Are the Bahamas ready for visitors again?

Hurricane season is officially over on the 30th of November. It’s time to book that cruise and you know what? You’ll find some of the best prices offered between now and January. Just avoid the holidays to save.

This begs the question, since most Caribbean itineraries visit, are the Bahamas ready for visitors again after Hurricane Dorian?

Yes!

The Bahamas are ready for travelers again and especially the cruise lines. While you won’t be able to visit the Abacos given the devastation, Freeport is open and ready for business.

So, let’s talk Freeport.

The best way to get there these days is via cruise ship. If you prefer to fly and stay you’ll need to catch a connection through Nassau until their airport is ready. A few hotels are open and ready for your business too. Since we focus on cruising that’s what we’ll talk about.

We love Freeport. It’s a port near and dear to us. We purchased my engagement ring in a small jewelry store and both of our wedding bands. I have been to Rum Runner’s on many occasions for drinks and food. Port Lucaya has lost several stores over the years and isn’t quite what it used to be which is sad. However, there are still stores to visit, music to be heard, Junkanoo parties and Unexso. They offer a variety of excursions.

The pigs are back for swimming too! Something we haven’t done. Read on for your way of helping out some piglets via the Humane Society. Your tourist dollars help the island in ways you’ll never know and so while you may think there isn’t enough to do on the island that’s just a misconception.

Do it Yourself

We have always done our own ie: DIY excursions when we visit Freeport. We have taken cabs to the beach and Port Lucaya. We haven’t had many hours in port so just a few at a local beach is really all we need as a family.

On our last visit to Freeport in November of 2018 it was a bit overcast and we didn’t let that stop us. We grabbed a cab (shuttle that fit about 8) and headed to Taino Beach. Our driver offered us a deal to drop us at the beach, pick us up and take us to Port Lucaya and was there when we were ready to head back to the Pier.

Dan and I didn’t really want to swim so we hung out on the beach while the kids played in the sand and ran in and out of the water. We spent about 3 hours at this gorgeous beach which was plenty for the girls.

While you’re there…give back

We all know the islands suffered terrible destruction. If you have time and want to do something a little different to help out and give back while you’re in Freeport here is just one idea:

Humane Society of Grand Bahama: Contact them to help socialize with the animals. Yep, you can spend time volunteering and playing with cats, dogs and even rescue piglets. They also have a cool program where you can borrow a dog for one on one time! Their contact phone number is: 242-352-2477. Visit them on Facebook for up to date information.

There are various ways to donate and help the islands. Check out the tourism site for information and if you want to learn more the Washington Post had a feature on the Bahamas.

Nassau and the famed pink towers

Clearly more hustle and bustle occurs in Nassau. It’s definitely a popular location and one that we have personally visited at least 8 times over the years. Nassau was spared any major damage and has stepped up to help its neighboring islands. Pulling into port here your possibilities are endless.

We have done Nassau ourselves and also with excursions. Our favorite excursion that everyone MUST do at least once would be visiting Blue Lagoon Island. You can enjoy a relaxing day at their beach, swim with dolphins, have an encounter with dolphins or sea lions and so much more.

We have also taken a water taxi to the Atlantis to walk around, shop, eat and gamble. It was ok. If you want to experience Atlantis schedule a time to go and stay. If you want to save money check out the neighboring hotels. Sometimes it’s cheaper to get a hotel room for a night (even though you won’t use it) when they may come with free passes to their water park.

The long and short of it. YES, the Bahamas are ready and open and can’t wait to have you visit! Let us know when you visit we can’t wait to hear what you decide to do to see the island.