Grand Bahamas 3 weeks

There are 28 units. The staff was very friendly and helpful during the check-in, & allowed us check-in early. Trying to explain to me where our unit was, I was confused. No map was available. The check-in office is about 1/2 to the unit where you have to walk-through neighborhood. We went by this one apartment complex with a car with graffiti and the windows bashed-in. We did not have a problem with security, but it was not feel-safe. After check-in, we drove our rental car over to the unit. If not car, I think they have a van to take your stuff to the unit.

The complex was right next to the road only separated by the parking lot. It was a townhouse (2 storey) with a screen in front porch. The front porch had a table and four chairs. It was nice for putting dirty stuff and washable items. Adjacent to the front porch was the washer/dryer that were shared with one other unit. They do have detergent, but was a dollar each. The unit was clean overall. Downstairs was a kitchen, dining room (table for four), living room, and 1/2 bath. It was plain with no pictures/decorative items. The full-kitchen had normal-size appliances. The non-stick pan’s Teflon was almost gone, so it did stick. They did not have any plastic spatulas available. No paper towels were provided. Provided dishwashing-liquid. We ask them to spray for ants (I don't know if they came). The living room had one chair and a sofa bed. The back porch that had a table and four chairs provided a nice view of pool and fence. The stairs were sort of steep. There were two bedrooms up stairs (one king, one queen). The bathroom had a combo bathtub-shower and a room next to it that only had a sink. The showerhead had mineral-deposits, but when we called maintenance came and fix the problem. Bathroom circuit-breaker could not handle the blow dryer and the straightening iron, so I had to reset it when my daughter was getting-ready. Construction was not done to my standards i.e. the sheetrock tape was visible. The air conditioner ran 100% of the time. I closed vents downstairs and we ran the ceiling-fans upstairs.

The grass looked dead and the bushes looked like they were cropped-off. Outdoor-grills required charcoal available. Dumpster smelled when you were in the front. The humming birds were attached by the hibiscus flowers. The local phone calls $0.90 each and international $1.50. Our daughter was bit by a poisonous tree frog while we were at the Royal-Oasis. After she broke out, we were going to take her to the doctor. The security guy was going to go with us to make sure that we got service quicker from the government healthcare. Staff was very supportive. There were activities but we went to the orientation for free conk, bahama-mama, and fruit punch.

Best Things Nearby:
Xanadu beach & Intenational Bazar

Best Things About the Resort:
Spacious

Resort Experience:
There are about 28 units. The staff was very friendly and helpful during the check-in, and allowed us check-in early. Trying to explain to me where our unit was, I was confused. They did not have a map. The check-in office is about 1/2 to the unit where you have to walk through neighborhood. We went by this one apartment complex with a car with graffiti and the windows bashed-in. We did not have a problem with security, but it was not feel safe. After check-in, we drove our rental car over to the unit. If not car, I think they have a van to take your stuff to the unit.

The complex was right next to the road only separated by the parking lot. It was a townhouse (2 story) with a screen in front porch. The front porch had a table and four chairs. It was nice for putting dirty stuff and washable items. Adjacent to the front porch was the washer and dryer that were shared with one other unit. They do have detergent, but it is a dollar each.

The unit was clean overall. Downstairs was a kitchen, dining room (table for four), living room, and 1/2 bath. It was plain with no pictures/decorative items. The full-kitchen had normal size appliances. The non-stick pan’s Teflon was almost gone, so it did stick. They did not have any plastic spatulas available. No paper towels were provided. Provided dishwashing-liquid. We ask them to spray for ants (I do know if they came). The living room had one chair and a sofa bed. The back porch that had a table and four chairs provided a nice view of pool and fence. The stairs that led up stairs were sort of steep. There were two bedrooms up stairs (one king, one queen). The bathroom had a combo bathtub-shower and a room next to it that only had a sink. The showerhead had mineral-deposits, but when we called maintenance came and fix the problem. Bathroom circuit breaker could not handle the blow dryer and the straightening iron, so I had to reset it when my daughter was getting-ready. Construction was not done to my standards i.e. the sheetrock tape was visible. The air conditioner ran 100% of the time. I closed the vents downstairs and we ran the ceiling fans upstairs.

The grass looked dead and the bushes looked like they were cropped-off. Outdoor grills required charcoal available. Dumpster smelled when you were in the front. The humming birds were attached by the hibiscus flowers had a nice touch. The local phone calls $0.90 each and international $1.50.

