Tips for Atlantis Resort Vacation in the Bahamas

Well, my Atlantis Resort Vacation, in the Bahamas, AKA- Paradise Island, was interesting. And, despite the cold December weather, we still manage to have some fun and swim with the dolphins! I never thought the Bahamas could get cold; but it can. Well, I call anything below 70 degrees.

But, we still saw many families and their children frolicking in the cold water of the Atlantis Resort pools and slides. The beach was beautiful with crystal clear water and lots of wild life to entertain anyone!

So, here are some tips for anyone looking to take a vacation at Atlantis Resort, in the Bahamas…

1. Make sure you are not afraid of small planes, if flying to the Bahamas from Florida, you will most likely fly in a
   small 19 seat place. The take off was rough and scary; a lot of shaking but it got better after were above the clouds.
2. Make sure you watch your luggage, if you fly in a small plane, like I did, the pilot may decide the plane is too heavy and ask to have some luggage removed; which happened to my husband’s bag. The flight was about 45 minutes so we got to the Bahamas airport around 1 pm, but his luggage didn’t get to Atlantis until almost 6:30 pm. We were told that this luggage was coming in the next plane coming from Florida, which was actually true. But the anxiety and the thought of getting stuck there without anything to wear was very stressful.
3. In case your baggage gets lost, or just missing for a few hours let’s hope, before you leave the Nassau airport, make sure you fill out a lost luggage form and get the name of the person you talked to and a phone number to call later – keep checking until you have you bag at the hotel; they will deliver to the concierge desk. As soon as you get to the hotel inform the concierge you are expecting your bag to be delivered from the airport. And, tip them, it will help.
4. If you book your vacation direct with Atlantis Resort, make sure you also get the “casual meal plan” which is $59 / person per day; and it’s well worth it! Food and drinks cost an arm and a leg. The “casual meal plan” entitles you to breakfast and dinner in a few different restaurant options; the food was good and services too, but watch what you eat b/c every meal includes a 15% gratuity fee, which you have to pay.
5. If you are like me and my husband and don’t like to get in the water if it’s below 70 degrees, do not go to Atlantis in November or December, all of the activities revolve around water.
6. If you like my room balcony view, ask to stay at the Coral Tower; we had the 9th floor room facing the Royal Tower. All of the hotels are connected and you can come and go very easy.
7. The spa is beautiful, Mandara Spa, make sure you have a massage or facial there.
8. If you are looking for a more private and quiet vacation without lots of kids around, don’t go to Atlantis Resort; there are a lot of families and tons of kids running around and screaming at the restaurants. So, be prepared.
   

   dophin swim at Atlantis

9. A dolphin swim is a must, I did the deep sea swim which was fun but still not enough time. You can’t touch the dolphins that much; but it was a fun experience; I still recommend.
10. Besides the deep sea dolphin swim, which was $158 / person I recommend doing the swim in the shark tank, which was $110 and seemed very exciting. I didn’t do it, but if I visit Atlantis again, I will.

Well, I hope my tips can help you on your next vacation to the Bahamas!

View Atlantis Resort videos

view of Royal Tower, from my room balcony

Atlantis Resort Beach - Nassau, Bahamas

Searay tank - balcony view

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Kids, Keys, and more Cake!

So, last weekend we took a 3-day weekend and went to the Keys, meaning Big Pine Key, Bahia Honda State Park, and one day in Key West – oh, we love KW! We visited Hemmingway’s house – I really could live there and just enjoy the breeze. And, how about al of those cats, OMG – they are cute though. I just thought that admission was a little too much $12 adults and $6 for children. And, it was pretty busy. They also have a tour of the rooms, but we just went off on our own.

 

This one is after my decorations, which in the process I learned that butter cream icing cannot have water; its consistency is already stiff or thin enough for decoration. So, I have a lot of soft icing left. Just to make the clown I had to add so much sugar to get a more firm consistency. Well, I am leaning. It was fun.  And, it was good snack for our trip. I liked making the clown but especially the shells and flowers, they come out really pretty.

 

The trip to the Bahia Honda was fun, our cabin was right on the water; but don’t think you can swim there b/c you can’t; it’s all protected water! The kids went kayaking; we also saw a big turtle and lots of fish. If you go to Big Pine Key you can see the cutest deers; they are kind of small. Oh and how can I forget the birds? We stopped by a pet store that had some fun friendly birds, but they relay like to bite on everything!

 

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