Allure Cruise Day 2

Day 2, Nassau

Monday, November 28, 2011

Today we docked in Nassau on a bright, sunny morning. We breakfasted in the Windjammer Café on smoked salmon with toasted bagels and cream cheese, fresh croissants and pastries, fried eggs and veggie omelets, fresh cut fruit, and much more. You can eat as little or as much as you want. I liked the yogurt parfaits at the Solarium Bistro. Several venues are open for breakfast, and there's even a Starbucks on the Royal Promenade, although this costs money. Seattle's Best coffee is served elsewhere throughout the ship.

View of Atlantis Resort

We disembarked to stroll down Bay Street at Nassau lined with shops. Nothing grabbed our attention so we meandered through the straw market until 11:00 when Senor Frog's opened. By then we were hungry again, so we ordered lunch. I'd been in a Senor Frog's in Cozumel but never this one. It overlooked the water with a lovely view and a lively atmosphere that quickly got crowded. I got a Bahama Mama that tasted fruity without much rum.

We ordered a guacamole appetizer and were thrilled when a man wheeled over a cart for making it in front of us. Into a big bowl he added chopped tomatoes, onions, and scooped out the insides of two avocados. He stirred in fresh parsley, added salt, and squeezed in juice from a lime. After mixing it together, he poured the compound into a lava-like bowl and served it along with tortilla chips. This was filling in itself.

Grouper Fingers and Potato Curls

I'd also ordered fried grouper fingers, because fresh grouper is good in the Bahamas. This was very tasty, although I didn't have much room left in my stomach for the potato curls that accompanied the dish. After eating our fill, we headed back to the ship. TIP 8: Bring your passport whenever you leave the ship. We needed photo ID to return, in addition to our Seapass card. And if you ever go astray from your tour and are left behind, you'll need your passport to return to the States.

Once back on the ship, my daughter and I headed to the spa for massages. We'd received vouchers for free treatments as a booking bonus, although the coupons didn't cover gratuities. The spa is very luxurious and relaxing, and we enjoyed our treatments. A small café there offers healthy refreshments for a fee.

This was formal night, so we got dressed up and then headed to dinner. I ate shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, roast duck, and cherry cake.

Later, we attended the comedy show which was highly entertaining. We stopped for champagne in the Champagne Lounge, where we received a free plate of cookies and chocolate dipped strawberries.

The Royal Promenade was lively with people browsing in the shops and sipping drinks at the bars. You can catch glimpses of Dreamworks characters at the frequent parades.

Royal Promenade

If you get tired of the crowds, head up to Central Park on Deck 8 and stroll outside amid the greenery, gazing at the night sky and hearing the crickets chirp. If you're lucky, you'll catch a musical performance outside in the fresh air.

Musicians in Central Park

COMING NEXT: Day 3 At Sea, St. Thomas and St. Maarten