Blogs from Bahamas, Central America Caribbean - page 2

The ship rocked & rolled last night while the thunder and lighting and rain pounded the ship all night. We slept great. We sailed into pouring rain in Nassau, Bahamas around 8am. By the time we were off the ship the rain had stopped and the humidity was all that remained. It was hot today. We took a tour to Nassau’s “Top Ten” spots. We liked about three or four of them. We agreed no more ship tours for us. We should have learned our lesson years ago. Regardless, we enjoyed spending time walking around the Atlantis Resort on our own. We bought a souvenir in their gift shop. We went to a rum cake factory (so-so) and to a rum distillery (awesome). The rum distillery tour was outside and self-guided so we skipped the tour ... read more

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas White, white, white, clean powdery sand in a crescent moon shape with palm trees ringing the beach. The sky is deep blue, the waters warm and turquoise. The perfect Caribbean island right out of Robinson Crusoe. We are spending the day in a fairy tale. The beaches are groomed, there are young, strong lifeguards every 400 feet, and our clamshell cabana awaits us. This island is owned and operated by Carnival Cruise Lines which also owns the Veendam, our Holland American ship. We settle in spreading our towels on the lounge chairs, shed our beach cover ups and head for a walk to the far reaches of the beach. As the small waves lap at the shore, our feet hit what seems like cold water, but that’s just because we are so ... read more

Today our stop is Half Moon Cay. Holland America Line’s Half Moon Cay was named for its long crescent beach. Both HAL’s vessels and Carnival Cruise Lines ships stop at this privately-owned paradise. Located on 55 acres of the 2,400-acre Little San Salvador Island, It is an international bird sanctuary in The Bahamas and only two percent of the island is developed. We've been here several times before and participated in some of the activities offered. There's a variety to choose from: horseback riding on the sand and through the surf, a stingray adventure,a visit to the Half Moon Lagoon Aqua Park, maybe a hike on a nature trail or simply relaxing in an air-conditioned, private beachfront cabana. That doesn't make sense for us at $500/day but a group could rent one complete with butler service ... read more

Acklins is scattered with limestone caves such as Jumbey Hole. These caves were believed to serve as shelter for some of the Lucayan Indians, pirates, and English settlers. FYI....Bring insect repellant if you plan to explore the caves.... read more

St. Aiden's Anglican Church, from the 1800's, sits on Pompey Bay Beach. The settlement of Pompey Bay provides historians with amazing findings. Pompey Bay is rich with archeological findings. You can visit other findings in Pompey Bay, from the 1800's and beyond, such as one of the largest Lucayan Indian settlements in the Bahamas.... read more