Cruise Day 6

Our day in Nassau began with another leisurely breakfast and getting off the boat. We met our excursion guide on the pier after leaving the boat. There was a group of about 6 others there for the personal submarine excursion. We all walked as a group to the “bus” to take us to the cove. The bus was a filled-to-the-max old thing that had jump seats that folded out to utilize the aisle space to maximize capacity. The cars all drove down the narrow streets on the left side of the road. I was sitting next to the automatic doors and could see through the rusted out bottom onto the street as it flew by. I also sagged a bit in my seat towards the door as the brackets holding the jump seat to the fixed seat were cracked and separating. The skies were cloudy and the ground showed signs of recent rain. All were indicators of a great day in Nassau.

We arrived at the cove without incident in about 40 minutes. When we arrived, we had an orientation to our subs and what to expect. By this time, the clouds had cleared and the sun was shining. We got onto our boat that would carry us to the dive site. We sat on the uncovered top section with the other 21 people diving. As we pulled out into the ocean, we got to finally see the crystal blue waters that we’d been expecting. It was gorgeous. We had LIBERALLY applied our SPF 50 sunscreen before leaving the boat. After all, we are Midwesterners leaving the darkness of winter and have lost all previous protection from the sun.

When we arrived at the dive site, the first group of 8 began their sub time. These subs are seahorse shaped underwater craft with a seat and large rigid bubble for your head to go into. They have scuba tanks attached and provide a continuous stream of fresh air for you to breathe. The subs are powered and zip through the water at a breakneck speed of 2mph. There is a large flotation buoy that keeps you at 15 feet submerged. Your head stays dry while the rest of you is exposed. Since it is the Atlantic, even I should be able to be in the water.

While the first group was doing their thing, they had snorkel equipment for us to use. However, by the time we had our gear ready, it was almost time for the 2nd group (us). The first group re-boarded and the guides exchanged the tanks. Then it was our turn.

Audrey boarded hers before I did. Naturally, she did great. Then it was my turn. What did I say about Atlantic water? The clouds had moved back in by this time and it was not quite as warm as it had been. Brrrr. It was a bit of a shock, but it passed quickly. Once underwater, it was AWESOME. We tooled around in a group and saw lots of fish, a broken shark cage, an old treasure chest, and a plane wreckage from Jaws 4. Our new underwater digital camera worked well underwater. It did not fare so well topside.

After we finished our turn, we got our snorkeling gear on and spent the rest of the time snorkeling. The water was not so cold this time.

When the final group was done, we returned to the cove. It was now 3:00 or so and we were hungry, so we had an $8 undercooked cheeseburger and an $8 veggie burger. Can you guess who ate what? Then back to the bus and to the ship. We did a little shopping in Nassau near the port. I wanted to get corn rows in my hair, but it was too expensive. It would have been about $65, but it would have looked fantastic.

Back on the ship, we cleaned up and ate dinner. Then we went to the night’s entertainment. It was a magician. I enjoyed it more than Audrey did. We capped the night off with a mediocre midnight buffet. There was a poor showing of chocolate, but the fruit animals were very colorful and creative.

We were stuffed and tired. Not a bad combination for a good night’s sleep. Then up for more in the morning.

Off the ship.

The Cove.

Heading out to sea.

Self portrait.

Entering the sub.

My nose is not really that big.  It's all due to the shape of the dome.  No, really...

Some of the fish.

Audrey in her sub.

Romancing under the sea.

No one can hear you scream.

The plane wreeck from Jaws 4.

Snorkeling after the subs.