Norwegian Cruise Line offers three-day Bahamas cruises that start and end in Miami. This trip, from Friday afternoon to Monday morning, can cost as little as $160 (as of September 2010), depending on your accommodations. The ship docks in Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay. Excursions include parasailing, snorkeling with stingrays in Nassau, snorkeling in Great Stirrup Cay or simply sunning yourself on the beach. Great Stirrup Cay is Norwegian Cruise Line's privately owned island, so visitors can enjoy there time there without being completely surrounded by other tourists. Returning to Miami doesn't mean your weekend holiday is done; passengers have the option of taking an Everglades tour that brings them to Ft. Lauderdale or Miami International Airports.
Norwegian Cruise Line
7665 Corporate Center Drive
Miami, FL 33126
866-234-0292
ncl.com
Royal Caribbean's weekend cruises start late Thursday afternoon and end Sunday morning. Beginning and ending in Port Canaveral, Florida, this three-day cruise takes passengers to Nassau and Coco Cay in the Bahamas and makes a quick stop in Miami before returning to its home port. Rooms on the Monarch of the Seas cost as little as $180 (as of September 2010). Royal Caribbean owns a secluded beach on Coco Cay where visitors can spend the day relaxing on a hammock drinking ice-cold drinks before ending the day with a seaside island-style barbecue. The more adventurous can try their hand at parasailing 400 feet above the crystal-clear waters of Coco Cay.
Royal Caribbean International
1050 Caribbean Way
Miami, FL 33132
866-562-7625
royalcaribbean.com
Carnival Cruises has a three-day cruise that travels from Port Canaveral, Florida, to Nassau and back for as little as $185. Starting on Thursday afternoon, passengers arrive in Nassau at noon Friday and stay there until Saturday morning before beginning a sail back to Port Canaveral. The Serenity Adult-Only Retreat and nine-hole mini golf course are among the on-board entertainment options. Once docked at Nassau, passengers have the option of attending the Ron Jon Surf School or taking a drier approach to experiencing the water by touring the area on a glass-bottomed boat. There's plenty of duty-free shopping available on the island as well.
Carnival Cruise Lines
3655 NW 87th Avenue
Miami, FL 33178
888-227-6482
carnival.com
