RCI excursion at Nassau for Toddler

[cnssu123]

Getting on the Oasis 9/5 sailing Woohoo! 😎With a 2 yo  😔

 

Trying to see what others with toddlers are doing at Nassau being that we have to book an excursion or not get off the ship at all.

 

We are thinking either submarine or not get off at all. Don’t think I want to pay so much for RCI to just transport us to a beach with no chairs and umbrella included.

 

Even couple of hours at blue lagoon seems expensive for what it is.

Also debating to splurge on Pearl Island but scare for the safety of my LO at an open cabana by water.

 

We absolutely don’t want to leave her on the ship by herself either.

 

RCI’s excursions are slim picking

 

Can someone share some experience traveling  w smaller toddler at Nassau? I went to the port of call thread but not very active.

 

thx!

 

 

Edited August 18, 2021 by cnssu123

[GTO-Girl]

1 minute ago, cnssu123 said:

Getting on the Oasis 9/5 sailing Woohoo! With a 2 yo .

 

Trying to see what others with toddlers are doing at Nassau being we have to book an excursion or not get off the ship at all.

 

We are thinking either submarine or not get off at all. Don’t think I want to pay so much for RCI to just transport us to a beach with no chairs and umbrella included.

 

Even couple of hours at blue lagoon seems expensive for what it is.

Also debating to splurge on Pearl Island but scare for the safety of my LO at an open cabana by water.

 

We absolutely don’t want to leave her on the ship by herself either.

 

RCI’s excursions are slim picking

 

Can someone share some experience traveling  w smaller toddler at Nassau? I went to the port of call thread but not very active.

 

thx!

 

 

we stopped getting off in Nassau long ago….our least favorite port

[smplybcause]

My family only walked around port when we had a 2 and 4 year old with us. The excursions don't have car seats and they didn't want to cart them with us. 

 

That was also enough for the kiddos. They talked way more about the carousel and the aqua show than anything else. And the splash area. 

[smokeybandit]

Skip Nassau, enjoy the ship. Then get your beach time at Coco Cay

[cruisinsusin]

Our three year old grandson enjoyed blue lagoon and even the ferry ride over there.

[Tee & Chilli]

Have you seen the recent reports? Much of Nassau is still closed.

[trivia addict]

There is no reason to get off the ship in Nassau. Much more to do on the Oasis. Shops are repetitive, beach is so so, and restaurants are expensive.

Stay onboard and enjoy the ship with less people on board!

[cnssu123]

35 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

My family only walked around port when we had a 2 and 4 year old with us. The excursions don't have car seats and they didn't want to cart them with us. 

 

That was also enough for the kiddos. They talked way more about the carousel and the aqua show than anything else. And the splash area. 

Pre covid, i am sure that’s fine. Now we can get off without RCI excursion. 

[cnssu123]

1 minute ago, trivia addict said:

There is no reason to get off the ship in Nassau. Much more to do on the Oasis. Shops are repetitive, beach is so so, and restaurants are expensive.

Stay onboard and enjoy the ship with less people on board!

 

5 minutes ago, Tee & Chilli said:

Have you seen the recent reports? Much of Nassau is still closed.

Doesn’t matter. Wherever we go will be open because we Are bound by the cruise ship excursion

[CruiseBride926]

We are sailing the week after you and booked the pirate ship excursion with my 6 and 3 year old. 

[cnssu123]

1 hour ago, CruiseBride926 said:

We are sailing the week after you and booked the pirate ship excursion with my 6 and 3 year old. 

Cool! I am thinking might be too young for 2 yo. I am sure it’s perfect for your 6

[Itchy&Scratchy]

16 hours ago, cnssu123 said:

Even couple of hours at blue lagoon seems expensive for what it is.

in 2019 we booked the Blue Lagoon with the stingray for $50 pp. You don't have to hug stingrays if you don't want to - you can head to the beach right away. Strangely enough, the Blue Lagoon excursion without the stingray encounter was $65 pp. Weird.

