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Balmoral Park Nassau

jamscckmc

By jamscckmc,
in Bahamas

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scubagirrl

scubagirrl

Posted
Posted
Question for all of you that have been to Balmoral. We will be here in Oct. Myself and my hubby don't want to swim with dolphins but our 11 year olds do. So can we do the beach excursion with carnival then pay for our kids to do dolphin swim once we get there?

 

You should check the rules and regulations - most dolphin programs do not allow children under 12 to participate without a paid adult in the water with them.

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bobsfamily

bobsfamily

Posted
Posted
Was hoping to avoid eating since we will be returning so early and just eating on the ship. Should I reconsider?

 

Thanks to everyone for the recent comments on their trip.

It's funny but between the walk from the ship to the point to get on the ferry, the ride over, swimming in the ocean you get hungry. You get to the island around 11ish and don't leave much before 2:30. Back at downtown around 3-3:15 with a 10 minute walk back to the ship. Lido shuts down at 3:30 except for pizza and sandwiches. Just a comment.

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NCTribeFan

NCTribeFan

Posted
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I did actually get the survey from Carnival. I put my thoughts about the noise level and having FUN FUN FUN forced upon me. I even thought about going to the excursion desk after I reboarded and telling them, but I didn't want to seem like I was just a grouchy old woman!

 

I've complained to my PVP many times about the fact that it is SO difficult to find anywhere on the ship that is relatively peaceful to just relax. The Serenity Decks aren't even that serene. On HMC, you have to walk way down the beach to get away from the noise.

 

Yes, I'm old. I still like to have fun, but not 24/7 any more. I have a stressful job and I need the rest and relaxation. It just shouldn't be so difficult to find that on a cruise ship or a beach!.

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Pellaz

Pellaz

Posted
Posted

Those of you who have visited Balmoral, please consider posting an honest review on Carnival's website if you haven't already. Pics and/or vids would be nice, too.

 

I did actually get the survey from Carnival. I put my thoughts about the noise level and having FUN FUN FUN forced upon me. I even thought about going to the excursion desk after I reboarded and telling them, but I didn't want to seem like I was just a grouchy old woman!

 

I've complained to my PVP many times about the fact that it is SO difficult to find anywhere on the ship that is relatively peaceful to just relax. The Serenity Decks aren't even that serene. On HMC, you have to walk way down the beach to get away from the noise.

 

Yes, I'm old. I still like to have fun, but not 24/7 any more. I have a stressful job and I need the rest and relaxation. It just shouldn't be so difficult to find that on a cruise ship or a beach!.

 

I agree. There ARE times when it's fun to join in a conga line or something around the pool on Lido deck, but then there are times when I'd just like to relax, listen to the ship's cutwater breaking the waves, and enjoy some peaceful time in the sun.

 

BTW, the Serenity decks on Fantasy-class ships ARE pretty serene...they're located aft so they don't get too much wind, and the ship's superstructure blocks most, if not all, of the noise from the Lido deck. Smaller ships, yep, but they do have their charms. And the hot-tubs back there, at least on Imagination, didn't close 'til midnight which was awesome. On Liberty, the Serenity hot tubs forward closed at 9pm. Go figure.

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JaniceB

JaniceB

Posted
Posted
It's funny but between the walk from the ship to the point to get on the ferry, the ride over, swimming in the ocean you get hungry. You get to the island around 11ish and don't leave much before 2:30. Back at downtown around 3-3:15 with a 10 minute walk back to the ship. Lido shuts down at 3:30 except for pizza and sandwiches. Just a comment.

 

Our time is Nassau is even shorter. I believe we have to be back on board by 1:30 ship leaves at 2.

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bobsfamily

bobsfamily

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Our time is Nassau is even shorter. I believe we have to be back on board by 1:30 ship leaves at 2.

Are you sure you are going to Balmoral? We left at 10:30ish from the downtown pier and were not back before 3pm(more like 3:20)... I guess they do tailor it to the time in port but you should have around 3-4 hours on the island.

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NCTribeFan

NCTribeFan

Posted
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I wouldn't think they'd even offer these on ships that have a short port day. You spend a whole lot of time standing around, being "tagged" for your particular selection, walking to the tender, riding to the island, and the reverse.

 

I would've liked an earlier departure time, like 9 am rather than 10.

