Why go to Nassau at all?

[mnocket]

On 2/17/2022 at 2:10 PM, CruiserBruce said:

A little search around Cruise Critic would find some threads with much detail on the variables of port fees. You should look into what the fees are for the Panama Canal.

 

First, what one port charges has absolutely nothing to do with what another port charges. Its entirely up to the port to charge what they desire.

 

Secondly, services provided at ports vary widely. Some ports provide, and charge for all sorts of things...water, garbage service, land based power, etc. Others don't. The most common services charged for include things like tugs and standby tugs, pilots, dock personnel, etc.

 

Thirdly, some ports were built by, or with the assistance of cruise lines...for example, Carnival built Grand Turk. Thus, Carnival ships may pay little or nothing for docking at Grand Turk, but pay a bundle to dock at other ports, including some built by other cruise lines. Like being a member at a golf club, some ports may tack on an additional fee for upcoming projects, like new docks, dredging, etc.

 

Lastly, some ports charge by passenger, others by capacity, others by size, others just a flat fee, some a mix of these methods. All of this is divided over the pax on board.

I think OP may have been questioning why ships stop in Nassau, which many people dislike, when there are more desirable ports that don't cost as much.   I suspect it has to with location.

[CruiserBruce]

2 hours ago, mnocket said:

I think OP may have been questioning why ships stop in Nassau, which many people dislike, when there are more desirable ports that don't cost as much.   I suspect it has to with location.

This was about half the paragraph the OP wrote:

 

I'd like to address just the port fees. I am on a 4 day cruise from Port Canaveral with one stop in Nassau and two days at a private island. The port fees are $139. PP.  

[navybankerteacher]

15 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

Nothing worth seeing? Spare us your elitist inconvenience of visiting ports of the common folk. There are plenty of beautiful sights to see in Nassau.

Nassau is a crowded, rather dirty town.  There ARE things to see and do elsewhere on New Providence Island -- but very little in Nassau.  

 

Who are these "common folk" to whom you refer --- do you mean people who do not know the difference between an island and the major city on it?

[Markanddonna]

As the OP, my big issue was the relative high port fees for a port that many experienced cruisers don't enjoy. I have seen the surveys of "least favorite port" and Nassau and Freeport are in the top five.  The other ports in Europe I listed are so wonderful, generally quite clean and lots to do.  I hope I'm not in the snob category, but I have traveled extensively and Nassau is a disappointment.

[navybankerteacher]

4 hours ago, mnocket said:

I think OP may have been questioning why ships stop in Nassau, which many people dislike, when there are more desirable ports that don't cost as much.   I suspect it has to with location.

Exactly -- it almost next door to Miami and Fort Lauderdale - which gives cruise lines a place to spend a day alongside a pier rather than burning costly fuel -- while also providing a necessary foreign port for short cruises (3 or 4 days) now that cruises to nowhere are not permitted.

[zdcatc12]

On 2/18/2022 at 7:39 AM, Markanddonna said:

Our four day cruise that includes Nassau also includes a two day stop at MSC's private island. We are only at Nassau for about six hours and will get off the ship only because it is the first time our granddaughter can say she has been to a foreign country. Then, it is back to the ship.

I'm pretty sure that MSC's private island is in a foreign country, probably the Bahamas.

[sverigecruiser]

On 2/18/2022 at 2:39 PM, Markanddonna said:

Our four day cruise that includes Nassau also includes a two day stop at MSC's private island. We are only at Nassau for about six hours and will get off the ship only because it is the first time our granddaughter can say she has been to a foreign country. Then, it is back to the ship.

 

The private island is also in a foreign country.

[Zach1213]

On 2/18/2022 at 2:18 PM, navybankerteacher said:

Without being anywhere near the Caribbean.

 

Kind of like taking a Royal Caribbean ship from Hawaii to Australia 🙂

 

On 2/19/2022 at 9:32 AM, Essiesmom said:

My favorite thing in Nassau is the port.  If you are there on a day with several cruise ships, hope that your ship is one of the earliest to arrive.  Stay on deck, watch the other ships enter the bay, spin around and back into their piers.  Fascinating.  EM

 

That is fun. I was on a cruise once that didn't leave Nassau until 9pm...it was fun to go in to town for a few hours, eat and drink, chill on the ship, then watch the others leave as the sun set. 

 

On 2/19/2022 at 2:10 PM, mnocket said:

I think OP may have been questioning why ships stop in Nassau, which many people dislike, when there are more desirable ports that don't cost as much.   I suspect it has to with location.

