What to do in Nasaau with teens

[ehfl]

Go snorkeling, SCUBA diving, or sailing. Then stop by Sr. Frogs, and let the 18yo buy a beer.

[Riff Sniff]

Were in Nassua last month and did a 2 hr snorkel excursion with Blue Hole water sports. There dock is located between Señor Frogs and the British Colonial Hilton, an easy walk from the ship. Some of the best snorkeling we've done in the Caribbean! Here's a link to their website if you want to check them out: http://www.blueholewatersports.com/snorkeling.html

 

 

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[abisha]

Took my teens to Atlantis a few years ago. Spent all day and so crowded (3 ships in port that day). So disappointing...I spent so much money and they only got to go down the water slide twice due to horrific amount of time spent waiting in line. It was such a let down for them. Yes, the grounds are lovely, but like I said, so much money spent and not enough chances to enjoy the slides. Even in the lazy river, it was tough getting tube..they were all taken.

[caribbean sailor]

We are taking our 18 and 14 year old niece and nephew on their first cruise next weekend. We haven't gotten off the boat in Nassau in a few years so are not really sure what to do with them. So I'm looking for suggestions on what to do with them where they will both have a good time. I don't really want to go to the beach since we will be in Coco Cay the next day and have the beach there. Thanks for all suggestions

 

 

 

 

Enchantment of the Seas - Hurricane Cruise - August 2014

Enchantment of the Seas - Nephews 8th grade graduation - May 2014

Enchantment of the Seas - Hubby's BDay Cruise - February 2014

Enchantment of the Seas - Anniversary Cruise - June 2013

Carnival Sensation - September 2012

Monarch of the Seas - Birthday Cruise - April 2012

Carnival Sensation - February 2011

Monarch of the Seas - July 2010

Sovereign of the Seas - Anniversary Cruise - June 2008

Mariner of the Seas - Honeymoon Cruise - June 2007

Carnival Fantasy - August 2006

 

 

What to do with teens in Nassau,My first thoughts were leave them there.:D

[OCruisers]

Go snorkeling, SCUBA diving, or sailing. Then stop by Sr. Frogs, and let the 18yo buy a beer.

 

Actually Senor Frogs is a good suggestion. Even without the optional beer, they would probably totally enjoy buying a shirt from the gift shop there.

LuLu

[DKane]

I know others are posting Dolphin Encounter at Blue Lagoon. It is a lot for one day - but it is a day that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

 

We did this encounter (with the foot push) 15 years ago, even have a video of it. I still think about it. Hoping our grandkids can do this when we sail over Thanksgiving. Hoping the water will still be warm.

[EmpressofPurple]

Most recently in Nassau, I went on an amazing interactive Chocolate Factory tour!! This is offered through Shore Excursions on RCI on some ships, but not on others... however you can go there directly and book the tour with the Factory, which is located at the Historic Graycliff Hotel.

 

I wrote an extensive description of this tour, with lots of pictures, in my thread from January of this year about an Explorer cruise which included a stop in Nassau.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2028938&page=5

(Day in Nassau starts at Post #95)

 

Here are a few pix:

 

Graycliff hotel interior

 

Hotel garden (back way to the chocolate factory)

 

Factory Store

 

On the tour (in our protective gear)

 

Ingredients and molds

 

Happy class of chocolate-makers (and eaters)

 

Contact them about the tour in advance (in case it's not offered on your cruise): search for "Graycliff chocolate factory" online... there's a link to the hotel, with a "contact us" button for the tour... I think they have a facebook page, too... (They need to improve their web contact actually... if it were easy, I'd post the link here...) -- Great reviews on TripAdvisor and Disney Cruise Lines -- we actually piggybacked onto a Disney Cruise tour, which you'll read about if you read my entire review...

 

Here's a quote from that review, after someone posted in the thread that they never knew what to do in Nassau, with MANY suggestions for outings, some (or most) of which could be very enjoyable with teens:

 

The chocolate tour was fabulous... but I have to say, I have NEVER felt there's "nothing to do" in Nassau! There's SO MUCH to do! I have done all of the "touristy" things over the years, on land and sea trips... but they're all good, and I'd happily do any of them again:

 

1) Ardastra gardens and zoo (beautiful, with the amazing dancing flamingos)

2) Aquarium -- basically a building built in the water, so YOU'RE in the aquarium and the fish look in at you!

3) Semi-submarine - just what it sounds like, you're in a partially submerged boat and get to see great undersea life. (Do they still have this? I haven't seen it advertised for a while... oh well, the glass-bottom boat is fun, too.)