Our daughter was bit by a poisonous tree frog while we were at the Royal-Oasis. After she broke out, we were going to take her to the doctor. The security guy was going to go with us to make sure that we got service quicker from the government healthcare. Staff was very supportive. There were activities but we went to the orientation for free conk, bahama mama, and fruit punch.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Fair
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Not Available

Best Things Nearby:
On the beach

Best Things About the Resort:
On the beach and big with 2 full baths.

Resort Experience:
This is a small, 10-unit resort that does not have activities. If you want to stay on the beach or pool and relax this is place the for you. But we had problems with management here.

Check-in is on Saturday and they are closed on Sunday. We did not have any beach towels so I went to get some. She got me some reluctantly. We had problems with our air conditioner and had to through the circuit breaker to get it working. We called and told them and she came over to the unit and said the compressor outside was working and started walking off. They finally sent someone over and they put Freon in it. The manager was hateful and said that the a/c guys came and fixed it. I told her it was not working again. They sent someone else and finally fixed it.

Other problem was they provide mid-week cleaning. They came and we were asleep. They came the next day and our daughter told them that she was not sure if we wanted it cleaned. My wife called and told them to come. Then the manager came over with the cleaning lady and was yelling at us how she has been trying to clean our room and how uncooperative we were and then turned around and walked off. Other people commented that the manager was not very friendly or helpful in planning activities.

The place was relaxing on the beach. You could snorkel around the rocks (saw some fish and small barracuda).

The unit was spacious except for the kitchen. The overall unit was maintained. The dryer was not vented and took about 1.5 hours to dry a standard load. It was hard to cool the upstairs so I closed the vents downstairs and that helped. There were no ceiling fans to help cool. Some people left the sliding doors open and there was a breeze through the unit. They do charge for electricity and ours was about $60.00 for the 3 of us. Another unit with 4 peoples electricity was about $90.00. The pool did not seem clean it had dirt on the bottom and was cloudy. The gas grill was nice. They provided inflatable raft things for the beach and the pool. Phone calls were free. They did provide free tennis racquets and balls. They have the best orientation on Sundays with JC. Make sure you do not miss it.

Do not plan to stay there again because of the management. If that changed, I would consider.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Fair
• Unit Satisfaction: Fair
• Family Friendliness: Fair
• Service: Poor

Best Things Nearby:
It was right on the beach.

Best Things About the Resort:
It was a resort with amenities and a nice beach.

Resort Experience:
There were some problems here, but this was by far the best place we stayed while we were on vacation in the Bahamas. The staff was helpful getting us checked in early. We stayed in a 1 bedroom, 2 baths with a full kitchen. Our daughter slept on the sofa bed.

You could tell our unit had been recently remodeled. It was spacious and nicely decorated. The bedroom had a king size bed and a glass door with access to the balcony. We really liked going out on the balcony and enjoying the view. One day it was nice enough to leave the doors open and turn off the air conditioner.

The unit had 2 bathrooms, but the master-bath had only a tub bath and no shower. The other bathroom has a nice shower. Daily maid service was a plus. Phone calls were $1.00, but they let you use the one at the front desk for free.

The beach was nice and we enjoyed snorkeling next to the rocks. We saw many more fish here than at Peterson Cay snorkeling. The only activity we went to at the resort was the members activity on Monday night. Even though this was an RCI exchange, we were welcomed. They served conk, chicken wings, Bahama Mamas, and punch, and they gave away free prizes with games. We did not participate in any other activity though we did go on the banana boat, and we flipped over twice.

I need to mention we did have a problem with maintenance responsiveness. The air conditioner worked but the thermostat was off by about 20 degrees. Called the front desk on Saturday and the contractor repairman came on Wednesday. The repairman was going to recommend to Xandu that the unit needed a new thermostat. Well, they never came back. Another thing was the dishwasher was not attached and moved around and would flop out when loaded with dishes. Never came to see about that when we called. Did not eat at any of the restaurants there. We only had 2 glasses and 2 bowls and the customer service people worked hard to get this for us (took 3 days). For the size of resort, the pool was small. But the people were very nice and helpful. (Only had a problem with one lady about returning the beach towels late.)

Overall it seems that they are trying to improve the place, but it still does not measure up to some other resorts. However, I would stay there again. They are supposed to build the phase II with over 400 rooms. They have been saying this for over 3 years, but they told us during the timeshare presentation (did not buy) that they were starting next month.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Not Available

We did not know where it was so we ended up parking in the Royal Oasis parking lot and walking across the street to find the Ruby Swiss. The atmosphere here was very nice inside. It had a romantic touch to it. The night we ate here there was live music (guy playing a keyboard). The steaks are cooked right next to the table. Tablecloths added to the formality. Overall the restaurant was O.K. Other people that went there said it was wonderful, but I was not impressed with the service. I had to ask for water 2 or 3 times. I was trying to tell the server something and he walked away from me. My wife did not care for the food, but I liked it. I got fried conk and this was good.

