July 2014 - Vacation at Atlantis Harborside Bahamas

Background 

Before reading the rest of this blog, I thought it would be helpful to give a little context about us... We're a family of 5 with three boys ages 6, 10, and 12 living in Northern Virginia, just west of Washington DC.  We generally travel on a budget flying coach-class, staying at places like the Marriott Courtyard, and try to spend ~$50 for a family dinner out.   This was our first time to Atlantis and our first trip to the Caribbean as a family, although we have been to St. Thomas/St. John and Puerto Vallerta before kids.  So, if this sounds somewhat like your family, then this post is for you...

How We Decided Where to Stay

Plain and simple, we are a party of 5 and didn't want to risk having to get an additional room if we booked our stay at any of the "towers", which have a limit to 4 people in a room.   After some searching, my wife found out that we could "rent" a week at the Harborside timeshare through VRBO... A 1 bedroom "premium" which officially allowed us to have 5 people in the room and get 5 "wristbands" (more on that later).  Since we got room through VRBO, there weren't any additional hotel taxes, etc., just one check to the owner and their timeshare reservation was simply transferred to our name.  More details about our room later...

Packing and Getting There

Since we were staying at Harborside, which had a kitchen, we were advised to bring as much food/drinks as possible in our luggage.  We packed everything from frozen meatballs, pasta, pancake mix, cereal, PB&J, snacks, and even a Brita water pitcher in our suitcase.  We were a little worried about the customs process, but there was nothing to it... They just asked if we were carrying any liquor or tobacco (which we were... 1 liter per person which you can purchase at the duty free shop) and how much.  Never checked any of the bags.

Once out of the airport, you can take a shuttle or cab to the resort.  The shuttle and cab seem to cost about the same.  Our friends took the shuttle which ended up around $40, but took significantly longer since it stopped by something like 6 hotels... Atlantis being the last one.  We took a taxi, which was a quicker ride (except for the traffic) and cost $50.  It's a good 30-minute ride from the airport to the resort by cab and without much traffic... with traffic, it can easily be 45-minutes or longer.

Harborside

Harborside has a nice, cozy feel to it.  Generally, lots of families here.  The quality is that of a Spring Hill Suites or similar... modern decor, but carpet and bathrooms are a little dated.  Rooms have high ceilings and the beds/linens are generally comfortable... but not anything like a Westin or W Hotel.  Fridge/freezer was meticulously cleaned and ready to be stocked.  The 1 bedroom "deluxe" can hold a family of 4, but may feel a little tight.  Kitchen is more like a "kitchenette" with a 2 burner range, small fridge, and tiny dishwasher.  The "premium" 1 bedroom, has the same capacity in terms of sleeping (1 king bed, 1 pullout sofa), but has significantly more room.  "Full" kitchen with regular fridge, dishwasher, 4-burner range, and microwave.  There is no oven.  Nice sized dining room with 6 chairs.  Jacuzzi tub and shower.

1 Bedroom "Premium"

1 Bedroom "Deluxe"

You can get a 2-bedroom reservation, which is getting a regular 1-bedroom and a premium 1-bedroom that are connected.  We somehow ended up getting this setup, and it was like we had our own apartment, not staying in a hotel room.  Plenty of beds, bathrooms, and space for everyone.

One of the best things we liked about Harborside is that they have their own shuttle service... unlike the Atlantis shuttle that goes around from the Beach to Coral to Royal to Cove etc., there are 3 Harborside shuttles that are point-to-point.  Harborside to/from Coral, Harborside to/from Royal, and Harborside to/from Cove.  These shuttles generally come every 10-15 minutes, so never much waiting.  

Waterpark and Wristbands

Contrary to some other posts, you do not get your wristbands for the waterpark at check-in.  You have to go to one of the towel huts or pools to get the wristband.  They simply ask for your room key and how many bracelets you need.  There are "security" guards as you go in and around the property that will ask to see your wristband or room key.  

As far as the water park, it is a nice break from the beach.  Pools are large and clean.  The main attraction water slides (Abyss, Leap of Faith, Surge, Challenger) are fun, but not overwhelming if you've been to some of the more modern water parks.  Lines generally move pretty quick, even on crowded days... I don't think we ever spent more than 20 minutes in line.  They are very strict on the 48" minimum height rule (pulling out a level and ruler to measure).  If you are not clearly 48" or taller, none of the major water slides are open to you.  There is a "little tikes" water playground available with a few smaller slides, but for the smaller guys, they are mostly restricted to the lazy river and pools.

