Nassau, Bahamas, Snorkeling Excursion

[Snorkel2Much]

My boyfriend and I took our first trip to Nassau in November and we did the clear kayaks and just walked around. We loved it there and are going back the beginning of February on a cruise, a little Christmas present to the both of us. :>) We saw people riding on ATV's and it looked really fun so we decided to do that when we go back. We just used google and typed in "Nassau ATV Excursions" and a site comes up. Good luck and have a wonderful trip! :>)

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to try some authentic food? We have a whole day at port...thanks!

Definitely Arawak Cay (also known as Fishfry). A rustic collection of 15 or 20 local eateries, frequented by locals and tourists in the know. There are usually several threads in this forum floating around discussing it.

[saltmom1]

As you may have previously read, I booked my snorkeling excursion directly through Stuart Cove's. I had read negative reviews about the Blackbeard's Cay snorkeling excursion and rave reviews about Stuart Cove's. My daughters and I were not disappointed in the least in our snorkeling excursion.

 

Bear in mind that Nassau shuts down early...like 6 PM...and the snorkeling adventure will consume approx. 4 hours.

 

Enjoy your trip no matter what you decide to do.

 

Paul from New Jersey

 

The snorkeling excursion through Carnival is at Blackbeard's Cay ? The description on Carnival website says it is only like 2 hours long. DD is not a fan of salt water but would agree to do this. She refused to swim in the Mediterranean a few years ago because ,as she put it, " there was " stuff " on the the bottom. " :rolleyes:

[travelgarn]

Thank you and once again, enjoy your cruise. I am anxiously awaiting my next cruise on my son's Aircraft Carrier this coming Sunday. I leave for Virginia early in the morning on Saturday, then onto Florida, for the 'Tiger Cruise" back to Virginia.

 

I look forward to your reply.

 

Paul

 

My brother is in the Navy...stationed in Virginia (USS Bataan). My 16yo DS went on a Tiger Cruise with him July of this year. He LOVED it!! Have fun & take lots of pics. Let me know how it goes!

 

DJ

[minnow81]

Definitely Arawak Cay (also known as Fishfry). A rustic collection of 15 or 20 local eateries, frequented by locals and tourists in the know. There are usually several threads in this forum floating around discussing it.

Thanks so much! We will have to check out Arawak Cay, I appreciate your help. I hadn't heard of this before.

[prwjr]

My brother is in the Navy...stationed in Virginia (USS Bataan). My 16yo DS went on a Tiger Cruise with him July of this year. He LOVED it!! Have fun & take lots of pics. Let me know how it goes!

 

DJ

 

Hey DJ...My Tiger Cruise was outstanding. An Aircraft Carrier is certainly a cruise ship...but not the likes of which cruisers in this forum will be likely to embark upon. Most ppl can not buy a cruise of this sort...by invitation only...it was truly priceless!!!

 

I have posted photos to a website, if you care to view, at:

 

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=iopr9ig.sjhp0zs&x=0&h=1&y=-kctkzr

 

Enjoy the Holidays and your upcoming cruise.

 

Paul from New Jersey, Proud Navy Father of EM2 Paul, USS Enterprise (CVN-65)

[travelgarn]

Hey DJ...My Tiger Cruise was outstanding. An Aircraft Carrier is certainly a cruise ship...but not the likes of which cruisers in this forum will be likely to embark upon. Most ppl can not buy a cruise of this sort...by invitation only...it was truly priceless!!!

 

I have posted photos to a website, if you care to view, at:

 

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=iopr9ig.sjhp0zs&x=0&h=1&y=-kctkzr

 

Enjoy the Holidays and your upcoming cruise.

 

Paul from New Jersey, Proud Navy Father of EM2 Paul, USS Enterprise (CVN-65)

 

I am so excited to hear back from you! I knew you'd LOVE the Tiger Cruise. Now that my son has went, my husband & brothers-in-law (x3) are ready for the next cruise out...so they can do the Tiger Cruise thing!

 

LOVED the pics!! I hope you don't mind, I'm gonna show these to my son & pass them along to my brother!

 

GOD BLESS AMERICA & MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

 

DJ from Georgia...:)

[prwjr]

The snorkeling excursion through Carnival is at Blackbeard's Cay ? The description on Carnival website says it is only like 2 hours long. DD is not a fan of salt water but would agree to do this. She refused to swim in the Mediterranean a few years ago because ,as she put it, " there was " stuff " on the the bottom. " :rolleyes:

 

Attached is a link that I just visited concerning a snorkeling adventure through Carnival at Blackbeard's Cay. It is 4 hours duration.

http://www.carnival.com/ShoreExcursionsSearchResults.aspx?region=BH&portcode=NAS&portname=Nassau%2c+Bahamas

 

There will be 'stuff' on the bottom...that would be part of the reason you would be snorkeling...as well as the 'stuff' in between the bottom and the surface...i.e. tropical fish.

