Sunday, March 31, 2024

A day in Nassau, Bahamas: What to do while your cruise is in port

carnival cruise port in nassau bahamas

In close proximity to the cruise port are also Saunders Beach, Love Beach, and Jaws Beach. If you’re shopping for local souvenirs to bring back home, Nassau has many shops near the cruise port. Many cruise passengers will bring back wood carvings, craftwork, original paintings, and handmade garments as they make nice gifts and souvenirs. It costs $10 for adults, and it is free for children to visit the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas. Furthermore, the art gallery is a 15-minute walk from the cruise port, and it is nearby several other attractions.

Straw Market

Junkanoo Beach in downtown Nassau is one of the liveliest beach scenes you’ll find in The Bahamas. It’s close to the cruise port, so you can easily head over to the pier after an exciting day shopping or a lazy day lounging on the sand. The capital of The Bahamas has long been known as one of the top tourist destinations in the world. The beautiful beaches are no doubt one of its main draws, but there are plenty of other types of fun to be had in this Bahamian paradise.

carnival cruise port in nassau bahamas

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Cruise travelers have been waiting for these endless renovation works to be finished and, hopefully, souvenir stores and also a food court will return to where these once were. In the meantime, you will find most of these just outside the terminal. Montague Beach is situated east of the Paradise Island Bridge and is home to a historic fort constructed in the 18th century. The beach promenade is a popular hangout on weekends and public holidays, with local vendors offering delicious local food and drinks. Other cruise ship tours feature glass-bottom and jet boat excursions, catamaran sailings paired with reef snorkeling, deep-sea fishing and exclusive beach days with private cabanas. Cruise ships visiting Nassau dock at the Prince George Wharf within short walking distance of Bay Street and the downtown district.

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Horse Carriage Tours

Cable Beach is about a 20-minute drive from Prince George's Wharf and is accessible via taxi. A cheaper alternative is the No. 10 bus, which charges around $1.25 per person. The 2.5-mile-long beach is often described as Nassau's best, but it's one of hundreds across the Bahamas distinguished by bleach-white sands and remarkably clear blue waters. Cable Beach is home to several top Nassau resorts and offers a full array of watersports activities. At Potters Cay you can get Lobster and fries for $20, far cheaper than Arawak Cay. The restaurants at Potters Cay are not quite restaurants, they are more like tiki huts, but its all part of the local Bahamian experience!

Resort day passes

In some cases, you will be responsible for all food and drink purchases. If you want to spend the day snorkeling, this is a great place to do it, as there are sculptures and Hollywood memorabilia located underwater. If you get tired of snorkeling, you can take a walk through Clifton Heritage Park before settling down for a picnic lunch. Cable Beach is about a minute taxi ride away from the cruise pier. The public access area is smaller than Junkanoo Beach, as the beach is lined with famous resorts, including Sandals Royal Bahamian and Baha Mar.

Clifton Heritage Park is on the western edge of Nassau New Providence Island. It’s an expansive 208- acre park that will take a 30 minute taxi ride to reach. The Clifton area was home to settlements of Lucayan Indians, African slave, Pirates and American Loyalists. The star attraction at the Clifton Heritage Park is the Underwater Sculpture Garden that you can snorkel or scuba dive at. The disembarking point for all cruise guests landing in Nassau Port is Festival Place – the Nassau Cruise ship terminal. In the forecourt of Festival Place is an outdoor shopping arcade and food market.

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The Nassau Cruise Port has one main entrance that all cruisers must enter. Upon check-in, cruisers will be given information about their boarding gate and embarkation for their cruise line and will be issued a boarding card. Home page with highlights and listing of reviews, port guides and articles. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

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Reggae lovers can relax during a daytrip to the Marley Resort and Spa, while foodies can indulge on conch fritters, chocolate bon bons and handcrafted rum cocktails on a tasting tour of local eateries. Visit the 1793 Fort Fincastle, take a photo atop the Queen's Staircase and bargain with vendors at the Straw Market on Bay Street. Ships dock just steps from downtown, making it easy to explore the area on foot. Sightseeing, swimming and soaking up the island flavor — it's all yours for the taking on a Carnival cruise to Nassau, Bahamas.

