Bahamas Cruise Ship Destination Port
Cruise Ship Port of Call information like Port News, Weather, Transportation Options, Things to Do and See, Area Events, Medical Care, Crime and Safety Review
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Get to know our slice of Paradise - located on the SW Coast of Fl.
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Bahamas
Castaway CayFreeport
Coco Cay
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Nassau
Princess Cay
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Eastern Caribbean
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Tortola
Hurricanes
The Bahamas are situated in an area prone to hurricanes. From June to November, the country may experience strong winds and rains as a result of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.
In the event of a tropical storm or hurricane, go to our Tropical Storm Update page
Getting Around
Traffic in the Bahamas moves on the left side of the roadway. Roads in Nassau and Freeport are generally adequate, but traffic congestion in Nassau is endemic. Rural roads can be narrow, winding, and in poor condition.
Flooding frequently occurs on roads in low-lying areas throughout The Bahamas, including Nassau and Freeport.
Travel by moped or bicycle can be quite hazardous, especially in the heavy traffic conditions prevalent in Nassau.
Travelers should exercise appropriate caution when renting motorbikes. Those who choose to ride a moped or bicycle should follow the Bahamian helmet law and drive defensively.
Accidents involving U.S. tourists on motorbikes have resulted in severe injuries and fatalities.
Pedestrians need to remember that vehicular traffic comes from the right, as many tourists have been struck by cars after failing to check properly for oncoming traffic.
Scooters and Jet-Skis
Every year people are killed or injured due to improper, careless or reckless operation of scooters, jet-skis, and personal watercraft. Visitors should insist on seeing proof that operators have sufficient medical and liability insurance.
ports > destinations > The Bahamas
The Islands of the Bahamas
| Good to Know | Getting Around |
| Medical Services | Personal Safety |
| Area Events | Scooters/Jet-skis |
The Bahamas are a chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida and northeast of Cuba. The Bahamas extend 760 miles from the coast of Florida on the north-west , and stretch almost to Haiti on the south-east. The group consists of 700 islands and 2,400 cays with an area of 5,358 sq. miles (13,878 sq. km.). Thirty of the islands are inhabited.
The Bahamas is a developed, English-speaking Caribbean nation composed of hundreds of islands covering a territory approximately the size of California.
Tourism and financial services comprise the two largest sectors of the economy. Independent from the United Kingdom since 1973, The Bahamas is a Commonwealth nation with more than a century-old democratic tradition.
The Bahamas achieved independence from Britain July 10, 1973, and is now a fully self-governing member of the Commonwealth and a member of the United Nations, the Caribbean Community and the Organization of American States.
The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.
Good to Know
Ports of Entry
Nassau and Freeport are major cruise ship ports of call.
Time Zone
AST - (UTC/GMT - 5)
Size
The Bahamas has over 700 islands that make up the archipelago and are roughly equivalent in size to California in the USA.
Population
The combined population of the islands is approximately 310,000. Only 25 of the 700 islands have significant populations, and about two-thirds of all Bahamians live on the small island (7 x 21 miles) of New Providence, where the capital Nassau is located and what is the center of commerce.
Average Temperatures
Water: 83°Summer - 78° Winter
Air: 86° Summer - 80° Winter
Medical Services
High-quality medical care is generally available, but expensive, in Nassau and Freeport. Medical care is limited outside of Nassau and Freeport. Bahamian doctors and hospitals do not usually accept U.S. medical insurance policies and typically expect immediate cash payment for professional services. It is the patient's responsibility to seek reimbursement later from their insurance companies.
Bahamas Ministry of Health for health announcements
Dengue Fever
U.S. citizens should be aware of the recent Dengue Fever outbreak in The Bahamas. The Bahamas Ministry of Health has reported over 1,000 reports by individuals suffering from symptoms similar to Dengue Fever. The Ministry of Health has begun spraying local communities to reduce the mosquito population to combat the outbreak and has stressed to the public the importance of prevention.
Personal Safety
Posted May 18, 2012
Overview
Visitors should exercise caution and good judgment at all times. Criminals tend to target restaurants and nightclubs frequented by tourists.
One common approach is for criminals to entice victims into accepting a ride, either as a “personal favor” or by claiming to offer taxi service, and then robbing and/or assaulting the passenger once they are in the car.
Travelers should avoid walking alone after dark or in isolated areas. Be cautious on deserted areas of beaches at all hours.
Visitors should store passports/identity documents, airline tickets, credit cards, and extra cash in stateroom safes.
Automated teller machines (ATMs) are available; however, visitors should try not to use them, especially after dark.
Avoid wearing expensive jewelry, particularly expensive watches, which criminals have specifically targeted.
Visitors are advised to report crime to the Royal Bahamas Police Force as quickly as possible. Early reports frequently improve the likelihood of identifying and apprehending suspected perpetrators.
The legal age in The Bahamas for consumption of alcoholic beverages is 18.
In many countries around the world, including The Bahamas, counterfeit and pirated goods are available. Transactions involving such products may be illegal under local law.
Area Events
Bahamas Junkanoo
Boxing Day (Dec 26) and January 2. Parties begin at 2:00am and go until dawn. Nassau's Bay Street lights up each year for Junkanoo - an adrenalin rush of colors, costumes and floats driven by the beat of the goatskin drum. Website
Emancipation Day
Bahamians look for any excuse to stage a Junkanoo festival and Emancipation Day is the best excuse of all. The celebrations are mainly concentrated in Fox Hill village, Nassau.
All For One Regatta
Come the end of January a colorful sailing regatta sets off from the coast of Nassau's Montagu Bay. Between 30 and 40 ships, all built in the area, compete in the All For One Regatta every year.