 

I suspect Nassau works out for them pretty well...just a guess. They can sell a lot of excursions to people who don't want to explore on their own, or for those who just want to stay on the ship they can make money from drinks and such. 

[BruceMuzz]

Why go to the Caribbean at all?

Just about everything there is overpriced rip-offs for gullible tourists.

Cheap rum, expensive marijuana, dirty beaches, overcrowded tourist traps.

A dirty version of Disney World.

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, BruceMuzz said:

Why go to the Caribbean at all?

Just about everything there is overpriced rip-offs for gullible tourists.

Cheap rum, expensive marijuana, dirty beaches, overcrowded tourist traps.

A dirty version of Disney World.

 

I stopped going to the Caribbean when we got off the ship at one island (I forget which one) and we were swamped by tour guides at the pier and they refused to listen to me when I said "no" and they continued to bother me.  One of them even followed us down the street several blocks trying to sell me his tour.  We went back to the ship and spent no money at all on the island.  That was the last time we took any cruise to the Caribbean.

 

I understand that the tour guides were trying to earn a living and things can be tough but when I said "no", it meant "no".

 

DON

Edited February 22, 2022 by donaldsc

[Zach1213]

1 hour ago, BruceMuzz said:

Why go to the Caribbean at all?

Just about everything there is overpriced rip-offs for gullible tourists.

Cheap rum, expensive marijuana, dirty beaches, overcrowded tourist traps.

A dirty version of Disney World.

 

I'd say you're going to the wrong parts of the Caribbean. Even if we only limit it to cruises and you get dumped on an island with thousands of other people, you can find a peaceful, quiet place anywhere if you want to, away from the tourists. You just need to find them. I love the Caribbean myself...absolutely love it. But I go there on land vacations (or work) more often than I do on cruises. 

[sfaaa]

2 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

Why go to the Caribbean at all?

Just about everything there is overpriced rip-offs for gullible tourists.

Cheap rum, expensive marijuana, dirty beaches, overcrowded tourist traps.

A dirty version of Disney World.

Except cruise line private islands. They are nice, safe and clean.

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, donaldsc said:

I stopped going to the Caribbean when we got off the ship at one island (I forget which one) and we were swamped by tour guides at the pier and they refused to listen to me when I said "no" and they continued to bother me. 

 

Sounds like my experience in Jamaica.  If I am on a cruise that visits any of their ports in the future, I will sleep in, order room service breakfast, and enjoy my day on the ship.

 

2 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

Why go to the Caribbean at all?

Just about everything there is overpriced rip-offs for gullible tourists.

Cheap rum, expensive marijuana, dirty beaches, overcrowded tourist traps.

A dirty version of Disney World.

 

Never been to St. Lucia?  Or any of the islands that have a rain forest and taken a trip into those forests?  There is scenic beauty on some of the islands, but, one has to get away from the port area to enjoy it.

 

17 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Except cruise line private islands. They are nice, safe and clean.

 

Agree.  

[donaldsc]

41 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Except cruise line private islands. They are nice, safe and clean.

 

The problem w private islands is that you left out one thing - boring.  I travel to see interesting things both historical and historical.  When I go to any beach I get bored in 20 minutes.  Some people are beach people and some people aren't.

 

DON

[navybankerteacher]

4 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

 

I'd say you're going to the wrong parts of the Caribbean. Even if we only limit it to cruises and you get dumped on an island with thousands of other people, you can find a peaceful, quiet place anywhere if you want to, away from the tourists. You just need to find them. I love the Caribbean myself...absolutely love it. But I go there on land vacations (or work) more often than I do on cruises. 

Given the mobs usually involved, it is very difficult for a cruise line day-tripper to find that "...peaceful, quiet place...".

 

We spend two or three weeks on St. Maarten every January -- the thing to do is to "shelter in place" on those days when 6 or so ships dump 20,000 to 25,000 cruisers in Phillipsburg (swamping the 18,000 locals, jamming the roads, busses and open access beaches) between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, who have minimal chance of (or even interest in) experiencing what makes St. Maarten what it is.   

 

I feel kind of sorry for those pigeons who can have no idea of what that particular island is like - happy people, soft breezes, inexpensive restaurants serving great food, etc.

Edited February 23, 2022 by navybankerteacher

[ilikeanswers]

IMO research is key. With the internet now it is easier than ever to get away from the crowd yet surprisingly few people make the effort. It reminds me of tourists who visit Sydney then complain restaurants are really expensive but most of the time they went to the first restaurants in their eyeline which of course was in the most expensive area. If they had just taken out even Google Maps they would have found much cheaper places with great food just a street away😂. I feel like in some cases there is an assumption that when travelling destinations will just neatly map and lay out everything for tourists but in reality even on a packaged trip sometimes you have to some work to have an experience you will enjoy. 