 

We LOVED it! The front lagoon with the beach is very shallow - perfect for kids. I think we got free chaises and put them under some palm trees to get some shade, but ended up not really using them. I was afraid that the excursion time would be very short, but no - we had ample time to enjoy the stingrays (we hugged and that's all, we didn't go swimming with them like other people), the beach and the other side of the beach as well (totally gorgeous, we are sorry we didn't discover it until later in the afternoon when it was very hot and it was almost time to go). The other side of the lagoon is for wading between the rocks in shallow water and looking for marine life. Splendid!

 

The ferry ride was very fun as well - especially for my then 8 yo. I am sure a 2 yo would enjoy it as well. I wonder if the personnel will play music and dance on the ferry again.

 

It was totally worth the $50 pp to us personally.  If we are ever in Nassau again - we are definitely booking the Blue Lagoon again.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2790824-noob-questions/?do=findComment&comment=61461262 here is a couple of pics in that thread

 

and here are a couple more:

 

shallow beach side

 

 

 the ferry ride

 

 

 

 

the other side

Edited August 18, 2021 by Itchy&Scratchy

[lazydayz]

With a child that young, I would just stay on the ship in Nassau.  There is so much to do on the ship that a two year old would enjoy.  

[LeeW]

20 hours ago, cnssu123 said:

Pre covid, i am sure that’s fine. Now we can get off without RCI excursion. 

 

At least for Symphony cruises vaccinated parents can leave kids in day care and go ashore anywhere.  Didn't see anything about allowing non-vaccinated kids off without booking an excursion.  Based on photos posted above would highly recommend water shoes for everyone - stubbing toes on those rocks hurts.

 

When we did a pirate ship they let all the kids (and not so kids) steer.  Even the very little ones loved it.

[cnssu123]

5 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

in 2019 we booked the Blue Lagoon with the stingray for $50 pp. You don't have to hug stingrays if you don't want to - you can head to the beach right away. Strangely enough, the Blue Lagoon excursion without the stingray encounter was $65 pp. Weird.

 

Yeah, that is very weird, except they have a 4 years old minimum requirement 😞

Adult price to blue lagoon is $90 now, while she will be free, that means I will have to pay $100 extra to not do the stingray. 

[cnssu123]

 

4 hours ago, lazydayz said:

With a child that young, I would just stay on the ship in Nassau.  There is so much to do on the ship that a two year old would enjoy.  

Yeah with only coco cay, was hoping another beach day. Lol it’s as much for me than it is for her 

[foxgoodrich]

I'm not sure if Royal has an official excursion to Ardastra Gardens now, but our granddaughters loved going there in Nassau.  The youngest one was 3 at the time.  Ardastra is a mini-zoo.  It has a troop of marching flamingos, which is just a hoot to watch.  They're like a little drill team, marching back and forth and responding to FORWARD MARCH and ABOUT FACE commands from a drill instructor rather amazingly well.  Also you can hand feed the colorful Lory parrots in their netted enclosure several times a day.  Our 3 year old loved the flamingos and was excited to get to go out and mingle with them on the parade ground after the show, but she was a little shy about feeding the parrots herself.  The 6 year old hand fed them and also put pieces of apple on her head and let the parrots land on her head to eat them.  The schedule for these experiences is on the website.  Ardastra does appear to be open now,  According to their website, masks are required to enter, and they provide masks if you don't already have them.

 

We did not book this as an excursion, but rather did our own research and our own thing.  We rode the bus from downtown Nassau to Arawak Cay, had an early lunch at Fish Fry, then we just walked to Ardastra after lunch.  (It's about equivalent to a 6 block walk from Fish Fry to Ardastra Gardens I think, and I believe it's the #11 jitney bus that takes you back and forth to Arawak Cay from downtown.  Takes about 15-20 minutes each way.)  Fish Fry is a little colony of fresh seafood places, ranging from conch stands and fried fish shacks to sit-down air conditioned restaurants.

 

Just an idea...and if the only way to go ashore is with a formal excursion, it may not work for you.  I think Royal did have an excursion that went to Ardastra offered on our cruise, but there was also a bunch of drive-by sightseeing included and we thought that was too much time on a bus for the  little ones.

Judy

Edited August 18, 2021 by foxgoodrich

[Itchy&Scratchy]

55 minutes ago, cnssu123 said:

except they have a 4 years old minimum requirement

oh, no... That stinks.