Coral Reefs - Grand Bahama

The Bahama Islands are the result of coral reefs, which became dry land when the sea level dropped hundreds of centuries ago. The islands are mostly flat with miles of white and pink sandy beaches. The highest point in the country is Mount Alvernia on Cat Island, which is 206 feet about sea level. There are no rivers in the Bahamas in part because the Islands of the Bahamas are made entirely of calcium carbonate, which is mainly produced or precipitated by the organisms of coral reefs -- this also contributes to the Bahamas having the clearest waters in the world with visibility of over 200 feet (61 meters). In fact, 5% of the world's coral can be found in the waters of The Bahamas and the Bahamas has the world's third longest barrier reef. Discovery Sun has daily cruises from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Bahama. There are many vacation options to chose from when sailing with Discovery Cruise Line including one day cruises, all inclusive vacations, Club Grand Bahama and 2 & 3 night cruises. Whether you are just visiting for the day or a few days, you will have time to go snorkeling during your stay on Grand Bahama. Weather permitting you can purchase your snorkel tickets onboard Discovery Sun at a discounted price.

Cruise from Fort Lauderdale

Discovery Sun has daily cruises from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Bahama. There are many vacation options to chose from when sailing with Discovery Cruise Line including one day cruises, all inclusive vacations, Club Grand Bahama and 2 & 3 night cruises. Freeport/Lucaya is a modernistic planned city, and is situated on Bahamas' second most popular tourist destination: the Island of Grand Bahama. On Grand Bahama you will find long stretches of deserted clean-white beaches, inviting hotels, one major casino, nighttime entertainment, world-class scuba diving facilities as well as land and sea activities. On the eastern and western ends of the Island are serene and quaint settings and finding hide-away spots is not uncommon. Shopping is also a feature and in Port Lucaya you will find great duty-free bargains. Grand Bahama boasts miles of pearly white beaches, and luxurious hotels. The less populated outskirts of Grand Bahama supply more serene and tranquil surroundings popular amongst those who desire private hideaway spots reminiscent of the Family Islands. For those into nature, Grand Bahama is also home to one of the oldest underwater cave systems in the world, situated at the Lucayan National Park. Whether you’re looking for modern luxury or want to get away from civilization, Grand Bahama offers the best of both worlds.

1 Day Cruise

I have been sick with the flu for the past four days, so I haven’t really ventured out of the ship. We have been very busy with 1 day cruise passengers and the Beach & Shopping Tour for 1 day cruise passengers sells out very quickly every morning. Kids are back in school soon so we are seeing the very last of passengers taking family vacations. Discovery Sun will be going into Wet Dock in September, so I will be having a few weeks off work. The break will be nice, I just hope there aren’t any storms since that is the peak of hurricane season…ew…

Air Boat Tour

Discovery Cruise Line offers a wide variety of excursion to passengers visiting Grand Bahama Island. You only need to do a 2-night cruise to experience some of the wonderful activities available. The Air Boat tour is a fairly new tour to Grand Bahama and may seem a little expensive, but it is well worth the price. Tansey (owner and guide) is a true professional; she uses her humor, experience and educational background to give you a glimpse of some of Grand Bahamas unique flora, fauna and geological oddities. You will be picked up from your hotel and on the ride to the "launch site" your guide will provide a short narrative on the history of the island, which in itself is quite fascinating. You will be given life jackets and earmuffs before boarding the boat and heading out to several blue holes, "holes" in the water, which drop down 60 or more feet in which fresh water mixes with salt water. The mixing of the water and occasional turbulence means these spots are often ideal places to spot various fish. The tour then quickly skips over to the mangroves on the North Shore where you are able to see more fish, birds and learn about the importance of mangroves. After landing on a small cay your guide will take you on a short nature walk with a special emphasis on bush medicine. The four-hour tour ends with an authentic Bahamian lunch of chicken and rice on a deserted, sandy cay.This tour is excellent if you're looking to do something besides sit on the beach or go shopping, it offers a glimpse into an area of the island that is not often seen by tourists.

Port Lucaya

Thinking of taking a 2 or 3 day cruise to Grand Bahama with Discovery Cruise Line, and wondering where to stay? As far as where a good place to stay on Grand Bahama goes, many people feel that Port Lucaya is the best bet, because you will have instant access to the beach, restaurants, activities and shopping. The marketplace in Lucaya is the best shopping area on the island, with specialty stores, restaurants, and a large Straw Market where you can haggle for local goods and cheap souvenirs. Port Lucaya is very busy during the daytime, all the way up to the sunset hours. During the morning hours, dozens of activity brokers and ship captains try to draw in customers for activities ranging from sport fishing to snorkeling to parasailing. Buses full of tourists arrive in Port Lucaya and line up for the Robinson Crusoe Beach Party, the Glass-Bottom Boat, and other favorite daytime adventures that they purchased onboard Discovery Cruise Line. At sunset, the ever-popular Bahama Mama Booze Cruise departs from the dock, full of rowdy vacationers ready to drink and have a good time. In the evening in Port Lucaya there's live music in Count Basie Square, a half-dozen little bars, frequented by locals and tourists alike, and a few hotel lounges. For people who want a relaxing night, several open-air restaurants and casual sweet shops are open till around 10pm.

