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Nassau beaches without paying for an excursion?

Bogos22

By Bogos22,
in Bahamas

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Bogos22

Bogos22

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My DH and I want to go to a Nassau beach to relax, swim in the ocean, snorkel a little bit and have lunch. Which beach should we go to to do this? I would rather not spend a fortune on an excursion. Can you take a taxi once you get into port over to a beach? We will be sailing on Oasis of the Seas in April 2012.

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scubagirrl

scubagirrl

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My DH and I want to go to a Nassau beach to relax, swim in the ocean, snorkel a little bit and have lunch. Which beach should we go to to do this? I would rather not spend a fortune on an excursion. Can you take a taxi once you get into port over to a beach? We will be sailing on Oasis of the Seas in April 2012.

 

 

Free public beaches don't have much in the way of amenities and snorkeling is not easy to find from shore.

 

Cabbage Beach is an free ocean beach, you can rent chaise, and there's snorkeling about 1 1/2 miles east up the beach. But there is no lunch, no restrooms, and unlicensed vendors selling drinks etc.

 

Cable Beach is not open ocean, and again, for the most part, no amenities, Sanders beach has restrooms, but nothing else.

 

To get all your point, you'd have to go to a resort beach. Sheraton has all your needs, including snorkeling. It's $25pp

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girlscruise2011

girlscruise2011

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Thanks. I'm torn between Sheraton and Hilton.

 

I was at the Hilton in October and enjoyed it. It was within walking distance that made it easier and the $30 food/drink voucher was nice. The beach was nice and I enjoyed watching the ships come & go.

 

I don't snorkel so I'm not sure about doing that there but its definately a nice place to relax, swim and have lunch.

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Bogos22

Bogos22

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I was at the Hilton in October and enjoyed it. It was within walking distance that made it easier and the $30 food/drink voucher was nice. The beach was nice and I enjoyed watching the ships come & go.

 

I don't snorkel so I'm not sure about doing that there but its definately a nice place to relax, swim and have lunch.

 

How did you pay for the day pass at Hilton? Can you buy it when you get there or do you have to purchase it ahead of time?

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LaShelle2

LaShelle2

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we just got back from our cruise and regret paying for the Sheraton. The water was waaaay to cold to enjoy. NOBODY was in the water.

 

I would opt for Junkanoo, just to get some free sun and scenery and save the Sheraton for a warmer time of year.

 

OMO it was just not worth paying $25 just to sit on the same beach that you can see from Junkanoo for free.

 

Also, the restrooms at Junkanoo were nice and clean. The ones at Sheraton were not that much better than the free beach restroom.

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scubagirrl

scubagirrl

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We are going next week. So the water will be to cold to swim and snorkel?

 

Depends on where you are from and how you like ur water.

 

Last time I put my toes in the water here was Thanksgiving weekend. Been too cold for ME since.

 

THe locals are wearing jeans, sweaters, socks and shoes.

The northerners are wearing tank tops and shorts.

 

It's really what you can tolerate.

 

I wouldn't plan any prolonged time in the water without a wetsuit this time of year. Water cooled off quickly this season.

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scubagirrl

scubagirrl

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Junkanoo Beach was okay. The pics I saw of Cabbage Beach were so nice that next time I'm going there.

 

 

Cabbage Beach is quite nice, but it can be quite rough as well. It has a serious drop off and sometimes a rip tide.. so check the weather and surf before heading over.

 

CB is oftentime red flagged and closed due to rough surf.

 

There are no lifeguards on public beaches..

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  • 3 weeks later...
mikeyd

mikeyd

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I have been researching (and worrying about this) too.

 

They are typically between 73-75 degrees. A tad cold for most, but not out of the question.

 

It has been a mild winter so far, so it's hard to tell.

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  • 3 weeks later...
lhhjrs76

lhhjrs76

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I was at the Hilton in October and enjoyed it. It was within walking distance that made it easier and the $30 food/drink voucher was nice. The beach was nice and I enjoyed watching the ships come & go.

 

I don't snorkel so I'm not sure about doing that there but its definately a nice place to relax, swim and have lunch.

 

Regarding the Hilton - what kind of food was available from the grill, and did the $30 voucher get you alot? I'm wondering if it's worth the price, or to just go to Junkanoo and spend the time there. We don't get into port until 12pm so it's not a "full" day...

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lhhjrs76

lhhjrs76

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How did you pay for the day pass at Hilton? Can you buy it when you get there or do you have to purchase it ahead of time?

 

I read on here about a website by Island Marketing Ltd (Google it) and you can pull up Bahamas Cruise Excursions where you can pre-purchase the Hilton, RIU, and Paradise Island Harborview day-passes. The site lists what is included with each cost.

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rrobynec

rrobynec

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Regarding the Hilton - what kind of food was available from the grill, and did the $30 voucher get you alot? I'm wondering if it's worth the price, or to just go to Junkanoo and spend the time there. We don't get into port until 12pm so it's not a "full" day...

I did this on my Feb cruise last year, and we were very satisfied. We were practically the only ones on the beach.

For the $30 I was able to get anything on the menu and a tropical (with alcohol) drink. My DD (under 18) had lunch, a smoothie, and enough $$ left on the voucher for me to have a second drink!

As I recall the grill had the usuals--salads, hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken. If I remember I will take a picture of the menu for you.

The hotel is beautiful too.

You can also use their snorkel gear (not much to see, but fun never the less) and kayaks. Plus it is within walking distance of the docks.

I highly recommend it.

In fact, I plan on going back there--as long as the weather is nice.

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KCTravel

KCTravel

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Regarding the Hilton - what kind of food was available from the grill, and did the $30 voucher get you alot? I'm wondering if it's worth the price, or to just go to Junkanoo and spend the time there. We don't get into port until 12pm so it's not a "full" day...

 

When we were there, DH had the best grouper fingers and I had an awesome tropical salad with greens, fruit and grilled shrimp. I took a picture as it was one of the best salads I ever had.

 

You can purchase the voucher ahead of time with a deposit and it is $50 through Island Marketing. When you arrive, you just present your paperwork at the desk in the lobby and pay the balance. You can also purchase the day you visit for $55.00.

 

The bathrooms were spotless, the pool was very warm and the service was pleasant but very slow for the grill.

 

Hope this helps!

K

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rrobynec

rrobynec

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KCTravel and rrobynec - thank you both - you've helped me decide on going to the Hilton...I just did my deposit thru that website and I'm all set!!

 

Thanks again for your input :)

You're welcome!!! I have gotten so much great advice on these boards, I love when I can give back.

After seeing this thread, I "friended" Hilton British Colonial on FB, and yesterday they had a recipe for what sounds like an amazing salad!

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questionsfromme

questionsfromme

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KCTravel and rrobynec - thank you both - you've helped me decide on going to the Hilton...I just did my deposit thru that website and I'm all set!!

 

Thanks again for your input :)

 

How much is the deposit on that site? I'm just worried about prepaying and then having bad weather and not wanting to go...

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lhhjrs76

lhhjrs76

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How much is the deposit on that site? I'm just worried about prepaying and then having bad weather and not wanting to go...

 

The deposit is 20% for the Hilton pass amount, so it's $10 charged to your cc. They DO refund your deposit if there is bad weather and the ship doesn't come into port. But, I'm pretty sure they don't refund if you decide to skip it b/c of the weather.

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