Enjoy your trip whatever you choose to do.

[prwjr]

I am so excited to hear back from you! I knew you'd LOVE the Tiger Cruise. Now that my son has went, my husband & brothers-in-law (x3) are ready for the next cruise out...so they can do the Tiger Cruise thing!

 

LOVED the pics!! I hope you don't mind, I'm gonna show these to my son & pass them along to my brother!

 

GOD BLESS AMERICA & MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

 

DJ from Georgia...:)

 

Merry Christmas DJ and Family,

 

YES, I did LOVE the Tiger Cruise. I am glad that you enjoyed my pics and I don't mind at all that you would share them. I see that the USS Bataan (LHD-5) is homeported in Norfolk, as is the USS Enterprise. Perhaps your brother will come across my son when the ship is in port. My son will be in Norfolk for the next 18 months while the Enterprise undergoes some refurbishing before the next deployment.

 

Feel free to contact me at Pwainwrightjr@comcast.net if you like.

 

I am trying to figure out how to upload Tiger Cruise video to the internet. It will add another dimension to the still photos.

 

Enjoy your Christmas and I look forward to hearing from you again.

 

Paul from NJ

[travelgarn]

Merry Christmas DJ and Family,

 

YES, I did LOVE the Tiger Cruise. I am glad that you enjoyed my pics and I don't mind at all that you would share them. I see that the USS Bataan (LHD-5) is homeported in Norfolk, as is the USS Enterprise. Perhaps your brother will come across my son when the ship is in port. My son will be in Norfolk for the next 18 months while the Enterprise undergoes some refurbishing before the next deployment.

 

Feel free to contact me at Pwainwrightjr@comcast.net if you like.

 

I am trying to figure out how to upload Tiger Cruise video to the internet. It will add another dimension to the still photos.

 

Enjoy your Christmas and I look forward to hearing from you again.

 

Paul from NJ

 

 

 

I will definitely pass the info along to my brother...and I'll try to find my son's Tiger Cruise pics & email to you. Thanks!!

 

DJ

[travelgarn]

OOOh, it looks by checking the weather, it's gonna be cool in the Bahamas next weekend. And we're booked to go snorkeling next Saturday - with a high of 73. Do y'all this will be too cold for snorkeling???

 

Thanks,

DJ

[prwjr]

OOOh, it looks by checking the weather, it's gonna be cool in the Bahamas next weekend. And we're booked to go snorkeling next Saturday - with a high of 73. Do y'all this will be too cold for snorkeling???

 

Thanks,

DJ

 

Hey DJ...

 

Since you won't be snorkeling it won't be too cold for you!!!!

 

Check the seawater temp...I can say that it was a might chillier when I was there in Nassau in November than it was in September in Cozumel...but once you hop in...it was fine. Your DH, 2 DS', & FIL should eat a good breakfast...they will be fine.

 

Enjoy your trip!!! and Happy New Year!!!

 

Paul

[saltmom1]

Attached is a link that I just visited concerning a snorkeling adventure through Carnival at Blackbeard's Cay. It is 4 hours duration.

http://www.carnival.com/ShoreExcursionsSearchResults.aspx?region=BH&portcode=NAS&portname=Nassau%2c+Bahamas

 

There will be 'stuff' on the bottom...that would be part of the reason you would be snorkeling...as well as the 'stuff' in between the bottom and the surface...i.e. tropical fish.

Enjoy your trip whatever you choose to do.

 

Thanks for the info, prwjr ! She knows that but she has agreed to snorkel with me. This one through Carnival is actually 2 1/2 hrs long. We are only in Nassau for 5 1/2 hrs. I looked at the one you are talking about. We both have asthma , so not sure if that would impact the longer excursion. The description says if you have a respiratory condition you are not able to do this. I think I'll probably stick with the shorter excursion. I'm lucky she's doing that one - never mind 4 hrs.

[prwjr]

Thanks for the info, prwjr ! She knows that but she has agreed to snorkel with me. This one through Carnival is actually 2 1/2 hrs long. We are only in Nassau for 5 1/2 hrs. I looked at the one you are talking about. We both have asthma , so not sure if that would impact the longer excursion. The description says if you have a respiratory condition you are not able to do this. I think I'll probably stick with the shorter excursion. I'm lucky she's doing that one - never mind 4 hrs.

