Nassau question

[shelby]

More on excursions. What should we do? Any of these sound great / or avoid?

Blackbeards Cay
SUB bahamas-( mini sub thing? Never heard of this before 10 minutes ago)
Close Dolphin Adventure.- Carnival had 2 options and I'm not sure why RC only offers one. $118 each!

Any thoughts? Last time we did a public beach, Atlantis, and a tour of the city up to the fort thing at the top. We have no desire to do the straw market.

[Hey Ya'll]

I took to Close Encounter with the Dolphins. It was the hi-lite of the entire trip. Well worth every penny.

[Andrealovescruising]

shelby, Soveriegn of the Seas is a nice ship. My husband took me on her for our very first cruise 10 years ago for our 10 year anniversary. I hated the Bahamas, Heyya'll might just be right in doing the dolphin encounter. I did not like the straw market either. Couldn't wait to get back on board. Does it still stop at Coco Caye? (R.C.'s private island) If you do, it is like something out of a magazine. It looks like you're pulling up to Gilligan's Island. Lots of shells if you walk further down the beach.

[spoheat]

I am with you on the straw market, and the Bahamas in general. There is a cultural thing going on there I don't fully understand: you don't dare stop to look at something because if you decline they seem rather put out--I guess the whole thing was not the fun bazaar I had in my mind either time I was there. We are stopping there March 16 and will be doing a boat excursion--hoping not to go ashore at all! Dolphin swims are real memory makers: make sure you know what you are paying for. Some "encounters" only include standing on a platform in cool water and getting to see and touch them a bit with a large group of people. Some include actual interaction with the animal one to one, and swimming with it. You could take a cab to cabbage beach and just hang out, although this would require you to pass through the pier terminal and fend off having your hair braided 100 times!

[spoheat]

Oh yeah--one more thing--if you do to to Coco Cay it is a preserve. Picking up shells or marine life is prohibited, and the RC staff tells you that. (although people do it and no body seems to check your bag when you reboard) It is better to leave the island as you found it as much as you can, don't you think? It is a lovely place.

[macmom111]

I have been to nassau twice. The first time I was really not impressed with it. On the second cruise we decide to take a tour of the island on our own. We took the nassau city buses. They were air conditioned and the locals were very friendly after we got away from the straw market area.We took the local bus number 8 and went to the queens stair case. Very nice there was a gentleman there kinda giving an explanation of the stair case for tips (1 dollar). we got back on the bus and decide to just ride. the driver knew we were cruise passengers so he started telling us about the island and taking us to all the sites of the island. we rode the bus for about 1 1/2 hrs and it was wonderful. It cost 1 dollar to get off and get on. so for 2 dollars we saw the island with our own quide. it was awesome. I would highly recommend it...

[Dave]

Another thing about sea shells - they are considered to be live animals by U.S. Customs and are not allowed to be brought back in the country.

[Chef Ken]

"Live animals", I suppose the standing rib roast on the ship is a live animal. Now I know why they frisk grandmas and let suspicious people walk. Maybe no one in customs has ever had oysters! I usually eat the live animal and toss the shells.

I love our customs department and homeland security but sometimes... I guess they know what they are doing.

I would have never known that Dave.

[Dwayne]

Dave is right as usual!

I had picked up some coral on the beach on Grand Cayman and was in my backpack. I flew back to St.Thomas from SanJuan post cruise for an extra 3 days and when I went to leave got busted by Customs when he checked my backpack. I thought it was a joke..it was not.

[goin' cruisin']

Don't be too sure about Customs and Homeland Security knowing what they are doing...recently, I had a work related discussion with a couple of INS/HS agents, stationed along the Arizona-Mexico border about a group of thugs along the Texas-Mexican border known as ...., who happen to be far more vicious and dangerous than the Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) gang, and the agents asked "who?" Now, I realize the ... are primarily along the Texas-Mexico border, but you'd think if a good 'ol boy in northern California knows about the ..., INS and Homeland Security in AZ would know about them too. Humm Baby.