Water temperature for snorkeling in Nassau in December

Hello! First time poster and first time cruiser. My family and I just decided to book ourselves a 3-night Bahamas cruise with Royal Caribbean around Christmas time! I've been reading a lot of threads on here and it's been really helpful!

We (parents are 55+ and two adult children 25+) are not the most active folks but we'd like to try snorkeling for the first time in Nassau. Mom is concerned if the water temperature would be too cold to swim in. Can anyone comment on it?

Also, is there a good snorkeling excursion you recommend? I read a couple horror stories where people were left on the pier after they've paid everything.

Thanks in advance!

-Venti Chai Latte

The only cruise I've been on was in December 2001 to the Bahamas. I don't do cold water, and while I can't remember exactly what the water temperature was, I snorkeled and enjoyed it. It definitely wasn't so cold that I couldn't tolerate it. It looks like December average water temperature is 75-78° with average highs/lows being 79/63.

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Obviously, everyone has different tolerances for cold weather. I'm used to NJ ocean temps, and I can tolerate the Bahamas' water in the winter. I mean I would love it to be warmer, but for a simple snorkel, it's tolerable. December is still on the early side in winter, so ocean temps won't have cooled as much as in February for example. Just watch out for fatigue and limit your time in the water if you feel it's too cold for you.

Also, I've done the "Sail and Snorkel," sometimes called "Catamaran Sail and Snorkel" or something to that effect and I really liked it. I've done it both independently and via cruise ship. It's not a long trip, about 3.5 hours, but I think it's a good one for first timers.