Staying on ship in Nassau

[lajspeech]

My husband and I have both been to the Bahamas before, and really have no desires to do Junkaroo or an expensive excursion in Nassau. We have 2 kids, 6 and 9. We will be on their first cruise. What would be their IDEAL, perfect day on the ship while docked? Hit the side with no wait, maybe a Bibbity Bobbity... Help me plan!

 

[fredandkell]

I wouldn't plan anything. Just let the free day on the ship unfold organically. Pool, movie theater, kids club, whatever moves them at the moment. The kids I do see crying on DCL are usually those whose parents have overscheduled them.

 

[stsomewhere]

You could walk to the Queen's stair case. It is very interesting. You can pay one of the guides at the bottom a few dollars and he will tell you the history. There is a small fort at the top of the staircase. I think it is $4 a person to go in.

 

[Spiffy MacSpiff]

Lots of people stay on board in Nassau these days, so you may be disappointed if you're dreaming of an uncrowded pool deck and no wait for the slide / AquaDuck. On our last cruise it was a little better than a sea day in the morning, but by the afternoon you couldn't tell the difference. That said, there's lots of other stuff to do around the ship. Not much planning to do, really, just check the Navigator to see what's going on that day and go from there.

 

[Otimon]

Since this is your youngster's first time on the cruise, hope you won't deny them the opportunity to go ashore and explore at least for a while! Still plenty of time on the ship for fun stuff too!

A fun thing I would recommend for them would be the Graycliff Hotel Chocolate Factory Tour. Have done this twice now as we enjoyed it so much. Don't know of any youngsters who wouldn't enjoy making their own chocolate creations and then taking them back to the ship to eat later on!

Whatever you choose to do have a wonderful cruise.

 

[randumb0]

Please don't remain on the ship if this is their first time. At minimum, walk around Nassau for an hour or two. Stop in some shops

 

[Dug720]

Lots of people stay on board in Nassau these days, so you may be disappointed if you're dreaming of an uncrowded pool deck and no wait for the slide / AquaDuck.

This! So much this! I see so many people (on here even) saying "Stay on board in Nassau! The ship is empty!!" - and I have actually seen someone complaining loudly that they "Were promised an empty ship on Nassau Day".

That ship has sailed and it is NOT an empty ship on Nassau Day.

 

[Dizney73]

We do a quick 3 night cruise every November. We generally do stay on the ship in Nassau and do character meet and greets, watch funnel vision and eat lunch on deck, do the midship detective agency, play mini golf, and go to the movie theater. This year as per the kids request we did get off and walked to the Queen's Staircase and the fort (where we also bought a few things from the vendors) We enjoyed our morning very much and were back on the ship for lunch, mini golf and a movie!

 

[deliela999]

We stayed on at Nassau last year and did the Frozen and Princess gatherings, a little pool time, then the boutique. I would have preferred the boutique before the princess meets but as first time cruisers the times available didn't work for that. I think when we go in December we might get off and walk around a little, but no excursion. The ship was definitely not empty.

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

My daughter's #1 thing to do on cruises is swim, but we know better than to expect a quiet ship pool on Nassau day. If you'd like a nice day by the pool, we just did a day pass through Resort for a Day for the British Colonial Hilton. The walk was reasonable (10 minutes) and it was a great day. The fee includes use of the pool, the beach, snorkels, kayaks, paddleboards, and a credit at the outdoor restaurant for food and drinks.

 

[88golf88]

I completely agree with you about keeping them on the ship...ours are 4,6&8 and there was nothing that we found interesting for the to do in Nassau. Even with a slightly crowded ship (because very few people get off) there is still TONS for them to do on the ship. We waited about 10 mins for Aqua Duck mid morning and they had a blast in the splash pad and little pools. They took a little break in the Oceanears Club. But the best part for us was that we didn’t have a plan and just went with the flow and bounced from activity to activity.

 

[apathetic]

A lot of people stay on in Nassau. Some things may be less congested, but the ship is still pretty crowded, especially in the afternoon. There aren't as many cruise activities, so everyone tends to congregate to the same things (pool, movies, etc).

 

[Cruising Engineer]

We were just there last month. I had to get off the ship long enough to restock our wine. Looking from our veranda (port side, dockside), it was remarkable how many people got off the ship for group tours or just independently walking to the city. Lots of people. We thought the ship would be less crowded. But then we went to lunch at Cabana's and there were just as many people at the pool and just as many in line for lunch. Dang the Dream holds a lot of cruisers.

 

[Spiffy MacSpiff]

One thing that the young MacSpiffs enjoyed at that age was the Seaworld Explorer Semi-Submarine. Wasn't too expensive and only took a half-day. The cruise out/back through the harbor was fun, and we saw sharks, turtles, starfish, and all kinds of fish and plant life. Everyone had their own window seat and the guide knew a lot and was great about answering the kids' questions. Wish my pictures were better but this might give you an idea.

 

[pearljammer]

My husband and I have both been to the Bahamas before, and really have no desires to do Junkaroo or an expensive excursion in Nassau. We have 2 kids, 6 and 9. We will be on their first cruise. What would be their IDEAL, perfect day on the ship while docked? Hit the side with no wait, maybe a Bibbity Bobbity... Help me plan!

Once you get the navigator you can plan your day. While it’s true not everyone is off the boat, it’s still a good time to hit the pool, the slides, etc. as it won’t be AS crowded. We too don’t get off at Nassau and don’t feel we’re missing ANYthing. It may be a good day to catch a movie with the kids (depending on what’s playing) or maybe they want to go to the kids clubs and you and your spouse can hit the adult area. I don’t think you’ll have a problem working it all out so good luck and have fun!

 

[ScooterScott44]

I have posted this before but since this would be their first trip you can always make a quick stop to get passport stamps. There is a small government building and they have a room that they do the passport stamps and to takes only a minute or two. It also might be helpful for the kids to get out and walk on “terra firma”. Since this will be their first cruise you never know how they will react to the motion of the ship. We love sailing and the motion but it is nice once in a while to stand on dry land.

 

[ScooterScott44]

If you choose to do the passport stamp, it is possible to do when heading back to the ship but is an easier place to get out of the secure area, if you make the stop on the way out. Below is a snapshot of the port area. Most people head out using the path marked by the red arrow. If you follow the green path there is a guard at the gate. He will let you out and you can cross right to the building to get the stamp. It is usually down the hall on the right.

 

[pezgirlroy]

We did the Discover Junkanoo and Forts tour with my 8 and 3 year old and it was wonderful.