There are certain ports that make cruisers excited the moment they see them on an itinerary.
Nassau is usually not one of them.
That may sound harsh, but spend five minutes in any cruise group, forum, or comment section and you’ll see it pretty quickly. Nassau is consistently one of the lowest-rated ports in the Caribbean, with Freeport usually right behind it.
It’s not that there’s nothing to do in Nassau. There is. You can go to the beach, visit Atlantis, take a tour, grab food, wander around, or do a pilgrimage to Señor Frog’s where poor decisions are served by the minute.
But for a lot of cruisers, Nassau is the port where they stay onboard, enjoy a quieter ship, and maybe wonder why their itinerary needed this stop in the first place.
And tomorrow, May 12, The Bahamas is giving cruisers another reason to be annoyed.
A nationwide alcohol sales ban will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. due to election day. That means no alcohol sales across the country during those hours.
And yes, that includes cruise line private islands and private destinations.
Because apparently the person sitting under an umbrella at Castaway Cay with a plate of barbecue and a Mickey ice cream bar is a major threat to the democratic process.
This Impacts More Than Nassau
This is not just a Nassau issue. The ban applies throughout The Bahamas, which means passengers spending the day at private islands and beach destinations are also impacted.
Ships scheduled to be in The Bahamas on Tuesday, May 12 include:
Nassau
- MSC Seaside
- Utopia of the Seas
- Caribbean Princess
Carnival’s Celebration Key
- Carnival Glory
- Carnival Freedom
Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay
- Wonder of the Seas
- Oasis of the Seas
Bimini
- Carnival Sunshine
Disney Cruise Line’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point
- Disney Fantasy
Holland America’s Half Moon Cay
- Carnival Vista
Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Cay
- Disney Wish
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Great Stirrup Cay
- Norwegian Getaway
That’s a lot of passengers expecting a beach day, a private island day, or a quick stop in Nassau who are now getting something a little drier than advertised.
For some, this will not matter. They’ll swim, eat, relax, and survive without a frozen drink for a few hours.
For others, especially those who planned on spending the day at a beach bar, it’s going to feel like one more Bahamas-related curveball they didn’t ask for.
The Private Island Part Makes No Sense
If The Bahamas wants to ban alcohol sales during voting hours, that’s their law and their election.
But extending that ban to cruise line private islands and private destinations is where this becomes ridiculous.
Passengers at Celebration Key, Perfect Day at CocoCay, Castaway Cay, Great Stirrup Cay, Half Moon Cay, and Lighthouse Point are not voting in a Bahamian election. They’re not walking into a polling place with a frozen margarita. They’re not influencing national policy at all.
They’re tourists on a cruise vacation. A vacation type that brings a literal boat-load of money to the country every single day. Without that money, well, the country would not survive.
Many cruisers booked these itineraries specifically because they included a private island or beach destination. That is the whole point. Cruise lines have spent years building these places because passengers keep complaining non-stop about Nassau and Freeport.
Guests want the beach, the water, the food, the loungers, and an easy day without the usual port hassles.
So the cruise lines built escapes from Nassau and Freeport.
And somehow The Bahamas still found a way to make those days more complicated and miserable for visitors.
Cruise Lines Are Taking The Heat
Naturally, cruisers are not just mad at The Bahamas. They are also blaming the cruise lines.
That part is understandable.
If a major part of the expected port experience is going to change, passengers should know as early as possible. Not the day before. Not buried in fine print. Not after they have already bought drink packages, booked excursions, and imagined themselves floating in the ocean with a frozen margarita in hand.
No one is saying alcohol is required to enjoy a cruise. It’s not.
But expectations matter.
If a cruise line sells a private island day as part of the experience, and that experience is going to be impacted by local law, guests should be told clearly and early. Especially when the affected destinations are the very places cruise lines market as carefree beach escapes.
The Bahamas Already Has A Cruise Problem
This would probably be less irritating if Nassau and Freeport were favorite cruise stops.
They’re anything but.
Nassau is convenient. It is close to Florida and it’s easy for cruise lines to offer short itineraries. But convenience does not equal passenger satisfaction.
Freeport has its own reputation problem, as it’s a port that needs an excursion to make the day work.
That’s why cruise lines have invested so heavily in private destinations throughout The Bahamas. They know passengers want a better version of the Bahamas experience.
But on May 12, even those destinations get pulled into the frustration.
A passenger at CocoCay or Castaway Cay should not feel like their day is being impacted by the same issues that make people avoid getting off the ship in Nassau.
Yet here we are.
On May 12, passengers on MSC Seaside, Utopia of the Seas, Caribbean Princess, Carnival Glory, Carnival Freedom, Wonder of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Carnival Sunshine, Disney Fantasy, Carnival Vista, Disney Wish, and Norwegian Getaway are all scheduled to be somewhere in The Bahamas during a nationwide alcohol sales ban.
Some will shrug it off.
Some will be annoyed.
Some will act like The Bahamas personally ripped a piña colada out of their hand.
But the bigger issue is simple: The Bahamas keeps giving cruise passengers reasons to complain, even at the private destinations that were built because passengers were already complaining.
And on May 12, the bar will not just be low.
It will be closed.