Nassau, Bahamas. The first port of call on our cruise’s itinerary.
Charles and I were especially excited about this stop because his friend, Perez, who lives in Nassau, was free and available to hang out and show us around for the couple of hours we were there.
We were scheduled to arrive around 8:30am but because of a delay with customs, we weren’t able to leave the ship until around 9:45am. Unfortunately, this meant we only had about three and half hours to hang out in Nassau since we had to be back on the ship at 1:30pm.
The first thing we did when we linked up with Perez was swing through the Parliament Square on our way to his car. Located in this square, we came across the capital city’s traditional Bahamian flamingo pink government buildings.
Shortly after, we hopped in Perez’s car and made our way across the bridge to Paradise Island where the well known Atlantis Resort is located.
Upon paying the toll to cross over, we found parking nearby and made our way over to the resort. I thought it was really cool that we could walk around and take advantage of some of the amenities at Atlantis without having to actually stay there.
I didn’t take many photos while we were Atlantis because I was so engrossed with the grand architecture and overall splendor of the place but I think it’s safe to say that the resort is very impressive!
It was interesting to learn from Perez the role Atlantis plays on the island’s economy in supplying a great amount of jobs for locals. But despite its direct link to the Bahamas, the set up of Atlantis is very exclusive of the island’s native culture. You immediately feel that separation from Nassau the minute you cross the bridge and pay the toll to enter Paradise Island. Because of this, I’m not sure if I would ever want to stay at Atlantis should Charles and I return to Nassau. Don’t get me wrong, it was really nice but Charles and I prefer to stay in accommodations that allow us to get into the culture of the city/country we travel to and Atlantis just doesn’t fit that bill.
After checking out the scene at Atlantis, Perez took us a little ways down the road to Cabbage Beach (one of his favorite beaches) where we strolled along the shore and took the opportunity to put our feet in the water. Definitely wish we had more time to hang out here but because we were on a time crunch, it wasn’t long before we found ourselves walking back to Perez’s car and on our way the next place he wanted to show us.
After crossing the bridge back over the Nassau, Perez took us to Fort Charlotte, a British colonial fort built in 1787 to protect the harbor of Nassau. Located on the top of a hill not too far from downtown, we were able to climb to the top of the fort and take in the overlooking harbor views.
At this point of the day, our stomachs were starting to grumble so we made our way to Fat Tuesday’s for some food and drinks. The restaurant was located right on the beach and we immediately gravitated towards a table by the water.
^^ Perez!
^^ The view of our ship from where we were sitting.
^^ Our order = conch fritters and potato wedges!
^^ Kalik Beer = very refreshing in taste! We always like to try out local beer when traveling.
After catching up with Perez over food and cheers-ing to our short but sweet get together with a shot of rum, it was time to head back to the cruise :(
After Perez dropped us off at the port, we found a corner store that was selling Kalik Gold beer for $3 and purchased two bottles to go. What we didn’t realize was that we weren’t allowed to bring the beer past customs onto the cruise ship. So the customs agent gave us two options: 1) dump the beer in the trash or 2) finish the beer before getting through. If you know us, then I’m sure you know which option we picked… Option #2 of course haha.
A few minutes later, (beer finished) we made our way back onto the ship. 30 minutes after boarding, our cruise slowly made its way out of Nassau’s harbor…
Our visit to the Bahamas was way too short for our liking but overall, I think we made the most of the time we had. I’m not sure when we’ll be able to come back but if/when we do, Charles and I would love to spend a few days exploring both Nassau and some of the other 700 islands (30 of which are inhabited) that make up the Bahamas. One day… Hopefully sooner than later.
Thank you Perez for showing us around your island! It was so great to finally meet in person after hearing much about you from Charles. See you stateside!
And lastly, because I’m curious to know… If you were stopped at customs because of your drink, would you dump the beer or finish it?
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