 

Pellaz - I've found that the Fantasy-class Serenity Decks get very loud. People in general seem to all shout these days even when sitting next to each other. Put those people in a hot tub after they've had a bucket-o-beer and the volume ratchets up. Last Thursday, there were people sitting on loungers in the sun, who would sit up, turn around, and conduct their VERY LOUD conversations with people sitting back under the overhang. I was at the opposite end and could hear every, single word. :mad:

 

I will go to Carnival's site and post a review. I didn't think about it because I do ship excursions so rarely. Thanks for the reminder.

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Fighterone

Fighterone

Posted
Posted

 

I've complained to my PVP many times about the fact that it is SO difficult to find anywhere on the ship that is relatively peaceful to just relax. The Serenity Decks aren't even that serene. On HMC, you have to walk way down the beach to get away from the noise.

We'll see about HMC. I hope we can be driven down the beach to a quiet area.

Yes, I'm old. I still like to have fun, but not 24/7 any more. I have a stressful job and I need the rest and relaxation. It just shouldn't be so difficult to find that on a cruise ship or a beach!.

 

DITTO! I am old and don't like long lines and megahorns shouting in my ear! This tour is not for me. I'd probably have a few words with the gal who is trying to get the party going with her loud speakers.

 

 

BTW, the Serenity decks on Fantasy-class ships ARE pretty serene...they're located aft so they don't get too much wind, and the ship's superstructure blocks most, if not all, of the noise from the Lido deck. Smaller ships, yep, but they do have their charms. And the hot-tubs back there, at least on Imagination, didn't close 'til midnight which was awesome. On Liberty, the Serenity hot tubs forward closed at 9pm. Go figure.

 

Did have issues on the Ecstasy when all the drunks came to the Serenity Deck to have a party after we left Cozumel! My husband got quite worried about my attitude, shall we say! LOL!!! I love a good party but that's not the spot for it.

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  • 4 weeks later...
20yearslater

20yearslater

Posted
Posted (edited)

Here's my review of Balmoral Island. Carnival took my review off their site. I got an email from them: "Thank you for taking the time to write a review on Balmoral Island Beach Day. At Carnival Cruise Lines, we value the opinions of every guest – on and off our ships. Unfortunately your review did not meet the guidelines for posting information on our website."

 

We signed up for the Balmoral Island excursion on 10/3/13. It took entirely too long to get the group organized and walk over to the boat to take us to the island. On top of that, it was so hot, and my toddlers were having a hard time waiting in line to board the boat. Many people commented that it was too many people for that boat, and we didn't think we would all fit. The staff packed us in like sardines, and there was barely enough space to even look for a seat. And the fact is, not everyone got a seat, which meant there probably weren't enough life vests. When I asked the Carnival staff about additional seats, I was told to go below and look for seats. There were no seats below, and people were tightly packed on the boat. I was then told to sit in the wheelhouse with the captain. There were two seats, not enough for me, my husband and three children. The captain ignored me when I tried to talk to him and cast off anyway.

 

Some nice passengers offered us their seats so that we could sit down with our two toddlers who were overheated and getting sick. It was one of the most miserable experiences we've ever had! The boat ride was slow and hot, which didn't help after the long wait. When we arrived, it took at least 20 minutes to get everyone off the boat because (as with boarding) there was no step stool, and people had to take a huge leap with the help of the staff - quite an insurance liability!

 

Once on the island, our experience was much better, but we only had about two hours to spend there! The water was beautiful; the food was good (but expensive), the drinks weren't strong, and swimming with the rays was mostly a nice experience. One aggressive ray bit my finger when I was feeding it with the fish they give you, and it then bit my toe. It didn't break the skin, but I didn't want to do it again. They were fun to watch and feel. In the main beach area, we sat in the shallow water and found sharp glass from broken bottles as well as nails and other construction materials. The girl with the microphone and the loud music was obnoxious and ruining what little relief and fun we were having. We moved further down the beach to get away from her.

 

We then had to endure the loading and unloading procedure again (all of which took valuable time from our excursion), which ruined a good part of the experience. You couldn't come and go at your leisure and had to wait for the one boat to take you back to Nassau.

 

Bottom line: Don't go.