First, I recommend getting reservations so you can sit outside and see the shark feeding. Second, pay attention when you're driving to Pier 1. There were signs to the restaurant, but we made a wrong turn and had to ask for directions. This is the only business next to the port. They feed the sharks at 7, 8, & 9 pm. If you are not outside, you have to crowd around a spot in order to see the sharks. We had heard that the food was expensive and not that good, so we just had drinks and dessert. Our tab for three virgin strawberry daiquiris and 2 desserts was over $30.00. When they found out we were not going to eat a meal, they said they were going to have to move us. They ultimately did not. The desserts were very good, but we did not taste the food. The atmosphere is really neat with all of the fisherman stuff and a shark in a pool in front of the restaurant. Allow plenty of time to look around and make sure you bring a camera. They have bread with the food. All of ours was thrown in the water. I recommend this place highly---not on the basis of the menu but for the enjoyment of the shark feeding experience.

This is by far the nicest restaurant that we visited while were at Grand Bahama. (We ate in our room a great deal so we did not eat at all of the places in Port Lucaya.)

I recommend reservations here so you can sit on the porch (outside) and have a wonderful beach view. The restaurant is right next door to Club Carib on Tanio beach. It is not formal (sit on plastic lawn chairs) but the food and service was good.

My daughter loves bread, and this was good. The steak was too rare, but they gladly took it back to cook it more. My wife got onion soup and did not like it. With no questions, they took it back. The salad dressing tasted homemade (left it at the table where you could spoon it on your salad). I got the seafood platter (30.00), and I could not eat it all. Inside the restaurant they have tall ceilngs with lots of stuff to look at while you're dining.

I highly recommend this place.

This was horseback riding on the beach. The cost was $75 and they came to pick you up (the PineTree does not provide transportation). The maximum is three people, so you get personalized attention. She comes and picks you up with the horses in the trailer behind her. Barberry Beach is where you ride along. It is about 1.5 hours and is very scenic and relaxing. If the tide is out, you do not ride in the water that much. She said that there is quicksand and that we had to be careful about that. She is extremely nice and I highly recommend this activity.

We went kayaking to Peterson Cay and then snorkeled around the island. The company we used came and picked us up with the kayaks on a trailer. We brought towels, water, etc,, which was too much stuff. We teamed up and then began rowing to the island. I had never kayaked before, but my daughter and I worked well together. The most time it should take you to get to the island is 30 minutes.

The snorkeling equipment was worn. If you have your own, I would suggest bringing it.

In the end, we were disappointed with what we saw. Deadman’s Point/Paradise Cove was better than this. The tour company said the snorkeling at Peterson Cay would be the same quality as the snorkeling at Deadman's Point/Paradise Cove, but it was not. The coral was O.K. but there were not many fish. Our guide took us only part of the way around the island, and he said that the owner would take you around the island. No explanation why. The lunch consisted of sandwiches that did not fill us up.

If you were going for the snorkeling, I would not recommend a tour here. If you are going for the adventure, it would be a nice activity. I, however, would not recommend this tour.

There are two ways to experience Deadman’s Reef. We drove there and paid just $3.00 as we had our own equipment including a life jacket. You can pay also $35, which includes food, equipment, & transportation.

After you get there, the company provides a briefing about the coral because some can adversely affect you. We went to the reef once and did not go around the rock island. I wish we had done this because some people saw more aquatic life than we did. We took some bread in a zip-lock bag, but it was wet by the time we got to the point that had the fish. Even so the fish did gather around to eat it. We saw a big sea turtle on the bottom, colorful fish, & several types of coral. Some other people saw a stingray and a barracuda.

They have restrooms there and a place to wash off your feet. It took us about 30 minutes to get there from our resort. I highly recommend this.

When we did not have a car, we used JC’s private charter service. He had a van that would take you anywhere in Freeport for round trip of $8.00. For up to six people, up to four trips a day for a week was $125.00. You had to call and make an appointment and you needed to be flexible sometimes. If you went a shorter distance, he would charge you less. If you went to Pier One, he would charge you a little more. His phone number is 375-4913.

We usually go to the timeshare presentations. We aren't pressured after the salespeople find out how much we own and that we do not want to buy any more timeshare.

The Royal Oasis provided lunch and a $25 voucher that must be used on-site. We tried to use it at the pizza place, but they would not allow it. We ended up using it at the buffet in the casino. If he could have found the manager, we would not have had to go through the presentation.

Xanadu provided lunch and a $25 voucher that could be used onsite or at a local restaurant. We used ours at Stone Crab.