Is it safe to walk around Nassau Bahamas from cruise port?
The downtown area is safe to walk around during the day. If shopping is your thing, head right when you leave the port and walk along the water, about 7-8 minutes until you come to the Straw Market. Typical Bahamian trinkets/souvenirs.
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If you have never been to Nassau and want something free to do, your best bet is to get off the ship for a few hours and explore Downtown Nassau! Sure, you can book a walking tour through your cruise line, but most of the sites are easily accessible on your own and just 5-10 minutes from the cruise pier.
Is Nassau in the Bahamas dangerous? No, the capital city Nassau is not dangerous in itself. However, there are neighborhoods like Over the Hill that you should definitely avoid. It's a very busy city with lots of locals and tourists, so keep your eyes open for pickpocketing and petty theft.
While there are a number of things to do like chilling at the beaches, exploring Nassau's historical sites, renting a jet-ski or visiting the Atlantis Resort, you can have a great day just walking around the port area on your own, without an excursion.
There are several minibuses, also known as jitneys, that will take you around Nassau. Head to Bay Street or Charlotte Street to find a jitney. Fares are typically B$1.25 but can cost up to B$3 if you head to a different zone.
This tour can be done solely by foot and on a budget, as most of the attractions are either free to enter or have an admission fee of only a few dollars. Let's take a look at Brandon's self-guided walking tour itinerary to inspire your next port day in Nassau.
Why Is Nassau so Popular? Nassau is a popular port of call for many reasons. The port is just 305 miles (491 kilometers) from the world's busiest passenger cruise port, Port Canaveral, and even closer to PortMiami (185 miles / 298 kilometers) and Port Everglades (190 miles / 306 kilometers).
Buses, known locally as “jitneys”, run in downtown Nassau and Cable Beach several times a day. The cost for a one-way ride is approximately $1.50 per person, and exact change is required.
You absolutely do not have to do shore excursions on a cruise. You are free to come and go at will from most cruise ships while they are in ports of call. Shore excursions are simply one means to explore the areas visited by the ship and to participate in available activities off the ship.
Atlantis doesn't do “free” well, so by “free” I really mean, you can enter for free, but it's assumed you'll spend money while you are there. Don't expect to access much of the property. Without a Day Pass, you'll likely not be able to get past security to see much of the resort.
EXPLORE DOWNTOWN, TOUR A CITY THAT IS SURPRISINGLY MODERN AND FULL OF PERSONALITY. Downtown Nassau, roughly twenty square blocks of historic architecture, luxury shops, modern murals, and magnificent monuments, has captured the curiosity of adventurous travellers for decades.
Although it is not really legal, you can walk around downtown with a beer in a paper bag, or a drink from one of the bars without a problem. If you are drunk and rowdy, the law is in place.
Your driver has a list of all rates to all locations. It's best to establish the fare before you take the ride. The currency is the Bahamian dollar (B$1), pegged to the U.S. dollar so that they're always equivalent. (In fact, U.S. dollars are accepted widely throughout The Bahamas.)
Though most foreign travel requires that you have a valid passport to come back home, cruising makes it easier to enjoy your vacation without worrying about this paperwork. If you are a US citizen, you can take a “closed-loop cruise” (one that begins and ends at the same port) to The Bahamas without a passport.