Day number 3 of our Disney Bahamian cruise had us porting in Nassau. Whether or not to leave the ship in Nassau was a struggle for me leading up to the cruise, mainly because of the negative reviews I had read of the island and the potential crime present there. However, at some point I made the decision to book an excursion anyway. We may not have another chance to see Nassau, so an excursion focused on some of the history and culture was what I was looking for. Ultimately, we signed up to do the Get To Know Nassau tour.
The tour picked us up right at the port. My defenses were up upon leaving the ship, since I had received feedback that the locals are peddling their products outside of the port, and can be quite pushy. Once we left the security building, we did find ourselves in an outdoor mall of sorts, with many booths set up to sell hair braiding, $5 t-shirts, and last minute tour groups. As I was trying to decipher the instructions to determine where we were supposed to meet our tour guide, we were asked by a couple of locals what we were looking for. They then pointed us to the exact spot where our tour guide would meet us. Super helpful.
This tour group was a bit larger than our previous day in Key West. In total, we had approximately 12 or so joining us. Our tour guide showed up and directed us to the final meeting spot where the bus would pick us up.
Our first stop was a historic Fort, with amazing views of the city and the port. I could feel the history of the location, with the crumbling walls and uneven walkways. The streets in Nassau are incredibly narrow. It was mesmerizing watching our tour guide maneuver around the city at the speeds he did. Some of the spots he got through were so tight, that I felt like I had to hold my own breath in order to make it through.
During our stop at the Fort, we were once again greeted by local market stands set up to sell to the tourists. Yes, they got me. I am now the proud owner of a Bahamas tote bag that I will never use. We also saw another historical landmark called the Queen’s Staircase, which was meant to provide a direct route from the Fort to the city of Nassau. My pictures of the staircase are all from the top, only because I didn’t want to have to walk back up the stairs once I got photos from the bottom!
After leaving the Fort, our tour was almost exclusively a driving tour. We drove past the Governor’s Mansion, the National Art Gallery, and along the street where Nassau’s street festival Junkanoo is held every year. This street, even when Junkanoo is not being held, is full of color and beauty.
After a pit stop for some Conch salad, the tour concluded with some time at Atlantis. A quick walk-through was sufficient for us, but it was very reminiscent of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. It had a high end shopping area and a casino, and lots of white marble. Many areas, including the renowned water parks that Atlantis is known for, were off limits to us since we had not paid to use them.
That night on the ship was Pirate Night. Dinner was at Rapunzel’s again, minus the amazing show from the night before. The late dinner time meant that the pool deck was packed already by the time we arrived. However, I had read prior to this cruise that the fireworks are shot from the Starboard side, so this is where we jostled to find spots at. The show was good, and Mickey Mouse was definitely the highlight and what the kids all loved. The fireworks, being Disney fireworks, were spectacular. Disney cruise ships have to get special permission to shoot these off, and therefore they are the only cruise ship with at-sea fireworks.
Every evening so far, I had intended to make a stop at the Magic’s piano bar Keys. While I would like to say that I finally got to the piano bar after all of this excitement, it would be a lie. It was late and the day had been packed with things to do. We agreed that we still had time to do Keys and called it a day.
