CRUSIN' PART II

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

We sailed into Nassau just at sunrise. I was so excited; I sat up looking out my porthole. I snapped pictures of the horizon, another cruise ship following us, and even the Mail Boat as it passed us going in to the dock. It was beautiful watching the sun come up over the bright pastel buildings as the shops and markets slowly came to life. Vendors set up tents with jewelry, straw goods, clothing and more. A man in a huge straw hat lined the sea wall with colorful conch shells and starfish. I couldn’t wait to disembark!

After another breakfast buffet, we decided to take a water taxi over to Atlantis. We passed the homes of  the rich and famous (Nicholas Cage, Oprah, and others who channel American made money into Bahamian accounts and real estate to save on taxes). One of the Atlantis resorts boasts a suite that was often booked by Michael Jackson. It cost $100,000 a night with a three night minimum stay. Sorry if you wanted to run right out and book it for yourself, it’s booked up for the next 5 years!

Atlantis was truly amazing. The theme was carried through in architecture, art and furnishings. Even the light fixtures were works of Marine inspired art! Fountains, shops, aquariums, a dolphin area where of course, you can swim and interact, a sting ray pool, paddle boats and every form of entertainment you could wish for were available. The casino was huge, but I was disappointed when I found it ran totally on vouchers – no cling , cling, cling, of quarters if you win in the slots!(Yes, I’m like a 5 year old! I need the bells and whistles.)

We took a taxi back to the center of town to stroll around the shops and visit the famous straw market. I’m happy to say that I successfully bartered to get a birdhouse/wood chime at a rock bottom price! We spent some time with Senor Frog (Senor Frog is a famous bar on the waterfront) had ice cream and checked out the gorgeous conch jewelry before returning to the ship.

Back to the pool for the belly flop contest, sexiest man contest and music by the steel drum band. A mango pina colada in a carved out pineapple and the day was complete! Dinner was bittersweet since we had to say goodbye to our magician waiter and the friendly couples we met at our table. Another show, some entertainment in the lounge and a last fling at the casino and it was time to pack and put our luggage in the hall by midnight.

The cruise came to an end much too quickly! It was a wonderful adventure with good friends and a very accommodating cruise line crew! I would recommend a cruise vacation to anyone – old, young, single, parents. Couples, grandparents, friends from work or school! There’s something for everyone and you’ll make memories that will last a lifetime! So go ahead, get cruisin’!