Activities in the Bahamas with Blount Small Ship Adventures
Jill takes out a kayak
Activities in the Bahamas with Blount Small Ship Adventures
By WAVEJourney
Activities on Blount’s 12-Day Bahamian Out Islands Cruise
Sailing on a small ship means that passengers get to experience a more intimate cruise with fewer guests, plus visit a wider variety of smaller destinations the ship can call into. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that the selection and variety of activities available to passengers are any less interesting as those available during voyages on larger cruise ships. We found that true with our Blount Small Ship Adventures 12-day Bahamian Out Island cruise on Grande Mariner, roundtrip from Nassau on Paradise Island.
Glass bottom boat guided tour
ACTIVITIES ABOARD GRANDE MARINER:
- Cocktail parties – On a few days during the cruise, an included Captain’s cocktail hour or party took place on the ship.
- Live music by local musicians – Local musicians played instruments and sang on Grande Mariner while in Spanish Wells and Nassau.
- Lecture by a local – Local Bahamian islander Jock gave an after-dinner talk about Eleuthera.
- Talks and demonstrations – Bahamas marine life talks and fitting snorkel gear properly demonstration with Nature Guide Luz Hunter.
- Other activities – Puzzles, books, bingo, games, movies, and documentaries. Also, beach-combing, marine life, and flora/fauna guidebooks were available for reference.
Jill goes snorkeling in the Bahamas
ACTIVITIES INCLUDED WHILE IN THE BAHAMAS:
- Snorkeling– Snorkeling gear provided on the ship included masks, fins, and snorkel vests.
- Skiff rides – Passengers took skiff rides to the beach at various remote and secluded locations for a variety of activities – snorkeling, swimming, walks, relaxing.
- Nature hike – An escorted hike with Nature Guide Luz Hunter to Boo Boo Hill at Warderick Wells in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park.
- Beach afternoon – Bus shuttle to the beach on Governor’s Harbour to swim and snorkel.
- Nature Walk – Mangrove nature walk with Nature Guide Luz Hunter on Compass Cay.
- Glass Bottom Boat – Guided excursion on Blount’s very own glass bottom boat at Compass Cay with Nature Guide Luz Hunter.
- Swimming with Nurse Sharks – At Compass Cay Marina swimming with the nurse sharks was included for Blount passengers (all other marina visitors paid $10pp).
- Harbour Island Ferry Trip – The ferry ride between Spanish Wells and Harbour Island was included for all guests during a full-day excursion.
- Blount Grande Mariner bow landing at Hawksbill Cay – Where guests were able to walk directly outside on the bow gangway and into the water.
Swimming with nurse sharks at Compass Cay
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE IN THE BAHAMAS:
- Kayak – The Grande Mariner carried about a dozen kayaks that guests could request to use for a fee ($20) in select areas where the ship was docked or moored.
- Harbour Island Guided Sightseeing Tour via Golf Cart – A ferry ride between Spanish Wells and Harbour Island was followed with a guided sightseeing tour via 4-6 passenger golf carts. Then guests had free time to explore by golf cart until it was time for the return ferry.
- Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve – At Governor’s Harbour on Eleuthera a morning excursion to the 25-acre preserve to see indigenous plants and trees was available. The bus ride from the ship to the preserve was about 20 minutes, and the included guided tour lasted approximately 90 minutes.
- Swimming Pigs on Big Major Cay – This 90-minute excursion was with a local outfitter, Wheels n’ Waves, on their 22′ Century 2200 8-passenger boat. First it was a visit to see the swimming pigs, and then as the tide was out we stopped at a sand bar to swim in the ocean and walk on the pristine white sand beach.
Optional piggy excursion
A balance of plenty of things to see and do, plus enough time to relax and just be in the moment, made for a memorable and bucket-list-worthy journey. In fact, it was such a fantastic way to explore the Bahamas and go where the big ships can’t, that we’d eagerly do it all over again.
Heading to the beach
BOTTOM LINE:
For anyone that wants to enjoy a slow and relaxed visit to the Bahamas, this is the way to do it. Blount’s small ship cruise to the Bahamian Out Islands took us to some spectacular places that only sail boats and mega-yachts typically get to. We are glad this was the way we got to experience the Bahamas on our first ever trip there.
Blount skiff takes passengers to shore
Notes: WAVEJourney were media guests of Blount Small Ship Adventures from March 10-22, 2016. Read our full disclosure statement to see our review policy.