Beaches

If you read other blogs, there seems to be a lot of confusion about which beach to go to...  I'll make it real simple, get yourself to Cove beach.  There is some discussion that the beaches are reserved for guests of a particular hotel/tower... but there is no such restriction.  The Atlantis beach, which is directly in front of Royal Towers, seems to be the busiest and most crowded beach... maybe because of its location, but it is not the place you want to be.  There are numerous vendors trying to "sell" jetski rentals, banana boat rides, parasail excursions, etc. that we just did not want to deal with.

"Left" side of Cove Beach

"Right" side of Cove Beach - Big structure is the Power Tower with water slides

You can get to Cove beach by going through the Cove Tower or just walking through the waterpark.  It has extremely shallow reefs on both the left and right sides of the crescent shaped beach (and these are the best spots to snorkel).  There are numerous chairs with shade canopies, and as long as you get there before 10am, we didn't have any trouble securing a set of these chairs.   This beach does get a bit crowded by the afternoon, but there are no vendors there to hassle you.  Another bonus is that there is a snack shack/bar right there and it has great accessibility to the pools and waterpark.

If you want to get a little more seclusion, set up your camp as far left (when facing the water) as possible on the beach.  Then walk past the single palm tree and you will see Paradise Beach on your left side.  There is a nice stretch of beach with just a handful of people there.  Just beautiful with great snorkeling, soft sand, and clear water.  Again, there is some discussion that this is an "adult only" beach, but it is not.  Families and kids are welcome there... but there are no resort chairs, service or activities there... just a beautiful, uncrowded beach.

Snorkeling

For the amateur snorkeler, there is plenty to see at Cove and Paradise Beach... so bring your own snorkel gear (resort charges $15/day)!  Lots of fish, but the coral is not in great shape.  Occasionally you will find some anemone, sea urchins, and other invertebrates, but mostly just fish.... but a pretty good variety in size and species.  Damsel, snapper, trigger, angel, parrot, cardinal, goby, puffer, royal gramma, tangs, butterfly, etc.  We did see some more exotic things like an octopus, ray, barracuda, and flounder.  

Cove Beach - go to the single palm tree on the left side... then swim straight out to the buoys... you will see where the reef just drops off... tons of fish there.  Closer to to beach, you will see lots of small fish with small sea urchins in the larger holes in the reef.  Also pretty good snorkeling on the far right side of the beach.

Paradise Beach - Swimming along the buoy line you can see some bigger fish.  At the far right side of the beach, there is very shallow coral, but tons of sea urchin, small fish, sea anemone, and interesting marine life to see.  We also found 2 live conch while swimming around the "grassy" areas between the beach the buoys.

Atlantis Lagoon - This is the "lagoon" where the resort offers paddle boats and other non-motorized water sports.  Although there is some fish to look at, the water is dirty and is not a great experience.  I would avoid this section.

From Cove Beach

From Cove Beach

Food/Dining

Groceries:  Order online at FoodStore2Go.com.  Small delivery charge, but saves a bunch of time and they deliver straight to your room.

Poolside/beachside dining:  Food at the poolside bars/grills/snack shacks is priced like regular hotel prices... hamburgers were $8, beer was $7, cocktails were $10-12.  We brought our own cooler for water bottles, mixed drinks, and snacks... saved us a bundle, while staying hydrated.

Resort Dining:  We ate at Carmine's and Bimini Road for dinner.  For our family of 5, we spent between $100-125 for dinner... but that was with just water for drinks.  There is number of fine dining options on the resort, just be sure to make your reservations for the popular ones.  

Off-Resort Dining:  We had a delicious dinner at the Poop Deck, which is right across the bridge.  If you are adventurous, it is an easy walk across the bridge (the exiting bridge) to the restaurant, but advisable to get a cab ride back.  With the "local" restaurants, just be prepared for food service that is a bit slower than what you are used to... easily 30-45 minutes between ordering and getting your food.

The bridge to walk over

Freshly-caught blackened red snapper

Money Saving Tips

Couple of money-saving tips, beyond bringing your own food, drinks, and "beverages" to the beach/pool area.

• Wi-Fi: it is $20/day for up to 4 connected devices.  If you are going with multiple families or friends, consider "sharing" the WiFi cost... One person signs up with their name/room #... share the number of devices that are attached to that "account".  
• Tips:  All food/beverage checks have a 15% gratuity already attached.  You can add a little extra for exceptional service, but don't double-tip.
• Casino:  At least when we went, all the card tables had a $15 minimum bet... sure is easy to get sucked in if you're not careful.