3-Night Bahamian Disney Cruise Line Report — Part 2
After a decent breakfast buffet at Enchanted Garden on the second morning of our 3-night Bahamian cruise aboard the Disney Dream (click here to read our cruise report from the first day), we disembarked at Nassau. We had no Port Adventures booked, nor had we done any research on what to do.
I’ll admit up front that the Caribbean is easily my least favorite travel region in the world. I’ve spent a couple of weeks on both Grand Cayman and Jamaica, and neither did a ton for me. There were beautiful and interesting aspects, to be sure, and I always love experiencing new places, but they just weren’t for me.
Still, I wanted to see Nassau–the real Nassau, not Senor Frogs and the other touristy stuff right by the port. I’ve heard a lot of complaints about Nassau from others who have visited via Disney Cruise Line. While there’s a kernel of truth to at least some of these complaints, the emphasis there should be on kernel.
There are certainly a ton of street vendors right along the street you first encounter when entering Nassau, but it’s easy to pass by them. It’s not as if they force anyone to buy anything. This area is a tourist trap, but it’s a small part of Nassau.
Then there are the complaints about scams. The easiest way to not be scammed is to not make any stupid purchases. So many of these horror stories start out with, “the deal was too good to pass up…” Well, that’s exactly why you pass it up.
Speaking of which…to my surprise, Disney Cruise Line has some sort of business relationship with Diamonds International, a company that doesn’t exactly have the best customer reviews. Even if they did, it rubbed me the wrong way to hear about Diamonds International several times aboard the cruise (there were even reps on the ship).
I get that some people on cruises like to purchase jewelry. That doesn’t mean the rest of us want any part of our experience subverted into an infomercial for diamonds. Disney Cruise Line is a premium experience with commensurate pricing, not something that needs to be subsidized with sponsorships from jewelers.
Perhaps I’m biased by my personal opinion of this type of jewelry retailer (they’re right up there with lawyers who advertise on billboards), but it just felt sleazy. I was surprised and disappointed Disney is lending their seal of approval–which is exactly what they are doing by allowing Diamonds International on the boat–to this operation.
This might seem like a minor, insignificant thing to some (many? most?) of you reading this, and maybe it is, but it’s my biggest complaint about our cruise.
On the plus side, if this is the biggest complaint, you know the experience went pretty well.
Back to common complaints about Nassau, with the last being crime. The crime rate in the Bahamas, particularly opportunistic crimes, is definitely concerning. So are the crime rates in Chicago, Boston, Denver, and even Anaheim. I wouldn’t hesitate to visit any of those places.
I think people have a tendency to over-emphasize the “dangers” of places that are unfamiliar or where people look differently than them. Perhaps my threshold for risk is high, but there are very few places in the world where the crime rate would give me pause or dissuade me from visiting.
In any case, we started by grabbing a map as we got off the ship, quickly blew through the touristy district, and then walked to the farthest point on the map.
I don’t think it was even a mile walk, but it was a dramatically different side of Nassau than what we would’ve seen had we not ventured past the main stretch where all of the shops and restaurants were.
What we saw along the way was a lot of beautiful, pastel-colored colonial architecture. Many of the buildings could’ve definitely used some rehabilitative work, but they were still fascinating to see.
Just wandering around, looking at the architecture and historical landmark placards stating the significance of each place was the highlight for me.
My favorite buildings of those we visited were the Government House, the Nassau Public Library, Parliament Square, the various forts.
There were plenty of other buildings, the names of which I don’t know, that were also interesting. Just walking around looking at the city was a fun way to spend around 3 hours.
We walked up the Queen’s Staircase, which I found to be overrated. This is touted as Nassau’s most-visited point of interest; I was much more impressed with Fort Fincastle above the stairs.
In both cases, the underlying history of these locations is more interesting than the substantive experience at the locations.
While we were around Fort Fincastle, we actually saw a shore excursion tour taking place there. Come to find out, Disney Cruise Line does a guided tour of these and other locations we walked past…for $42/person!
Maybe it’s just because I’m cheap, but it seems odd to me to pay money for things you could do yourself. Part of the experience of being in another country is exploring it, stumbling upon random places, hidden gems, etc.