[Zach1213]

13 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Given the mobs usually involved, it is very difficult for a cruise line day-tripper to find that "...peaceful, quiet place...".

 

I am not sure I agree. It takes a little extra work, research, and planning. But we've been able to do it just about every time. It may mean taking a small excursion with just 10-20 other people. It may mean lining up transportation to get to a quiet, little known beach. But even on days when there have been 3-5 ships in a port, we've been able to find a beach that we had to ourselves for hours. So while it's not easy, I don't think it is "very difficult" by any means. 

[Mike981]

21 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

Why go to the Caribbean at all?

Just about everything there is overpriced rip-offs for gullible tourists.

Cheap rum, expensive marijuana, dirty beaches, overcrowded tourist traps.

A dirty version of Disney World.

 

Expensive marijuana, or be like my boss and get a bag of oregano.

 

20 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

 

I'd say you're going to the wrong parts of the Caribbean. Even if we only limit it to cruises and you get dumped on an island with thousands of other people, you can find a peaceful, quiet place anywhere if you want to, away from the tourists. You just need to find them. I love the Caribbean myself...absolutely love it. But I go there on land vacations (or work) more often than I do on cruises. 

 

I'm with you, I also love the Caribbean at anytime of the year. BUT, it sure is nice to get away from a Minnesota winter.

 

18 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

The problem w private islands is that you left out one thing - boring.  I travel to see interesting things both historical and historical.  When I go to any beach I get bored in 20 minutes.  Some people are beach people and some people aren't.

 

DON

Can't argue that point, very true.

[Hlitner]

22 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

Why go to the Caribbean at all?

Just about everything there is overpriced rip-offs for gullible tourists.

Cheap rum, expensive marijuana, dirty beaches, overcrowded tourist traps.

A dirty version of Disney World.

Oh Bruce!  Bruce, Bruce, Bruce!  Yes, there are certainly overcrowded tourist traps in the Caribbean but there are also plenty of decent places to go in the Caribbean for those of us who enjoy that region of the world for sun, sand, and beautiful waters.   Even though DW and I are true world travelers we still have enjoyed returning the Caribbean at least once a year for the past half century.   So yes, a cruiser can drag themselves over to Orient Beach and say they have experienced a beach on St Martin.  On the other hand we might rent a car and drive ourselves over to Happy Bay (one must hike in to that place) and be the only couple on an attractive beach with some fair (not great) snorkeling along one side of the bay.  

 

And then we can talk about Bonaire and the amazing snorkel (and diving) opportunities such as in the slot between Bonaire and Klein Bonaire.  Even some cruise line excursions (perish the thought) will take their charges to those waters although many of us prefer to keep significant distance from any large excursion group.   And consider Aruba.  Sure, many cruisers go out to the ridiculously touristy Palm Beach.  But others know that if they head out a little further towards the Lighthouse they can relax on the much less commercial Arashi Beach.  

 

By the way, with all due respect to another poster we really enjoy the so-called Private Islands.  If folks do not want the sun, sand, beautiful water then perhaps they should go other parts of the world that better meet their needs.  We also love historical places (Ephesus wows me every time I visit) and Borabudur is interesting...but swimming/snorkeling/diving in the clear Caribbean waters is also interesting and the beautiful fish (and other sea life) are also amazing.

 

So Bruce....there are really many charming spots throughout the Caribbean.  If cruisers choose to take themselves to most touristy overpriced parts (often designed to attract cruisers) or charge into Diamonds International (do any non-cruisers ever go into these places?) then that is their choice.  But others have done their homework and do realize there are other less touristy and overpriced options.

 

By the way, I have started to believe that some of the Alaskan ports are even more touristy and overpriced than the Caribbean.  DW is convinced that they cram stuffed wild animals far back in the woods so that tourists can say, "I saw a bear in Alaska"  :).  And you can even find Diamonds International waiting for the cruise ships with much of the same staff that works in the Caribbean during the winter months :).

 

Hank

[SelectSys]

Personally I like both the Bahamas and the Caribbean in general.  I am amazed at the level of desire of some to remain in some kind of "clean room" bubble like that provided by a private island.  I guess it's safe, but sometimes it's worth going out and exploring a bit more. 

 

The sentiment I am picking up here reminds me of all the people that go to Mexico and never really venture beyond the walls of their resort hotels.  Did you visit Mexico or did you simply some experience a standard corporate resort experience that happens to be located in Mexico?

