beautiful.  The slides are a blast...and I'm 60 years young!  That being said, snorkeling is one of my absolute favorite things to do at any port.  I've probably snorkeled dozens of times in dozens of locations.  I have not snorkeled in Nassau though so I cannot provide a referral.  I would do some research and look for companies that have really good reviews and go with it!

 

[mkaalong]

11 hours ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

We did snuba there, and that was a lot of fun. 

 

The pirate museum is walking distance to the port, and only takes a couple of hours. It was nice, but I wouldn't plan my day around it.  That's more of, "we have a few hours left, let's try it."

 

Atlantis is overpriced for what it is.

 

We are thinking of trying blue lagoon in Aug. They have a nice special on our cruise. 

Thank you for that feedback!  🙂

[mkaalong]

1 hour ago, sun_lovin!1 said:

mkaalong, My favorite thing to do there is Atlantis.  I have been there probably 6 times.  I just love it.  It's beautiful, the tour is fun and informative.  The grounds are beautiful.  The slides are a blast...and I'm 60 years young!  That being said, snorkeling is one of my absolute favorite things to do at any port.  I've probably snorkeled dozens of times in dozens of locations.  I have not snorkeled in Nassau though so I cannot provide a referral.  I would do some research and look for companies that have really good reviews and go with it!

 

Thank you for that info!!  Regarding Atlantis, that is a possibility for us.  🙂  It is worth it to go just to tour the grounds and not enjoy the water park? What is there to see to just walk around?  And how long would it take?

 

Snorkeling...yes!  I have some found some companies with good referrals from doing some research already!  So that is an option too!  We don't know if we should just snorkel at CocoKay and do it with our "beach day" OR do it is an excursion at Nassau instead of other sightseeing?  Decisions...LOL!

[CruisinCrow]

17 minutes ago, mkaalong said:

Thank you for that info!!  Regarding Atlantis, that is a possibility for us.  🙂  It is worth it to go just to tour the grounds and not enjoy the water park? What is there to see to just walk around?  And how long would it take?

 

 

Other than the casino, you can't really tour the grounds of Atlantis without some kind of pass.  The cheapest pass is for the aquarium and it costs about $40.  With that pass, you don't have access to the pools but you can see the aquarium and the Predator's Lagoon, which is outside of the main building so you can see some of the grounds walking to it.  You can spend about 2 hours doing that.

 

While you're at Atlantis, you can also walk next door to Marina Village where there are some nice shops and a lot of gigantic yachts that are fun to see.

Edited January 30, 2020 by CruisinCrow

[BND]

12 minutes ago, CruisinCrow said:

 

Other than the casino, you can't really tour the grounds of Atlantis without some kind of pass.  The cheapest pass is for the aquarium and it costs about $40.  With that pass, you don't have access to the pools but you can see the aquarium and the Predator's Lagoon, which is outside of the main building so you can see some of the grounds walking to it.  You can spend about 2 hours doing that.

 

While you're at Atlantis, you can also walk next door to Marina Village where there are some nice shops and a lot of gigantic yachts that are fun to see.

There's a guy on FB saying you don't have to buy anything.  That he went to the aquarium, walked around the grounds, sat on the beach, etc without a pass.  I know that's not true, but he's overselling the fact you can do so much without the pass to the point he's really not being honest.  Not worth arguing with him, but I and I know others have stayed at Atlantis and know how it works. I think some people listening to him will be sorely disappointed when they try to just walk in. We enjoyed staying there, but so glad they limit visitors because it would be overrun if they didn't and for those staying there, it's one of the benefits. 

Edited January 30, 2020 by BND

[CruisinCrow]

15 minutes ago, BND said:

There's a guy on FB saying you don't have to buy anything.  That he went to the aquarium, walked around the grounds, sat on the beach, etc without a pass.  I know that's not true, but he's overselling the fact you can do so much without the pass to the point he's really not being honest.  Not worth arguing with him, but I and I know others have stayed at Atlantis and know how it works. I think some people listening to him will be sorely disappointed when they try to just walk in. We enjoyed staying there, but so glad they limit visitors because it would be overrun if they didn't and for those staying there, it's one of the benefits. 

 

I agree!  I wouldn't want to stay at a hotel that I'd paid a lot of money for and have it be crowded with people who had snuck in.  I really hate it when people encourage others to do what is basically stealing, not just from the hotel but from the paying guests.

 

And I'm sure there have been some people who avoided getting caught by security but that doesn't guarantee it will work for you if you try it. 

Edited January 30, 2020 by CruisinCrow

[mkaalong]

3 hours ago, CruisinCrow said:

 

Other than the casino, you can't really tour the grounds of Atlantis without some kind of pass.  The cheapest pass is for the aquarium and it costs about $40.  With that pass, you don't have access to the pools but you can see the aquarium and the Predator's Lagoon, which is outside of the main building so you can see some of the grounds walking to it.  You can spend about 2 hours doing that.

 

While you're at Atlantis, you can also walk next door to Marina Village where there are some nice shops and a lot of gigantic yachts that are fun to see.

Thank you for that info!!!  I looked on the Atlantis website and didn't see any info like that yet!  And I agree with what has been shared above, if there is a cost for something, you should pay it and not look for a way to sneak in somewhere.  🙂 Good info!!

[CruisinCrow]

3 hours ago, mkaalong said:

Thank you for that info!!!  I looked on the Atlantis website and didn't see any info like that yet!  And I agree with what has been shared above, if there is a cost for something, you should pay it and not look for a way to sneak in somewhere.  🙂 Good info!!

 

Try here: https://secure.atlantisbahamas.com/apps/shopping/#/search-results/activities/9a5tvd6zdotg3230z2/1

 

Discover Atlantis is the aquarium pass.

 

[mkaalong]

18 hours ago, CruisinCrow said:

 

Try here: https://secure.atlantisbahamas.com/apps/shopping/#/search-results/activities/9a5tvd6zdotg3230z2/1

 

Discover Atlantis is the aquarium pass.

 

Thank you !!! 

[carbon]

Does the casino comp drinks if you are gambling?