First Cruise (Bahamas)

[jbrown611]

My family is going on our first cruise to the Bahamas next month. We want to do some excursions and I heard that's it's cheaper to go directly to the excursion instead of booking through the cruise line. Looking for some tips on fun, inexpensive excursions for a family with kids. (Ages 4-13) Thanks

 

 

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[ShakyBeef]

My family is going on our first cruise to the Bahamas next month. We want to do some excursions and I heard that's it's cheaper to go directly to the excursion instead of booking through the cruise line. Looking for some tips on fun, inexpensive excursions for a family with kids. (Ages 4-13) Thanks

 

 

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Welcome to cruising and to Cruise Critic.:) What are your ports of call? Also, you can probably find a lot of information on the Bahamas boards, in the Ports of Call section of the forum. This thread will probably end up getting moved there.

[lagienomai]

Not sure exactly which ports you are stopping on but for Nassau if you are a beach person you can easily walk to Junkanoo Beach and spend the day for free or take a taxi over to Cabbage Beach. If you are looking to do Atlantis check into renting a room at the Comfort Inn. It includes passes to the waterpark for much cheaper than either the cruise line or Atlantis itself. I have not done this but have read from others that have. My family I have three kids age 8 10 and 12. We just walked to Junkanoo for the kids to play in the ocean. For Freeport you will have to either do an excursion or take a taxi because where the cruise docks there are only vendors because it is an industrial port. Check out Junkanoo beach club or if you are into snorkeling Pat and Diane tours. You can google both these for info as they have websites.

[Micahs Grandad]

WE almost always do private tours but make sure you keep track of the time to make sure you get back while ship is still there.

[Princess_K]

In Nassau, we did blue lagoon island dolphin encounter. It was AWESOME and not as expensive as Carnival's version. We lucked up and were the only people in port that day. Only about 20 or so people went to the island. Our group of 6 were the only ones with that dolphin encounter and the trainers let us spend a lot of time with the dolphins. Next time I go back to Nassau, I will go back to Blue Lagoon Island for their beach day excursion.

[jbrown611]

Not sure exactly which ports you are stopping on but for Nassau if you are a beach person you can easily walk to Junkanoo Beach and spend the day for free or take a taxi over to Cabbage Beach. If you are looking to do Atlantis check into renting a room at the Comfort Inn. It includes passes to the waterpark for much cheaper than either the cruise line or Atlantis itself. I have not done this but have read from others that have. My family I have three kids age 8 10 and 12. We just walked to Junkanoo for the kids to play in the ocean. For Freeport you will have to either do an excursion or take a taxi because where the cruise docks there are only vendors because it is an industrial port. Check out Junkanoo beach club or if you are into snorkeling Pat and Diane tours. You can google both these for info as they have websites.

 

 

We will be in Nassau and Freeport.

 

 

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[ShakyBeef]

Post #6 in this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2111609

 

...is my DIY Nassau excursion, with map for visual aid. It's cheap, family-friendly, and fun.:) Just keep in mind there is crime in Nassau. Be aware of your surroundings, stay safe, stay away from the non-touristy areas, and watch out for pickpockets, especially in the crowded tourist stores - I have seen them. One was going for my Dad when I spotted him and made eye contact, which made him give up and leave.;)

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[pcvtmom]

We did a snorkeling trip with Pat and Diane in Freeport (google it...really good reviews). The boat also had a water slide, and it was lots of fun! Really, Nassau and Freeport are not the BEST ports to just hang out. Try to book a snorkeling excursion. You might want to check out the Ports of Call boards for reviews and ideas. That's initially how I found out about Pat and Diane. Have fun and enjoy your first cruise!

