Cruise to Nassau in the Beautiful Bahamas


Cruising Journal, the international portal for cruise ship reviews, takes you to Nassau! Get your fill of Nassau during a cruise stopover in the Cruising Journal tips.

Tour this magnificent city and let yourself be transported with its rich history, delicious foods and adventure-filled experiences.

Nassau offers travellers the unique experience they’re looking for, be it relaxation, exotic food or adventure. A destination chosen even by Blackbeard, Nassau is a city you must visit.

How to Get to Nassau

Nassau is present in many cruise itineraries, and Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines, MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises offer many tours that include Nassau as a stopover port.

The Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection offers a more luxurious travel experience to the Bahamas, with private suites and gourmet food for your enjoyment. This cruise line even gives you the option to charter your own vessel.

You could also sail aboard one of the Disney Cruise Line vessels and live your fairy tale journey.

Food Tasting Tour

Join Tru Bahamian Food Tours and head straight for the restaurants recommended by locals in downtown Nassau, where you’ll take in its colonial architecture and palm-tree-lined boulevards. During this tour, you’ll sample a broad range of Bahamian food from up to six venues, including a family-owned soul-food restaurant, a spice merchant and an organic chocolatier. In between bites, you’ll tour the neighbourhood and learn about the history and culture of downtown Nassau. Your guide will even give you tips and recommendations for the rest of your trip.

Swimming with pigs

Exuma Escapes offers a unique way to experience the beach. After boarding a powerboat, you’ll set off for the Exumas, an archipelago of tiny Bahamian islands and cays, which you’ll tour from the water. Then, you’ll stop at one of the small islands to see the Bahamian rock iguana in its natural habitat, and you’ll be treated to a feeding demonstration. Next, you’ll cruise to Pig Beach on Big Major Cay to see the famous swimming pigs and splash around with them in the water. After lunch, you’ll sail to Compass Cay, where you’ll be able to swim with nurse sharks.

Highlight Drive-through

Bigmama’s Tours & Taxi will help you explore the area around Bay Street. Your guide will bring you to historic landmarks, such as the House of Parliament and Rawson Square, Fort Fincastle and the Queen’s Staircase. Then, you’ll have the chance to shop for souvenirs at the Straw Market and visit the original Bahamas Rum Cake Factory to try this popular dessert. After this delicious treat, you’ll be brought to the Atlantis resort for a quick visit.

Rum Tour

Immerse yourself in a Caribbean party atmosphere on this fun-filled day tour offered by Bahtours. Here, you’ll cover the most famous Nassau sights while you sip on rum punch and listen to reggae tunes. During this tour, you’ll stop at a cigar factory, a chocolate factory, a winery, a rum distillery and even Bob Marley’s former home.

Snorkel

At Stuart Cove, your guide will pick you up at the port and bring you aboard the boat with an experienced captain. After a safety orientation from your guide and a fitting for your gear, you’ll don your equipment and jump in the water, where you’ll float among schools of tropical fish and spot live coral and other marine life.

If the conditions are right, your second stop will be an up-close and personal encounter with one of the sea’s most sublime creatures – the shark. For this portion of the tour, you can choose whether you’d like to join the guide in the water or simply watch the sharks from the boat.

Zoo

Make your way to the Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Center, located just a few minutes’ drive from downtown Nassau. As you explore 4 acres of plant life and tropical gardens, stop and snap a few photos and watch the ducks and swans paddle around the pond as freshwater turtles bask in the sun. While walking the Gardens, the staff will be available to answer any questions you might have. While you’re there, don’t miss out on the ‘Flamingo Experience’ (occurring daily at 10:30am, 2pm and 4pm), which features the Bahamas’ National Bird, the Caribbean Flamingo.

When in Nassau you can’t miss out on the opportunity to visit Blackbeard’s Tower. As legend has it, this tower was refuge to the famous pirate and offers a quiet and exciting excursion for modern-day tourists.

Don’t forget to leave a comment or review on Cruising Journal and tell us about your experience on the cruise ship.
Alice Fogliata Cresswell

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