During the Thanksgiving Holiday, I will be going on my fourth cruise on the Triumph out of New Orleans. (all through Carnival - I like the bang for the buck) and need a good beach for both Freeport and Nassau. We've always hailed a taxi in Cayman and Cozumel and went to the beach on our own. I've heard about Cabbage Beach and it sounds like my kind of place. Anyone have any suggestions? We want blue water, sunshine, beach chairs, umbrellas, and a little food. If you have a beach that you loved, let me know. Thanks
It has been years since we were in Freeport but the best I can remember...
I know we just grabbed a taxi and had them drop us off at the "shopping district". There was a beach across the street.
From what I remember, the people were very nice. The taxi was actually an old Limo which our youngest son got a kick out of.
The beach was nice...no vendors were a problem. The shopping across the street was expensive.
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It has been a few years since we did the Freeport/Nassau cruise.
In Freeport you dock at a hideous industrial area.
When you get off the ship, the cruiseline has a tiny little market area set up and a nice bus/taxi pickup/dropoff area.
In the Bahamas a cab is generally a van, which they won't leave, until all seats are full. (if you have only a small group going like us. (2) After seeing their gas prices on the drive to the beach, I cannot blame them really.
The beach area, Our Lucaya, is about a 20-30 minute ride from the dock.
I forget the cab cost, but if I remember, then it was $10 each way for the two of us. (maybe $5 each way, it has been 3 years)
Once you get to Our Lucaya, there was a large restaurant area/straw market on the left side of the street and 3 hotels/casino/beach on the right side.
I forget the name of the hotels, but back then, they did not have the daypasses, like many of the Nassau hotels have. But you could walk around behind the first one and use the gorgeous beach.
I think beach chairs were $10 for the day.
When you are ready to head back, there were taxi stands at either end of the straw market across the street, that filled up cabs pretty quick going back. (remember to leave enought time for the ride back through town and for the cab to fill up. The later you wait, the longer the fill up will take.)
As for Nassau, been there 3 times, going again in less than two months and we LOVE Nassau.
Can't help you out with Cabbage Beach, which is over on Paradise Island. (Atlamtis)
I have read on a Nassau message board that it has some bare bones bathrooms, and folks sellings drinks out of coolers over there, etc.
Just a basic, public beach.
The better beaches on Paradise Island are behind the Sheraton and Atlantis resort itself.
On 2 of our previuous cruises, we took advantage of the British Colonial Hilton's daypasses and used their little beach right at the pier area there and their nice pool and faciltities. (then it was $10pp for a towel and use of facilities. I've heard that recently, they changed to $40pp, with a $30 food/drink voucher at the bar/restaurant next to the pool. So basically the same deal, if you wanted food and drinks anyway.)
This was a nice option, as it was literally a 15 minute walk from your poolside/beachside lounger, back to the ship.
Currently, they just began a dredging project to deepen the harbor, for the godawful monstrosity Royal Caribbean has coming out in December.
So I don't know if it will be done by Thanksgiving or not. (definitely not in time for our trip in September.)
A great beach option that alot of cruisers try is Cable beach, just north of town.
The Wyndham offers a daypass for their pool and facilites. (which also lets you use the pools next door at the Sheraton.) Between the two they have alot of gorgeous pools, waterslides, etc...
The beaches up there are supposed to be some of the best.
We will either be trying Cable Beach this trip or a new option I found...
Blue Lagoon Beach, which is a little island out past Paradise Island, where they have Dolphin and Sea Lion excursions, but also offer a beach break for $40pp including boat ride there and back and lunch.
Locals on the Nassau board I read, recommend this themsleves.
You catch the ferry at the Paradise Island ferry dock and they Ferry you past the mansions on Paradise Island and to the beach.
Ferrys run back every hour or so. (I thinkthe ride is supposed to be 20 minutes)
During the Thanksgiving Holiday, I will be going on my fourth cruise on the Triumph out of New Orleans. (all through Carnival - I like the bang for the buck) and need a good beach for both Freeport and Nassau. We've always hailed a taxi in Cayman and Cozumel and went to the beach on our own. I've heard about Cabbage Beach and it sounds like my kind of place. Anyone have any suggestions? We want blue water, sunshine, beach chairs, umbrellas, and a little food. If you have a beach that you loved, let me know. Thanks :)
Nassau:
Cabbage Beach is on Paradise Island near Atlantis Resort's Beach area and next to an all inclusive resort call RUI. I has no bathroom and vendors are sometimes around that rent chairs/umbrellas and sell drinks. They are not part of either resort and are private. From many reports DO NOT rent the jet skis here - rip-offs. The Wyndham/Sheraton resort is not on Paradise but is on Cable beach. For $40pp you get private beach/huge pool with slide/clean beach/lunch buffet (about $25 - included), no "selling", etc. Taxi is around $5pp each way.
Freeport (GBI):
The area at the pier is increasing in size every month and in May I was surprised to see how many shops/straw market were there. A bar/food vendors/t-shirts/etc. very open and doing business. If a beach was not required you could wander, buy "trinkets", have a few drinks (cheaper than ship) and board the ship having never left the port area. A nice day by the pool with most gone could be nice.
Our Lucaya is a $5pp shared cab away (about 20-30 min.) and has just about all the amenities you might want... beach at the New Radisson resort (was a Westin - changed June 1st) which you may be able to get a day pass for, shops (lots), straw market (2 different areas with at least 50 stands each), bars (cheap drinks for the Bahamas around Count Basie square)/food (Subway is good and cheap), marina and a Casino. Cabs back to ship can be found in the area but best bet is to go outside the casino and get one.... no chance of a "bootleg" taxi.
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What to do in Freeport and Nassau?
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