As Disney travel bloggers we thought we were pretty prepared for our very first cruise on the Disney Wonder. We did tons of research, looked at loads of pins, studied the checklists and after months of prep truly believed we were completely ready to maximize the best trip ever in a very short 5 days. Here are all our Disney Cruise Nassau Bahamas Tips.
We even researched Disney’s Private Island and booked snorkeling, biking, and inner tubes. Little did we know there happened to be whole areas of the cruising lifestyle that were completely foreign to us! And while we have shared some tips for beginners, and what to do if you need a break from the kids or are just traveling with friends, we were completely unaware that many people just STAY ON THE BOAT! In fact, it seemed only newbie travelers actually disembark at the port of call in some destinations. Who knew? This however didn’t deter us from making the attempt to disembark at Nassau and throw caution to the wind.
How Can You Maximize Your Half-Day at Nassau Bahamas?
Hint: Get a Map Ahead of Time for your Port of Call
Find a map of the immediate area, or better yet, take your shopping guide up on the offer to go into town with them as a group. Wandering on our own in Nassau is not the same as wandering on our own in Charleston. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Bahamas. Last time I was there we stayed at the Pink Sands on Harbour Island, which is actually about an hour outside of Nassau. While I expected the pink sand beaches and a lot of natural opportunities, instead we got something entirely different.
Start your Nassau Port of Call Day Early
We docked at port at 7:30 am and were only able to be on the island until 2:30 pm. This alone should have been our first clue that guests haven’t clamored for more time on the island on previous Disney cruises. But it wasn’t. We were still hopeful.
Should you Book Disney Nassau Excursions on your Disney Cruise?
In hindsight, we’d HIGHLY recommend booking an excursion or two if your time allows. For us, we thought we’d get to experience more without the hassle of pre-planned and times activities, but we were definitely wrong here, and found that we didn’t get to enjoy the port as much as we would have liked, had someone been there to help guide us along the way. Check out the Disney Cruise Nassau Bahamas Excursions List to see what may work for you.
Frankly, we hadn’t booked any excursions because Atlantis would have taken the entire 7 hours we were allowed to be on the island. We had also been warned about the need to absolutely be back on the boat at 2:30- because they would leave without us if necessary as we were on a tight schedule with this new itinerary. In fact, at least one family from our cruise did get left in Nassau!
We had wanted to see the Queen’s staircase but being unfamiliar with the island didn’t want to stray too far from the boat for fear of not being back in time. And so, in classic vacation fashion, we got off the boat fairly early and entered Nassau eager to find an authentic cup of coffee, some cute souvenirs, and maybe a nice beach. If nothing else we would see the sights and history. We were ready to explore!
Beware Exploring the Island on Your Own
One of our TOP Disney Cruise Nassau Bahamas Tips would be to go into town with the guy on your cruise that brings you as part of the group. Even if you’re not interested in buying jewelry, it would have been a more productive time. Mind you we had been warned about the persistent nature of the salespeople you have to pass just to enter the island. We weren’t however prepared for the zombie-like attack from all directions. Grasping hands heads down, and with a tunnel view of the large pink building ahead, we somehow made it through.
Michael, our onboard shopping guide actually said this is the best strategy to clear the hoards- no eye contact. Once cleared we entered downtown Nassau. Unfortunately, because of its duty-free fame, consists of many many shops that are all very high-end, lots of jewelry shops, a few Starbucks, and some very run-down buildings. I know not all of the Bahamas is like this, so it was disappointing to see that the first impression for many was not great. Since we’re girls traveling alone with a child we tracked down things we knew would be safe. The church… the pirate museum, but even both these came without much instruction or guidance.
Junkanoo Beach… is not Castaway Cay
Get a map. Hitting a feeling of disappointment we quickly identified another Disney family who at least seemed to know where they were going ( a complete lack of maps was definitely an issue for us in Nassau). Unfortunately, the best any of our fellow Disney cruisers could do was Junkanoo Beach. Those of us brave enough to get that far literally grabbed some souvenir sand, dipped our toes lightly in questionable waters, and tried to avoid offensive phone conversations and chain smoking. Yes, we’re generalizing, but this is an honest account of our experience. Unlike Castaway Cay, lounge chairs weren’t free and the sand wasn’t clean. Yes. We are spoiled. Yes, we know. We had an ok view of this pretty lighthouse, but really, that was it. While it’s not on this list, managing your expectations is one of the most important Disney Cruise Nassau Bahamas Tips, if you hope to have a lovely vacation.
