4 Nassau in the Bahamas in January

Our final port call was Nassau, located on New Providence Island in the Bahamas. We were in no hurry to go ashore, since we have visited here before, so we stayed onboard for a leisure morning, with a late morning breakfast on deck overlooking the Atlantis Hotel complex and the bright blue ocean in the distance. The water in the Caribbean is a sparkling blue-green that is one of the most beautiful features of the multiple-island nation.
There were five cruise ships all lined up at adjacent piers located in the heart of downtown Nassau. The Norwegian Sky was located next to our Carnival Fantasy again, like yesterday, and the Norwegian Jewel was another NCL ship in the line-up. We sailed on it a few years ago on one of our Holy Week/Easter cruises. It is a striking picture to see all five ships filling the harbor area so close to the town.
The Nassau Christmas decorations were still placed all over the downtown area, reminding us that, even with the warm temperature, we were still in the post-Christmas winter season. What a contrast to the winter-time back home in Virginia!
We paid a visit to the Nassau Straw Market, a tourist feature for many years, although it has been rebuilt and upgraded several times since our first visit in 1979. This most recent structure has been open only since the Christmas holiday season in mid-December. It replaced a temporary tent structure that had been in use for the past ten years, following a huge fire in 2001. Even that temporary structure had been seriously damaged by Hurricane Irene in August, 2011. The vendors seemed to be pleased to be back in business in the new, very stable masonry structure, which is owned by the Government. It is available to several hundred vendors who crowd into the facility to sell many traditional straw items, in addition to all kinds of other touristy stuff, such as shirts, hats, mugs and many handcraft items.
We returned to the ship to enjoy another beautiful sailaway and the kind of sunsets that can only be enjoyed from the deck of a ship.
The final Sea Day was another cool and breezy day as we made our way up the East Coast toward Charleston. We found a secluded area on a lower deck at the very back of the ship, protected from the wind, where we enjoyed the sun for one last day. It is called the Serenity area, and is designated for adults only. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful winter-time getaway.
After an easy debarkation process, Ruth met us at the Charleston Custom House, adjacent to the pier. After another brief lunchtime visit with her, we headed north to begin our re-entry into the world of normal life. Till next time, thanks for reading along with us!