Day Passes in Nassau

We will be in Nassau in November and want to get a day pass for one of the resorts. We've narrowed it down to the British Colonial Hilton or the RIU Palace Resort. Any feedback on either of these places? Also, do we contact the hotel directly for a day pass? I found a website that sells day passes and other excursions for the Bahamas…are these usually reputable? I know that unless I purchase an excursion through the cruise line directly I'm pretty much on my own but I didn't see any that caught my eye. Any tips? We definitely want the resort type experience and not just the local beach.

We were there in January and we purchased a day pass to the Sheraton (Melia) resort in Nassau. It was well worth it. We didn't have great weather, we were there during the polar vortex - but it was still nice to sit on the beach. For $35 you get chairs and thatch umbrellas on the beach, several pools, hot tub, and non-motorized water sports. They have a snack bar, bar, restaurant and somewhere to shower/change before going back to the ship. You could also rent a day room at this resort. I think it was about $100 for 2 people. We let them know we were coming ahead of time. To get there we left the ship and went into the building. They have a man that assigns people to their approved taxis. The fares are posted in the bldg. so everyone charges the same. To go to the Sheraton we paid $4 per person each way. We told our driver this was our first time in Nassau so he gave us a little tour along the way - pointing out places of interest. On the way back he offered to drop us off at the straw market which was very close to the ship. That was very CLUTTERED. There was really narrow isles and people would step in front of you trying to get you to buy something. I think we would skip that the next time.

Sorry - might be more info than you were looking for!

The British Colonial Hilton is nice- right near the pier. It has a small pool and the beach area is fairly small.

We have taken a taxi to the Melia (formerly Sheraton) and enjoy the large pools and big stretch of Cable Beach.

Both hotels have good websites with info and photos.

We've done day passes at RIU twice. You can book in advance through Island Marketing. It's $75 as opposed to $100 if you get the passes at the hotel's front desk. We didn't have any problems with Island Marketing. You pay them a deposit and then pay the rest to the hotel when you get there.

We just purchased our passes online for the British Colonial Hilton for our cruise in February. They're $60 online ($65 if you purchase them at the desk) and with that you get a $40 credit for food and drink (including alcoholic beverages).

We've done BCH and the Melia (when it was the Sheraton). Preferred the later - nicer everything (beach, pool, things to do).