12 August 2010: Carnival Pride; Nassau, Bahamas

We got up around 10am, when the ship was about to port at Nassau in the Bahamas. We got some breakfast and then headed off the ship, where we waited in line for this excursion, a visit to the Atlantis resort waterpark. It took some time to get the group processed but then we were on a bus and on our way. We rode through Nassau and to Atlantis, which is enormous and beautiful. We met our escort/guide and she walked up over to the waterpark and aquarium area and gave us a brief outline of the layout. At that point, we waited in a long line to get a locker (ugh) which was slow because they only had one cashier working (the line was around 40 people long when we joined it) and she was not exactly a model of efficiency. Oh well. Once we got the locker, we stored our stuff and headed out.

We first waited in line (see a pattern here?) for the Leap of Faith. This is a slide that is a 60 foot drop and then slides, underwater, through a shark tank. Now this is sweet. This slide was actually one of the final challenges on a past season of The Amazing Race and there were plenty of people who felt like the girl on that show did and couldn't convince themselves to go down. We then went on the companion slide, where you go down on tubes (you can go single or on a two person tube) that is a twisty, dark, slide and then ended up in the shark tank, in an enclosed tube, where you stop and move forward in bursts of 10 feet or so, inching your way through the tube, looking at sharks and fish all around while you do so. This is so sweet…it much be experienced. We did this one twice and then did the Jungle Slide, which was a little less intense but still a lot of fun. We then moved to the other tower of slides (the main slides are arranged in to two different towers) and went on The Abyss, which is a 120 foot drop where most of the slide is dark…really cool slide. Then, on to the Surge, which is a water coaster equipped slide where you go down on a tube then the coaster portion pushes you up with high intensity water jets and then down and then back up. This was quite cool but when you go on it, make sure your butt doesn't ride too low in the tube or it will hurt big time. That slide emptied into The Rapids, which is their version of a lazy river. You ride around in a tube and there are various sections with different attractions, ranging from rapids areas to one where big waves get generated from an offshoot and put you forward at a really fast clip. There is also a conveyor which pulls the tubes up a hill and then down. Finally, there is the entrance to two of the other Power Tower slides. Basically, you float down an offshoot of The Rapids and wait in this small waterway (you float and wait in line here instead of climbing up stairs and waiting there…awesome idea!). Whn you get to the Power Tower, a conveyor pulls you pul and you can float in one of two directions, each leading to a slide, The Falls or The Drop. Both include water coaster portions that push you up hills and both are lots and lots of fun. We rode The Falls first and then floated around the river again and rode The Drop.

We ate lunch here (normal theme park food at normal theme park prices) and, after hitting up all of the slides, we went on the Leap of Faith and the companion slides again and then figured it was time to head back to the bus to the ship. Atlantis closed at 7pm and the last bus left then too, so we got on the 6.30pm bus as we didn't want to cut it too close. The bus dropped us off near the port around 7.00pm and we did not have to be back onboard until 9.30pm, although dinner was at 8.15pm. So, we walked over to the Green Parrot Bar and talked to the very friendly and helpful bartender and had some beers for an hour or so. I saw they had Kalik on draft, which is a good beer I have had many times, but asked to see if they had anything I could not get in the States. On his recommendation, I had some High Rock and Cin had some Sands Light, which is a Bahamas beer that she really enjoyed. We had some good conversation with the bartender and Cin sat next to a guy that looked much like Samuel Clemens (yep…Mark Twain). Cool place…very local but not "too local" where we would have felt horribly out of place. :) If you're near the port at Nassau and want a good time and drinks, check this place out. Highly recommended.

After the bar, we walked up to some shops but most closed at 7pm. Nuts. Back on the ship. We cleaned up and then went to dinner, which was pretty good, but not the best I've had. I got the tomato mozzarella salad, which was delicious, another Caesar salad, and a flat iron steak. Cin had vegetable lasagna, which had a ton of spinach and she enjoyed it quite a bit. After dinner, we headed back to the casino where we spent some time but I lost today, $40 down. Cin was a big winner, ending up $100 up. Sweet. After that, time for bed. One more excursion to go…off to Freeport.