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Following our full day at Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, we took our time getting off the boat in Nassau. This made breakfast easier for those that wanted to go, restaurants were less crowded after the mass exodus. We didn’t have any excursions booked at the port and were just aiming to have a look around. A lazy morning was nice and the weather outside wasn’t exactly calling to us.

In fact, that weather turned into a full downpour right as we were walking off the boat. We put our ponchos on and then stood under cover until the rain let up. It was an ominous start to our day in Nassau but I was impressed by just how hard the water was falling from the sky!

We all looked very cool hiding under cover in our plastic.

Once the storm turned into a drizzle, we walked out into Nassau. Being a popular cruise stop, it seems that everyone has an opinion about the town. Much of what we heard prior to getting on the ship was that we didn’t need to get off the boat. I was curious to have a look around though, as was the rest of the family.

In the first few minutes of walking around, I didn’t really enjoy the town. The portion that is closest to the boat was very commercialized and a little pushy for my taste. This would be a good time to say that I hate bartering and don’t enjoy people selling me on things. I’m a more passive shopper, if you can describe me as a shopper at all.

That first section off the boat had lots of stands and small gift shops mixed in with bars. It’s a total tourist trap and one I rushed through. Others probably have a more enjoyable time here than I did and I knew this little section wasn’t emblematic of the rest of Nassau. Nevertheless, I would have gone back to the boat pretty quickly if that’s all we were met with.

Thankfully, things got marginally better when we got to the streets and the Straw Market. Like the portside vendors, the Straw Market wasn’t really my thing. The inside was very crowded and verged on claustrophobic. But it was impressive seeing just how much was sold there. I think it’s fair to question the authenticity of certain items in there but this was certainly more enjoyable than looking at knockoff sunglasses and jewelry. There were many choices for those looking for a souvenir!

After getting my fill in there, I headed back outside doing a loop around the block and then looking for a restroom. Eventually I found a bench to relax at while others finished shopping through the market. The colors throughout the Nassau’s streets were lively and the place was growing on me.

That feeling grew exponentially the further we got away from the ship. I’m no expert on the city so I don’t know if this is actually the case but Nassau felt far more organic and interesting half a mile away from the port. This isn’t breaking new ground. People have complained about port cities with pushy salesmen for years and years. Moving away from the parts of the city overrun with tourists is a simple strategy but definitely the right one for me in Nassau.

While onboard, a Crew Member told us about the complimentary tours given at John Watling’s Distillery in Nassau. Having a blank slate for the day, we decided to head up a small hill toward that spot. The rain held off for the most part on the walk. I was thankful for that because I don’t think those umbrellas up on the wires were going to help much. Fun decor though!

We passed by an art museum and theatre along the way. Seeing the different architecture throughout the city was a highlight of the walk and helped showcase some of the history in Nassau.

Just beyond that was the distillery. We joined a complimentary tour just before it took off. That included a sample of a pina colada so I was sold immediately. The actual tour was about 15 minutes and gave a brief history of John Watling as well as the distilling process. There were some lighthearted jabs at colonization, that were well placed and, again, helped explain some of the Bahamian history even if it was centered around the topic of rum.

The tour let out into a bar and gift shop. See, theme parks are just like real life! A few of us grabbed a drink and looked around. Another shop on the property had Jamaican Beef Patties and I ordered one for a snack before starting our walk back. It was pretty good! I’m sure you can find better ones throughout the islands though.

We walked back down the hill before breaking apart for some to do shopping and others to go back to the ship. Another trip through the town brought us by this old church that was very pretty. The colonial architecture mixed in with the bright Caribbean aesthetic gave Nassau more character than I expected. There was even a touch of Victorian style there, speaking again to the colonization and European influence on the Americas.

Not wanting to, umm, enjoy the same vendors we walked through while getting off the ship, Melissa and I made a beeline back to the Disney Magic. Parked right next to our boat was the Disney Wish and Melissa needed a photo with Rapunzel swinging around!

Getting back on the boat, it was clear why so many people advocate for staying on during port days. The crowd levels on the ship were much lower than they were at any other time during the trip. We still had 3 or 4 hours before pulling out of Nassau. I do prefer getting out and exploring different places but I understand the other side’s reasoning for not exploring a port now.

Going to the pool to take advantage of the low crowds was top of mind. I had a date with the Aquadunk, the ship’s slide, that I wasn’t going to miss. The slide did not disappoint, as the floor drops out to start and then the tube shoots out over the ocean. As a lover of waterslides, I went a few times on the Aquadunk. The actual pools on the ship were always very crowded and not my favorite thing to partake in but I didn’t mind waiting around for the slides.

After swimming, I hopped over to the Rainforest Room to use the sauna and locker rooms showers. This remained a good purchase for the cruise duration. Once I was dressed for the evening, I returned to the Magic’s main deck and sat with my dad and nephew for a bit. Wyatt (my nephew) commandeered my camera for a few minutes and took this photo of me. I’m hoping he’ll enjoy me showcasing one of his photos here.

Everyone went to go get ready for the nighttime activities and I took the time to walk around the top deck of the ship as we were leaving Nassau. The pools were closed at that point and I really enjoyed the quiet half hour up there, soaking in the views and taking photos. Here are a few from walking around.

As we were leaving Nassau, the colossal Atlantis shrunk into the skyline. If we do another cruise in the Bahamas, I think we’d opt to go spend part of the port day at that hotel. You all know by now that I have a hard time turning down waterslides!

We all took a quick break in the rooms before dinner. It was Pirate Night on the ship which seems to me like you’re just asking for trouble but the Disney Cruise Line hasn’t attracted any actual pirates to my knowledge. Muppet Treasure Island started shortly before our dinner time and I happily took in the first half hour on Funnel Vision.

A beautiful sunset emerged just as we headed back into Rapunzel’s Royal Table. We ate their the previous night but the Pirate festivities have everyone repeating a restaurant on the ship. The menu and entertainment was different. Some of the Crew Members came over to help celebrate my parent’s 50th anniversary with a song. It was a fun meal! Here are some food photos.

The Pirate Night Party (PNP, as the cool kids say) was about to kick off. I stopped back by the room to grab a sweatshirt and was met by this fella!

The towel animals seemed to get more elaborate each day!

Pirate Night festivities included a dance party, Mickey ziplining across the ship and fireworks overhead. It was crowded and festive! I definitely preferred this to the sail away party and thought everything was well done. Because of the built-in limitations (being in the middle of an ocean) don’t expect a Disney Parks level fireworks show. With that in mind, the whole night was a blast and everyone seemed to be in a great mood.

A few of us topped off the night with a late showing of the live action Snow White in the ship’s movie theater. You know a movie is bad when the crowd on a Disney ship was openly laughing at the film. That said, it was a memorable experience! We made our way back to the room after the movie, getting a night’s sleep before our last full day on the cruise.

That’s where we’ll pick up with our next installment! Do you have any questions or thoughts about our trip report? Leave them in the comments below! Planning a Disney trip? Check out our Travel Guides to help get you there! Here’s a link to discount tickets at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney please subscribe to the blog via email or WordPress and like our social media pages. You can find all of those things on the right side of this page. Thank you very much for reading, we appreciate it!