Blue Lagoon Ferry question

[careywv]

Our ship docks in Nassau at 8:00 am. If we were able to be one of the first off the ship, would it be possible to make the 8:30 am ferry to Blue Lagoon?

 

The next ferry isn't until 10:30, and we are looking for a full beach day while we are in port.

[happycruizer]

I had the same situation so I called dolphinencounters to ask.......they said NO I would not have enough time. You would have to get off immediately in hopes of catching a taxi which evidently taxes 15/20 minutes to the ferry terminal. Then you must get checked in to get your bracelets, etc.

[scubagirrl]

Our ship docks in Nassau at 8:00 am. If we were able to be one of the first off the ship, would it be possible to make the 8:30 am ferry to Blue Lagoon?

 

The next ferry isn't until 10:30, and we are looking for a full beach day while we are in port.

 

Not likely, by the time you get off and find a cab, 30 minutes is already gone. Plus, you have to be at the ferry terminal 30 minutes in advance to get your wristband and vouchers.

 

You'll be on time for the 10:30am ferry.

[Sashamcg]

If I am doing a ship excursion to Blue Lagoon do I have to find my own way to the ferry or is that included? Confused...

[mommyto2girls]

I have the exact same question! The whole transportation thing is not spelled out on NCL excursions.

[careywv]

If I am doing a ship excursion to Blue Lagoon do I have to find my own way to the ferry or is that included? Confused...

 

You have to take a cab to the ferry. I think it was around $5 pp each way. Cabs are readily available at the cruise ship terminal.

[scubagirrl]

I have the exact same question! The whole transportation thing is not spelled out on NCL excursions.

 

If it's a ships excursion, the ship with either provide transportation or the ferry will pick you up at the port.

 

Those that are NOT going on ship excursions must go to the Paradise Island ferry terminal on paradise Island to pick up their bracelets and vouchers.

 

You may end up on the same ferry, but you have to get your passes before getting on board.

[mommyto2girls]

If it's a ships excursion, the ship with either provide transportation or the ferry will pick you up at the port.

 

Those that are NOT going on ship excursions must go to the Paradise Island ferry terminal on paradise Island to pick up their bracelets and vouchers.

 

You may end up on the same ferry, but you have to get your passes before getting on board.

 

Thanks!

[Sashamcg]

Thanks! Since it said nothing in the description about getting there I figured they would take care of us. We arrive at 7am so we have plenty of time to get the first ferry over. And I am glad I don't have to mess with finding transportation.

[Chrissi242]

You wont make it. I took about an hour to get off the ship, find a cab, get checked in at he ferrystation. You will make the 1030 ferry.

[Kentucky60]

If it's a ships excursion, the ship with either provide transportation or the ferry will pick you up at the port.

 

Those that are NOT going on ship excursions must go to the Paradise Island ferry terminal on paradise Island to pick up their bracelets and vouchers.

 

You may end up on the same ferry, but you have to get your passes before getting on board.

 

If you go through Carnival do you still have to stop at Paradise Island Terminal? Also can you leave the island when you want to if you go through the ship?

[scubagirrl]

If you go through Carnival do you still have to stop at Paradise Island Terminal? Also can you leave the island when you want to if you go through the ship?

 

Depends on how many boats they are using that day. Sometimes they use 2 boats and one goes to the Ships Port and they other back to the Terminal. If they just use one boat, they will stop in both.

 

Ferries leave at 1, 2 and 4 pm .. you can go on any one you want. They may not be going back to port if it's not one of the cruise tours.. so then you'd have to pay $5pp for a cab back to the port.

[Parent22]

Just did this last weekend. Off the ship at 7:40. After pushing past the ship's photographers who wanted to us to pose for a zillion pictures, hiking from the ship to the taxi area (our ship docked the farthest), paying for a van to leave immediately with just our family (instead of waiting for enough others to fill it up), and waiting in a long line at the ticket window for our bracelets, we BARELY made the 8:30 ferry. It arrived and set sail again within 5 minutes of our getting our bracelets from the window.

