Please help with picking shore activities/excursions in Bahamas and Castaway Cay

[ShannonBS]

Hello! We had to cancel our spring break plans and decided at the last minute to book a 3 night disney cruise to the Bahamas. I am definitely behind on booking and as this is our first cruise, I am scrambling to try to figure out what our best options are as quickly as possible. Its hard for me to compare the on-shore excursions for Nassau and Castaway Cay, they all look fun, I'm not sure how do decide which are worth it! Any advice on which would be fun for kids 13, 11 and 9? They are all pretty active and would love a new experience/adventure! Any tips for us??

 

[Sunshine2U]

If your kids love the beach, there's no need to book an activity on Castaway Cay. There's plenty to do. Our kids grew up on inland and some inter-coastal boating. So there was never a reason for us to book the water-based activities. It's been a while since we've looked at Nassau excursions. I would look for a good snorkeling opportunity since you'll have the beach in CC.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I agree with PP. There is no need to book anything at CC. There is a ton of stuff to do there that does not require pre-booking.

I would look at Aquaventure at Atlantis for the Nassau excursion. If your kids like water slides, they will love it!

 

[lklgoodman]

At CC things like the bikes, snorkeling gear, and floats/tubes don't have to be booked ahead of time, you can wait and see if you want to do them once you get there. If you have your own snorkeling gear, you can bring it and use it. They will make you wear one of the Disney's vest when snorkeling, but you won't have to pay for it. We were going to do a stingray excursion in Grand Caymans on our last cruise, but it was cancelled due to weather. So we did it at CC instead. It wasn't something I'd do again there, but it was fun to do once. If you don't plan on ever cruising again, you might wan to do it at CC, but if you plan on cruising to Grand Caymans I'd definitely do it there. My dd was 8 yrs old the last time we cruised so she was still in the Oceaneer's club, they have a club area on CC that has a splash area, sand area, and other activities that your 11 and 9 yr olds can go to, it's by the first tram stop. I believe the Edge and Vibe clubs also have areas and do different activities with the kids also. You can find out what they do once you are on the ship if your oldest is interested.

 

[ShannonBS]

Yes, we do love the beach, so that is good to know...and my youngest thinks waterslides are the greatest thing ever so thanks for that tip too! I am glad to hear that some things don't require pre-booking, I was nervous that if I didn't plan ahead, we'd miss out on everything. We are from the midwest and don't have any future plans to travel back to the Bahamas/Caribbean so I would love to book one little adventure while we're on one of the islands, whether it's snorkeling or the stingray excursion or something else the kids might like!

This is all VERY helpful! Thank you and please, keep the tips coming!!

 

[Shanti]

Yes, we do love the beach, so that is good to know...and my youngest thinks waterslides are the greatest thing ever so thanks for that tip too! I am glad to hear that some things don't require pre-booking, I was nervous that if I didn't plan ahead, we'd miss out on everything. We are from the midwest and don't have any future plans to travel back to the Bahamas/Caribbean so I would love to book one little adventure while we're on one of the islands, whether it's snorkeling or the stingray excursion or something else the kids might like!

This is all VERY helpful! Thank you and please, keep the tips coming!!

There is a set of waterslides on Castaway Cay, btw. I agree that you should not book any formal excursions on CC. There is plenty to enjoy on the island without that. Rent bikes & ride to the observation tower & down the shady lane next to the adult beach. Try riding an aqua trike. Do The Pelican Plunge water slides. Rest in a hammock. There is lots to do.

 

[Lori74]

there's a pirate museum in Nassau that my kids enjoyed, its within walking distance. we also went to Atlantis and did the aquarium tour, they enjoyed that quite a bit.

 

[dcassetta]

If you are looking for a beach day in Nassau, I would recommend a day pass at the Colonial Hilton. Thye have a nice beach and pool, non-motorized boats and snorkeling equipment are included and the pass includes a food and drink credit. It's a 10-minute walk from the ship.

 

[Keterrill]

I just booked a snorkeling trip ( though a private company, not DCL) in Nassau. We leave this week...so I can let you know how it goes after. They were highly recommended on this board and had great Trip Advisor reviews....so I have super high hopes. For me........Nassau is a place that you either book an excursion or stay on the boat. We didn't really enjoy just walking around the port.

 

[Norma Cook]

We have booked twice with Dolphin Encounters. You can have an encounter with a dolphin, and encounter with a seal, encounter with stingrays or even swim with dolphins. They have their own beach area that has tubes, etc. that you can use for the day while there before or after your excursion. I have a 10 and 13 year old and they loved it both times. Well worth the visit.

 

[Norma Cook]

Sorry, forgot to mention it was in Nassau.