In December, I was invited to celebrate a friend’s 30th birthday on a cruise to the Bahamas!
I’ve only been on a cruise once before. My parents and I went to Alaska when I was younger. They had always wanted to try a cruise, but we quickly realized it didn’t align well with our family’s travel style. My parents like road trips because they like to be in control of their own timing and be flexible in their plans, which doesn’t work well with the way that cruises operate with their tight deadlines* to get back on the ship. We only tried it the once. Alaska was amazing, though.
*Side note, I did read an absolutely fascinating article about the people who got left behind on a remote island in West Africa when they failed to make their cruise departure time.
For Phil’s birthday, it was a much better fit. He had pulled together a variety of people in his life, including family, friends he had grown up with, friends from DC, and travel friends, and all had pretty different levels of comfort with travel and interests. The cruise worked well because it meant none of us had to plan anything in advance. We could all grab drinks and dinner and mingle without anyone needing to split the check or pick a location – we could walk into an establishment, sit down, and stay as long as we liked. I can absolutely see it for large groups or families who want to spend time together without needing to plan every piece of their vacation.
We were meant to have two days in the Bahamas, but the sea was rough during our cruise. I took dramamine and was glad I did, because I didn’t get seasick. We did still get our day in Nassau, but our day at Royal Caribbean’s private island turned into a day at sea.
Nassau was interesting – parts of it, right off the port, feel like an extension of the ship itself. Well-known international brands, a partially fenced off section that is filled with more souvenirs, drunk Americans and Europeans doing shots at the Señor Frog’s. But all it took was a walk a few blocks away to get out of the crowd of tourists, which was a much more pleasant walk.
We also visited the Straw Market. It had pretty decent souvenir options, but the part that I liked the most was our conversation with one of the shop owners. He explained how people pass down the stalls through the generations. This is one of the best options for making money in Nassau, and they hold tight to the real estate within the market, teaching their family the skills to make handicraft goods that tourists will want.
After having lunch in Nassau and exploring the city, we spent the rest of the time on the ship until we disembarked Monday morning. I had worried that it might feel oppressive. It really is massive, though. There was more than enough to explore over the course of a weekend. There are a ton of bars and restaurants and activities – we even did an escape room on our full at sea day.
There were also some areas of the ship that felt calm. The Solarium, which is an adults only section, had seats where you could lay down and watch the ocean, and I spent a nice morning drinking coffee there. They also have a whole floor that’s designed to look like Central Park. It was nice to have options for when I needed a moment to read and relax without feeling surrounded.
All in all, I enjoyed it more than I expected. I wouldn’t rush out and prioritize a cruise on my upcoming travels, but I also would consider it for destinations where that’s a good way to see the region. It was such a fun way to celebrate Phil’s birthday!