A group of 10 friends are cruising with RCCL Sovereign of the Seas in September. I am slightly concerned about hurricane season but we're kind of "blowing it off." What can we do in Nassau from 9am until 3am? I've heard other people mention not being on the island after dark? How valid is that information? What about shopping and the straw market mentioned in the cruise brochure? Is gambling the main after dark activity? Anything we should buy in Nassau? What should we see during the day and what about the beaches? Thanks for all information.

You asked what can you do in Nassau from 9 to 3. Well I enjoy Nassau everytime I go and a going again this Memorial Holiday for the twentieth time. You can visit the Queens staircase,Fort Charlotte great veiw from the tower. Lots of good buys at the straw market.Downtown see the old British Colonial Hotel and imagine what it was like in its heyday. While you are there might as well get some icecream in the sidewalk shop.Good perfume buys just down the street. Take a cab to the Poop deck for a great lunch
You can take a island tour by cab not too expensive. Go over to the Atlantis hotel on Paradise Island. They have a walk thru glass tube to see all the sharks stingrays turtles and such. I like to walk over Paradise Island Bridge. It is a steep bridge and really goes high in the air. I used too fly in on Chalk Airlines seaplane. Plane landed under bridge. Walking across brdge give panaramic veiw of harbor. I like to stand at top and watch the party boats, mailboat fishermen go under.Also there is a local market under the bridge. Watch fisherman clean the conch and eat a bite raw (aphrodisiac) I am told.Need ot try some myself.
Or you can rent a moped if you are adventurous. Ok for Paradise Island but not reccommended for downtown. Visit some of the gardens on Nassau. Some of the James Bond movies were made on paradise island. The canal bridge between Atlantis and Pirates cove was one of the settings. I like to walk along te beach here great beach. May see a few topless sunbathers next to canal bridge. I can go on and on as this is one of my favorite places in the world. As for crime I have stayed in several hotels and the people that live here are mostly honest relgous decent folks. The crime has come in from the Haitian influx. I still feel comfortable here. Dont worry be happy and have a great time. I know you will. If you get a chance have dinner at the Blue Lagoon Rest. great crabclaw appetizers and lobster menu. Have fun Ewell

Okay, I know I'll get blasted by Nassau devotees, but my husband and I had THE WORST time of our lives on our ill-fated trip to Nassau in late August of 1990. We were literally ship-wrecked during a day cruise outing to Rose Island, you know..."a 3 hour tour..." My husband cut his foot pretty badly on some coral, and the crew just told us they weren't responsible. I mean, they wouldn't even give us a band aid! Just before dark, a tug boat rescued us, and took us back to where we had docked in Nassau. The van that was to take us back to our hotel left us standing in the pouring rain while the driver dropped off some friends. The very next evening we were mugged while walking down Bay St., not 3 blocks from our hotel. There were people trying to sell drugs on almost every corner. The locals loved our money and hated our guts, and were very clear about that. This was hardly the adventure we were looking for, to say the least. I've only given you the highlights of our trip to hell, and I strongly advise you to stay on the ship when it docks at Nassau.

Rebecca: Nassau is what you make of it. Remember, it's actually a foreign country that gained its independence in the 1970's. Tourism is their main stay of income, but, I have always admired the Bahamian people for the ingenuity. My wife and I have been to Nassau a dozen times, on a stopway to the Bahamian outer islands. Never, have we been treated unkindly. We treat the Bahamians like friends, and don't appear as demanding tourists. True, we have been offered drugs on Bay Street, just like in other caribbean islands we've visited. Nassau is a big city with big city problems and I'm sorry to hear the other writer was mugged. I wouldn't walk around after dark without some people with you. But, you can have much fun in Nassau and not look hard to be treated friendly. Whenever I travel to the caribbean and Bahamas, I try to remember the saying about the wise old man greeting people into his village at the edge of town: He asked one newcomer, "And how was it from where you came?" The man replied,"Wonderful, I left great people who are kind and friendly." The old man replied back, You'll find the same here, too." Hours later another traveler walked past him. The wise old man asked him the same question about how it was like from where he came. The newcomer said,"Terrible, lousy people who gossip and are spiteful." The wise old man paused and contemplated, then replied, "You'll find the same here, too."

Rebecca, I have been on that same cruise a few times and don't worry about the hurricanes, the captain drives around them. Nassau is a nice place but a tourist place nevertheless. The fellow in the first response has it right but you wont be able to do all of that in a day. The fort and the steps are nice but you should do the trip to Atlantis on Paradise Island, you can get a water taxi outside the ship for $2.00 per person and is an experience. Nassau at night has a couple of clubs, but they are for the young at heart and strong eardrums and you have to be careful. I was there in February and they were opening a Planet Hollywood about 300 yards from the ship. The straw markets sell tourist trinkets if you are into that.
Liquor and perfume and jewlery are the best buys but check the prices on the ship because they a very
competitive and some times cheaper on those items.
There is plenty to do on the ship (eating, drinking, gambling, shows, and just relaxing) at all times so dont worry about what to do and remember the next day you want to get up early so you can enjoy COCO CAY. Go with the flow and ENJOY!!!!!

PS. Need more info, e-mail me.