Cruise Week: The Bahamas

They say it's better in The Bahamas, and I think they may be right. After spending the week motoring around the western Caribbean, we have to start thinking about getting back to reality and the real world. But not quite yet. How's about we stop in Nassau for the day before going home?

I've been there a couple of times--maybe three--but at this late hour I can't quite remember. But the bottom line is that The Bahamas are a great stop at the beginning or end of any cruise if your embarkation port is in Florida. Yeah, they've got the same duty-free shopping available, with locals trying their darndest to sell you stuff, but there is an island charm that's just a bit different from everywhere else in the Caribbean. The Bahamas have been playing the tourist game ever since the golden age of piracy, and they've become quite good at it.

Most cruise ships stop in Nassau, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump to Paradise Island, home to some really nice beaches, but more importantly, the Atlantis Resort & Casino.

Now, if one is so inclined, they can spend the whole day hanging out at the resort, using their beaches and facilities, gambling in the casino, and playing in their waterpark. That would be cool, because everything there must be seen to be believed. But I've got better casinos in my hometown, and if I want to take a water slide through a shark tank, well, the Golden Nugget is just 20 minutes from my front door.

So instead of hanging out at Atlantis, I'd prefer to hop a boat out to one of the most beautiful and relaxing places I've ever been--Blue Lagoon Island.


I remember the first time I was there, and I was just mesmerized by the color of the water. It was clear, but it was also the most amazing neon green/blue I've ever seen. It was was so bright that it almost looked fake--I couldn't believe that colors like that actually existed in nature. This was in the days before digital cameras, so the only pictures I have that do it justice are prints, and I'm not quite sure exactly where they are, so I can't scan them and load them up right now. But take my word for it--you will never see color like that anywhere else.



What makes it even better than being a treat for the eyes is the temperature of the water. It's just a shade south of tepid bathwater, so on a hot day it feels cool, but you don't get chilled at all--you can swim all day long and you end up not wanting to get out of the ocean. Most people that go out there just hang out at the stingray enclosure, doing their best to avoid being stabbed in the chest, or they go to the dolphin encounter facility there where folks can jump in and swim with Flipper and the gang.

But I'm not really into that so much. Dolphins are awesome, but I prefer seeing them in the wild, like I do every time I sail out to Catalina. So I don't participate in that activity. However, at Blue Lagoon Island, interestingly enough, they have an awesome lagoon right up front that is straight out of a post card or travel poster. It's warm, clear, and the setting is unbelievable. But again, I skip that too.

The island is covered in mostly palm trees, with a bunch of low-lying shrubbery scattered about to give it a wild look. But the ground is all soft white sand, and you can damn near walk the entire length of the island barefoot if you want to. And what makes it so cool is that on the backside of the island, there is a trail that winds along through the palm trees beside the water, with a couple of secluded coves here and there where few people visit. I spent a very enjoyable afternoon back there one day, taking part in a re-enactment of that scene in From Here to Eternity (you know the one I'm talking about), and I swear at the time, I couldn't have imagined a more perfect day, or a more perfect place.

But once you decide to come back to the 'civilized' end of the island by the lagoon, it's got everything you need to feed that tropical island fantasy we all have. There are double-sized rope hammocks strung between the trees, perfect for lounging in the shade with that special someone. There are picnic tables, a bar, and a snack bar where they grill burgers and such. And of course there is a small stage, usually featuring a Calypso band, and dancing barefoot in the sand is highly encouraged.

It's quite the place, and if money were no object, I'd buy that island and keep it for myself. It is exactly what comes to mind when you think of a romantic tropical paradise. When you're lying there in that hammock, smelling the seductive combination of salt air and coconut, sipping on a cold frothy rum drink, feeling the ocean breeze, and listening to the lilting music of a steel drum band in the distance, it's the kind of place that makes you want to quit your job, sell your stuff, and move down to the Caribbean forever.

It's the ultimate battery recharger, especially if you're wired like me.

Mikey