Edited by 20yearslater
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Sweeth20bunkobabe

Sweeth20bunkobabe

Posted
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Balmoral island was previously Blackbeard island. Looks nothing like it did before. There are new buildings and a pool Beautiful set up with chairs and umbrellas. We paid the extra $10.00 for the deluxe excursion which included lunch. Food was good but it took us 1 1/2 hour to get it. Prices $10 to $13.00 for food items. Food choices were Hot dog, hamburger (someone in our group heard someone say the burger was worth the wait. Don't know if they were being sarcastic or not.) Cesar ranch turkey wrap ( I had this and it was very good), salad. Sandwiches came with fries. Sodas $4. Mixed drinks run around $11 up. No problem with sand fleas. I will definitely return.

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NCTribeFan

NCTribeFan

Posted
Posted

They didn't take my review down and I was quite honest.

 

Anyone who has ever taken a ship excursion should know that you spend half your time standing around waiting and being herded around.

 

Yes, it's hot in the Bahamas at the end of summer. Sometimes, it's even hot during winter! One needs to be prepared with hats, sunscreen, water, and whatever you need.

 

That really isn't Carnival's fault if you weren't prepared. Did you read the reviews that I and others posted prior to your cruise, 20yearslater? I think it was pretty clear that riding on the "ferry" wasn't a great experience (compared to the catamaran), and that you'd have to stand around waiting and walking. And that the food is expensive and sometimes very slow.

 

I mean, that's why we've been posting our experiences here. So people won't be totally unprepared and surprised.

 

P.S. Stingrays don't bite. They don't have teeth. Yes, one "bit" down so hard on one of my fingers that I had a bruise under the nail. Not her fault. It was mine because I wasn't holding the food properly.

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bobsfamily

bobsfamily

Posted
Posted (edited)

I rode the catamaran over "ferry" back... If I had taken the Ferry over it would have colored the entire day in a bad way. I don't care what excursion you have been on, this was mislabeled and was directed poorly. The whole place should have been built prior to opening and I personally enjoyed about 30 minutes on the beach prior to the "party director" blaring out directions to get people in the"party" mood. The food was actually good but very expensive and extremely slow service. High drink prices (higher than onboard the ship), slow service, very loud obnoxious "party director"...

 

So for a wonderful catamaran "cruise" that was about 1/2 hour late, 30 minutes of nice beach time, good lunch that was expensive.... the rest was really, really not worth it. Carnival should shut it down til it's fixed right, review prices and at least have them at the same rate as onboard. Will be back in Nassau next May with a group and I think we will try something else UNLESS I hear some great reviews.

Edited by bobsfamily
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  • 2 months later...
CSTX Mom

CSTX Mom

Posted
Posted
Bump - any more reviews? We booked it and just saw one VERY negative review, so much that I'm considering canceling.

 

Any more experiences would be appreciated!

 

Worst excursion we have ever done. We did the dolphin encounter, which was fun. Everything was a nightmare. It took 1.5 hours for us to get from the ship to the island. Why? Because Carnival couldn't count, didn't have enough boats to take you over, so we had to wait for them to bring one in. Crammed into the boat like sardines, probably way over capacity.

 

Once we finally got to the island, there was a massive line of people waiting on a boat to leave. We were able to do the dolphins promptly. While waiting for the pictures, because you aren't allowed to have a camera, we went over to the food court. Sodas were $4, chicken nuggets $12, highway robbery; we ended up just getting one soda and a bag of chips per person. Every other private excursion we did provided at least water and snacks.

 

Since we had seen what the line was like when we got there, as soon as we had bought our pictures we got in line to go back. There were 2 boats tied up to the dock, but they were never used. We waited for 45 minutes for the boat that had brought us over, got to the front of the line and were told that only those who were on an earlier departing ship could get on board. We ended up being able to board anyway, as they had space, but it was very irritating that they wouldn't use all available boats to shuttle people back when they wanted to leave. Once again, we were packed tightly.

 

We complained and were refunded half of the excursion cost, but they really need to work on this excursion, including providing at least water, and really for the price, the same type of food that you have already paid for on the ship, such as burgers, hot dogs, pizza, sandwiches, etc.

 

Another safety issue: on the island, the dock is much higher than the boat. So you had to squat down to get on board. They would pick up smaller kids and just hand them down. With several people of size or those with mobility issues, it took several people on the dock and on the boat to get them transferred. I have been on many small boats and been to many docks and have never seen this.

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