1/2 day in Nassau
 

Hi,
could anyone give me some advice, we are docking for 1/2 day (8-2pm) in Nassau in Nov. Have 3 children 2,8,12 (2yr just along for ride); looking to see if it is feasible to go with a snorkel outfit that goes to a shallow reef for snorkeling. or just go to a local beach and let them play/snorkel? or s/we go & visit Atlantis - with a tour or just take a taxi there and explore on our own? thanks.

I was in Nassau in summer '03. We used Stuart Coves Dive Bahamas: http://www.stuartcove.com/
They have a schedule on the website. With only 1/2 day, a snorkeling trip is really cutting it close. We stayed at the Harborside Resort at Atlantis. You can spend your entire time in Nassau at Atlantis and not see it all. Your kids will enjoy it. I would take a taxi or the water taxi to Atlantis. You will have to pay an admission fee to get into all of the attractions. You might check their website for the price of admission. The beach at Atlantis is really nice but, the snorkeling at the resort is not worth doing. Hope this helps!

I do not think you can pay a fee to use the pool, however. The fee will cover "grounds" admission and aquarium.

Tanger; I usually don't offer specific dive ops, but in your condensed time, I will. Bahama Divers is the oldest dive operation in Nassau. They offer snorkeling trips in the morning, from 9 a.m., arriving back on East Bay Street around 12:30- 1 p.m. They are closer to the cruise ship dock. You can take a 3-5 minute taxi ride to where their located, underneath the Poop Deck restaurant. They will drive you back to the cruise ship dock in their van. You should have no problem getting back to the ship by 2 p.m. They have a U.S. toll free number to find out the details, and to book in reservations beforehand, so they will be ready for you: 800-398-3483. I do scuba diving and conduct reef surveys around New Providence, but there are beautiful shallow snorkeling reefs as well. Barracuda Shoals, Thunderball and Cannonball Reefs are all in about 20 feet of water and are where the James Bond films were made. Beautiful sponge and healthy coral formations. So many snorkeling spots around Nassau! The Fish Hotel and Angel Fish reefs are beautiful, too. Bahama Divers will stress safety, and will determine which reef you go to, depending upon water conditions.The Bahamas are great diving and snorkeling islands, because there are no rivers spewing out silt, and the Gulf Stream constantly purifies the waters. Thus, visibility is up to 90 feet or more on good days. Have fun!! Robert,

thank you for all the info. i will check them out. i would like to go to the Atlantis resort, but i heard there is a ton of walking and with children ... so, we're considering the dive outfits. thanks again. any other tips would also be appreciated!

If you only have a half day on Nassau, I would suggest doing the Ardastra Zoo and Gardens, which the kids will LOVE, and bring quarters so they can feed the birds.

Another big attraction for the kids would be the Pirate Museum which is right downtown Nassau.

I would think the snorkle trip would be difficult to do and be back at the ship on time, expecially with kids.

You can walk right to the Pirate Museum from the ship then come back to the straw market and take the #10 bus to the Zoo when you are done there,you can catch another bus right back to the straw market and board the ship again.

Have a great time.

Bahama Divers has taken in the cruise ship crowd as of late. They will make sure you're back at the ship on time. You'll be back around 12:30 to 1:00 p.m., and take you back in their van. Robert

Does anyone know how much parasailing costs in Nassau? And besides shopping, and finding a local beach, what other 'freebies' or inexpensive itineries would you recommend? Are all the beaches public in Nassau?