At this museum, you will see tools used during slavery, items from a Bahamian grocery store in 1900, and a meteorite slice. The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas is the perfect museum for art enthusiasts. This museum features art from the locals and highlights Bahamian history and culture. This staircase provides a direct route from downtown Nassau to For Fincastle. Whether you’re traveling as a family, as a couple, or with friends, you will have a good time at the Margaritaville resort. You can access certain areas of the Atlantis resort without paying any admission fee.

You can explore the beautiful grounds of The Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Center, which is home to hundreds of mammals, birds and reptiles. In June-August 2021, for the first time, RCI-Royal Caribbean homeported here a ship (Adventure OTS) for 7-night roundtrips from Nassau to Cozumel Mexico, Freeport (Grand Bahama) and CocoCay. Funds raised in 2021-Q2 (through an initial public offering via Bahamas Investment Fund) will be used for Phase 3. The largest festival is Junkanoo - a colorful street parade of people in bright costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, whistles and cowbells. The celebration is held on January 1, July 10 and December 26, beginning in the early morning hours (1 AM) and ending at ~10 AM. Nassau is The Bahamas' main/principal and largest seaport as well as the country's capital city - located approx 310 mi / 500 km east of Florida USA.

You will also have to pay $10 for Wi-Fi if you want to stay connected, and there is an additional charge for spa treatments. Typically, a Blue Lagoon island excursion combines the beach with other activities like sea lion encounters, dolphin encounters, or segway tours. In most cases, you will meet your shore excursion guide at a designated sport before being guided to a bus or boat. From there, you can enjoy your day before returning to the cruise port. It is known to be one of the quieter beaches in Nassau, making it the ideal choice for families. At Saunders Beach, you can access restroom facilities and a playground.

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The COVID-19 pandemic hit the cruise industry hard, shutting it down completely. Carnival Cruise Lines was the first cruise line to restart its operations, sailing with a select number of ships at limited capacity beginning in July 2021. The final ship in the company’s fleet set sail from Seattle in May 2022.

Carnival Cruise Ports: Nassau, Bahamas

carnival cruise port in nassau bahamas

But with limited time in port and the fact that many of the more “beachy” sites are some distance from the port, these tours make a lot of sense. It definitely does not have the even surfaces and accessible sidewalks you might be used to back home. Still, if you want to simply take a walking tour, there are a number things to see and do around the city within walking distance. If shops and bars interest you, then by all means take it all in.

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If you get hungry or thirsty, there are various restaurants and bars nearby. To be safe, cruise travelers are best off staying within the busier tourist areas or taking a reputable tour. If you have an excursion booked, then you don’t have to worry about transportation — it will be taken care of with the tour. Recently Nassau completely renovated the port area to the tune of several hundreds of millions of dollars. Not only are the piers and walkways completely renovated, but there was also a large welcome area constructed. In this part of the world, it stays pleasantly warm year-round, even compared to spots like Miami or Fort Lauderdale, which can get cooler in the winter.

Map of New Providence Island and Nassau

Craft Cottage Bahamas is the premier showcase for locally made home décor, glassware, jewelry, soaps, clothing and artwork in Nassau. On the grounds of the Doongalik Studios & Art Gallery in Eastern Nassau, the charming shop and gallery features a diverse and eclectic array of Bahamian-inspired items and emphasizes traditional crafting techniques. The Potter's Cay conch shacks can be found beneath the high-arching bridge that connects Nassau to Paradise Island. Adjacent to lively fruit markets, the brightly colored conch shacks feature nearly 40 chefs in different shacks cooking fresh conch dishes in myriad ways. Not surprisingly, Nassau is a staple port of call for a wide variety of operators.

Bahamas Day Trips

Take flight with Bahamas Air Tours and enjoy a full day Exuma Excursion to Staniel Cay and Pig Beach. Go swimming with the famous Bahamas Swimming Pigs and try swimming with Sharks at Compass Cay for the ultimate Bahamian Vacation. All of which can be enjoyed on a Day Tour from your Cruise stopover in Nassau Port. A boat taxi operates between Festival Place (Nassau Cruise Port) and Paradise Island (opposite Margaretville) which costs $10 per person and takes about a 30 minute ride. Its actually quicker and cheaper to take taxi directly to Paradise Island.

