3.33 / 5mitsugirly saw things this way:
Overall
3
Nassau SeaHorse Sail & Snorkel excursion, October 3, 2010
Reviewer: mitsugirly
Pros: Beautiful reef with a lot of fish
Cons: Cost is too much and time too little
We had originally decided to just walk to the straw market and on over to Junkanoo Beach during our stop in Nassau (we figured it was at the end of the cruise and we wouldnt have very many funds left to do anything more than free stuff). However, we got lucky in the casino and won the jackpot and a few other high hitting slots that week, so we decided we wanted to snorkel. I had never done anything more than walking to the beach on previous cruises, so I thought this would be a nice change. I usually do a lot of research before vacation and have everything planned out prior and do excursions on my own (instead of booking with the cruise ship). However, as I hadnt done any research, I was forced to find an excursion with the ship that did snorkeling. We picked SeaHorse Sail & Snorkel tour. Booking with the cruise line (NCL) we paid $54 pp each adult. From what Im reading on the SeaHorse site, it is $60 if you book with them. So you save a few $$ using the cruise line. The excursion (both on the ship and on the website) says that its 3 hours. We booked this excursion because we had just gone snorkeling in St Thomas and it was by far our BEST day ever. So, we wanted to try it in the Bahamas to see if it was any different. We also booked this tour over another snorkeling tour offered because the other tour was only 2 hours and we wanted the most time we could possibly get. We actually spent about 1 hour waiting (after getting off the ship) on everyone to be gathered up that was doing the tour. It was a madhouse with all the tours going on right outside the ship. It was a short walk to the sailboat (about 20 min). On the way there, they made a few announcements and informed us that we would be going to a spot with a reef and he kept mentioning tipping them after the snorkeling was over. Then they told everyone that we were only going to snorkel for one hour and head back. There were a lot of upset people on the boat at that point so I thought I would just let everyone know that the 3 hours for the trip includes the travel time and obviously all the waiting time as well. A few people misread the description (which said you would visit ONE of TWO reefs) and thought they were going to two different reefs. Once we arrived, we were given directions on how to use the equipment. For having so many people upset that they were only going to snorkeling for one hour, you would think the least they could have done was to give you this lecture on the way there to save some time (because it seemed to be a slow and long ride even though the ride back, which was actually the sailing part, seemed shorter and faster). The website states you will snorkeling in 5-15 feet water. There was NOT any 5 feet anywhere around. It was all pretty far down. So, if you wanted to get a close up of anything, you had to let the air out of your lifejacket, dive down, then re-inflate your jacket when you got back up to the surface. I personally like swimming closer to the coral and fish, but what could you do? There was an abundance amount of fish there. We saw tons of tang, zebra, pipe, trumpet, parrot and many other types of fish. We even got lucky and found a cow fish and even a very watchful barracuda. Others reported seeing an eel, but I was not fortunate enough to encounter it. All in all, the snorkeling was great. One of the people from the tour went in right off the boat and fed some of the fish, so there were a lot surrounding her at the time and made a great opportunity to pictures. They served all you can drink rum punch (which was very yummy) all the way back. There was NO open bar at all. The only other thing you could get was a bag of chips for $1 each (and they werent regular chips). If you wanted an extra amount of rum in your small plastic cup, they charged you $3 each shot. People were standing in line to get their run punch, then going to the back of the line and drinking it so that they could refill their empty cup once they made it to the front of the line again (the cups were very small). All in all, it was a nice place to snorkeling with an abundance amount of different kind of fish and coral, however with the amount of time you waste waiting, walking to the boat, sailing slowly, it wasnt worth the amount I paid for it. This is just my opinion and others are welcome to offer their opinion as well. Everyone is different and enjoys different things. Some may like the cruising part better than the snorkeling or feel that one hour of snorkeling would be enough for them. I also wanted to add that Nassau has changed A LOT since I was there years ago. Its really come a long way. It used to be a pretty disgusting place to visit (IMO) and I had no desire to go back. However, I was pleasantly surprised with what it looked like now and all the improvements. Its a place I wouldnt mind visiting again. Here are a few pictures: http://kimbakerphotography.smugmug.com/Vacation/7th-day-Nass au-Bahamas/13875573_X8QFP#1017720936_JDMeJ
jnutter9 saw things this way:
Overall
4
Do your research before you visit, September 9, 2010
Reviewer: jnutter9
Pros: Water taxi to Atlantis, city bus and Arawak Cay
Cons: Tacky shops by port
Any cruise destination is what you make of it. We had heard "Nassau is a waste." Sooo, we watched an episode of Samantha Brown in Nassau and took her recommendations. We took the No. 10 bus at $1.25 and visited Arawak Cay for the best conch we have ever had. We were with the locals, great atmosphere, local beer, wonderful waitress, Caribbean colors, super food. Taking the bus to and from was half the fun. More about that later...
Todd Todd saw things this way:
Overall
3
Get outta town!, September 2, 2010
Reviewer: Todd Todd
Pros: Beautiful beaches, limpid water
Cons: The town is tacky and tattered
A very popular cruise port. Especially for short cruises and first-timers this is a "beginner" port. The downtown has the usual assortment of "duty free" merchants selling the usual stuff. The "Straw Market" is full of cheap tropical souveniers. Although, if you didn't bring a hat or need a straw handbag this probably would be a must stop. The huge Atlantis hotel has a day pass rate. You can use their beaches, pools, waterslides, etc. There are also sightseeing tours, scuba tours, culinary tours, etc. The harbor area is clean and neat and it is really easy to walk right into town.
