Uncovering Puerto Plata: Free Things to Do Near the Cruise Ports

TW: Sexual Assault

I was cruising on the Carnival Mardi Gras recently when my phone started blowing up with messages from my worried circle—friends and family who knew I was heading to Nassau, Bahamas. They were spooked because of a Level 2 Travel Advisory issued by the US Department of State for the Bahamas and news of 18 murders already in Nassau in 2024. The online cruise message boards were also buzzing with concerned cruisers, asking if it was even safe to step off the ship in Nassau, worried that the Bahamas were just too dangerous.

I was a bit taken aback by the swift and immediate uproar, noting that the travel advisory mentioned that while the majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands, the advisory was due to gang-on-gang violence in the “Over the Hill” area near Shirley Street. I spent a lovely and uneventful day in Nassau, my eighth visit, and had some great conversations with locals who confirmed that the uptick in murders was a matter of “community policing” and should not be of concern to tourists.

I was hearing so much about the fears of safety in Nassau, and the safety of the Bahamas in general, that I made a video on TikTok to address it. In the video, I noted that at any given time, the US Department of State has active travel advisories for over 200 locations, including popular cruise destinations like Antigua, Belize, Bermuda, Jamaica, and others. If I avoided getting off the ship at every location with an advisory, I’d likely never enjoy a port day in the Caribbean at all.

A few days later, the TikTok video was still going strong, but now with some commentors accusing me of downplaying the safety concerns amid a new report that had just come out with a heartbreaking story of two Kentucky women who were cruising on Carnival and were raped in the Bahamas during a port stop in Freeport in broad daylight in the middle of the day at a local resort. Because of this and the travel advisory happening back-to-back, Bahamas news was not good and concerns from tourists amplified. Even searching for “things to do in the Bahamas” will generate results of these recent incidents at the very top.

The question I was then asked was – are you still not afraid of traveling to the Bahamas? My answer? No.

What happened to these women is devastating, but the sad reality is that sexual violence against women isn’t exactly a rare occurrence, and it’s something that happens every day everywhere. This is not a problem exclusive to the Bahamas. According to RAINN, every 68 seconds an American is sexually assaulted, with the majority of these instances happening in the United States. It’s a sad a concern just whnd sobering statistic, and I use it only to highlight that the risk of sexual assault isn’t aen cruising or traveling, but something that can happen even “at home” – and most often it does happen in the U.S. I do not in any way intend to downplay what happened to these women, and all other victims of sexual assault, but I do not think that this should result in cruisers avoiding the Bahamas.

I do caution fellow travelers to exercise caution when traveling, whether it is a cruise or any other form of travel. While crime can happen anywhere, tourists can be specifically targeted. Cruisers can help minimize their risk by observing these cruise ship safety strategies, which are also detailed in the infographic:

• Stay close to port and in touristic areas.
• Verify and vet transportation.
• Consume alcohol with caution.
• Engage in only verified excursions from trusted, proven operators.

You can get referrals of private drivers and excursions is through various cruise groups on Facebook, and on Viator, where you can read user reviews before booking. Here are options for private drivers in Nassau, for instance, or general excursions. Upon arrival, always ask the driver to show you their credentials, and don’t be afraid to even ask to take a photo of them.

Yes, many of these cruise excursion safety travel tips and strategies are “no brainers”, but when we cruise and are in the confines of a port area, surrounded by thousands of other cruisers – or at a resort on an excursion as is the case of the Kentucky women who were victimized – it’s easy to get complacent and ignore these common safeguards. Being cautious, aware, and vigilant are always good defenses.