 

Well, nevertheless, you will enjoy whatever time you do actually snorkel. The 4 hour trip is not actually 4 hours of snorkeling...and even for me...I was 'whipped' after our three stops of snorkeling. Keep your mask on tight and your snorkel clear of water. The water in the Bahamas is very salty...thats good for buoyancy but not too good for your sinuses.

 

Check out this link for Snorkeling photos from Cozumel and Nassau that I recently took. This is what you can expect to see while snorkeling.

 

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=iopr9ig.fiyjyy8&x=0&h=1&y=-8a1rbe

 

Enjoy!!! and Happy New Year!!!

 

Paul from NJ

[prwjr]

Thanks for the info, prwjr ! She knows that but she has agreed to snorkel with me. This one through Carnival is actually 2 1/2 hrs long. We are only in Nassau for 5 1/2 hrs. I looked at the one you are talking about. We both have asthma , so not sure if that would impact the longer excursion. The description says if you have a respiratory condition you are not able to do this. I think I'll probably stick with the shorter excursion. I'm lucky she's doing that one - never mind 4 hrs.

 

P.S. Don't forget to get a couple of underwater cameras from Wal-Mart, Wal-Green's, CVS, or where ever...

[travelgarn]

Hey DJ...

 

Since you won't be snorkeling it won't be too cold for you!!!!

 

Check the seawater temp...I can say that it was a might chillier when I was there in Nassau in November than it was in September in Cozumel...but once you hop in...it was fine. Your DH, 2 DS', & FIL should eat a good breakfast...they will be fine.

 

Enjoy your trip!!! and Happy New Year!!!

 

Paul

 

Paul...Yeah, I don't think you could pay me to snorkel again!;) I like to feel in control...and I don't when I'm snorkeling. I'm sure I looked like a cat drowning out there!! :p I'll keep checking the temps...hopefully they'll creep up a little. But, I'll definitely pass along your advice. Only 7 days to go!!!!:D:D:D

 

See ya, Paul!

 

DJ

[GoodTimePete]

We just got back from our RC Sov. of the Seas Christmas Cruise on Friday and had a great time but I would caution anyone signing up for the Blackbeards Cay stingray adventure/snorkeling tour to either stay away or bring LOTS of bug repellant. My family of four all got hit hard by what we termed sand fleas on that excursion. All the other participants were getting bit too. A lot of people were getting back on the boat early to get away from them. The bites have gotten increasingly worse since Dec 26th and are now starting to come to a head and blister up. Very unhappy with the excursion. Had a great time at Atlantis though!

[travelgarn]

We're back from the Celebration. My husband, 2 sons, and father-in-law did the snorkeling excursion with Stuart's Cove. My FIL was unable to snorkel for very long because it caused him to be very winded. (He's still recovering from a heart attack in April 2006.) But as he put it, my husband was the first one in the water & the last one out at every stop. My 16-yr-old son swam all the way down to the airplane wreck site. He said that there were a lot of people trying to get down there but would turn around and go back up. He said that his ears were popping a lot. Anyway, I feel that this was very much worth the money.

 

Oh, my 7-yr-old son loved it. He stayed VERY CLOSE to the boat. At times, my husband said he thought he was keeping others from getting into the water because he was guarding the steps! :p

[saltmom1]

We are thinking about changing our excursion from the 2 1/2 hr catamaran snorkel to the 4 hr Blackbeard's Cay treasure snorkel tour. Anyone been on both and have some feedback ? We only have 5 1/2 hrs in Nassau but we are not shoppers. May want to look around a bit, but that would be it. I'm more concerned with the quality of the tour.TIA

[prwjr]

We're back from the Celebration. My husband, 2 sons, and father-in-law did the snorkeling excursion with Stuart's Cove. My FIL was unable to snorkel for very long because it caused him to be very winded. (He's still recovering from a heart attack in April 2006.) But as he put it, my husband was the first one in the water & the last one out at every stop. My 16-yr-old son swam all the way down to the airplane wreck site. He said that there were a lot of people trying to get down there but would turn around and go back up. He said that his ears were popping a lot. Anyway, I feel that this was very much worth the money.

 

Oh, my 7-yr-old son loved it. He stayed VERY CLOSE to the boat. At times, my husband said he thought he was keeping others from getting into the water because he was guarding the steps! :p

 

Hi DJ...Glad everyone enjoyed the snorkeling adventure...and hope the rest of your trip was good as well. It certainly was an experience that my daughters and I will never forget...especially having underwater photos to view of the experience. I also had a difficult time free diving to the bottom...but there was plenty to see in between nonetheless.

