Sleeping in, shopping & relaxing on the ship
After a full day at sea—and a very late night—we did something a little different for our first day at port in Nassau: We slowed down. Instead of waking up early and rushing off the ship, Eva and I decided to sleep in. And honestly? It was exactly what we needed!
A Slow Start to Our Day
We started our morning in our room, taking our time to get ready for the day. Eva showed off a few of the fidgets she had packed in her Carnival sensory bag—something she enjoys carrying with her on the ship. Fidgets and noise-reducing headphones are such a helpful way for her to stay comfortable, especially on busy days.
Fun Tip for Kids: Having a few comfort items on hand—like fidgets or headphones—can make a big difference for kids on a cruise, especially with all the noise and activity.
A Little Glimpse of Ship Life 🚢
In this video we decided to give you a quick little tour of our room. This was our first time staying in a balcony room, and we loved it! We showed our view of Nassau from the balcony, plus a couple fun little perks. We asked our room steward to bring us an extra blanket, some extra pillows, plus bathrobes for Eva and I. Just a little extra luxury and fun for our stay!
We also made a fun little request with our steward—we left him a little note to see if we could keep our towel animals throughout the week, instead of having them replaced every day. (We’ll see how that turns out!)
Eventually, we made our way up to the Lido deck for breakfast around 11am. Fun side note: a really nice lady stopped by our table and let Eva pick a couple of ducks from her collection! Have you heard about duck hunting on a Carnival Cruise? Guests will hide rubber ducks around the ship, and it’s so much fun when you come across one to add to your collection! Or, you can choose to hide it again for someone else to find!
Stepping Off the Ship in Nassau 🌴
One of the nice things about Nassau is how easy it is to get off the ship and start exploring right away. We walked right off and into the city with my mom, ready to see what we could fit into our short time there. Since we only had about an hour and a half to explore, we were all business as we made our way to the shops on our list.
Day at Port Tip: If you’re not on a cruise-sponsored excursion, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship. They will leave without you—and that’s not a situation you want to be in!
Shopping, Souvenirs & WiFi
We made a few fun stops while we were out exploring. First, we stopped by Diamonds International to pick up a free charm, which was a fun little bonus. Then we headed over to Starbucks—where I grabbed a “You Are Here” Bahamas mug for my collection (I love collecting cups from all the places that I visit!). We took advantage of the free WiFi to check messages and text my older daughter back home.
After that, we visited the Crocs store and Del Sol before heading back to the ship. Eva and I decided to buy matching pink Crocs—which was definitely a highlight for both of us! We also picked out matching color-changing shirts from Del Sol–they sell a lot of different items that change color in the sun. We also chose some color-changing nail polish and got a free bag with our purchase!
While we didn’t get to spend a lot of time in Nassau, it was full of little moments that made it special!
Back On Board
We made it back on board with plenty of time–no running required! We enjoyed watching Nassau fade into the distance from our balcony as we sailed away. Those quiet moments, just standing there, looking out at the water, are some of my favorites.
That evening, after dinner we watched Family Feud in the Mardi Gras Theater, which is always such a fun time. Watching other families compete live is very entertaining!
Fun fact: you’re not allowed to film during the Family Feud Show—so you won’t see any clips from the show in my video. But it’s definitely a lot of fun, and a show you’ll want to experience if you get the chance!
We ended up sitting next to a couple who were on their honeymoon. While the wife had been on lots of cruises with her family, this was her new husband’s first cruise—and he was loving every minute of it. Moments like that are one of my favorite parts of cruising. You never know who you’ll meet or what stories you’ll hear.
A Different Kind of Perfect Day
This wasn’t a big excursion day. And while it wasn’t packed with major plans, it was still one of those days I’ll always remember. You are indeed on vacation–so giving yourself a day to slow down and relax is nice!
Want to watch our video series from that trip?
Check-out the video from Carnival Mardi Gras – Port in Nassau, The Bahamas! by clicking here. You can find the whole series from that trip (what I’ve posted so far) by clicking here. I have more videos on the way! So make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, “Living One Day Today” and click the notification bell. That way you’ll get notified when I post new videos to my channel! Thanks, I appreciate your support!