Weekend Gal Trip to Freeport, Bahamas

A November 2005 trip to Grand Bahama Island by GreenMermaid

The "Fantasea" snorkel catamaran Photo - Reef Tours, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas

Quote: It was great for a quick getaway for West Palm Beach-area locals. We booked a package deal on the Cloud X Fast Ferry to Grand Bahama.

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Port Lucaya Resort & Yacht Club

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Hotel | "Lucaya Resort and Yacht Club"

Marina View Double with cot Photo - Port Lucaya Resort & Yacht Club, Freeport, Bahamas

Quote:

After reading some of the reviews, I was a little scared of what we might find when I booked this hotel as part of a package deal with the Cloud X ferry, which runs from West Palm Beach. However, our room was fine, the staff was very friendly, and the property was actually much prettier than the pictures on the website.The hotel is made up of candy-colored buildings, very typical Bahamian, surrounding a pool and a wonderful hot tub. Docks are around the perimeter of the hotel buildings but were empty this weekend, as they cancelled the scheduled fishing tournament due to the recent hurricane, so the hotel was also emptier than we expected.We got a marina-view roo...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 25, 2005

Port Lucaya Resort & Yacht Club
Bell Channel Road, Taino Beach`
Lucaya, Freeport, Bahamas

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Reef Tours

Attraction

Quote:

We were able to book a sail/snorkel trip with the concierge/sales rep. in the hotel. The company's building was right next door and beside the marina docks. We chose the sail/snorkel trip because of the large catamaran that promised smooth passage over choppy waters.You could buy beer or sodas, but juice was provided free. We brought a bottle of rum along (plastic bottles only allowed on board) to spike the juice nicely and enjoyed our own booze cruise riding on the comfortable "trampolines" stretched between hulls.The wind was blowing 20 knots and picking up and the captain and crew were indecisive about continuing the trip and polled the passengers. Since the majori...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 25, 2005

Reef Tours
Lucaya Marketplace
Freeport, Grand Bahama Island

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Cloud X Fast Ferry

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Story/Tip

Quote:

Cloud X is a ferry that goes from the port of Palm Beach to Freeport in the Bahamas. At $150 round-trip, including port charges and taxes, it's a bit less expensive than a plane ticket, and you don't have to ride one of those itty-bitty planes. Plus, you can enjoy the ride over with on-board gambling, drinks, some snack food for purchase, and a couple of complimentary movies. We opted for a hotel package deal, which saved us a few dollars and was convenient to book all at once.

Although it does take longer than the advertised 3 hours (it was more like 4, with waiting at each port and time consumed going through security and customs), the trip is pleasant and you experience little ocean motion. The boat has a catamaran-like design and takes the seas beautifully. On the way back, we were vaguely aware of seas crashing on the side of the deck but only realized how big they must have been when we saw a big gambling boat leaving the port while rocking and rolling. We didn't feel a thing!

Gambling was fun aboard--the gaming staff was down-to-earth, explained how to play the games, and wasn't stuffy about rules like touching the table, like they are in Vegas. With the free drinks that kept coming as long as we gambled, we had a great time.

The wait staff was very friendly and kind--when we asked them if they could do anything about the temperature (on the way back it was so cold), they complied and it warmed up very quickly.

That said, the destination, Freeport, was not that spectacular, but it is a less pricey destination than other islands. There are some lovely resorts, but we stayed at the Port Lucaya Resort and Marina, which was fine and close to everything. It was very fun for a weekend trip, especially if you live in the West Palm area like we do.

These smaller ferries don't have a history of lasting very long--it's not very profitable for the ports because of the smaller tourist load--but this company has a good-quality operation. Take advantage of it while it lasts! Read Less