Thread: Nassau too little time to go for a decent snorkel trip ?

Hi,

It seems we will be only in port from 7 am till 1 pm ( Allure / December )
We would love to go snorkeling ( Stuart Cove ) but it seems our short time does not fit any excursion.
Can anyone advice us a maybe private cy that would take us to Shark reef
Part of booking this cruise was Nassau for having the opportunity to snorkel with the sharks but due to this bad time table it would not be possible to make it in time on board
anyone has a back up plan ??
seeking for decent snorkeling ( no rocks and some fish but real coral and big fish )

thank you
Frieda

Since you are in port such a short time,, if would be extremely advisable to go with an excursion purchased through the ship ... the reason is that, if the tour group hits a snag of some sort, and is late getting back, the ship WILL wait if it is a tour book through the cruiseline or on board the ship. The ship will NOT necessarily wait if your private excursion is late getting back.

Now, that said... I have done the swim with the stingrays excursion in Nassau more than once, and really enjoyed it - MORE than the one in Grand Cayman, which is more of a "stand around on a sandbar while the stingrays do the swimming" type of thing."

Another option would be the Seahorse Snorkel booked through the ship... goes to a reef, and there are some fish and coral. You take your chances on whether there are "big" fish hanging out there that day, however.

Hi,

Thank you for your reply I do realize that going on a trip on our own is risky due of lack of time
problem is we also did go to stingray city at Grand Cayman twice and once at Antigua they were good but 3 times is enough we do prefer to see them in the wild. I checked the snorkel trip Carnival offers but it is not what we are looking for
I checked youtube and saw some video's about cattle booze snorkel trips ( also seahorse ) : looks great for some but just not for us we are no typical cruise people we use the boat just for transportation and we like to explore the islands nature and we love to snorkel.( well in this case I did book the Allure not only for the islands I need to admit that )
That is why we are looking for a local with a very fast boat that could bring us to the location were all those reef / lemon sharks are but again I do realize that time is not at our side
have a great day from Belgium
Frieda

Frieda .... I agree with what Sheila told you. With your limited time it is a good idea to book a snorkel tour through the ship. Not all of them are cattle or party boats.

Also, keep in mind that the water temperatures in Nassau may be a bit chilly in December. The Caribbean is lots warmer in the winter than the Bahamas.

Have fun planning!

Frieda, if you want to live a little dangerously, click on www.stuartcove.com and find their contact info. Get in touch with them, explain your time constraints, and see what they say. If they can't provide you transportation, ask them to recommend someone.


In the past they have offered a 5 1/2 hour excursion to do this, so while you are cutting it close, I think this can be done. I recommend 3 things:

1- Arrange to be off the ship as soon as you can once the ship is cleared for passengers to disembark.
2- Take the name and phone number of the ship's agent with you when you leave the ship. It will be in the ship's newsletter/schedule for the day. If you run into any trouble, have the dive company call for you (so you don't have to worry about international dialing) and let the ship know your status.
3- Let someone on the ship know your plans for that day.

The dive company will want to help you make your schedule, so that you will send future business to them.

Yes, the ship has the right to leave without you, but if the weather is good and there is no other reason to leave, they will want to wait for you so you can add more $ to your shipboard account.

Good luck!

Hi,

Stuart Cove was the first one I mailed. years ago we already wanted to go with them on their shark snorkel trip but also then it was a cruise stop and we would not make it in time....... but
at that time I did not know there was a time difference between ship's time and the Bahamas Because also Stuart Cove explained us that we would board the ship too late we went on a snorkel trip with the Bahamas divers and it was when we step into their shop and everyone asked us why we were so early I realized we had one hour extra and could have been on the Stuart Cove trip, too bad but we kind off hoped to return the Bahamas
The snorkel trip we did was ok, not great ( must have been great for divers, the reef was very deep )
Now we are returning and this time there is no time difference between the ship and the Bahamas I checked, and that is a pity I mailed Stuart Cove and they explained me that we would not be back in time before the ship leaves. They offered us a private tour pick up at the ship included ( need to take a taxi back to the ship after the snorkel trip ) but the price is ( for us 2 ) a bit too high ( 705 usd for 3 hours and 50 usd for the taxi also need to add tips so ...... )
I am searching for days now and I did find a lot of reefs to explore not too far away from Nassau but I need someone who is willing to take us by boat and to avoid a lot of driving time we would love to leave nearby Nassau.
I understand that the ship is leaving at 1 pm so we should be there at 12.30 sharp and Stuart Cove regular tour will be back around 1.30 pm so much much too late, no I cannot risk that.
It sounds maybe strange to some people but we cruise because we enjoy snorkeling so much have been doing that for almost 30 years so a few rocks and some fish cannot excite us anymore we also are fascinated by sharks ( strange but true ) and I check out before I book a cruise whether there is decent snorkeling possible at the islands we visit, for us the ship is just transportation from one island to another but I need to be honest we do love the accommodation !
So I am still desperate and searching and exploring the reefs of the Bahamas just need to find a boat and captain that is willing to take us

Thank you so much for your answer, hope we do find something before we leave.
Have a wonderful weekend
Frieda

I hopoe you find something, too!

Please let us know what you find!

It could be quite helpful to others here.

Originally Posted by LuLu

Please let us know what you find!

It could be quite helpful to others here.

Yes I will do that
at this point a lot of ideas but again just one hour short in time
why does this ship stays only for 6 hours in port, so stupid

good night from Belgium

You don't have to apologize for wanting something different than everyone else. It's your VACATION! You worked for it, and you should be allowed to have a good experience with your family.

I suspect the kind of excursion you are looking for will not be much less money that what Stuart Cove proposed, but it doesn't hurt to ask. As you found out, lack of information can cause you to miss something really good.

I found another place to check. Since they do charters, they may be able to work something our for you. Hope so! Nassau Snorkeling and Sailing Charters Bahamas Cruise Excursions

If one place can't offer you what you are looking for, don't be afraid to ask them for a recommendation. Good businesses understand that good will goes a long way.