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by SelectSys

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

 

 

By the way, I have started to believe that some of the Alaskan ports are even more touristy and overpriced than the Caribbean.  DW is convinced that they cram stuffed wild animals far back in the woods so that tourists can say, "I saw a bear in Alaska"  :).  And you can even find Diamonds International waiting for the cruise ships with much of the same staff that works in the Caribbean during the winter months :).

 

Hank

 

I totally agree w you about Alaska if you take one of the standard cruises to Alaska and I do love Alaska.  There are maybe 4 or 5 places that almost all the cruise lines stop at and on many days the ratio of cruisers to residents is at least 10 to 1.  However if you do a land trip (I have done several including a 2 1/2 month driving trip in AK), take one of the small boat cruises (I did Alaska on a ship that held 50 people) that go to smaller towns or even do Alaska on a ship on one of the Alaska Marine Highway ferries, you get a feel for the real Alaska.  I even had a AK cruise scheduled last year w Hurtigrutin that went out along the Aleutians, stopped at several uninhabited islands in the Bering Sea and ended up in Nome but we all know how that turned out.

 

I guess that I am sort of disagreeing with my own previous post.  I should have said that while most of the Caribbean islands stink, there are good places in the Caribbean that I have missed.  I do have a Caribbean cruise scheduled for early 2023 on the Clipper Cruises Star Flyer.  That one should be interesting and I am looking forward to it.

 

DON

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

I totally agree w you about Alaska if you take one of the standard cruises to Alaska and I do love Alaska.  There are maybe 4 or 5 places that almost all the cruise lines stop at and on many days the ratio of cruisers to residents is at least 10 to 1.  However if you do a land trip (I have done several including a 2 1/2 month driving trip in AK), take one of the small boat cruises (I did Alaska on a ship that held 50 people) that go to smaller towns or even do Alaska on a ship on one of the Alaska Marine Highway ferries, you get a feel for the real Alaska.  I even had a AK cruise scheduled last year w Hurtigrutin that went out along the Aleutians, stopped at several uninhabited islands in the Bering Sea and ended up in Nome but we all know how that turned out.

 

I guess that I am sort of disagreeing with my own previous post.  I should have said that while most of the Caribbean islands stink, there are good places in the Caribbean that I have missed.  I do have a Caribbean cruise scheduled for early 2023 on the Clipper Cruises Star Flyer.  That one should be interesting and I am looking forward to it.

 

DON

We have done a self-driving trip in Alaska and really enjoyed ourselves.  It is a beautiful State with much to see and love....but I am just so sure that places like Ketchikan are representative of the best of AK.  That being said, on our last Alaskan cruise (on a small ship with about 500 passengers) we were really impressed with Icy Strait Point.  The resident native tribe (and their corporation) have done a pretty good job preserving the area and it is nice to see a place without that "Diamonds International" sign :).

 

Hank

[ilikeanswers]

5 hours ago, SelectSys said:

Personally I like both the Bahamas and the Caribbean in general.  I am amazed at the level of desire of some to remain in some kind of "clean room" bubble like that provided by a private island.  I guess it's safe, but sometimes it's worth going out and exploring a bit more. 

 

The sentiment I am picking up here reminds me of all the people that go to Mexico and never really venture beyond the walls of their resort hotels.  Did you visit Mexico or did you simply some experience a standard corporate resort experience that happens to be located in Mexico?

 

In my experience travellers who want a safe sanitised bubble are people who travel to relax rather than explore🤔. 

[SelectSys]

5 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

In my experience travellers who want a safe sanitised bubble are people who travel to relax rather than explore🤔. 

You could be right, although for me personally relaxing and exploring aren't necessarily incompatible with one another. 

 

I also think that the comfort level associated with exploring a location changes based on other factors such as level of economic development, security and language.   I know this is a barrier where I live as many people in San Diego are afraid to cross the border into Mexico.

[Hlitner]

25 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

In my experience travellers who want a safe sanitised bubble are people who travel to relax rather than explore🤔. 

Kind of takes me back to the movie "If It's Tuesday It Must be Belgium."   DW and I think that the perfect trip involves both relaxation and exploration.  The trick is finding the proper mix.  Perhaps that is why we love long cruises (with lots of lazy sea days) coupled with a few weeks/month on an independent driving trip.  One reason that keeps drawing us back to long European driving trips (as opposed to lots of trains) is that we can easily set our own pace and change our plans on a moments notice.  If we like a place perhaps we will spend a few days, if we pass through an attractive village we might stop, etc.

 

Hank