August 16, 2010
Expensive...But Worth It!
This trip was my third trip to Paradise Island, last 2 were 14 years ago, when Atlantis was still mangrove swamp.
Expect $12 and $14 mixed drinks at the bar, $8 bottles.
Mesa Grill was booked solid the entire week, so ,make your reservations early.
Water Tower in Nassau was closed for renovations, so save yourself some walking unless you want to look at the fort next to it.
The hotel staff, with few exceptions, were so very polite. Wait staff in the Bahamian Club made me feel like a king during the meal. We had the Grill Plate for 2, $125, but had tenderloin, lobster tail, mutton chops, sausage, pork with bacon (bacon makes everything better), plus a ton of veggies, potatoes and fresh bread. The regular menu entree would have cost more by time a side and salad were ordered so we chose the Plate for 2. The staff grilled it right there at the table, meats were so tender, pork moist not dry. The only bad thing: there was just so much food, we couldn't eat it all, I felt guilty some of it was going to waste.
The Maid hooked us up with some extra coffee pellets. I had taken a brick of Folgers but the coffee maker in room uses a single serving pouch, which we couldn't find for sale in the stores there. so I asked the maid for a few extras and she gave me a couple handfuls.
Beach was beautiful. The Jetski and Parasail hawkers could grow on your nerves a bit, but, hey, turquise water, white sugary sand.....makes you forget. All the wildlife in the lagoons was breathtaking,,,,14ft long sawtoothed sharks, 7 ft hammerhead, black tip reef sharks, 4 ft manta, and all the little stingrays.... Place was so big, I didn't get to see the entire property.
$15 BlackJack tables were full. My companion won $430 in slots during her first 20 minutes....
Be careful if you take the Booze Cruise....the sharks are not only in the water...almost got into a fight with a local who spiked my companion's drinks and tried to get her to leave with him under the pretext of going for jet ski ride.....she was hammered and he wouldn't let go of her hand when I was trying to get her into a taxi.... He never knew he was about 2.5 seconds away from getting his coconut cracked open. The included mixed drinks were weak (except for the special treatment above), $4 bottles at the top deck bar. Snorkeling was only about 25 min or so before we got called back to the boat. No fins were issued, just a vest, mask and snorkel. They stopped on the East end of the harbor channel at Athol....which I ddin't find very spectacular. Then we parked for about an hour on the West end of Athol where more jetski hawkers arrived. Lots of shells and coral on that beach for collecting but nothing spectacular. If you want to beach comb for exotics, take a day trip over to Rose where they aren't so picked over. Then the boat cruised down to Wyndham to drop off those passengers, and back to the old Paradise Island Fun Club, can't remember what its called now.
Sunset dinner cruise was OK, food wasn't gourmet, more like what you would be served if invited to a family cook out. Entertainment was pretty good. Fire Dance Princess was a hoot. Limbo guy did some funny yet amazing moves. As you board, you got your photo taken, which was sold to you at the end for $10.
I tried to get a helicopter tour but the new outfit hadn't received their operating certificate yet. I did give them some shooting locations for the James Bond movies for future use.
I enjoyed myself, didn't stress about the drinks because I had alloted X amount. Certainly need to go back sooner...
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