[marty1950]

Welcome to cruising. Be aware of your surroundings , don't go away from tourist areas. Now about booking excursions. Remember if you book an excursion thru the ship, and you are running late the ship will wait for you. But if you book it on your own or off the ship and you are late getting back they do not wait. And if you miss the ship your on your own to get to the next destination. Gary:)

[jaowel]

When we were in Freeport, we took a taxi to the other side of the island. For about $10 per person (round trip), we were dropped off right at the Port Lucaya Marketplace. The taxi will pick you up in the same spot they dropped you off, just make sure to hang on to your ticket. We didn’t go through the marketplace because we heard that the prices were a bit more than they were in Nassau. We decided to go to the Grand Lucayan and purchased day passes. The walk way is between the hotel and the casino. You walk through security and there was someone selling wristbands. Adults were $15 and kids were $7 at the time. This gave us use of the pool, chairs and facilities. If you want to just use the beach (no chairs), it was free. They only take cash as payment for the wristbands. The food and drink are crazy expensive and they only take credit cards for that. The resort has a great pool and I was actually happy that we paid to use it. My oldest and my FIL actually went parasailing here. He said it was on his “Bucket List”. They played some great Caribbean music (unlike the Lido Deck on the ship!) We will be doing this again on our cruise in April. Have a great time!

[suzycruiser2]

In Freeport, you can take a taxi to Paradise Cove (Deadman's Reef) and hang out at the beach, swim, snorkel, etc. You may a small usage fee and then just pay for chairs, food, etc. that you want. We brought our own snorkeling equipment, so I think we had to pay less than $5 each.

 

Some really great snorkeling, but I wouldn't advise going to the back side of the reef.

[poison7fl]

We will be in Nassau and Freeport.

 

I'm sorry....:o

[kingoftheicedragons]

There is plenty to do in Nassau--we've been there twice, and we've yet to do Atlantis. There is the walking tour, in full or in part, depending on how in depth you want to go. There is the pirate museum (best suited for young cruisers, but you never know, you might enjoy it as well), the Ardastra Gardens with the marching flamingos and birds that will eat out of your hands, Junkanoo Beach within walking distance of the pier.

 

And yes, there are private excursions you can book as well. The first time we were in Nassau, though, we booked a private excursion, and walked to where they were located in town to find them closed. I called their phone number and I was informed that the excursion was canceled because of windy conditions (I had received no communication directly about this).

 

In Freeport, I would recommend going with a ship excursion for convenience purposes, since like others have said, it is an industrial port, so you can't just walk off and do stuff. I can't even remember how/if private excursions are available there.

[esdoorn]

Hilton - British Colonial Hilton Nassau Resort for a Day

 

http://www.resortforaday.com/British-Colonial-Hilton-Day-pass-p/nsnabch.htm

 

 

Adult Price: $60.00 (Includes $40 Food & Beverage Credit)

 

Deposit Required: $12.00

 

Balance due to resort upon arrival: $48.00

 

Children's price $30. Children 5 and under play and eat FREE with paying adult meal!

 

 

 

Located on the only private beach in downtown Nassau - walking distance from the pier!

 

 

You have full use of the Resort from 9:00am to 5.30pm including the beach, chairs, pool, towels etc.

[Jehaams]

I enjoyed my last couple of trips to Nassau and my most recent trip to Freeport. My last two trips to Nassau I've done a lot of walking. Once to the Fish Fry outside of town. Then took the city bus back to port. This was a nice walk out along Junkanoo beach. The food was delicious and the restaurants in the area frequented mostly by locals the day we were there. All of the Bahamians we met on the return bus trip were very friendly. My most recent trip I walked around nearer to the port area as I was on my own. I found a small restaurant that was devoid of tourists. Several local bus or taxi drivers happened to be having lunch there when I came across it. Once again delicious food and some seriously strong rum punch.

 

My last trip to Freeport I did the Grand Lucayan day pass that has already been mentioned by someone else here. I really enjoyed the day here. My mother and I spent some time in the casino in the morning then I headed to the beautiful beach and floated in the crystal clear water for quite some time The pool area is very nice. My cousins and their small children had a great time here too.