Voyager: Day Four Nassau, Bahamas
Up and ready to go! We’ve reached Nassau, Bahamas. Perfected weather greeted us. First stop, the obligatory selfie with the ship! This time, I had Corey as a photographer. Since my last visit, Nassau has completely revamped its pier. Cleaned up and redesigned, most of the guests stayed inside the gates where all the little shops are located.
An uninterrupted view of our ship. One of four in port today, town will be crowded! Thankfully, my goal is simply to purchase a travel ornament. It’s pretty humid… but the slight breeze helps make it comfortable for walking around. Thankfully, the newly opened pier is not at full capacity! It is capable of docking eight ships at a time! It was already packed with people, so I can’t imagine double the cruisers wandering around!
Located on Bay Street, Straw Markets have been in Nassau since the 1940’s. Originally, the idea was to have a spot to purchase the wares of those who weaved and braided baskets. Used to carry fruits or fish, after World War !!, Nassau became a popular vacation spot and the straw products became popular. Now, it seems the booths are filled with trinkets, rather than hand crafted wares.
Walking through town, we were “attacked” by a constant barrage of barkers! Outside every shop and restaurant, people begged you to look at their good… eat their food. In search of fresh conch salad, a man on the corner held out a menu with conch as an item. Much to my disappointment, the conch with grilled plantain and sweet potato fries was fried. Rather than enjoying fresh conch, I watched Corey gobble down his lunch.
Touring the side streets, we noticed artists set up beneath he trees. The shade guards them from the heat. If my suitcase wasn’t packed to the gills, I would have loved to support these working artists… but with six weeks away from home, there is zero extra space!
From this perspective, we had a clear view of the four ships in port. Closest to us, the Carnival Freedom, next was Disney Wish. The third ship is ours… Voyager of the Seas and just past us is Allure of the Seas. This equates to nearly 20,000 temporary guests!
Corey humored me and allowed a selfie… I wanted to get a good shot of the turquoise waters. Clean and the most beautiful color, next visit I will do a water activity. Having visited many times, I really haven’t done an excursion. Maybe it’s time…
What a great program! Inside the cruise port pier area, the new design included a gated area for pets. The local animal shelter raises funds for their program by offering “Puppy Cuddles”. There were several cruisers donating money and picking up the puppy of their choice to snuggle with for a bit. There was a line of people waiting for their turn.
Looking across the bay as we headed back to the ship, we saw The Atlantis! Excursions are available to spend the afternoon at this fancy resort. Guests enjoy the water slides and lounging areas.
In an attempt to cool off after our day in port, we went to the near empty game room. Finally having a large enough table, we pulled out the Mexican Train. What a complete disaster! Corey and I both had the worst scores EVER! Corey had 368 and I had… a crazy 498! Over 300, players have to take a “Loser” photo for our Wall of Shame. My son did not want to take the photo, so I finagled a way to get the “L” by his face!
From the Viking Crown Lounge, we could see the Disney Wish. They played “When You Wish Upon A Star” with their ship horns. Had we been on Princess, we would have heard a response of “Love Boat”. Our sail away was on time… off we go for six days at sea!
Time for a little afternoon pick me up! Cappuccino would do the trick! What a cute little bear the barista created to decorate my drink. Taking the coffee upstairs, it was time to prepare for dinner. Tonight… Izumi’s Sushi restaurant.
Awesome view from the restaurant. Sunset time is the best reservation to secure. We took photos of each other to show the room and the view! Edamame is served complimentary and for some reason, we weren’t charged for the sake… My champagne lobster roll was incredible and the Poke Bowl was so full of ahi and salmon that I could barely finish it! Avocado and seaweed salad topped of the ingredients on this bed of rice. Maybe I will repeat this order when we eat here again in a few days!
Dance party in the Royal Promenade! We didn’t partake in the dancing… just passed through on our way to the ice skating show. But so many were joyfully moving to the music!
We arrived in time to sit in the seats reserved for Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members. Our view of the skaters was perfect! Very talented, especially considering they are skating with the ship slightly and unpredictably bounces around. Several costume changes throughout the show, made it clear the story that was being told through dance. Very colorful and upbeat, lots of classic rock music and high energy, this show was extremely entertaining! Maybe I’ll have to go to more shows for a change! Up to the Viking Crown Lounge for evening cocktails… before I knew it, it was 2:00am! Oops… Time for a good sleep!
