Thank you Scubagirrl!

[CharismaticWoman]

We are just back from our 5 night cruise on the Celebration and we had a great time! You advise was excellent, we went to the Nassau Hilton and had a great time for only 15 bucks! It was just as you said it would be, nice and peaceful :)

 

Question - I read some where that the Bahamian dollar is on par with the US dollar and I find that hard to believe. It seems as if most of the Bahamian citizens would find it hard to live there based on some of the prices we saw. We went to a restaurant and paid 40 bucks for chicken! Almost 8 bucks for donuts etc... Those prices were higher than some of the prices here in the states. No doubt that prices are usually higher in areas frequented by tourist, but I was just wondering after seeing how some of the Bahamian's live, how they can afford to stay on this island with prices being so high. I wonder if tourists are actually hurting or helping the Bahamian citizens.

 

Just my observation.

[scubagirrl]

We are just back from our 5 night cruise on the Celebration and we had a great time! You advise was excellent, we went to the Nassau Hilton and had a great time for only 15 bucks! It was just as you said it would be, nice and peaceful :)

 

Question - I read some where that the Bahamian dollar is on par with the US dollar and I find that hard to believe. It seems as if most of the Bahamian citizens would find it hard to live there based on some of the prices we saw. We went to a restaurant and paid 40 bucks for chicken! Almost 8 bucks for donuts etc... Those prices were higher than some of the prices here in the states. No doubt that prices are usually higher in areas frequented by tourist, but I was just wondering after seeing how some of the Bahamian's live, how they can afford to stay on this island with prices being so high. I wonder if tourists are actually hurting or helping the Bahamian citizens.

 

Just my observation.

 

First off.. you are welcome for the advise, glad you had a great trip.

 

As for the cost of living.. YES, the bahamas is very expensive to live here, but there are certain things that are controlled. Chicken, tunafish, corned beef etc..

Also, prices away from the tourist areas for "dinner" are more reasonable.

We don't usually eat out at the tourist destinations except when we have friends in town or special occasions. We do alot of shopping in the states, and bring back things that we can't find here, or are too expensive. (yes, we are supposed to pay customs tax, but we get by with alot.. believe me). We eat alot of fresh fish and conch, and don't have some of the same values that americans have as far as "keeping up with the jones".

Life if NOT paradise in the bahamas. yes, the weather is nearly always perfect, but we have to work hard for a living, pay high prices, deal with poverty and crime, and take the bad with the good when it comes to tourists. There's not much of a middle class standard in the bahamas.. it's mostly the wealthy, and the struggling.