Cruise to Nassau Bahamas - Day 2

By
Heather
Published: December 13, 2009Posted in: Autism on the Seas, Cruise, TravelTags: , , , , , ,
Cruise to Nassau Bahamas - Day 2

We arrived in Nassau today. Since we were docked, we decided there was no hurry to leave the ship. We met friends in the dinning room and had a leisurely breakfast. Then we headed out as a small group to do a walking tour of Nassau.

Our first stop was the Queen’s Staircase. It was about a 10 minute walk from the cruise ship. I was worried that Ian would not go up the staircase, but he did with some coaxing and help from our friends. This is a beautiful area with lush vegetation and a waterfall. A must see on any trip to Nassau.
img_0846Then we headed towards Fort Fincastle. Along the way we made a quick stop at a local straw market. We were able to grab some water and sodas for a $1 each. I grabbed a local favorite soda, Ginger Beer. When shopping at these markets you will be approached by locals to buy their wares, but not harassed. Locals set their prices higher than they will sell them for so be prepared to haggle. You can approach different vendors and get a different price, so walk away if you do not think it is a good deal, they will most likely make you a better offer. If you are not interested, just offer a polite “No, thank you” to them and they will let you be.
img_0855After some shopping we were at Fort Fincastle. The Queen’s Stairway, Straw Market and Fort are right next to each other. There are tour guides at the Fort that work for tips. The tour is just a few minutes and the information provided changes each time. You are free to explore the Fort on your own and since it is the highest point of Nassau, it gives you a great view of the island. My son loved pretending he was shooting the canons at the cruise ship as they are aimed at them perfectly.
img_0860Next we headed to the Pirates of Nassau Museum wish is an interactive pirate attraction. I was hesitant to go as I knew Ian was afraid of pirates, but with our group he was ready to try it. When we went to enter the museum it was dark as it a moonlit dock, thankfully we had an iPod Touch with us that had a flashlight on it, and we went in. The museum was fantastic and everyone in our party thoroughly enjoyed it. This was Ian’s favorite part of the cruise so I am really glad we went.

Then we went and had lunch at a local place. We do not eat at the big chains found in the ports as we want to experience the real culture and atmosphere. A must try is conch fritters, they are delicious. I also tried a Goombay Punch as I love local sodas.

Goombay Punch

Goombay Punch

We then headed back to our ship, relaxed and then went to dinner. After dinner the kids headed up to Adventure Ocean to participate in the pirate parade. Since Ian just learned about pirates he was ready to go. Here they color bandannas, learn a chat and prepare to be pirates. They then walk through the cruise ship chanting and being pirates. The kids and the cruisers love it!!
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You can see what a pirate parade looks like here

Then it was off to bed early with a late night snack ordered from room service as we were going to Coco Cay in the morning.

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About the Author

Heather is mother to a 10 year old son with autism. They live in the Southwest Florida area and travel around the state on numerous adventures.