Bahamian Cuisine

Passengers traveling to Grand Bahama on Discovery Sun quite often ask me, where they can eat true Bahamian food. Nearly every restaurant on Grand Bahama devotes at least a section of the menu to Bahamian food. Two dishes that you will find very popular and that you should try at least once while you are visiting the island are Cracked Conch & Grouper Fingers. Conch can be prepared in many different ways and my personal favorite is conch salad, which is raw conch with peppers, tomatoes and onions. Conch is a sea snail and it tastes a little like a clam. If you are taking a 1-day cruise from Fort Lauderdale you will have time to visit Daddy Brown’s conch stand, located in Port Lucaya. He makes by far the best conch salad I have ever had on the island. If you catch Daddy Brown at the right time, you can watch him remove the fresh conch right from the shell and prepare the salad right in front of you.

Relaxation

I have been working for Discovery Cruise Line for almost 16 years now and I never tire of the beautiful beaches on Grand Bahama. A one-day cruise from Fort Lauderdale takes you to a whole new world of beauty and relaxation. No matter how busy or stressful my morning is heading to Grand Bahama I know that a couple of hours on the beach in Port Lucaya or Taino Beach Resort will wash away all of my cares, leaving me refreshed for our trip back to Florida. If you don’t have time for a 2 or 3 night cruise, try one of the 1 day cruises and spend the afternoon relaxing in this island paradise.

Conch Cracking Contest

I am constantly searching for different things to do on Grand Bahama and since Discovery Cruise Line cruises from Fort Lauderdale daily to Grand Bahama, I have plenty of time to research. Although I love experiencing different things myself, I love to be able to inform our passengers of the many wonderful things that they can do during their stay. If you are going to be visiting Grand Bahama in October, you may want to check out the Conch Cracking Contest. Each year, McLean's Town hosts their Conch Cracking Contest, where people flock this usually sleepy settlement to find out who will be crowned "Best Conch Cracker". The procedure involves hitting the third ring of the crown (base) of the conch shell with a sharp object, such as a small hatchet or axe to make a hole. Then, the mollusk (conch meat) is dislodged with a knife or by hand from its shells. The winner is the person who "cracks" the largest number of conchs within a specified time. Trophies and prizes are awarded for the "Conch Eating" and "Conch Cracking" The event usually takes place on Heroes Day (a.k.a. Columbus or Discovery Day) and this year is Monday, October 13th. A whole day of events take place with lots of food and music, usually plaiting the maypole, grease pole climbing, ribbon drill, Junkanoo rushout, three-legged races, swim contest, and of course the highlight is the big cracking competition! This daylong event is great for the whole family and something you will only experience in the Bahamas.

Explore Grand Bahama

If you are taking one of Discovery Cruise Lines 2 or 3 day cruises from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Bahama there are many different activities that you can do during your stay. I personally like to get away from the main tourist areas and highly recommend the Native Hunting Tour. This tour is approximately 6 ½ hours in length and you will discover a totally different side to Grand Bahama. You will be picked up at your hotel and taken on a 45-minute scenic ride to the eastern end of the island, to McLean’s Town. Once you reach McLean’s Town a speedboat will be standing by to take you over shallow waters to a deserted cay, called Lightbourne’s Cay. Surrounded by three miles of powder white sand, you can relax, beachcombe for sea biscuits, sand dollars, conch shells and rainbow shells. Snorkel over the colorful reefs, or try your hand fishing like a native (hand-line fishing), then enjoy your catch for lunch, along with fresh fruits, salad hot dogs, and grilled coconut marshmallows. This tour is a little more expensive than most but it definitely worth every penny.

Smooth Sailing

Boy it was hot on Grand Bahama today. The cruise from Fort Lauderdale was very smooth and we arrived almost 45 minutes early on the island. Passengers taking the one day cruise were very happy with the extra time that they had on Grand Bahama especially those that went on the beach and shopping tour as they had extra time at the beautiful Taino Beach Resort. I will probably go on the Beach & Shopping Tour myself tomorrow. It has been a while since I visited the resort and well, it is just a good excuse to work on my tan.