 

Take care, Paul

[sealovers]

My DH scheduled a 2-tank scuba excursion with Stuart's Cove through Royal Caribbean. The excursion was cancelled by Stuart's Cove as they told RCCL they didn't have transportation to pick-up at the ship. :eek: The group was told they could proceed across the island at their own expense if they wanted, or RCCL would provide a credit to their onboard accounts. No one went and my DH was quite disappointed. :( He had made arrangements with Stuart's Cove photography shop to rent a very nice underwater camera.

 

DH ended up joining my son and I on our private snorkeling excursion through Blue Hole excursions. It was wonderful. Our Captain, Basil, gave us a great narrated tour by water around Atlantis. Then he took us to a great reef. We saw lots of colorful fish and many large ones that appeared to be grouper. We were snorkeling on January 18th and the water temperature was fine. A little startling at first when jumping out of the boat, but not a problem for me. I would have been back in the boat in no time if the temp was too cold! ;)

 

I was not looking forward to going to Nassau. I have been to other Bahamian Islands and was not impressed with anything. This trip, our first to Nassau, was really good and I look forward to going back again!:)

[prwjr]

My DH scheduled a 2-tank scuba excursion with Stuart's Cove through Royal Caribbean. The excursion was cancelled by Stuart's Cove as they told RCCL they didn't have transportation to pick-up at the ship. :eek: The group was told they could proceed across the island at their own expense if they wanted, or RCCL would provide a credit to their onboard accounts. No one went and my DH was quite disappointed. :( He had made arrangements with Stuart's Cove photography shop to rent a very nice underwater camera.

 

DH ended up joining my son and I on our private snorkeling excursion through Blue Hole excursions. It was wonderful. Our Captain, Basil, gave us a great narrated tour by water around Atlantis. Then he took us to a great reef. We saw lots of colorful fish and many large ones that appeared to be grouper. We were snorkeling on January 18th and the water temperature was fine. A little startling at first when jumping out of the boat, but not a problem for me. I would have been back in the boat in no time if the temp was too cold! ;)

 

I was not looking forward to going to Nassau. I have been to other Bahamian Islands and was not impressed with anything. This trip, our first to Nassau, was really good and I look forward to going back again!:)

 

I'm sorry to hear about your 'non' adventure with Stuart Cove's...my daughters and I had a great trip with them and hence why I highly recommended it as well as other people have in this forum.

 

I'm glad that it worked out well for you anyway, despite your mis-adventure.

 

Paul from New Jersey

[Snorkel2Much]

My DH scheduled a 2-tank scuba excursion with Stuart's Cove through Royal Caribbean. The excursion was cancelled by Stuart's Cove as they told RCCL they didn't have transportation to pick-up at the ship. :eek: The group was told they could proceed across the island at their own expense if they wanted, or RCCL would provide a credit to their onboard accounts. No one went and my DH was quite disappointed. :( He had made arrangements with Stuart's Cove photography shop to rent a very nice underwater camera.

 

DH ended up joining my son and I on our private snorkeling excursion through Blue Hole excursions. It was wonderful. Our Captain, Basil, gave us a great narrated tour by water around Atlantis. Then he took us to a great reef. We saw lots of colorful fish and many large ones that appeared to be grouper. We were snorkeling on January 18th and the water temperature was fine. A little startling at first when jumping out of the boat, but not a problem for me. I would have been back in the boat in no time if the temp was too cold! ;)

 

I was not looking forward to going to Nassau. I have been to other Bahamian Islands and was not impressed with anything. This trip, our first to Nassau, was really good and I look forward to going back again!:)

This is the first I've heard of the "Blue Hole Excursions" outfit. Do you have any contact info or web links? Is it the outfit with ties to the NBH?

[travelgarn]

Hi DJ...Glad everyone enjoyed the snorkeling adventure...and hope the rest of your trip was good as well. It certainly was an experience that my daughters and I will never forget...especially having underwater photos to view of the experience. I also had a difficult time free diving to the bottom...but there was plenty to see in between nonetheless.

 

Take care, Paul

 

The trip was great!! Thanks for the recommendation, Paul.

 

DJ

[travelgarn]

Hi DJ...Glad everyone enjoyed the snorkeling adventure...and hope the rest of your trip was good as well. It certainly was an experience that my daughters and I will never forget...especially having underwater photos to view of the experience. I also had a difficult time free diving to the bottom...but there was plenty to see in between nonetheless.

 

Take care, Paul

 

Oops!! Double post!

 

DJ

[prwjr]

The trip was great!! Thanks for the recommendation, Paul.

 

DJ

 

NP... DJ...glad you enjoyed...so where ya going in Feb 2008?

 

Paul