EDITOR, The Tribune.

I recently went on a Royal Caribbean cruise with a group of friends from Cayman and the United States. One of the stops was in our own Nassau, Bahamas. We were actually advised to leave our valuables and cash on the ship if we got off in Nassau!

We didn’t get off of the ship, but the rest of the group did — I would like to share with you the comments from these friends (and also strangers) when I asked what they thought of our port.

One family spent less than an hour on Bay Street before returning to the ship. They said they were harassed by street vendors and tour “guides” the minute they left the ship — whenever they refused to purchase something they were actually cursed at. They witnessed an argument between two tourists and a Bahamian trying to rent them scooters on Bay Street - when they politely said no thanks they were followed and verbally attacked by this guy.

They were shocked at the trash and debris left over from Junkanoo and the constant smell of urine as they walked around.

But the most disturbing story — a couple wanted to explore the “real Nassau” they didn’t just want to go on a regular guided tour — so they hired a local taxi driver and asked him to show them the inner and real parts of the island - they wanted to meet some “Bahamian folk” - they agreed on a price and off they went. A few minutes into this “tour” of our island — the driver threw out his empty beer bottle into the street (so yes, he was actually drinking whilst driving tourists around).

At one point on this tour the couple asked the driver if he could stop somewhere to buy some water - This driver took them into many back roads and into an area where they immediately did not feel safe. He stopped at a random “store” on the side of the road and told them to get their water from this store. When they got out of the car, they noticed that there were burglar bars on the front entrance, a rasta standing outside told them they could not go inside, but to point at what they wanted. The wife by this time felt extremely unsafe and got back into the car — it was at this point that they asked the so-called “tour guide” to please take them back to the ship. When they got back the driver proceeded to demand more than the agreed rate. The couple refused and they were verbally threatened by this driver.

I asked many strangers on the ship how they found Nassau to be (without telling them I was actually Bahamian). There was NOT ONE positive comment -- not one! What has happened to our country? I refer back to the robbery of two cruise ship passengers a few months ago right outside of the US Embassy.

I am an ashamed and embarrassed Bahamian right about now - we as a country have got to do better.

NANCY TRECO

Nassau,

January 6, 2023.