How safe is Nassau?

[MUN]

How far was the walk to Junkanoo Beach? I have neuropathy and tend to walk slow, especially in the heat. But was hoping for a quick ocean swim without paying for an excursion.

My son and I walked there in about 10 minutes, but we are fast walkers. It's a popular beach and there will be many people walking to and from the beach.

 

[mousefan73]

Here's what the Government of Canada says:



Sexual assault occurs frequently, particularly near hotels, in hotel rooms, in casinos, on cruise ships and on the

In that case we better not cruise at all as that warning also states sexual assault occurs on cruise ships! One must be vigil of course when out and about not only overseas but also at home

 

[roac8362]

Thanks for all the responses! Reading everyone's opinion has really been helpful. I think this time we will err on the side of caution and book a Disney excursion. That will be less stressful for me and allow me to get a feel of the surroundings myself for any future cruise there!

 

[mevelandry]

In that case we better not cruise at all as that warning also states sexual assault occurs on cruise ships! One must be vigil of course when out and about not only overseas but also at home

Don't think they mean "the" cruise ship but the other cruises available over there.

 

[MUN]

Here's what the Government of Canada says:

"
Crime
Crime, including violent crime, occurs mainly on the islands of New Providence and Grand Bahama. There has been an increase in muggings, armed robberies, home invasions and sexual assault targeting tourists in the cities of Nassau and Freeport. Incidents of robbery take place in cruise ship terminals and in and around popular resort areas, even in daylight hours. If you are threatened by robbers, stay calm and do not resist. Avoid non-tourist neighbourhoods in downtown Nassau, especially at night, where the crime accounts for much of Bahamas’ high murder rate.

Sexual assault occurs frequently, particularly near hotels, in hotel rooms, in casinos, on cruise ships and on the beach. Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol, do not consume any drugs and don't accept rides from strangers or from unlicensed taxi drivers. Due to incidents of sexual assault, it is recommended to be wary when embarking on jet-ski rides with licensed or unlicensed operators."

Source: https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/bahamas


Nothing very reassuring.

So is the warning that you posted telling us to be aware of sexual assaults on DCL?

 

[mevelandry]

So is the warning that you posted telling us to be aware of sexual assaults on DCL?

The subject of this thread is Nassau so I'm obviously talking about Nassau.

But regarding DCL I would say... Google it. There are some sad stories.

 

[Marc D]

If nassau was that scary and unsafe where you are getting shot or mugged at once you get off, then cruise ships simply would not stop there. Sure there are isolated cases but EVERYWHERE is so. In Chicago they just caught a team of muggers who were attacking people in a pedway in the Loop.

Unfortunately, whatever the situation on land is, DCL and other cruise lines that are flagged in the Bahamas have an obligation to bring in a certain number of passengers per year. I believe that there is a similar obligation linked with the 99 years rental of Castaway Cay from the Bahamian government.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

If you live or have lived in one of the more dangerous cities in the world, you will be fine. Dh and I have and were fine the one time we walked extensively in Nassau (we usually stay close to port or take an excursion). Our suburban raised teen however questioned our judgement and felt uncomfortable. Lol. We decided then that he was too sheltered. But I get where he was coming from. So it depends on your own life experience as to whether Nassau is safe.

 

[justme0729]

Would you say Blue Lagoon beach day booked through DCL would be safe? Is this a public place?

 

[Frozen2014]

Would you say Blue Lagoon beach day booked through DCL would be safe? Is this a public place?

We did this with a Royal cruise and had a lovely few hours (wasn't super long). There is a ferry ride over and its a calm lagoon with mats, tubes, and then aqua park for a small fee...and bbq lunch. There is also a dolphin encounter, or you can just walk over and watch. Never felt unsafe. Not sure about DCL but for Royla, the ferry was right at the cruise dock.

 

[dcassetta]

Would you say Blue Lagoon beach day booked through DCL would be safe? Is this a public place?

It is a private island only accessible by ferry. When you return you will need to walk through the vendor area before entering the secure port.

 

[mevelandry]

Blue Lagoon is great. I recommend it.

 

[PinMan]

Here's what the Government of Canada says:

"
Crime
Crime, including violent crime, occurs mainly on the islands of New Providence and Grand Bahama. There has been an increase in muggings, armed robberies, home invasions and sexual assault targeting tourists in the cities of Nassau and Freeport. Incidents of robbery take place in cruise ship terminals and in and around popular resort areas, even in daylight hours. If you are threatened by robbers, stay calm and do not resist. Avoid non-tourist neighbourhoods in downtown Nassau, especially at night, where the crime accounts for much of Bahamas’ high murder rate.