4) Pedal and Paddle (was this on Nassau or Freeport?) -- A great tour where we rode bikes part of the way, then kayaked part of the way... I think we went snorkeling too... I remember seeing a barracuda! eek!! (Freeport has a nifty perfume factory, too...)

5) The Pirate Museum is fun, with live-action characters (sort of like the Haunted Mansion at Disneyworld) as well as displays and dioramas, and a cool gift shop.

6) The museum of slavery -- I saw that one when it first opened and try to stop in on every trip, always happy to support historical museums.

7) Atlantis (of course) -- casino, restaurants, high-end shopping, the Dig... and yeah, you can get overpriced entry tickets... or share a room at the next-door Comfort Suites for up to 6 people (make a deal with folks on your Roll Call!) and get wristbands and full access to the Atlantis pools, beaches and waterslides!!

8) Wander the side streets around downtown Nassau... shop for discount perfumes and cosmetics (and, I guess, alcohol and tobacco, not for me)... plus the famous straw market, of course... have a bite to eat in a local restaurant, don't just go to the chain locations...

9) Wander a block or two farther afield and look at the local architecture, churches, gardens, etc.

10) Get a day pass at the Colonial Hilton, which includes drinks, lunch, and a beach lounger.

11) Or walk half a block further on and lay your towel out on free Junkanoo Beach. This used to be just for locals, but is now more tourist-facing, with food and drink vendors, places to get a massage on the beach, hair braiding, jewelry and pareos, etc. You can also find some places for cheap wifi, even a computer cafe if you don't have your laptop, tablet, or smartphone with you (what are you, in the 1990s??)

12) Walk a bit further (or take the #10 bus to its first stop) to the "Fish Fry," a collection of brightly colored huts and get some local food. This, too, is mostly for locals but has been "discovered" by tourists... frozen drinks, conch fritters, and my favorite, FRESH FRESH FRESH conch salad made right in front of you! (If you're there on a land trip, go at night for music and entertainment as well as great food.)

13) Stay on the #10 and head out to beautiful Cable beach for a great beach day.

14) Other planned tourist outings: Blue Lagoon Island, where you can swim with Dolphins (which you can also do at Atlantis for a few more $$), or with Stingrays, or just enjoy a great beach day and a relaxing hammock under some palm trees.

15) How about a catamaran snorkel trip? Enjoy a boat ride and the undersea beauties of the Bahamas that you can't see from snorkeling onshore. This was my go-to trip for years (or a kayak-snorkel trip).

16) Or just walk off the ship and negotiate a local tour with a cab driver. You might even get to see some parts of the island that you wouldn't with a "prepackaged" tour -- ask them to show you how the local people live. You'll see livestock, houses, churches, and more.

17) Stop at a local grocery and buy packaged goods you can't find in the states, at prices cheaper than the tourist outlets: hot sauce, jerk seasoning, caribbean coffee and tea, Ting grapefruit soda, Goombay fruit punch soda, and more.

 

I had planned to walk and see Graycliff just because I had read about it as a historic location, one of the oldest buildings on the island, built as a private residence for a pirate over 300 years ago! I didn't even know about the chocolate factory and tour until I started researching Graycliff (it's relatively new, too, less than 2 years old in that location). Their restaurant has won dozens of food and wine awards if you want to spend some money on a fancy meal. There's a cigar factory there, too, for those who might want to do that tour... and there's a rum distillery a bit farther up the hill and over a couple more blocks that offers a tour, too.

 

There's ALWAYS something to do in Nassau!!!!

 

I've done all of the above, on either land trips or port stops in Nassau, and I would happily do any of them again (indeed, I've done several of them more than once, including Atlantis, Blue Lagoon Island, the museums, Junkanoo Beach, Cable Beach, the Fish Fry, and of course downtown shopping).

 

I was disturbed to read someone's post in this thread that if there are too many ships in port then Atlantis' waterpark gets overrun, and you have to wait to use the slides, get a tube, etc. -- that's a lot of money to spend to sit around waiting!! I'm not a slide person, but I had a great day touring the site and enjoying the not-lazy river through our access from Comfort Suites

 

We did the dolphin experience at Blue Lagoon island many, many years ago (and elsewhere, too, I think in Hawaii...) -- it's a great event, and yes the kids will remember it for a long time... as will your pocketbook, especially if you buy the photos, video, etc., etc....

 

Something I haven't done yet but have long planned to try: the "People to People" program, where you actually get matched with a local family and get to see how people live on the island! Here's the website for that:

 

http://www.bahamas.com/people-to-people

[LMaxwell]

Graycliff mentioned immediately above is on the same street as the National Art Museum as well. It's a small mueseum but worth 20-30 minutes to go through if you are in that area. Lots of festive art work.