Enjoying Nassau’s Solitude Despite 20,000 Cruise Passengers

Day 2, 2024 Holiday Tropical Caribbean

Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024; Nassau, Bahamas.

I surprised myself this morning by being perhaps the first passenger off the Zuiderdam. I woke up early and was waiting for the buffet to open as the Zuiderdam pulled into the empty Nassau, Bahamas, cruise ship harbor. It wouldn’t be quiet or empty for long I realized, as I saw a parade of large cruise ships following us.

My plan had been to wander ashore mid morning for an hour or so just to see changes since my previous visits. But after eight days at sea and yesterday’s transfer day, I was eager to sketch. That wouldn’t be easy with five cruise ships disgorging 20,000 passengers, so I decided to beat the rush.

As I walked down the deserted pier at 7:15 a.m., I knew I had made the right decision. I had to walk to the far end of the new cruise terminal marketplace to find an unlocked gate, passing dozens of identical small tourist shops, stalls and bars – all closed. Even the area set aside for hair braiding was deserted.

It all had a Potemkin village feel about it, much like our 2023 stop in Falmouth, Jamaica. Colorful, safe, with plenty of public restrooms and devoid of taxi drivers and tour operators hawking their services.

I had thought I would sketch some of the old structures I remembered, but instead was drawn by the sight of two bright colorful new building amidst the palm trees. This early no one disturbed me, and the sketch didn’t take long. However, I hadn’t planned well – my portable paint palette still had the deep umber and sienna hues for old Mediterranean buildings and ruins. I needed the bright Caribbean colors I had left on the ship. I would paint it later.

I first visited Nassau in 1993 on my first cruise. The old straw market was a junky maze — an authentic taste of the island’s tourist fare but certainly a fire hazard. And in 2001 it did succumb to a blaze that destroyed the entire place. Today’s straw market probably meets all fire codes and still offers hats, bags and all things straw. But before opening this morning, it also feels antiseptic and like a shop in a Disney property.

The nearby Sharkeez Bar and Grill has lost the thatched roof from 2013, when I was last in Nassau and decamped there to use WIFI, as it wasn’t working on our ship. During the pandemic I wrote a  cruise flashback post about my initial foray into blogging on that cruise. I realized between Galveston and Nassau that I had no idea how to post to my new website, so I spent the day in Nassau downloading instructions.

Today I had to work my way around seating stands set up along Bay Street. A little research later indicates they are preparing for the Junkanoo Festival, when “the streets of Nassau, Freeport, and other islands explode with a whirlwind of color, music, and energy as locals and visitors gather to celebrate this centuries-old tradition.”

The parades start the day after Christmas. I had almost forgotten the holiday is nearly here.

Before 9 a.m. I fought my way back to the Zuiderdam through tourists streaming off the ships, most carrying beach bags stuffed with towels, goggles and swim shoes. I headed for the Crow’s Nest and my first latte of the day. I was delighted to see my “Crow’s Nest buddy” Vic sitting at his regular table next to mine, just as he did on previous world cruises. He has been on board since mid-October and will stay till May.

We had the Crow’s Nest almost to ourselves until Capt. Friso Kramer came up for coffee before the scheduled crew emergency drill. He sat to visit for a few minutes, noting that he just joined the Zuiderdam yesterday, for the first time with his teen daughter joining him. He will be the ship’s master until Singapore on March 1, when Capt. Frank van der Hoeven will take over. They rotate captain duties on the Zuiderdam and thus on the world cruises.

Later this evening, he introduced his senior officers to the passengers. Among those who also brought families for the holiday cruise were staff captain Karl Van Overloop whose son sported his own officer jacket.

I even captured a beautiful sunset over my “obstructing” lifeboat as we sailed away.