Sexual assault occurs frequently, particularly near hotels, in hotel rooms, in casinos, on cruise ships and on the beach. Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol, do not consume any drugs and don't accept rides from strangers or from unlicensed taxi drivers. Due to incidents of sexual assault, it is recommended to be wary when embarking on jet-ski rides with licensed or unlicensed operators."

Source: https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/bahamas


Nothing very reassuring.

That’s exactly what I heard , when I was there a couple of years ago we were bombarded by screaming people wanting you to buy something from them

 

[Donna3271]

I went to a different store with my 10 year old daughter while my husband was with friends an our other daughter at a different store. We quickly met back up with them. Stay away from the inside of the straw market. If you buy anything make sure it’s from around the edge. It can get very sketchy the farther in you go. If you stay on the main streets it isn’t terrible but the crime rates have went up recently. Just be aware of your surroundings and be smart.

I had an incident in the Straw market with my 2 daughters. One of them reached up to touch something on sale (a wind chime type of thing). The woman violently slapped her hand away, saying DO NOT TOUCH! My daughter started crying hysterical! I said I should call the police. The woman laughed and said "Go ahead, do you think they will take your side?" I grabbed both my daughter's arms and headed back to the ship.

Our lives were not in danger, but we we shook by this. It really put a damper on our vacation. I will either stay on the ship at Nassau, or only take Disney excursions. Our last girl trip, I assured my husband we would stay on the boat at Nassau since he and my son were not with us.

A previous poster suggested the chocolate excursion. We did that. It was fun!

 

[justme0729]

It is a private island only accessible by ferry. When you return you will need to walk through the vendor area before entering the secure port.

The vendor area is outside the gates? I remember when we went to Atlantis through a DCL Excursion, we walked to a van and that was fine. Is this the same area?

 

[dcassetta]

The vendor area is outside the gates? I remember when we went to Atlantis through a DCL Excursion, we walked to a van and that was fine. Is this the same area?

The port area is gated. Within the gated area there are a number of vendors, some selling products and some selling services like hair braiding or carriage rides. Excursion vans and taxis will drop you just outside the gated area on Woodes Rogers, and you will need to walk through the vendor area to get to where the security folks check your cruise IDs.

 

[skittlesfirehawk]

I had an incident in the Straw market with my 2 daughters. One of them reached up to touch something on sale (a wind chime type of thing). The woman violently slapped her hand away, saying DO NOT TOUCH! My daughter started crying hysterical! I said I should call the police. The woman laughed and said "Go ahead, do you think they will take your side?" I grabbed both my daughter's arms and headed back to the ship.

Our lives were not in danger, but we we shook by this. It really put a damper on our vacation. I will either stay on the ship at Nassau, or only take Disney excursions. Our last girl trip, I assured my husband we would stay on the boat at Nassau since he and my son were not with us.

A previous poster suggested the chocolate excursion. We did that. It was fun!

With all do respect I’m sure the market lady is sick of kids touching and breaking her merchandise. She hit your kids hands which yeah wasn’t right but even if you were to call the police here in the USA I’m sure they would laugh at you. Nassau is just as safe as any other port. I personally found cozumel to be more unsafe.

 

[mrsgthatsme]

The port area is gated. Within the gated area there are a number of vendors, some selling products and some selling services like hair braiding or carriage rides. Excursion vans and taxis will drop you just outside the gated area on Woodes Rogers, and you will need to walk through the vendor area to get to where the security folks check your cruise IDs.

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Was the vendor area extremely intense and jarring (for kids especially) or no big deal to walk straight through?

 

[mevelandry]

With all do respect I’m sure the market lady is sick of kids touching and breaking her merchandise. She hit your kids hands which yeah wasn’t right but even if you were to call the police here in the USA I’m sure they would laugh at you. Nassau is just as safe as any other port. I personally found cozumel to be more unsafe.

There are much safer and much more risky ports (Jamaica comes to mind).

 

[MUN]

Was the vendor area extremely intense and jarring (for kids especially) or no big deal to walk straight through?

IMHO, no.

The people I've encountered in Nassau are friendly and polite. Sure the vendors want to sell you stuff, but that's what they're in the business to do. I saw a previous poster say that she was "bombarded by screaming people....". Perhaps she was, but in the 3 times I've visited Nassau, I've never had anyone scream at me, nor have I felt bombarded. I have found that a simple no thank you and/or perhaps a good morning will go a long way.

I think people think Bahamas and they immediately think sun-kissed beaches and fruity drinks, and there is plenty of that on the islands. However, Nassau is not Castaway Cay, it's a real city with a hustle and bustle to it. Is it for everyone? No. Is it safe and worth exploring, Yes.

MUN