Taking a guided tour would undermine that aspect of the experience, I think–but that’s just me.
After completing our walking tour, we headed into the more touristy area, where we found a Dunkin’ Donuts that had free WiFi. We hung out there for maybe 30 minutes–because the Bahamas also runs on Dunkin–getting work done before we headed back to the ship.
It was really something to see so many cruise ships at the port in Nassau. On any given day, I wonder what the ratio of tourists to locals is.
Overall, we had an enjoyable time exploring Nassau, but I had the same impression of it as I have of Kingston, Jamaica or George Town, Grand Cayman: having enough rich history to explore once, but not places I’m clamoring to revisit. There are plenty of other things to do in Nassau, including beautiful tropical beaches and Atlantis, but we weren’t really interested in either. We found Nassau fun to wander, and we always enjoy in-person learning about other countries, so that was the highlight for us. If you’re taking a Disney cruise that stops in Nassau, it’s worth getting off the ship to see Nassau for at least a couple of hours, but I’m not giving the port any sort of resounding endorsement. On Page 2, we’ll cover the rest of day 2 on the Disney Dream…
My family and i just came back from a disney cruise and we had an amazing time. Seems to me as if you just like to complain and very hard to please.
We loved absolutely everything about our disney trip
I, too, l loved my Disney cruise. I imagine, though, if you are writing a blog you would want to hit the high points as well as the ones that didn’t quite do it for you. Makes it much more interesting than just reading a praise article that sounds like a Disney ad. I know when I tell someone about my cruise I tell them both all the stuff I loved and what I wouldn’t bother doing next time. 🙂
We visited Nassau on a cruise a few years back and wandered around like you did. We stumbled upon a really neat Pirate museum that was just a few blocks from port and learned a lot of neat information about Nassau from it. We also visited a church around the corner from the museum that was the oldest church in the Bahamas and dated back to the 1800s. Some really neat history that we didn’t plan on getting while we were there. I also really enjoyed browsing the straw market but it can definitely be overwhelming if you don’t know what you are doing.
We visited that same chutch, I believe, and purchased a beautiful wall quilt from the church ladies holding a special fund-raising sale that day. 🙂
While not dazzling, we found it interesting and enjoyable to explore the town of Nassau.
Now I wish I had done more research. Based on the look of the building, I wrote off the Pirate Museum as a tourist trap. As I read this feedback (and online reviews), now I’m thinking it would’ve been worth experiencing. Next time.
Thanks for the info on it and the church!
We always go to Junkaroo Beach when we visit Nassau. It is a quick 15-20 minute walk from port . Nice, clear and calm water & alot of huts to get jerk chicken and cold adult beverages. Also, there is no “beach fee” 🙂
You can get a Mickey Ice Cream Bar at dinner. Just ask your server for it. I’ve had it several times for dessert in addition to an item on the regular dessert menu.
I have enjoyed reading your blog for a few years now. Just wanted to give a shout out to my hometown and country, Nassau, The Bahamas! Glad that you enjoyed walking around!
Thankful you can always provide some help into the world of Disney!
This past January, my wife and I stepped off the Dream and did our own thing. We enjoyed our carriage ride; do note that the driver keeps his eyes on the road so you have to lean up to hear him. I originally thought we’d do something “upscale” (National Art Gallery of the Bahamas) and something “downscale” (Pirates of Nassau) to mix things up, but we never made it to the latter.
The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas was awesome. I highly recommend it to anyone willing to try it out. At $10 it was a steal. (Bricker, I think you’d like this, or at least have an interesting explanation of why you didn’t.) Website: http://nagb.org.bs/visit/
On the way back we stopped off at Graycliff Chocolatier, where we were not ripped off by our purchases. (Didn’t do the tour, or dine at the 5-star restaurant.) Between the walking and the carriage ride, I think I’d consider renting a car next time to drive around the Island. Driving on the left side of the road isn’t a problem, but parallel parking on that side is … difficult for me.
We are going on the Dream in a few weeks for the first time, and we are loving the insight you bring.
