So you have decided you want to visit Atlantis Bahamas. Yay! This is one of the few vacation spots I frequent over and over again. There are things I have learned from my trips that I will share with you. Usually people do little to no planning when it comes to vacationing at a beach. However, with just a little bit of planning, you can maximize your trip and save some money.
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1. Atlantis Bahamas has Five Hotels
The Atlantis Bahamas property is very large and consists of five hotels with varying price points. Whether you want a luxury vacation or a budget vacation, Atlantis has an option for you. Here are the five hotels listed from least to most expensive.
- The Beach at Atlantis
- The Coral at Atlantis
- The Royal at Atlantis
- The Reef at Atlantis
- The Cove at Atlantis
With all hotel reservations, you get free access to the Aquaventure Water Park, unlimited beach towel use, entry to the Marine Exhibits and Aquarium, and other complimentary perks.
The Beach at Atlantis
The Beach at Atlantis is your absolute budget hotel, with the cheapest hotel rates. For a family, a trip to the Bahamas is already expensive with the cost of flights for each person. The biggest issue with this hotel is its location. Aquaventure, the dolphin encounters, and the aquariums are located on the other side of the property. You will have to walk a fair amount from your hotel every day.
The Coral at Atlantis
This hotel is my favorite of all the hotel options. The Coral is still relatively inexpensive compared to the other hotels, and the location is great. This hotel is close to beach access, inexpensive dining locations, Paradise Shopping Village, the marina, and the casino. Most of the nightlife at Atlantis is centered around the casino. Aquaventure and the Cove Beach are still a walk from The Coral, but they are closer than The Beach hotel.
The Royal at Atlantis
The Royal hotel is the hotel featured in all Atlantis Bahamas marketing promotions. It is also the mid-priced hotel and is also well-located. The Royal is located just on the other side of the casino from The Coral and is located closest to Aquaventure and Dolphin Encounters. The biggest problem with this hotel is that it is not located near any budget dining options.
The Reef at Atlantis
The Reef hotel is the farthest away from the casino, which is the center of Atlantis. There are shuttles that will take you from hotel to hotel, but that is not ideal. The greatest benefit of this hotel is the rooms are equipped with kitchens. Even though this hotel is among the most expensive, you can save money by cooking in the room.
The Cove at Atlantis
The Cove at Atlantis is the most luxurious of all the Atlantis hotels, but it is also the most expensive. The hotel is located a good distance away from the center of the resort, but I have a feeling this was on purpose to give patrons the a secluded feeling. Reservations here also entitle you to private pools and beach cabanas.
2. Be Prepared to Walk a Lot
In addition to the five hotels, the resort hosts 154 acres of swimming pools, water rides, marine habitats, lagoons, shopping, and dining establishments. In short, this place is huge. You can try to position yourself in a hotel to be close to the water park or close to the casino. But the bottom line is, you will be doing a lot of walking on this trip. Wear comfortable shoes. If you choose to dress up in the evening, I urge you to not wear stilettos or any other shoes that are uncomfortable. Pair cute flats or dressy sandals with your evening dresses. You will thank me!
3. Not Included in Price of Atlantis Bahamas
While Atlantis includes many activities with the price of the room rate, such as Aquaventure, Marine Exhibit, and a movie theater, there are also several activities that you can enjoy for an additional fee. Grab a daily Atlantean for activities offered that day. The following activities are really fun, but plan on paying extra for them.
- Dolphin Encounters
- Sea Lion Interactions
- Snorkel the Ruins of Atlantis
- Sea Squirts
- Stingray Experience
- Earth & Fire Pottery Studio
- Mandara Spa
4. Food is Expensive
Let me repeat, FOOD IS EXPENSIVE! Beach side and pool side dining is open for lunch only and are not too overly priced. They serve typical American food such as hamburgers and chicken nuggets. You can even save a few dollars by ordering a kids meal which is not that much smaller than an adult meal. The biggest difference is in drink size, but the drinking fountains are all-you-can-drink. However, if you want to drink alcoholic beverages be prepared to pay an arm and a leg for them.
Most dining establishments for dinner require reservations. You will need to book these reservations ahead of time as they do fill up. Atlantis does have a number of casual dining locations where no reservations are needed. However, these will still cost you $20-25 a person. Note that an 18% gratuity is automatically added to all meals.
Dining establishments in Nassau and at the Fish Fry are much cheaper than at Atlantis Bahamas. However, the cost of the taxi is such that it levels the playing field. One of the best money saving tricks is to have your airport taxi driver take you to a grocery store where you can buy cases of bottled water, sodas, snacks, and even sandwich supplies. I also advise buying breakfast items at the grocery store, so that is one less meal a day you have to pay for at Atlantis. The driver will charge a small fee, but it will save you lots of money in the end. Extra bonus – a liquor store is next to the grocery store.
5. Currency
The official currency of the Bahamas is the Bahamian dollar. One Bahamian dollar is equal to one U.S. dollar. All establishments accept American money, but they give change back in Bahamian dollars. If you plan to pay in cash, I recommend taking and paying in U.S. dollars. Just be sure to take mostly small bills, so you minimize the amount of Bahamian money you get in change. The benefit of the Bahamas accepting U.S. dollars is you do not have to pay a currency exchange fee.
6. Bring a Ton of Sunscreen
After you estimate how much sunscreen you need, add another bottle or two to your luggage just in case. It is better to overpack sunscreen than to not have enough. You will be in the sun all day, every day. Retailers know how important sunscreen is on an island adventure, and they charge you for it. I had to buy sunscreen one time, and it cost me $30 a bottle.
7. Plan a Day Outside Atlantis
Even though Atlantis has enough activities to keep you busy for your entire vacation, The Bahamas has a lot to offer. So I recommend spending at least one day outside Atlantis. My advice is to check when the cruise ships are in town. You should leave Atlantis those days. Many cruisers buy day passes to Atlantis to enjoy the water park and pools, which make the crowds unbearable.
Visit Nassau
Head to downtown Nassau one day, and shop at the famous Straw Market for cheap souvenirs. The shop owners will haggle prices, so be prepared for that. Several other shops line the streets of Nassau such as duty-free jewelry shops. Eat lunch at the Fish Fry for some unforgettable cheap seafood.
Swim with Sharks
Stuart Cove offers snorkeling with sharks in the wild! Stuart Cove is the shark experts in the Bahamas, and you can often find them on episodes of Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Their snorkeling tour includes roundtrip transport from your hotel as well as any snorkeling gear. The tour takes you to three snorkeling sites: a shallow reef, an airplane crash, and the shark location. The guides drop a bait box 40-feet deep into the ocean. Sharks circle the bait box below as you snorkel above them.
Swim with Pigs
If swimming with sharks is too adventurous for you, consider swimming with pigs instead. This all day excursion takes you to the Exuma islands and includes a delicious lunch and snorkeling.
8. Atlantis After Dark
If you are travelling without children, there is a number of evening activities for adults such as fancy dinners, bars, nightclubs, and the casino. If you are traveling with children and need a babysitter for a few hours, consider Atlantis Kids Adventure. This kids club offers many activities to keep children entertained while you’re adulting.
If you are looking for activities to do with your kids after the sun goes down, visit the many aquariums at Atlantis Bahamas. The tunnels are dark and can be spooky for young children. However, seeing the vibrant sea life in the dark waters makes for great pictures.
Another activity we like to do at night is buy pizza and walk to the Cove. Here we eat dinner and watch the sunset. The Bahamas has some of the most beautiful sunsets. You will not be disappointed. Then, enjoy a cool night walk along the beach side path to your hotel.
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