Honeymoon in the Bahamas

Walking around the grounds at night, seeing the aquariums and captive sea life. Relaxing by the pools and going on the waterslides.

Quick Tips:

Research meal plans before you invest in them. They may not be for you. Check if any of the "coupons" that come with your purchase will actually be valid. Call the resort and find out what is open and what isn't (including pools, waterslides, indoor amenities like library, restaurants, spa, etc.).

Best Way To Get Around:

If you don't have a "free limo ride" to and from the airport included in your purchase, just stick with a taxi. We didn't leave the resort the whole time, so we didn't have to worry about getting around.

The room was pretty small. We were planning on being there a week and had five suitcases. Finding space for them was a bit of a challenge, but we managed. The bed was a good size, but there was a spot on the fitted sheet that repulsed me. My husband didn't care too much, but I think his side was cleaner. There was also something strange going on with the fitted sheet at the bottom; it was as if it stopped about a foot from the end of the bed and so they had to button another piece of sheet to it. That was unsettling as well. Needless to say, I did not feel comfortable walking around with bare feet or socks on, so if you're a little germaphobic, bring your slippers!

The balcony was a slight disappointment, as it was pretty small. It had just enough space for two chairs to fit before you fell over the edge, and your neighbors can see onto your balcony. You get a great view nonetheless if you're on the pool/ocean side. It’s really breathtaking.

The bathroom was where I had the biggest problem. It seriously needed renovations. To start, the caulking around the toilet and behind the door was all over the place and collected a lot of dirt. There were rusty screws in the base of the toilet and in the shower. The sink stopper was broken and the maids left it that way. The floor of the bathtub was absolutely filthy. Needless to say, I wore my flip-flops into the shower everyday - not something I liked having to do.

I just felt that the whole place was really unsanitary, and it can't be for the lack of staff, because the place is crawling with workers, but most of them simply stand around all day. They're very nice people, but they don't do a whole lot.

I would say spend the extra money and see if the Royal Towers are any better. They also were refurbishing the other part of the hotel, so that might be nicer now.

We ended up having to eat here everyday because we purchased a meal plan (which everyone recommends, as do I, because their food is WAY overpriced.) The only problem was that we went in the middle of the hurricanes; I think Ivan had just passed and Jeanne was on the way. So the resort was pretty empty, the majority of the restaurants were closed, and that was the only one open on our plan, so beware of that.

Another thing that bothered me to no end was that the far side of the restaurant smelled putrid. All I could smell the whole time was mildew. The food was okay. My husband really liked the Mongolian-style grill. I didn't think anything was very special, at least nothing worth the $95 a meal we paid.

We also woke up late. Being from California, the 3-hour time difference was difficult to get used to and we just wanted to kick back. Consequently, we always missed breakfast, which was served until 11am or 12:30pm depending. Also, lunch is not included in the meal plan, which wasn't good for us because that was actually our breakfast. A lot of people say that they don't eat lunch when they're at Atlantis, but if you're going to be a late-riser, then you should take that into consideration before choosing to purchase a meal plan and call up the resort to see if you can find out which restaurants will be open during your stay.

The meal plan was not economical for us because the other restaurants were closed, but had they been open, it would have been a great idea.

There is so much to see and do in Atlantis. My personal favourite, which I think a lot of people enjoy, is simply walking around and seeing all the sea creatures. We arrived in the evening, and after dinner, we took a walk of the grounds. It took about an hour, but it was amazing and well worth the time! I could have done that for the whole week, but there is a lot more to do than just kick back.

The other thing we spent most of our time doing was sitting by the pool and going on the water slides. The water slide that goes through the shark tank is very impressive and definitely a unique experience. They have drink and snack bars at all the pools and people who walk around to take orders. Half of the pools and the lazy river were closed when we went because the hurricane destroyed them, but we had a great time anyway.

In the lagoon, there is a lot to do, but you want to make sure you go, say, not during hurricane season, because they close a lot of things. It’s also a really great place to go with kids. There were so many people with their kids, ranging from babies to teenagers; it’s definitely a place for the family. Mom can get spa treatments, Dad can go to the bar or gamble, and everyone can have fun at the pools.

There are places where you can go out to the beach, but my husband and I didn't venture out there because there were so many independent vendors who just bug you. You know the type—they offer you some "great" deal and don't leave you alone when you say, "No, thanks." They'll try to sell you everything from daiquiris to half an hour on a jet ski. In the late afternoon, they start to disappear, but unfortunately, we never got to swim in the ocean because of them.

I think there is A LOT this hotel could improve upon, but it is a great experience no matter how much or how little you do. We'll be going back there for sure.