A Not-So-Magical Christmas in Grand Bahama Island

Grand Bahama Island was a nice place, but not enough to entice us to return. We'd rather go back to other Caribbean islands (namely, Grand Cayman or Barbados).

Highlights (don't miss!):
- The Ferry House Restaurant (see accompanying review).
- Port Lucaya Marketplace (fun and happening every night).
- Gold Rock beach (where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed). Lovely beach, beware the biting flies!

There was not a huge night scene here. Nor was there a lot of "touristy" activities. I'd recommend this island for older couples who just want to relax on the beach, without much mind for sightseeing or doing exciting activities.

If you do go to GBI, I'd recommend staying in the Port Lucaya area. This is the place closest to all the shops, restaurants, and of course, the beach. Staying here requires limited use of a car, so it's probably the most efficient for tourists.

Quick Tips:

- Try to carry a change of clothes, a bathing suit, etc., with you on your plane. My luggage was lost for two full days before the airlines dropped it off in front of our building and drove wildly away (for all to grab). Many other people experienced similar predicaments. Don't be caught in the same situation.

- Don't bother exchanging your money to the Bahamas dollars. Almost everyone accepts US currency, and their dollars are a pain to exchange (in fact, you just end up losing money).

- Ask the taxi drivers the fares before you start driving away. Some will try to get away with overcharging you, but there's room for general negotiation. True statement.

- Things to bring: an umbrella (you never know when it'll rain), bug repellent (a must!).

- If you're cooking on the island (with a condo or mini-suite, bring non-perishable food items since they're pricey. Stuff like cooking oil, salt, pepper, boxed pasta, etc., will prove useful. Also, it doesn't hurt to have a dish sponge and soap, unless you're positive they'll be provided.

Best Way To Get Around:

After reading reviews online, we decided to walk/taxi it the first part of the week, then rent a car half way through to see the rest of the island and return to the airport. It turned out great.

The island's rather small, and most of what you will need is only a short walk/taxi ride away.
- The grocery store is no more than a 10-15 minute walk from anywhere near the Port Lucaya area.
- Taking a taxi from the airport is easy and at a set fare.
- Rent from Brad's rental car. They pick you up directly from your hotel! And with reasonable fares and an easy drop-off option directly in the airport (no silly shuttles), it's one of the best options around. The people to rent from are very nice as well (it's a family business).
- Plan your schedule to have half-day/one-day trips to other parts of the island. Freeport and the International Bazaar is only a half-day trip. West End and East End can be as short as a couple hours excursion, to a full day trip. I would plan for a full day at Gold Rock Beach.

Coral Beach Condos were really quite disappointing. We went the economical route and rented from a condo owner that we discovered in the Internet. There were plenty of mixed reviews online about the quality of the place, but we decided to chance it and booked a studio apartment for a week.

Upon coming in late the night before Christmas Eve, we enter an apartment that was simply filthy. Trash and dirty dishes were piled in the sink, dirty towels hung off the chairs, sand was scattered across the floor, and the bed was unkempt and unwashed. Needless to say, we were not pleased. Tired and disgruntled, we had to clean up a lot of the mess simply to find a "semi-clean" place to sleep. After cajoling the local manager, he finally agreed to send a maid over the next day.

On top of that, amenities that were supposed to be provided to us by the owners (as they guaranteed it), such as soap, paper towels, clean bedsheets and towels, were not really available. So we had to make it with what we brought or bought.

The building itself wasn't particularly that nice. A bit run down, with some water damage. The nicest thing that spoke to the place was the beach just a few hundred feet away. The beach was decently kept--relatively clean, and safe. Be sure to go out early to grab a place to sit under one of the shaded umbrellas. The little snack bar was nice and had tasty fried conch and mixed drinks (although weak).

I guess we decided that if we ever returned to GBI, we rather cough up a little more and stay at the Westin which was closer to downtown Freeport and was a much nicer place in general.

The Ferry House alone was probably the single saving grace for Grand Bahama Island. Everything else was mediocre to satisfactory--this restaurant took the top honors as truly excellent. We went first for Christmas Eve, and then after realizing the quality of food was not to be matched, we returned several times for consistently good food. The space is rather small, but the atmosphere is quite nice, rather homey.

Their specialty lies with seafood. Every seafood dish we tried was cooked to perfection. The lobster was not tough and overcooked; the sea bass was soft and flaky. Flavors were overall excellent every time we returned. Definitely order their chocolate molten cake (it takes a while to prepare, so be ready to wait). It's similar to the Morton's chocolate cake, but tastes less mass-produced, if that's possible.

For those afraid of the rather hefty price tag, be sure to check out their prix-fixe lunch. It  consists of three lovely courses for a decent price, and without sacrificing the quality of the food.

General comments: The restaurant would be nice for romantic dinners or small gatherings. I wouldn't recommend this as a place for children to go to. Service was attentive and excellent. For dinner-goers, I'd recommend a reservation as it can get crowded quickly. You might try to ask for a waterfront table if you can, as the restaurant does overlook the bay. There are outdoor seating options as well, but it doesn't always seem to be available (perhaps at the choice of the staff on hand?).

Overall, it is an excellent dining experience. It is worth the price tag and all. Oh, thank you Ferry House, for redeeming our stay in GBI.

After reading up tons of reviews for GBI restaurants, we chose Luciano's for our Christmas dinner (one of the few on the island that was open). Many people spoke highly of the food and the atmosphere, but we were not impressed.

First impressions: The restaurant is located on the second floor of one of the corner buildings in the Port Lucaya Marketplace. A zesty Italian guy statue greets you at the top. There is outside seating overlooking the Marketplace, and indoor seating. It appears as if the decor attempts to look fancy, but for some reason came off looking like a cheesy cruise ship interior. The colors and designs were early-'90s looking, and it wasn't quite as formal as we had first expected. Despite early reservations, there was a waiting period of 5-10 minutes.

Food: Extremely disappointing. We had expected great food based on others' recommendations, but were not impressed but what we ended up with. Meat played very heavily on the menu (Frommer's considers the cuisine Continental, some say Italian, I'd go with plain old American). Each of us ordered a variety a meat - one tried the filet mignon, another the duck, and yet another beef medallions. The filet mignon was the best choice since it wasn't overdone, but since it was flavorless, we had to ask for sauce to pour over it (it was not offered, we had to specifically request it). The food on plates, poorly presented, simply meat and sides of veggies and potatoes. Nothing fancy, nothing pretty. The other meats were overdone and dry. There was little flavor in the meat, and less so in the sides of veggies and potatoes. We ended asking for extra sauce for everything and salted everything on our own accord (and we don't like food too salty!). Dessert was tolerable - the crème brûlée top was too burnt, and the inside still cold. It tasted like everything we ate that night had been pre-frozen, much to our dismay. Needless to say, we do not recommend the place.

Service: The waiters were not bad. Not very attentive, since they were quite busy. But once you finally got their attention, they were willing to respond to requests (from taking photos to providing sauce off the menu). It still took us a while to get our food, and everything seemed cold once we got it. We weren't quite as generous with our tip as we normally are.

Clientele: People came in various states of dress - from shorts and flip flops, to more elegant dresses. It was mostly small groups, or couples. There was a family or two around, but the children were over 10 years of age. Not recommended for general family dining.

Price: rather expensive. I believe at least $30-$40 per person. So not cheap for very average food. Definitely not worth the price tag.

Overall: We won't return. If we ever did go back to GBI, I think we'd eat at the Ferry House every night.