Why Do So Many Hate on the Nassau Cruise Port?

I have stopped in Nassau twice on cruises and plan to go again…many times. It is one of our favorite destinations. So why all the hate? Every time I mention Nassau to a fellow cruiser, they invariably say, “Oh I never get off the ship there.” Why? We have had the most fun in this thriving port. In fact I would say more than any other port in the Caribbean.

People say it is crowded and expensive. And they don’t like the pushy vendors. I never experienced anyone trying to sell me anything and since we went directly to the ferry station on one cruise and took a ship sponsored excursion for the other, I didn’t feel the area was any more expensive than the other stops.

On both occasions, we visited Paradise Island. You can take a cab over the bridge or ride the ferry which goes back and forth all day long.

On our first trip to Nassau 25 years ago, we really enjoyed the Disney cruise excursion. Included were passes to the Atlantis hotel on P.I. That is probably my favorite hotel anywhere.

We were able to visit Atlantis’ famous aquarium and then relax on one of several beaches.

Two years ago, we docked in Nassau unexpectedly because the captain of our Princess cruise decided the sea was too rough to make it into Grand Turk. Normally, that might mean an extra sea day. We were surprised to learn that they were taking us to Nassau instead.

So, once again, we headed to Paradise Island. Only this time, we decided to go it on our own. So we grabbed ferry tickets and headed over to Atlantis. But because we didn’t have a day pass, we weren’t able to hit their beaches or visit the aquarium.

No problem. Instead we walked around the quaint island, and found a nearby public beach, where we strolled for about a mile and then visited the shops outside Atlantis.

Walking back to the ferry, we stopped at Margaritaville for lunch. That day was probably one of my favorite port days of all the cruises we have taken.

Maybe because it was so spontaneous and unscheduled. And I found that the island really hadn’t changed much. You know how sometimes when you go back to a place after so many years, you are disappointed? Not at all. P.I. was almost exactly how I remembered it.

Plans for Our Next Nassau Port Day

I already have a list of some of the excursions I want to take during our next visit. Maybe a Segway tour of the city or possibly a boat trip to Pearl Island. Swimming with the pigs on Rose Island? Not so much.

I understand why people who have been to Nassau several times want to skip it and spend time on the ship. After all, the crowds have thinned and you get the pools almost all to yourself. I would love to have a spa day in lieu of an excursion someday. Not so sure Hubby would go for that though.

But is Nassau the port I would want to miss? Not a chance. I guess because it is so much fun to recreate the memories every time we visit. And my husband and I feel comfortable enough there to go off on our own (at least to Paradise Island.)

As far as Grand Turk, the cruise port we missed, that was OK. We got to visit a year later. And honestly, we liked Nassau/Paradise Island better. Don’t get me wrong. Grand Turk was beautiful, but it was smaller than we expected. We simply walked off the boat and went to the beach.

Actually it would have been better to take the shuttle out to a more remote beach away from the ships.

That’s the beauty of cruising. Everyone has a different idea of what a fabulous vacation looks like. To some it is all about the ship. For us, the ports are front and center.