Because of traveling with kids(ages 8&9) we decided to skip the shopping and do Atlantis. We decided to do it on our own as opposed to doing an excursion. Immediately on arriving into the main docking terminal there was an area for ferry boats to go to Paradise Island (where Atlantis is). The other option is motor transportation. Both seemed to be comparable in price (the ferry was $4/person one way). We opted for the ferry, as we thought it would be more enjoyable. One of the native Bahamians provided a narrative history as we crossed. Unfortunately we were not able to hear him well but he seemed entertaining. He boldly passed the hat around after for tips. As we approached the docking area our boat's engine had a problem. After attempts to fix it we ultimately had to be towed in by another boat who fortunately was close enough to see our problem. In retrospect, the excursions we booked directly through the cruise line seemed to provide a little more reliable transportation!
Once at Atlantis, our biggest concern was time. We really only had about 4 hours there so we couldn't justify the $400 it would cost for our family to do the Atlantis Adventure (waterslides, etc.). We opted to do the "Discover Atlantis" tour. It included "The Dig" Lagoon (huge aquarium with impressive sea life) and several more lagoons. It was not supposed to include the beach, however it was their slow season and an employee told us off the record that they weren't enforcing limited access to the beach, so we spent some time on the beach too (however there was no changing areas that we were aware of). We actually ended up running out of time to finish exploring all the lagoons. For us this option (the least expensive) worked out well for the time allotted. Although the slides and pools looked great, I wouldn't do this unless there was more time to justify the cost...

Nassau

Lots to do here. We started out with an excursion to the Rainforest booked with the cruise line. This was the only excursion we booked with the cruise line that included transportation and it was definitely of a higher quality that transportation we arranged on our own. The tour was well organized. We were able to get on the first bus so it was not crowded. It is a 45 minute drive to the rainforest so that takes up a considerable amount of your port time. The rainforest was beautiful, but don't expect to see any wildlife with the exception of lots of snails (escargot). We stopped at a large waterfall and took a brief swim. We appreciated the fact that our tour guide kept us moving in order to get back and have time to explore other sights, however it would have been nice to stop and enjoy the walk more.
After having lunch back on the ship we waited for a free shuttle to take us to the Castillo San Felipe del Morro fort. Unfortunately due to time constraints, we were only able to spend about an hour here ($3 adults, free for kids). The kids were fascinated by it (and the adults too!) and we could have easily spent much longer here (there are 2 parts to this fort and for an additional fee you could visit both). We planned to take the free shuttle back to the port but after waiting for it, we were not able to get on it because it was full. We ended up taking a taxi ($15) back to the port.
Both of these excursions were enjoyable. However, given the limited time if I had to pick one I would do the fort and not feel as rushed. It is maintained by the US National Park Service and you receive a very information fold-out map/brochure with admission that has a lot of interesting history to it.

San Juan

Started our port visit with Paradise Point. Because our ship was not able to dock at the main port (Charlotte Amalie) we had to take an open-air shuttle to get there. There was some confusion as we were told to get on and off several shuttles before leaving (we pre-booked the tram tickets but it did not include transportation). Once we arrived at the tram itself there was a wait of about 20 minutes. Once on the tram the temperature went up by about 10 degrees, making for a hot ride. Although the view was incredible from the top, there wasn't a whole lot else there. There were several typical souvenir type shops, a small ferris wheel, a nice-sized restaurant, and bathrooms. There were also several cages of various birds and other animals. However they had very minimal provisions (a branch to sit on was about it) and no signs identifying anything about what you were seeing. In the future I think I would only do this excursion if you didn't want to do anything else and/or it was a cooler day!

After we left the tram we were able to find an open-air shuttle that operated like a bus. We got on with some locals and the bus stopped periodically to let off or pick up passengers. It was only $1/person, significantly less that the taxi we paid to get to the tram. Due to a misunderstanding with the driver about where we wanted to go, we ended up a beautiful beach that was not our original destination but was wonderful! Apparently most cruisers go to Magen's Bay, which  we were told was beautiful but crowded. Our beach (I am intentionally not saying the name to respect the locals) was amazing. We snorkeled, found sea glass, and shells. Some friendly locals offered to let us use their snorkel equipment and we were asked how we found this beach, since it is not usually frequented by cruisers. (I am intentionally not saying the name to respect the locals) My advice here would be to ask a local or bus driver for a recommendation. If our experience was any indication, there are a lot of beautiful beaches.
If I did it again I would go the beach first and skip the tram, as we could have easily spent more time on the beach.

Appreciated mid-ship location during rocky seas. Balcony was great! Seemed convenient to everything and incredibly soundproof. Did have an occasional dripping noise (but we don't think it was actually a drip) coming from one area of the ceiling that we learned to ignore but was a little annoying at first (only noticed when going to sleep).

However the extra hassles involved in arranging the transportation and the waiting time were  not worth it.We also gave up one evening on ordering dessert after waiting and requesting to order it several times.

Norwegian Sun Review

First cruisers with kids - loved it!

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