Ahoy there Nadia and welcome aboard!
I'm so glad you've come to planDisney to ask about your upcoming voyage to the Bahamas; I'm not much of a lay-on-the-beach-all-day person myself, so I'm always glad to answer questions about
Port Adventures whenever I can!
It looks like you've definitely done your homework - and as I always say, every good expedition starts off with some solid research. Whether in a tour group or on your own, taxi shuttles are the main way that Disney Cruise Line visitors head out on their adventures in
Nassau. In my experience, they're often very easy to locate just outside the entrance to the Port and will charge a fixed fee for anyone wishing to visit Atlantis Paradise Island.
On the other hand, many folks choose to book excursions such as
Atlantis Aquaventure (N25) for the peace of mind that they'll be guaranteed transportation there and back without risking the possibility of missing the ship. (After a decade spent at sea you'd be surprised at how often I've witnessed this occur, which is a big reason why families like to play it safe and stick with Port Adventures booked through Disney Cruise Line.)
The downside is that I've definitely experienced long wait times associated with the process of dispatching tour groups from ship to shore that have been upwards of an hour in some cases. (This is largely due to the popularity of the Port at certain times of the year, and how many other cruise ship travelers you may be competing with
as you disembark.) I always recommend searching online for Port schedules to know how many ships are scheduled to be in at similar times along with their passenger capacity; this is often a great way to estimate not only how busy attractions may be, but also the traffic and availability of shuttles.
Unfortunately, guests are required to stay with their assigned
Port Adventure groups after they check in and are given identifying stickers. This is how the guides keep track of the group numbers, and in the past we've had to wait around on excursions due to other guests missing from the overall headcount. While it may be tempting to hop into a waiting taxi and arrive sooner, tour groups may have a separate entrance area where their admission media (wristbands) will be distributed with a set meeting time and location to return to the ship. The only exceptions I've personally experienced are on Port Adventures that are specifically named "On Your Own", but it's worth inquiring with the team on board as policies are often subject to change without prior notice.
Remember: the piers where the ships dock in Nassau may require a fair distance to traverse, so be sure to pack an extra bit of patience as you might only be as quick as the slowest person wearing the same sticker in your group. If you're feeling very adventurous and want to try to evade the tour groups by going independently, some guests choose to book their day passes on their own but are ultimately responsible to keep track of their time! The closer it gets to "All Aboard" time, the greater the traffic you may experience on the way back.
Hopefully this was some helpful knowledge for you Nadia - please feel free to come back to planDisney to a
sk me about any other tips and tricks for exploring destinations around the world.
Wishing you the best as you voyage to discover Atlantis for yourself!
Prince