The Bahamas may be a stopover for many, but once you arrive you'll want to stay forever. With roughly 700 sun drenched islands and cays you'll be left mesmerised by what is arguably the clearest water on the planet!. Located in the Atlantic Ocean a short distance from the south eastern tip of the USA, it is home to large scale hotels, amazing snorkelling and scuba diving sites and a range of privately owned islands. Alot of the big cruise liners have purchased their own islands to provide exclusive access for their guests. For example, Royal Caribbean own Perfect Day at Coco Cay, Castaway Cay is owned by the Walt Disney Company who operate Disney Cruises, and Great Stirrup Cay is owned by Norwegian Cruises. So with all that information you'll be wanting to know who operates the best Bahamas Cruises? What ports will be included in your itinerary and do we have any Bahamas cruises on sale? Read on to find out more!
Climate
Temperatures in the Bahamas range from 27 to 32°C (80 to 85°F) in the summer and 21 to 27°C (70 to 78°F) in winter. The wet season runs from June to November with the two wettest months being October and June.
Best time to Visit
The best time to visit the Bahamas is between mid April and mid May where you'll avoid the tourist rush and US school holidays such as Spring Break. The most reliable weather is during the high season from December to mid April. Hurricane season occurs from early June to November with a peak in August and September. The Bahamas Mardi Gras "Junkanoo" occurs on January 1, July 10 and December 26 each year if you want to witness an array of colourful street parades with floats, music, costume and dancing.
Time
The Bahamas is on GMT-4 which is the same timezone as New York and Miami. April to October is Eastern Daylight Time, in conjunction with U.S. summer hours.
Currency
Both the Bahamian Dollar (B$1) and US Dollar are accepted throughout the islands. If you pay in USD, you will usually get USD change whereas if you pay in Bahamian dollars, you will get Bahamian currency in return.
Cruise Ports
The Bahamas has a number of cruise ports throughout its many islands including:
- Nassau - Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas. Cruise ships dock at Prince George Wharf,
- Castaway Cay - owned by Walt Disney Company
- Freeport
- Half Moon Cay - Private island of Holland America (Carnival also use this)
- Great Stirrup Cay - owned by Norwegian Cruise Line
- Perfect Day at Coco Cay - Royal Caribbean's private island
- Princess Cays - the Island of Princess Cruises
Who Sails to the Bahamas
Royal Caribbean has a large number of cruises sailing to the Bahamas. Their short 3 night cruises from Miami are the most popular occurring regularly sailing to Cococay and Nassau.
Norwegian sails to Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay from Florida cruise ports including Miami, Port Canaveral and Tampa on 3 to 5 night itineraries.
Holland America cruise to their port in the Bahamas Half Moon Cay on regular itineraries from Fort Lauderdale. These cruises are usually longer Caribbean Cruises and sail through other ports such as Cozumel, San Juan, St Thomas. and George Town.
Celebrity sails to Nassau on regular 4 night cruises from Miami
Getting to the Bahamas
It's really not as far from Australia and New Zealand as you may think. Qantas, Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand operate daily flights to the USA to cities such as Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. A connecting flight within the USA will take you to your cruise port for embarkation to the Bahamas.
Things to do
- Take your pick from a number of Bahamas Shore Excursions including lunch, island tours, shark diving, or powerboat adventures.
- Visit the Bahamian Brewery.
- Hire an ATV or 4x4 Buggy.
- Do some Kayaking.
- Take a shopping tour.
- Partake in a Bahamian Cooking Lesson.
Where do Bahamas Cruises depart?
- Miami
- Fort Lauderdale
- Port Canaveral
- New York
Bahamas Cruises on Sale
Cruises to the Bahamas are on sale at different times throughout the year including inclusive drinks packages and bonus credit. Start your enquiry with our no obligation booking engine.