The Bahamas offers three ports and 16 different island experiences for visiting cruise passengers
This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2017 issue of International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
Fifty miles southeast of Florida lies a region of sub-tropical islands known as The Islands of The Bahamas. Formerly a British colony, The Bahamas became an independent sovereign nation on 10 July 1973 and is officially known as the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The islands are now home to a population of 350,000 people.
Year-round sunshine, translucent blue seas and the warm hospitality of the Bahamian people have made The Bahamas a gateway to the Caribbean.
“A key objective of our global marketing effort is to let the world know that The Bahamas is much more than Nassau and Paradise Island,” says Joy Jibrilu, director general of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. “The Bahamas comprises 16 major island groupings, and the twin destination of Nassau and Paradise Island, which is known worldwide, is just one of our many island gems.”
The Bahamas’ other islands include Grand Bahama Island, Abaco, Exuma, Eleuthera and Harbour Island, Bimini, The Berry Island, Andros, Cat Island, San Salvador, Long Island, Acklins & Mayaguana, Inagua, Ragged Island and Rum Cay. Each island destination has its own unique personality and offers the visitor a distinctly different vacation experience. Many travellers to The Bahamas have adopted a collector’s approach to vacationing in these islands, visiting one or two each year to experience the entire Bahamas. Many travellers opt to enhance these visits by taking advantage of the complimentary People-To-People Experience so they can explore the major islands accompanied by a Bahamian ambassador.
Cruise lines have featured The Bahamas on their itineraries from as early as 1859 and cruise ships now make a total of 1,900 calls to the islands every year. In fact, cruise passengers account for 70% of the six million visitors who vacation in The Bahamas annually.
Ships can berth at three ports: capital city Nassau, Freeport on Grand Bahama Island, and Bimini. Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd., Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line have also acquired or developed their own private islands in The Bahamas. In January 2017, MSC Cruises broke ground on its 95-acre Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, which will feature 11,000 feet of beach front. Located 55 miles south east of Miami, Ocean Cay will be the largest private cruise resort in the Caribbean when it is completed in November 2018.
In Nassau, cruise guests are greeted by a modern tropical city that has preserved its quaint colonial past. Visitors can opt for sightseeing bus tours, heritage and cultural tours, chauffered taxi or limousine excursions, a walking culinary tour or bar-hopping tour, horse and carriage rides tours, segway tours, or leisurely guided walking tours. More active options include watching the marching flamingoes, swimming with dolphins, diving, sailing, paddleboarding, kayaking, horseback riding, visiting the casino, duty-free shopping, and exploring the world’s largest marine park at Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.
Nassau also offers visitors the chance to get acquainted with the cultural soul of The Bahamas: its music, food, history and folkways. Visitors can head to the Educulture Museum and Junkanoo World to learn about the traditional Bahamian Junkanoo – a street parade of music, costume and dance that takes place on 26 December and 1 January every year. Each month, the island also hosts major cultural events showcasing the music, dance, food, art and craft of The Bahamas, including a carnival in May, Junkanoo Summer Festival in July and Goombay Summer Festival in August. A must for cruise passengers wanting to sample Bahamian cuisine is the Fish Fry, an enclave of seafront restaurants near downtown Nassau.
In addition, cruise guests visiting Nassau on the last Friday of every month between January and November can attend the free People-to People afternoon tea party, which is hosted at the historic Government House. Guests can enjoy local bush teas, sandwiches and pastries while listening to live music and watching a fashion show. The Changing of the Guard Ceremony, which has been performed by the Royal Bahamas Police Force Marching Band and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force Guards since 1958, also takes place at Government House on alternate Fridays.
Grand Bahama Island prides itself on offering vacation experiences to suit all tastes, whether cruise passengers are visiting for the day or longer. Outdoor lovers can opt for jeep eco-excursions through the pine forests and kayak through miles of mangrove marshes, stopping at isolated beaches and the island’s network of caves. Alternatively, cruise guests can go diving to see dolphins, tour the local brewery and perfume factory, or take a trip to nearby seaside villages. The island also hosts various international sporting events, such as marathons, cycling and fishing tournaments, speedboat races and an air show. Bahamas-based cruise line Paradise Cruises offers two-night voyages from Miami to Freeport, Grand Bahama every other day of the week.
Bimini comprises two islands – north and south – and is located in the northern reaches of The Bahamas, 50 miles southeast of Miami. Most of the touristic development is on North Bimini, commonly referred to as Bimini. The island offers big game fishing, bonefishing, diving, swimming with sharks and dolphins, miles of white beaches, a nature trail through a hardwood forest and excursions into the mangrove, where Martin Luther King Jr. composed parts of his I Had a Dream speech in 1968 during a bonefishing trip. The 750-acre Resorts World Bimini has a casino, fine dining and a 305-room luxury Hilton resort. Bimini is a popular getaway for those living and visiting South Florida, who can travel there via regular air services or take a two-hour trip on the new 427-passenger FRS Caribbean ferry from Miami.
Most first-time visitors to The Bahamas depart the islands with a strong yearning to come back. There are always so many more islands to see and so many unique experiences to be had.