How sad to read of the armed attacks that have forced cruise lines to suspend excursions in Nassau, in the Bahamas.
I was there in October with Disney Cruise Line and had a fantastic day out at Dolphin Encounters. I do hope that is not one of the excursions that has been hit. As it is on an island, out of the town, I suspect all is well.
At the time of choosing our excursions, I asked if we could do the Earth Village as well as the dolphins as I have always wanted a go on a Segway.
It never happened, I suspect because there was just not enough time, but it looks like that might have been a good thing as that is one of the trips that has been pulled by Disney and Royal Caribbean International.
As Nassau will now discover, it is easy to get a reputation for being unsafe, but very hard to get rid of it, no matter how many police you throw at the situation or reassurances you give. Look at what happened in Egypt after the shootings at Queen Hatshepsut's Temple in 1997.
It's very tough on all those people in Nassau who depend so heavily on the cruise ship visits for their income.
It's hardly great news for the cruise lines either, as Nassau is such a popular stop, especially for short cruises from Florida.
And Royal Caribbean must be extra worried. Nassau one of the very few ports in the Caribbean that the huge new Oasis of the Seas can get into (and then only because the authorities in Nassau have spent a fortune dredging the harbour to take the 225,000-ton giant).
With so few places the ship can visit, the last thing they need is to have to pull a port.
Jane Archer