1) Diamonds International is atrocious. It’s like a skunk-butt rug. Disney can and should do better.
2) If you are basing your entire opinion of the Caribbean on Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and the Bahamas (which, for many, isn’t technically part of the Caribbean but part of the Atlantic), you haven’t seen the Caribbean. It would be like someone not liking Europe because their layovers at Heathrow or Charles De Gaulle were lousy. You’ve got to go further south and west to really see the beauty of the Caribbean. I’m thinking St. Kitts, Curacao, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Barbados. If you do a true Southern Caribbean cruise and don’t like it, then you can cast it off. But your exposure (look at a map) has been highly localized.
3) I’ve been on a fair number of cruises, and when I do shore excursions, I never buy through the ship. I buy them through the provider directly, and it saves about 30-40% off the cost through the ship.
4) I’m pretty sure that Mickey’s Pirates in the Caribbean (again, misnamed due to not actually being in the Caribbean) was added (perhaps hastily) to satisfy parents who couldn’t keep the little ones awake for the later show. Disney? Doing something hastily and poorly thought-out? Sacrilege.
Some really good points here–I’ll address them each in turn…
1) I was actually shocked when I realized Disney had a partnership with Diamonds International. Jewelry is not even remotely on my radar as I couldn’t care less about it, and even I knew of their poor reputation just upon hearing the name. I don’t think Disney Cruise Line should have any arrangements like this, to be honest. It’s one thing to sell Tommy Bahama in the high end gift shop. It’s another entirely to have a diamond seminar listed on the Navigator with reps from DI.
2) Fair point, and this is in part why I listed the places I’ve been. I wouldn’t claim those 3 islands are totally representative of the Caribbean as a whole, but I still have an opinion about it. Likewise, I have opinions about Europe despite only visiting a handful of countries there. I wouldn’t write off the Caribbean yet (and I’m sure we’ll return given cruises there tend to have the best discounts) just as I wouldn’t proclaim Europe the best continent in the world (yet).
3) We’ve heard this from a few people–good idea.
4) I hadn’t heard this, but it makes complete sense.
I am doing Southern Caribbean my next cruise and can’t wait! Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Lucia, Curacao, and Aruba.
I usually look at what Disney has for shore excursions and if there are any I like, I see if I can find them cheaper through other providers. Sometimes Disney is actually the least expensive. My only issue with future cruises is that my daughter is almost 10. Disney charges adult prices for 10 and older which is ridiculous. Most other providers still charge child prices up to at least the age of 12. This generally saves a LOT of money.
That is one impressive towel/bedding monster. Perhaps I can convince my husband to take a Disney cruise because of this. His biggest complaint last time we were at Disney (staying at POR) was that room service didn’t make us Mickey Heads out of our towels.
If you told your stateroom host that your husband is really into bedding monsters, I’m sure they’d hook you up. 🙂
I went on the 3 day Bahamian on the Dream in November and I was able to order a Mickey bar in the dining rooms! It came in a bowl with sprinkles. Our waiters also gave us puzzles each night, but ours involved making shapes out of crayons. I’m dying to go on another Disney cruise, but while we don’t have kids, it’s hard to pay double the price for a 3 day cruise than a 7 day cruise on Carnival.
If you ever want to cruise and see ports that are worth it, I can’t recommend a Southern Caribbean cruise enough. Most go out of Puerto Rico, but the ports are much better than the typical Eastern/Western Itineraries.
Completely agree! Forget that Western Caribbean/Bahama nonsense. Go to the really impressive Caribbean in the South.
Thanks for this. I’d also be really interested in a cruise that stopped in Havana, which I assume Disney will eventually add to its itinerary. That’s on my bucket list.
You can order a Mickey bar in the dining rooms for dessert. They will put it in a bowl and drizzle it with chocolate sauce and Mickey sprinkles as well! Since I am not fond of the desserts in the main dining rooms, that’s often what I order.
Thanks Tom for all your thoughtful and insightful reviews. I found these cruise ones extremely helpful because we will going on this same cruise in 36 days (but who says I am counting). This will be our first ever cruise! We will also be going to Disney World for 6 days before the cruise, so I am sure we will be one of “those early to bed folks”.