Disney Cruise Nassau Bahamas Tips
Next, we decided to hunt down coconut water ( in a coconut) on the way back to the boat. (If you know us you’d realize how ludicrous it was that we only stayed on the beach for 10 minutes. Mind-blowing really.) As we walked we were trying to figure out what it is people do when they dock here for an afternoon besides getting their hair braided and drinking at Senor Frog. And since half our boat was at Senor Frog, that apparently was the place to be. *Sigh*
Get Back on the Boat Early
Fairly defeated we got back on the boat around 10:30 am. Crazy, we know. Thankfully, getting ready to board the boat we were once again met by the Disney standard with cucumber and lemon water, cooling moist towels, and disinfectant, especially important since we never found the authentic coffee or treats we were hoping to find.
Unfortunately, it seemed that Nassau, Bahamas didn’t get the memo regarding the Disney standard of living. No offense Nassau. We’ve visited the Bahamas at other ports without this much struggle, so were caught completely off guard by the lack of pink sand, 5-star resorts, and crystal clear waters.
Why People Stay On the Boat at Nassau Bahamas Port of Call
So we can’t speak to all Disney Cruises, or ports. We sailed the Disney Wonder to Nassau Bahamas. But at Nassau, quite a few people never embarked. Were these unspoken Disney Cruise Nassau Bahamas Tips in disguise? Maybe. Because, once back on the boat we found what quite a few people already knew. Things don’t stop just because people get off the boat! While the shops on board did have to close everything else was still happening.
If we stayed on the boat we could have:
-
- had shorter lines at the waterslide and pool
- been able to attend cool programs
- taken advantage of spa services or a massage
- gotten a cup of awesome coffee at Cove Café
- had shorter lines at the character meet and greets
- watched one of the movies on the deck
- had lunch at Cabanas or Triton’s or Tiana’s Place without the crowds
We also returned to another lovely towel friend with chocolates in our cabin, which is always a nice treat. And also proved that many weren’t necessarily just confined to their cabins but doing fun things around the ship.
Should You Stay on the Boat At Nassau Bahamas?
Seriously, the more experienced cruisers seemed happy to just be on the boat. We wondered if they even cared at all where we stopped. In fact, it was at that point (courtesy of cruise Wi-Fi) that we actually started researching “cruise mindset” because…apparently it really is about the journey and not the destination.
The Disney Cruise Lifestyle Mindset
Later, as we shared dinner with our partner dining family on the Rotational Dining on a Disney Cruise schedule, they too said they just popped off the ship for an hour and then got right back on again. Very experienced cruisers, they didn’t even seem phased that they spent the day on the ship. Or rather, spend all this cruise money to the Bahamas, to not enjoy port. In general, this goes against my natural belief which would be something like “We paid to be in the Bahamas, why are we just staying on the boat?” Yet… we are learning. It’s definitely a new way of thinking for us as we usually travel to see stuff, do stuff, and try stuff. Rarely do we just hang out and soak up the sun not doing anything. But then it is Disney Cruise. So there is a ton to do besides lounging about on the deck. They still have movies, trivia, bingo, drinks, food, games, and everything you would want on a laid-back vacation. Getting off the boat? Not really necessary for us on this one.
As we become better cruise vacationers we’ll let you know if this mindset shifts. As of right now, we’ll be planning future cruises with the hopes of loving our port of call, wherever they may be. Let us know if you had similar experiences or advice!
Rochelle Mariah is a writer, designer and photographer with an MLIS in Information Science and a B.S. in Arch and Design. Determined to make Planning a DIY Disney Vacation easier she makes lots of lists and drinks lots of coffee. When not designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's watching old movies and planning the holidays. She has been traveling to Disney destinations since 2010.
Comments are closed.