Unique cultural excursions for Nassau cruise passengers

If you’ve been on more than a couple Caribbean cruises out of Florida, you probably feel like the Bahamas are as familiar as your own backyard. But on a recent MSC Seashore voyage, I found some unique experiences off the beaten path in Nassau.

Touring Nassau During a Cruise

The Bahamas is comprised of 700 islands stretching across over 5,300 square miles, but many visitors only ever experience the cruise port in Nassau. After an extensive upgrade, this is now among the nicest ports in the region, with well-organized shops and services replacing the aggressive vendors who previously stalked the pier.

The gentrification of the cruise port, which included the addition of an amphitheater for outdoor performances, also displaced the local fishermen, who would sell their catches right from their boats tied up along the shoreline.

Fortunately, you can stroll a few hundred feet toward the nearby public beach, and still find shacks selling the best fresh conch ceviche you’ve ever tasted; ask for the tropical version with diced mango.

Of course, most cruise passengers who disembark in Nassau never make it past the straw market or strip jewelry stores that sit just outside the port’s gates. Or they are whisked away on excursions to private resorts, like Atlantis.

However, there are a couple can’t-miss attractions just a few blocks further on, which I found with the help of my friends from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. (For the record, although I was hosted on my visit and stuck to well-populated areas during the daytime, I never felt any more unsafe than I would in any large city, despite a security alert early this year from the U.S. State Department.)

Educulture Junkanoo Museum

Junkanoo is the national cultural festival of the Bahamas, centered around exuberant nighttime street parades held primarily around Christmas and New Year’s. Though it may superficially resemble Mardi Gras, Junkanoo traces its lineage to West Africa, and is closely connected to the Bahamian struggle for independence from British colonialism.

I got to learn about this thriving tradition at the Educulture Junkanoo Museum, which curator Arlene Nash Ferguson founded in 2000 inside her former childhood home.

Traditional Junkanoo costumes are handmade by parade participants, who come from all walks of Bahamian society. The garments are often constructed from found objects such as newspaper or recycled cardboard.

Ferguson helps preserve that history not only by displaying an array of vibrant vintage Junkanoo costumes, but also by hosting educational workshops for both tourists and local schoolchildren, passing down her time-honored craft.

The Educulture Junaknoo Museum is an immersive, interactive experience that provides a true taste of authentic Bahamian culture. It is located next to the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas on West Street in downtown Nassau, and is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant

A short distance away, we find our next selection for a unique Nassau cruise excursion. The historic Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant provides a taste of Old World luxury amid tropical splendor, inside a palatial estate originally built by a privateer (a.k.a. legal pirate).

The heart of the property, which has been owned and operated by the Garzaroli family since 1973, is a boutique bed-and-breakfast hotel with 16 guest rooms and a five-star award-winning restaurant.

Together, these enticements have made this resort a favorite destination among A-list celebrities, but ordinary folks can access the stunning pool facilities and enjoy lunch by purchasing a day pass.

In more recent years, Graycliff has branched out with additional attractions that could expand your visit to an entire afternoon. First, there’s a Havana-style cigar factory that was founded by Fidel Castro’s former personal hand-roller.

Next, you can play Willy Wonka while helping create an array of tempting sweets — with flavorings from salted caramel to spicy goat pepper — inside the full-fledged chocolate factory.

If you like your treats more grown-up, there’s a custom wine-blending experience, where you can design your own personalized plonk, down to labeling and corking the bottle. A somewhat inebriated guest I met described it as “the best cruise excursion I’ve ever been on in Nassau.”

Finally, the Graycliff’s greatest treasures lie beneath visitors’ feet, within a labyrinthine cellar that boasts the world’s third-largest private wine collection (second in the Western Hemisphere, after Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa).

Secured in that vast vino vault is a $200,000 bottle from the 1700s, along with other rare vintages that have aged for well over a century.

The Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant is located on West Hill Street, and is open daily for afternoon tea. Excursions including wine, chocolate, and cigar-making experiences can be booked directly, or via cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean and Disney.

Full Cruise Trip Report

For more cruising tidbits, read our full MSC Seashore trip report from our 4-night voyage:

For more information about cruising to the Caribbean and Nassau cruise excursions, visit MEI Travel for a free, no-obligation quote.