Nassau (aka New Providence Island, as the locals will be sure to point out to you) Bahamas, is one of the most popular cruise itineraries you can find. Almost every cruise line stops there weekly.
If you live in Florida it is also the itinerary that offers the best deal for a quick cruise. And that is the reason that I have been there 4 times.
(Photo Credit: Cruisemapper.com)
1995, 2006, 2007 and 2016
I don’t remember much about my 1995 visit. Well except that it was my first cruise and I really wanted to get my hair braided to look like the chick from the movie 10.
(Photo Credit: Nachalooman.com)
But sadly I ended up looking more like Medusa, and that was a real bummer.
(Photo Credit: Villains Wiki.com)
When I went back in 2006 I did not venture far from the ship. But in 2007 my son and I went to check out the Atlantis hotel, which was a pretty popular thing to do.
We took a taxi over and from what I remember had free reign over the entire hotel. Except for the water park area, but since we went to visit it at night I was fine with that. We were able to take photos all around and could even see the huge aquarium that was around the lobby area.
My husband also wanted to get a look at the hotel; so on our cruise last year we headed right back over to the Atlantis once we docked.
We tool a water taxi, which was an enjoyable ride. You got to see some of the million dollar houses lining the ocean. And there was a guy on the boat giving you a little speaking tour (for tips) of what we were passing and some local history. I want to say it was $5 or $6 per person (one way) and it was worth it.
The water taxi leaves you less that a mile from the entrance of the hotel. And there are plenty of shops to check out while you are walking over.
In fact right off the pier there are many locals selling souvenirs, and though they all have almost the same items (or maybe because) they are cut throat with each other. I bought a hat from one booth, cause the lady there stopped me first. And then the lady at the booth next door made sure to tell me I bought a crap hat that had a stain. That was a buzz kill, but it sure did not make me want to buy anything from her either.
The offending hat
I had heard that the Atlantis really restricted the foot traffic to most of the property now. I do understand why, I mean, I think there were 4 other cruise ships docked with us on that day. If even half of all those people decided go and hang out at the hotel then there would be no room for the guests. You can buy a day pass if you really want to see what its all about, but its like $199. That a CRAZY price to pay to walk around a hotel....and Its more if you want to add the water park.
But if you want to play in the casino then don’t worry they will happily let you in there.
There are other options in Nassau besides going to Atlantis. You can just walk around the port area. You will find plenty of little bars and restaurants. Also a lot of cute little alleyways with hidden shops.
And then there is the straw market. I know lots of people enjoy going there for the deals. And I do suggest if you have never been, it is worth checking out. But it really is booth after booth of the same items. I often wonder how they make any money when they all are selling the exact same nick nacks.
(Photo Credit: Pinterest)
I did get a few different souvenirs for my girl, and I tried to spread my purchases between the different vendors. But they did not seem to happy that I did.
I will tell you the straw market is not for the faint of heart. You gotta be able to haggle and be able to say no…and be able to walk away fast. It can be intimidating, but it is also a bit of an adventure.
All in all Nassau is a well-rounded port. It is not amazing but the cost of a cruise to get there is not bad either. So a great deal for everyone.
(If you want to learn about how I budget and save for my cruises check out www.CruiseWithJosie.com)
PEACE.LOVE&CRUISES to all...