Diamonds International is touted on other cruise lines as well. In the past 10ish years, it seems like these kind of sketchy tourist stores are taking over many of the ports (Cabo San Lucas comes to mind). One of the things I like about Disney is that portside shopping pitches aren’t nearly as aggressive as they could be.
My sister and I did the Midship Detective Agency clue hunt on the Dream as well. It is geared for the younger crowd, but it gave us an excuse to explore the ship. I liked how interactive it could be.
Totally agree with your touring style. In a new place I like to look at the map and have a general idea of what I want to see, and then just be free to wander. Thank goodness for Google maps, I don’t have to worry about getting lost if I see something interesting and head down a random street. Enjoying your trip report! I’m not a cruise person (afraid of being seasick!) but it’s fun to read about the Disney version.
Is all of the food that you order at the restaurants that you show included, or are these the higher end restaurants that you pay out of pocket for?
I am enjoying this review series. Thank you
Ok, we were the noobs who did the guided tour (it was a driving tour of Nassau with stops at the Forts and at the Junkanoo Museum). Honestly, we enjoyed it and the Ferguesons at the Junkanoo Museum were wonderful!! We ( including our kids who were 11 and 14 at the time ) learned a lot about Nassau and its history and culture. The museum was a really unexpected highlight!
We did the same tour last year and loved it also! The Junkanoo Museum was our favorite part also. I really liked hearing the stories about real life during the tours. Also, I like to sit back and let someone else worry about all of the details. We will definitely get off the boat next year also and try something new.
We did this same tour also. We wanted the history of Nassau and this did it well. My daughter was chosen to beat the big drum at the Junkanoo Museum and that was definitely a highlight of her trip.
Mickey bars can always be requested for dessert!!!!!!
I totally agree about Nassau (and most cruise ports, actually). We have cruised 4 times, and have a 5th planned for the fall (not all DCL). We rarely do guided shore excursions. We just find that they are overpriced, crowded, and rushed. Just like in Nassau, it is almost always better to get already couple blocks away from the tourist zone and explore. And we always try to look for small restaurants filled with locals…that’s where the best food is! If you are back in Nassau, go about 1 block past the shops and about 3 blocks to the right. There’s a great little diner with amazing conch fritters!
And Diamonds International is everywhere and also the worst. NOT a girl’s best friend….
I agree with your review of “Villains Tonight”! We’ve been on two Disney cruises, and have seen it twice. Once is enough. Sure, villains need love, too, but enough. One thing I didn’t notice about your review is the adult side of a Disney cruise. On our second cruise (4 nights-Bahamas) we went for all the adult events! The pub had trivia contests, the night club had games and different entertainment! Our favorite was the scavenger hunt! On a personal note, our first Disney cruise (3 nights-Bahamas) on the Dream included the old Pirates in the Caribbean with Capt, Jack! Watching the fireworks to the theme of “Pirates of the Caribbean” was much better than the newer Mickey version! One other note, we opted for the more expensive shore excursion to the Graycliff Hotel. Yes, it’s pricey, but we felt it was worth every penny for a relaxing day away from the crowds in a historic hotel and a fabulous lunch in their dining room! And they hand roll cigars on property – a plus if you’re a cigar smoker!!!
Aside from spending some time in the clubs the first night, we actually didn’t make it to them again! I think part of that was being exhausted from Walt Disney World, but we were beat by like ~9 p.m. the second two nights of the cruise.
It’s ironic…after our first cruise I lamented how everyone goes to bed early and the clubs are relatively empty later in the evenings. Now, we have become “those people” who go to bed early. I guess we haven’t aged well in the last few years! 😉
Mickey bars are available to anyone in the main dining rooms. They are indeed on the kids menus, but adults are able to order them as well 🙂
Good to know–thanks!
My dad wanted one/ordered one each night on our multi-generational cruise. By the end he requested them “from the freezer” because when they unwrap and plate it on a warm dish and cover it with chocolate and sprinkles you lose the satisfying solid crunch of an in park Mickey bar.