[MissKaren83]

very helpful

 

another question, I booked a Dolphin Swim at Blue Lagoon adn my boyfriend will be an observer but we didn't buy his observer pass yet. dolphinencounters says it is ok and we can buy it the day we go. Where do I buy this pass ? Will I be able to buy it at the booth at the ferry terminal on PI ? Since I don't want anything going wrong.. I think I want everything set in advance....

thanks for your help

[lesleyswimcoach]

My boat gets in at 7am instead of 8am. Will we be able to make the 8:30am ferry?

[Parent22]

My boat gets in at 7am instead of 8am. Will we be able to make the 8:30am ferry?

 

You should be able to make it. (See my previous thread above.) Our boat docked at 7. We had intended to be off the ship by 7:30, but had a little trouble motivating the kids and didn't make it off until 7:40. If we had to do it over, we would have aimed to be off the ship by 7:15 to build in a little leeway. In our experience, the areas of delay were (1) waiting in line to get off the ship -- the ships' photographers wanted to take one family at a time and pose everyone for a series of pictures with literally 3 different backdrops. Eventually, we just bolted past; (2) getting a taxi -- there were not a lot of people looking for taxis at that hour (as opposed to getting off to take the ship's shore excursions). We paid $22 for our family to convince them to leave with us in a van immediately rather than waiting for others to show up; (3) waiting to pass through the bridge toll on the ride to the ferry terminal -- the cars were backed up to go through, and it took about 10-15 minutes. Perhaps this was their rush hour. It was a weekday around 8 am. Not sure if it's always so backed up; and (4) waiting in a line of about 10 people at the ticket window. The attendant was SLOW. And most people in front of us were just buying their tickets (which meant credit card processing), as opposed to checking in with pre-paid registrations. When we finally got to the window with our pre-paid reservation, it took only 2 minutes to get our bracelets.

 

Also, note that the ferry did NOT wait for very long after arriving. They loaded the people waiting at the dock and then left within minutes. It didn't seem like they had time to check if anyone else was waiting in line at the window (which was across the terminal from the dock). I think if we had still been waiting in line at the window when the ferry arrived we would have been SOL. Long story short, the 50 minutes we left ourselves was too close for comfort. An extra 20 minutes or so would have felt much better.

 

Finally, take into consideration that the ship might be late docking in Nassau. This didn't happen to us, but the next day in Freeport, the schedule said arriving at 7 am, but I swear we were still docking at 8. We didn't have previously-made plans that day, so we weren't in a rush to get off, but would have been sick if we had signed up for something independently that we had to get to on a tight time table. (Obviously, if we had signed up for something through the ship, the delay probably wouldn't have mattered because the tour operators would have waited.)

[inga418]

I booked blue lagoon beach day through carnival and it says 10:30 for departure time but I am wondering...we get in at 7. If I get right off the ship can I provide my own transportation to the terminal and hop on the 8:30 or do I have to go with the carnival group. When will carnival give us our bracelets?

[lovermonkey]

I 2nd what Inga said. Not sure if my girlfriend will get up that early because we both know as she puts it, "She is on vacation, so don't rush me!" LOL

[inga418]

mark tell her she can sleep on the beach right next to me LOL but not before we have a couple of frozen tropical drinks LOL

[KCTravel]

Parent 22--Thanks for the great info. Exactly what we needed to know. We have a reservation for the 8:30 ferry so our group will have to get up and get out! We want to spend all day at Blue Lagoon!

Karen

[Parent22]

Parent 22--Thanks for the great info. Exactly what we needed to know. We have a reservation for the 8:30 ferry so our group will have to get up and get out! We want to spend all day at Blue Lagoon!

Karen

 

Enjoy! It was a fabulous day once we got there. So well worth it to make the 8:30 in order to have 2 hours on a virtually deserted beach before the cruise ship tour groups show up at 11!