There is a new reason to get off the ship in Nassau!
I have been to Nassau, Bahamas more times than I can count on a cruise. In 2024, 5.6 million passengers arrived at the port of Nassau on a cruise ship! According to Business Insider, it is the 3rd most visited port in the world. Isn’t it funny that all the cruise experts say to “stay on the ship”?
We tried visiting Atlantis and the free beach next to it called Cable Beach. We also did a glass-bottom boat tour, had too many drinks at Senor Frogs, and I even went wedding ring shopping in the jewelry stores. Nothing wowed me, and after giving it many tries with and without children, I decided that the next time I visited, I would stay on the boat. I gave it all a fair try. (The kids absolutely were bored out of their minds on the glass bottom boat.)
I know I am supposed to be talking you into getting off the boat, but staying on does have its perks, and I thought I would do a better job by helping you make an informed decision here!
5 Reasons Experts Say to Stay On The Ship in Nassau
- The pools can be small on the ship, and while everyone is off enjoying the port, you can finally float around in peace in the empty pool. Drop the kids at the kids’ club and get that peace and quiet a mom needs!
- It is already paid for. There is no need to buy food or pay for activities when you can take advantage of the things you already paid for and save a LOT of money!
- Some ships have special activities scheduled on that port day because they know it is a popular port to skip. Disney cruises offer an inflatable Incredibles course that day!
- You can enjoy massages at the spa, wine tastings, dance lessons, bingo, and trivia. There is no shortage of things to do when you stay on the ship!
- You can take advantage of things like Flow Rider, water slides, obstacle courses, and other activities that usually have long lines on the days at sea.
This is a paradise more beautiful than our wildest dreams could have imagined. This… is… Baha Mar.
Baha Mar is an impressive piece of paradise in Nassau, featuring a beautiful beach, numerous pools, including a shark pool, a pool with cabanas, a wave pool, and a lazy river. They offer a variety of dining options, including food trucks, sit-down restaurants, boutiques, and shacks. But they also have an incredible water park boasting 24 water slides that, without a doubt, blow Atlantis away. This property has three hotels on site: the Grand Hyatt, Rosewood, and SLS. Although it has the feel of an all-inclusive resort, it is not an all-inclusive resort. After visiting here, I realize everyone needs to get off the ship and come here! Check out everything on the map below; it is a very large property with something for everyone, from relaxation to the highest thrills.
1.) Let’s start from the bottom right. We have Baha Bay Lagoon with a wave pool and a very tall water slide called Devil’s Backbone. There is a sandy beach area with plenty of chairs. It reminded me very much of the sandy area in front of the Volcano at the Volcano Bay water park in Universal Orlando. I could easily just sit on a lounge chair for hours reading a good book, while the kids enjoyed themselves in the water.
2.) Right next to the wave pool are two sets of slides that are for adventurous visitors. They are Cyclone Rush and the Dueling Rip Tide Coaster. My 6-year-old did not meet the height requirement for these slides, which were a minimum of 48 inches. However, my 8-year-old daughter and my husband had a blast!. Pictured to the right is Cyclone Rush.
3.) In the center of the resort and water park is a quarter-mile-long lazy river. It is a beautiful centerpiece circling around the heart of the resort. Entering the pool is easy! There is a zero-entry wide opening with tubes you can grab without waiting in line. They had single and double tubes to choose from.
The river starts traditionally, lazy. You float along, admiring the tropical flowers and trees. They spared no expense on the impressive landscaping. You venture through tunnels and can even watch their display of parrots.
But don’t be fooled, this lazy river does have some adventure. You can expect to experience some waterfalls. I was able to avoid them by paddling away. My kids chose to go under them. The best part is you can go around as many times as you would like!
4.) In the center of the Lazy river are two separate play areas for school-aged kids, toddlers, and babies. We could have spent our entire time here playing on the slides and splashing in the pools. To the left pictured is Sting Ray Cove, which has 6 slides, water sprayers, dumping buckets, and waterfalls. Fun was being had by all, and children were laughing right along with the grown-ups in this adventure zone!
Right in front of it was a relaxing area for adults to unwind while their children were in view.
The other area for smaller kids is called Turtle Beach. You can rent a cabana for the day there. They have a kiddie pool, water sprayers to run through, and 5 smaller but fun slides to go down. Some of them are wide enough for the whole family to go down together. For families with little kids, this beats the shiip pool, which does not allow babies with swim diapers to enter.
Beach & Food Trucks
Shark Pool
5.) Through the resort entrance, there are the three brands of hotels you can stay at. They are the SLS, Hyatt, and Rosewood hotels.
For pricing and information on these hotels, I can give you a quote here. Through this entrance, there are several different pools. One of them is a more relaxing pool with cabanas, but my favorite is the top right, the Shark Pool! They have all these adorable food trucks along the beach, as well as sit-down restaurants and bars. There are many places to sit on the sand and eat. They also have beach chairs and water sports. There is SO MUCH TO DO HERE! It is an upgrade from the cruise ship to go to this part of the resort. I do recommend doing that if relaxing is your thing.
6.) Last but not least, they have a Flow Rider where you can do boogie boarding or surfing. My kids were old enough for the Boogie Boards. They took several turns while we were there. In the past, places we visited charged us extra to do it, or there was a very competitive sign-up slot available to do it. This was the longest line of the day, only because you go one at a time, and they do allow you to take time to learn. It was fun to watch the people try, and watching them wipe out was even more entertaining! So waiting was not as painful as it was for other rides. This was the most memorable part of our cruise! Both of my kids listed this first when we reviewed all our memories from this cruise!
Are you thinking about cruising? Leave me a comment about which cruise you are taking to Nassau. Are you convinced to get off the ship and give Baha Bay at Baha Mar a try, or are you still staying on the boat? Have you changed your entire plan and now want to stay on-site? Tell me everything in the comments. I am here for the debate on staying on the ship.
The Traveling Moms Collective 
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