Balmoral island questions

[Jlk88]

We are cruising to Nassau and HMC at the end of the month. 

In Nassau we booked the Balmoral island beach break (without lunch) for our family of 4. Our kids are both under 4 so too young for most excursions and free to Balmoral. My questions:

1. The youngest is 11 months. Would it be worth it to bring a stroller (for the walk to the ferry and back to the ship) or would a baby carrier suffice?

2. I read reviews that the return shuttle drops you at the straw market. How far is that from the ship?

3. What is the water temp like? I am hoping since it is a shallow beach, it will be warmish. We live in the Midwest, so are used to cooler water temps.

4. I know they say "no food or drink can be brought to the island" but how strict are they really? Our plan is to eat a big breakfast on the ship and then return for a late lunch, but I was hoping we could bring our own water bottles and a couple of those fruit applesauce pouches for the kids? Would they really confiscate water and baby food?

TIA!

[Shidah]

You can’t really leave when you want, they have designated times for each ship to return, although some people on our cruise had had enough early and went back on another cruise ships return time.  If you can get the food off the ship I think you will be okay.  I don’t recall Balmoral going through bags.  I don’t recommend Balmoral at all, and personally would not return.  With young kids who will be happy with just sand, it might be ok though.

[Jlk88]

7 hours ago, Shidah said:

You can’t really leave when you want, they have designated times for each ship to return, although some people on our cruise had had enough early and went back on another cruise ships return time.  If you can get the food off the ship I think you will be okay.  I don’t recall Balmoral going through bags.  I don’t recommend Balmoral at all, and personally would not return.  With young kids who will be happy with just sand, it might be ok though.

What did you not like about it? I read mixed reviews, but a lot if the negative ones had to do with animal encounters which we won't be doing. Our ship only offers Balmoral and Blue lagoon, and I figured I'd save $60 and to Balmoral. I'm not opposed to switching, though my kids are too young for anything more than playing in the sand and splashing in the shallows. We don't want to go to junkanoo. 

[Shidah]

For playing in the sand and splashing in the water, Balmoral is perfect.  Anything else not so much.  They had many loungers, but they are getting old and stained.    Pools are disgustingly dirty so don’t plan on using them.  They played loud music that was not my taste.  I would prefer no music than music over loud speakers everywhere.  Bathrooms smelled disgusting and were dirty and since they were to the side of their cafeteria, it smelled disgusting as well.  Food and drinks were over priced, although we didn’t eat there since I couldn’t get past the odor of the building.  I had forgot tampons ( my fault, I know not Balmoral’s) so I went into their giftshop to see if they sold them.  The girl said they did, charged me $5 for 2 tampons that she pulled out of a box from behind the counter.  They was a group of loud girls not from our ship, they were on RC, who were drinking out in the water.  When they came back, one starting puking in the sand in the row of chairs ahead of us.  We changed seats.    Again, not Balmoral’s fault, but lead to my overall impression of the clientele. We met people on our ship that took an earlier ferry back (got on the RC one not the NCL one) who said she threw up the entire ferry trip back and since it was packed full of people with no where to move to, the whole area just had to lift their feet.  I didn’t feel that our stuff was safe when we were in the water, kept a close eye on it.  The whole area just has a cheap trashy vibe to it.  But the water was beautiful, and well sand is sand.  So if that is all you are looking for, it might suit your needs.