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As a plus, while technically not located in the Caribbean, Nassau and the Bahamas offers the same splendid sunny skies, brilliant blue waters and amazing culture and traditions. When it comes to oceangoing vacations, the Bahamas can accurately be described as the industry's leading destination, with the capital city of Nassau being cruising's number one port of call. In 2019, the Bahamas hosted 5.43 million cruise visitors, more than any other global cruise port, and it greeted nearly 1 million more travelers than Cozumel, Mexico, the next most-visited port. Indeed, the modern cruise industry's first itineraries in the 1970s focused on three- and four-day Bahamas sailings from Miami. Looking for souvenirs of your things to do in Nassau Bahamas Port?

carnival cruise port in nassau bahamas

Officially named 'Prince George Wharf', the cruise ship terminal in Nassau is really known as Festival Place and has been under constant renovation works for some time. The harbor of Nassau is quite impressive and sailing in an interesting spectacle. Located on the north shore of the island of New Providence, right by the capital, its piers extend north and ships will be docked very close to Paradise Island. The facility is housed in a traditional Bahamian-style home that shares the grounds with a variety of local Bahamian artists who also use the property to work on their own art and products. The shop offers an extensive and impressive array of handcrafted jewelry, painted glass, straw bags and accessories including homemade soaps and bath products.

Nassau, Bahamas Shore Excursions

Whether found at a lively outdoor market or gourmet restaurant, Bahamian gastronomy is filled with island flavor. Balmoral Island, Pearl Island and Sandy Toes also offer private-island experiences near Nassau. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. With so many things to do in Nassau Bahamas on a Cruise, New Providence island will spoil you for choice!

You can earn points with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card or Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. The archipelago's spectacular natural environment features brilliant blue skies, warm temperatures and exceptionally clear waters. But Nassau, located on 112-mile-long New Providence island, is also a metropolitan center full of modern amenities and impressive African, Caribbean and colonial cultural and historic sites. If you didn’t make any pre-arranged tours or day trip plans, fear not, there is a very long taxi rank outside the gates of Festival Place Nassau Cruise Port.

The guide will teach you how to feed the pigs and interact with them while swimming. Afterward, you head to a private beach to relax and enjoy light snacks. This tour costs $79 for adults, $49 for kids between the ages of 4 and 12, and free for children under 4. This tour is highly recommended, and it is a great way to try local Bahamian foods. If you’re scuba certified, you can always book a scuba excursion. Scuba diving is a great way to move freely underwater and to feel like you’re a part of the marine life.

The good thing about the straw market is that it’s extremely close to the Prince George Wharf cruise port. If you want to get off the ship and shop for souvenirs, the Straw Market is only a 6-minute walk from the port. The resorts typically feature access to the beach, private pools, restaurants, and bars. These day passes can be purchased individually through the hotel or resort. Resort day passes give cruise ship passengers access to hotel and resort amenities.

The port is just a few minutes' walk to downtown Nassau where cruisers can find a variety of cafes, bars, restaurants, shops, fine dining and more. The new terminal, which is expected to be finished in May 2023, will have its own dining and shopping area for cruisers. Book you and your family onto a Bahamas Air Tours Nassau to Exuma Day Trip to go swimming with Pigs at Pig Beach. Private tours include pickup from the Nassau Cruise Port, and drop-off before your cruise ship departs again. Enjoy not just the Bahamas Swimming Pigs, but also  Swimming with Sharks at Compass Cay as well as the James Bond Thunderball Grotto, Sand Bars, underwater plane wrecks and Bahamian Rock Iguanas. Look no further than an Exuma Tour for what to do in Nassau Port.

At Pearl Island, you will have access to bathroom facilities, changing rooms, and showers. Cable Beach is often called “Nassau’s best beach”, as it is 2.5 miles long and has white sand and crystal clear waters. This beach is lined with famous resorts, including Baha Mar and Sandals Royal Bahamian. One of the great things about going to Nassau is that you can easily visit historical sites, eat at a restaurant, and go shopping on foot.

The Pirates of Nassau Museum gives you a glimpse into the pirate history of the Caribbean. Unfortunately, it looks like most bad mouth commentators never left the Terminal Building and judge the island 'by the cover'. In this post, I shared the best things to do in Nassau when you’re on a cruise.

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