18 DCL Guests Robbed in Nassau

[Ed]

Unfortunately, eighteen guests were recently robbed at shotgun-point while on a Segway tour in Nassau.

Read the full story here.

Just goes to show that this kind of thing can happen anywhere, even on an idyllic DCL cruise.

[laprana]

Yikes, that's terrible! I'm glad that everyone was ok throughout that ordeal. I wonder if this will change the excursions that Disney offers from now on?

[princessgirls]

That is just awful. So thankful that everyone is alive.

Julie

[MidnTPK]

I'd seen this story on message boards I frequent about Atlantis....I didn't know until now that it was a DCL group.

I've had several random thoughts about this:

1) Why would anyone ever go on a eco-tour of Nassau. I visit Atlantis annually, and New Providence Island (home to Nassau) is basically a desert. It's pretty flat and is barely anything more than a sand bar. Which has nothing to do with getting held-up. They should end this tour because it's a useless money-grabbing-tourist-trap that offers nothing of value.

2) There's been a a few tourist-victim crimes in the Nassau area this year, which had been pretty rare on the island for the past 10 years or so. I'm sort-of amused when people are so-shocked that a fairly impoverished population, beaten down by tourism job losses, sees a small spike in crime. Are people not watching their local news, watching the crime that happens in our wealthy backyard every day? And then they're surprised there's a rise in crime in these destinations? Seems naive.

Anyway, these crimes are a shame....but with tourism the only real industry in may cruise-stop towns, I have confidence that the local governments will be addressing the problem effectively....at least in places like the Bahamas or Jamaica with stable governments.

[Ed]

Clarifying the earlier post, not all of the victims were from DCL; it appears some were from Royal Caribbean. And there were 11 other victims from Carnival in an October incident.

Another article here.

Personal opinion - - I am less than impressed with Nassau; our last trip, we stayed on the ship all day. I'd love to see DCL pick a different destination unless and until the authorities in Nassau do something about the crime problem there.

[MidnTPK]

Personal opinion - - I am less than impressed with Nassau; our last trip, we stayed on the ship all day. I'd love to see DCL pick a different destination unless and until the authorities in Nassau do something about the crime problem there.

To describe a few incidents of crime, when hundreds of thousand of crusiers visit every month, a 'crime problem' is a bit much. If you call that a 'crime problem', what words can you use to describe the level of crime in the Orlando area?

That being said, the people and industry in Nassau see these few incidents as a potential problem, so it's being addressed.

But I agree with your other point: Nassau proper is pretty boring. I don't go into town when I visit Atlantis. There's no reason to leave the resort. And if I were to take a cruise that stopped in Nassau, I'd either visit Atlantis or go on an excursion to something sea focused, like a boat trip to an uninhabited island or the dolphin encounter.

[Scar]

I am less than impressed with Nassau; our last trip, we stayed on the ship all day.

I would have prefered a second day at Castaway Cay.

[Ed]

To describe a few incidents of crime, when hundreds of thousand of crusiers visit every month, a 'crime problem' is a bit much. If you call that a 'crime problem', what words can you use to describe the level of crime in the Orlando area?.

What I call the level of crime in Orlando is "outrageous and unacceptable", just as I characterize crime in your area, the nation's capitol, also a huge tourist destination.

I also definitely consider the incidents in Nassau as a "crime problem" when men armed with shotguns basically ambush large groups of tourists. At least in Orlando (and probably in Washington), it's most often one-on-one crimes.

I would have prefered a second day at Castaway Cay.

'Nuff said.

[MidnTPK]

What I call the level of crime in Orlando is "outrageous and unacceptable", just as I characterize crime in your area, the nation's capitol, also a huge tourist destination.

Using that ratings scale, I'll concede that 'crime problem' could be an appropriate description.

And I didn't use DC as a comparison because I thought that would be unfair piling-on. I have no misconceptions about DC. As I write this I see one of DC- charter high schools....and the two cop cars that are always sitting outside of it. there another today...the truancy/curfew van. And one of the kids I saw today was wearing an old Washington Bullets jersey.

But as perspective, crime in Nassau is relatively minor. These incidents are being addresses at their highest levels of government. Compare that to the recent fatal quadruple cop shooting, and a few tourists being unharmed, but robbed, at gunpoint seems pretty minor. And the general level of crime in Nassau is infinitesimal...non-fatal stabbing or shootings are national news, addressed by the highest level of their government.

[thrillme]

We went on a very interesting "government tour" of Nassau when we were there in August.

Even our tour guide admitted that crime in Nassau was really going up. He took us by several houses and pointed out that at one time no one had burglar bars...now they all do.

It's a beautiful place unfortunately it's becoming quite "corrupt". Drug sellers can get away with selling their goods buy selling "fruits and water"...He warned us to be cautious about vendors with "very little" to sell.

It doesn't sound like any amount of "caution" on the account of the tourists could have stopped this attack...but...perhaps if it had happened before the tour should have been cancelled. And whether I see a dessert or not...just being on a segway sounds fun.

I kinda wonder if the cruise lines and the tourists should have a lawsuit against the tour operator for not revealing potential dangers of this sort since it had happened before.

[Ed]

Five cruise lines, including DCL, have now cancelled Segway excursions in Nassau.

Read more here.

[DisneyFr33k]

I would have prefered a second day at Castaway Cay.

We went on a DCL 3 night cruise last October. DH, DS and I disembarked to walk around town (DD preferred to stay on the boat with her kids group). I have to say, we did not feel safe at all! We walked around for 30 minutes and then returned to the boat. There was far better things to do on the boat than off.

[DisneyFr33k]

I showed DH this last night. He commented that both the Disney ships home country is the Bahama's. So they will be less likely to stop docking there. I had forgotten that.

[mickey98]

This is why when we take a DCL cruise when the ship is docked at NASSAU we stay aboard and enjoy a quiet day..

[crazypoohbear]

We went to Nassau in 2005. There were 8 of us and NO ONE was impressed with Nassau. It was dirty, scary and reminded me of living on Okinawa with the "stealy bars" on all the windows.
We spent the day at Atlantis which was very nice.
However taking the water taxi over there and a regular taxi back VERY late at night was very stressful to all of us. The taxi driver took us down some very questionable roads to get back to the ship and when we arrived at the dock we booked it to the ship.
That is the only place that I have not felt safe walking around.
I heard other people saying that Freeport was a much better town and the ships should go there instead of Nassau.