Cruise Travel: Nassau: things are better than ever in the capital of the Bahamas

Ever wanted to help train marching flamingoes, kiss a bottlenose dolphin, hand-feed a lory parrot, swim or dive with sharks, explore an extraordinary marine sanctuary, pilot your own sub underwater, or enjoy a glass of wine from one of the world's top cellars, a favorite of the original James Bond? All these amazing experiences and more are beckoning cruise visitors to Nassau, the capital of the 700-island Bahamian chain.

Although the Bahamas identifies itself with the Caribbean islands to the south, the chain is firmly in the Atlantic Ocean, running east and south off the tip of Florida. Cruise calls have been increasing steadily in recent years, and nearly two million passengers visited the Bahamas last year.

Because of its proximity to South Florida, Nassau is a popular port-of-call, especially on three- and tour-day cruises. It has everything that cruise passengers look for in a tropical port--beautiful beaches, extensive watersports, historical attractions, top-rated golf courses, glitzy resorts, bargain shopping, friendly citizens--all dished up with a dash of distinctive Bahamian flair.

Nassau is on a large, sheltered harbor at the north end of New Providence Island, a small isle just 21 miles long and seven miles wide. Half of the Bahamas' quarter-million residents live on New Providence. The capital, a handsome pink and white city, is the country's financial center, filled with colonial charm, history, and world-class shopping and dining--all within an easy walk of the cruise terminal.

Ships sail in past the elegant British Colonial Hilton Hotel, just a short stroll from the cruise terminal. Built on the site of Fort Nassau, the original Colonial was destroyed by fire in 1922 and the current hotel opened six months later in 1923. It has served as a set for several James Bond films. The hotel's beach and pool are open to cruise passengers on a day-pass basis.

A battleground for Spanish, British, and French colonization efforts, New Providence was also a haven for buccaneers. The notorious pirate Blackbeard posted a lookout here in a tower (which bears his name today) while he caroused around the islands. His story is part of the swashbuckling history on display in interactive exhibits at the Pirate Museum downtown.

The British won control of the islands and ruled for 250 years until the Bahamas became independent in 1973. A high point of British rule was surely the arrival during World War II of the Duke of Windsor, the former King of England and the great-grandson of Queen Victoria. The Duke and Duchess brought a style, elegance, and certain chic that had not been seen before in Government House.

Across the street from Government House is 260-year-old Graycliff, a 20-room antique-filled hotel with two restaurants and a cigar factory, presided over with grace by the Grazaroli family. The award-winning dining rooms (open for lunch and dinner) continue to attract royalty, heads of state, celebrities, visitors, and residents who come for the wine (one of the world's most celebrated cellars with more than 180,000 bottles), memorable dining, and gracious service. Now an island resident, Sean Connery, the British actor who first brought James Bond to the silver screen, had dined a few days before our visit. Writing in the guest book, he proclaimed the meal "splendid"--also an apt description for our meal.

A Pleasant way to get a quick overview of Nassau's history and culture is to hail a horse-drawn buggy with driver, which will take passengers past an imposing statue of Columbus, who discovered the isles on October 12, 1492; down Bay Street filled with souvenir shops and stores such as John Bull, a local institution since 1929 with fine jewelry, china, cameras, perfumes, and designer items; and past the Straw Market. Stocked with locally made straw hats and bags, wooden carvings, dresses, shirts, and ever-present T-shirts, the market is now in a temporary location, since a fire destroyed the original, but will be rebuilt this year.

Paradise Island, just over the bridge (or across the bay on a water taxi), is home to the astounding 2,300-room Atlantis Hotel, created by South African billionaire Sol Kerzner. Towering over the island, it is the largest hotel in the Bahamas and Caribbean region. The casino and restaurants are open to the public, who can also tour The Dig, the property's 11-million-gallon marine habitat.

The Dig is an imaginative depiction of the ruins of mythical Atlantis with a series of passageways, boulevards, and chambers from which gigantic picture-windows offer views of underwater life ranging from piranhas and sharks to jellyfish and eels. The swimming pools and five water-slides--several culminating with a tunnel through enclosed shark tanks--are open only to hotel guests. Some cruise passengers spend the day here by booking a room at Atlantis or neighboring Comfort Suites, where rooms include use of the pools and other Atlantis facilities. Nearby, a 14th-century French cloister, imported to the island by Huntington Hartford, presents a stark contrast to the glitz of Atlantis.

Another popular attraction is Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Centre, which provides a courtesy bus to its five-and-a-half acres of lush tropical gardens up a hill from the cruise pier. It offers a welcome relief from the hot sun plus the opportunity to get up-close to 300 birds and mammals. The prime attraction is what is reputed to be the world's only flock of trained flamingoes, which perform at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. daily; and guests are invited into the show-ring to interact with these magnificent pink creatures. Visitors may also enter the lory parrot aviary, where everyone receives pieces of apples to entice the birds into a close encounter.

A different sort of animal experience awaits at the Blue Lagoon Island & Dolphin Encounter. The tropical castaway isle, just a 20-minute high-speed catamaran ride from Nassau harbor, is home to 16 bottlenose dolphins and offers two programs--Dolphin Encounter and Swim With The Dolphins--in addition to a daylong beach stay. Four sessions of the encounter program are scheduled daily. Participants are invited to stand on a platform in the water while dolphins hug and kiss them, clap, and demonstrate their intelligence and winning ways. Our dolphin, Stormy, proved to be quite affectionate-returning three times to kiss me to the delight of the other participants--even those he spurned in favor of me.

The sand and surf set heads for Cable Beach, five miles from the cruise-ship pier and easily reached by taxi or jitney bus, and the site of a half-dozen large hotels, including the Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino and SuperClubs Breezes Bahamas Resort. The latter, an all-inclusive resort, offers an attractive choice for passengers seeking a day on the beach or in the water. A day pass, available for adults and teens 14 and over, includes meals and all drinks (even alcoholic ones), plus sailing, kayaking, pedal-boating, and beach games such as volleyball and circus trapeze (complete with a net and lessons).

For undersea action, Stuart Cove's Aqua Adventures, the island's largest dive operator, offers pick-up at the cruise terminal and an extensive dive and snorkel operation. One of its specialties is SUB (Scenic Underwater Bubble) Bahamas--a big yellow seahorse-shaped scooter that requires no experience for a thrilling drive around a 20-foot-deep reef.

The island boasts not only healthy reefs but also several intriguing wrecks that have been featured in movies, including those James Bond films. Both snorkel and dive trips are offered to the reefs and wrecks, but the most exciting trip is the shark-feeding experience--participants watch while sharks cruise in for an afternoon snack offered by trained feeders.

Nassau has something for just about everyone. Fortunately, ships keep returning so passengers can discover more of the port's charms on each call.

Know Before You Go

Ships That Call: Nearly every line plying the Bahamas and the Caribbean has ships calling at Nassau, including Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Crystal, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, Imperial Majesty, MSC, Norwegian, Princess, Radisson Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Silversea, and Windjammer.

Weather: Nassau has a subtropical climate. The average temperature during the winter months is in the 70s, rising into the 80s during the summer. However, the weather can be affected by the climate in South Florida, so when a cold front hits Miami, it will affect Nassau. During the summer and fall there are often brief daily showers.

Money Matters: U.S. dollars are on par with Bahamian dollars and are accepted everywhere. Credit cards are widely accepted at attractions, hotels, restaurants, and shops.

For more information: Contact your travel agent; write The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (Cruise Travel Magazine), P.O. Box N-3701, Nassau, Bahamas; call 1-800-BAHAMAS; or log on to www.bahamas.com.