Nassau is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world, and possibly the most common destination port. Most who have cruised before have visited Nassau at least once, and for frequent cruisers it’s not an anticipated port because it’s been done so many times before. Nassau is famous for its shopping, and it’s of course home to the massive Atlantis Resort. It also has lots of the typical bars such as Senior Frogs. Beaches are so-so, and require a walk to get to the free ones. They recently added a secure shopping area for cruise passengers, and they’re working on a waterpark.
- Straw market – In my opinion a bit overrated, but there’s lots of handcrafted (and imported) items here. Remember, bartering price is accepted here and if you don’t you probably will overpay
- Beach – If you walk to the right past Senior Frogs there eventually is a public beach (half mile maybe). Not the greatest, but it’s ok if you’re just looking for a beach
- Cruise Shopping area – The new cruise passenger shopping area is nice, although don’t expect great deals here. Prices are average, but it is fairly secure with mainly cruise passengers.
- Diamonds and Jewelry – There’s lots of shops selling this advertising duty free savings. My advise, unless you really know your diamond and jewelry prices the small duty savings are not worth the risk of not knowing what you should be paying, and the difficulty of returning to Nassau if there’s an issue.
- Food – There are some decent options including conch fritters, but I haven’t found a must go place here.
- Senior Frogs – For those 18-21, the drinking age in Nassau is 18, so those over that age can go to the iconic party bar for expensive drinks, and an occasional free shot.
Top Your Own Excursion: Pirate Republic Brewery. It’s walkable (you probably can see it from the ship) and it’s a microbrewery. It’s not cheap (about $9 a beer) but they are good and it’s got a nice location. I like the upstairs patio when it’s open. Pro tip: If you buy beer at the local convenience store you can drink it in the port shopping area since there are no open container laws.
Top Booked Excursion: I’d probably go with Atlantis waterpark. It’s expensive, more than I like to pay, but it does look incredible and is typically only for guests at the resort.
Transportation: It’s easy to get a taxi right outside of the port, or at Atlantis or the airport if you go there. The area you want to see in Nassau is quite walkable.
Safety: D – A lot of people have a false sense of security because it’s such a common port, but Nassau can be dangerous. The tourist areas are generally ok, but I would not venture out of the 3 block area for tourists since the neighborhoods beyond that are not safe. Also beware of pick pockets and scammers (no you can not get a real Cuban cigar for $3 off the street).
Port Rating: C – It’s got some things to offer, but after a couple visits you really have done all there is to do here.