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Awaiting Your Return From Shore  | 
 
    The Bahamas comprise a coral 
  archipelago consisting of some 700 low-lying islands and over 
  1,000 cays. Some of the smaller ones are privately owned; many 
  remain uninhabited. Nassau, the capital, is located on New 
  Providence Island, which became a British colony in 1666. Its 
  first settlement was Charles Town, named for King Charles II and 
  later renamed Nassau after King William of Orange-Nassau. In the 
  17th and early 18th centuries, the islands became a favored 
  pirates’ lair and a base for slave traders. During the American 
  Civil War, Nassau was an ideal port for the new fast ships that 
  were unable to carry large cargoes and required a safe neutral 
  port within two or three days’ steaming. The end of the war 
  provoked a severe and prolonged recession and Bahamians turned 
  again to wrecking. This trend came to a stop with the introduction 
  of lighthouses and beacons. With the advent of Prohibition, Nassau became a center of the 
  illicit liquor trade. When Prohibition was revoked, the islands 
  had little to fall back on and the 1930s ended in economic 
  disaster. A disease in 1939 killed off the sponges which had 
  provided a livelihood to many. Following World War II, the islands 
  experienced a tremendous development in tourism. Independence was 
  granted in 1973, with Nassau the declared capital of the 
  Commonwealth of the Bahamas.A number of old forts and charming pastel-colored buildings recall 
  Nassau’s colonial past. Its old-style grand hotels, luxurious 
  modern establishments and diverse places of entertainment, from 
  modern rum shops and calypso spots to the Casino with its 
  glittering floor shows, all bear witness to the long tradition and 
  continuing vigor of the tourist trade in this cosmopolitan town.Please Note: Guests in transit to the following cruise may check 
  with the Tour Office on board for sightseeing options. Guests on 
  Silversea's Pre- or Post-Cruise program may check with the 
  Silversea Hospitality Desk at the hotel for sightseeing 
  possibilities, dining and shopping information during their stay 
  in Nassau.  | 
 
Awaiting Your Return 
From Shore  | 
  
  
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Complimentary 
Spirits Await  | 
 
Return to Your 
Suite and Sail Away to The Next Adventure  | 
 
Entertainment 
and Dancing Await You  |