Friday, January 18, 2013

When in the Bahamas

The Grand Lucayan Resort

     I don't know if I would agree that the Bahamas are all they're cracked up to be, but I do know I did have fun while I was there. Here I will reveal what one should know when traveling there, the perks of visiting, and the downsides of visiting this major tourist attraction. 
An example of a greatly appreciated small courtesy.
     My mother and I cruised over to Grand Bahama Island on the Bahamas Celebration cruise ship. There's plenty to do on this ship and lots to choose from when considering things to do, but everywhere the servers offer alcohol. I do not recommend this cruise to any recovering alcoholics, because you must refuse alcohol everywhere you go. Past that, though, I found it to be an exhilarating experience, it being my first time on such a big boat and all. I have to say the best things are the little things - the staff's courtesy and kind treatment considering all guests was fantastic and the little surprises (save the ones on the bill, which we happened to have been forewarned about but were still surprised by) were very welcome and sometimes even cute.
     Once on the island, there are plenty of things to do, inside and outside the resort you choose. A few of the things I wish we definitely would have known before going to the island, however, are: 

 - Take plenty of cash! - No one on the island takes any kind of plastic, and if they happen to, there is a minimum amount you have to spend or an inconvenient charge added to your bill. And everything is on average three times more expensive over there, so plan on spending a lot just for food. 
 - I want to reiterate that everything is more expensive on the island and you need to take cash. That's some of the best advice I can give you, I think. And just FYI, American money is very common over there, so everyone takes it, tourism is their main source of income, but they also have their own money, which I personally kept a little of for souvenir. 
 - The staff on the cruise ship told us there was nothing like feeling the white sandy beaches of the island under our feet and between our toes. It's true, that the sand feels good: it's cool sand no matter how hot it is (it's not like the states' beaches where the sand will burn your feet during the day). And the sand is great for building things like sandcastles or animals in the sand, because it's so fine and pliable, yet solid when wet. But what I wish I would have been told ahead of time is that the grains of sand are so small that they are super hard to get out of anything. It feels nice to have the sand between your toes, but showering and scrubbing does not remove the sand and you have the grainy feeling of the fine stuff between your toes until you figure out how to get rid of it. And make sure you have at least two bathing suits for the island, since it is impossible to get it out of your clothes without a good washing machine (you want at least one for the beach and one for the pool or hot tub - believe me there are plus sides to both, and you'll want to experience everything so that you'll know what you want more of).
 - I wish I would've also known ahead of time that the island is where you want to get your souvenirs. There are grass huts everywhere, especially on the beach and in the marketplace. You can get things cheaper from grass huts than in stores, you can barter with the locals for cheaper prices, and if you still aren't satisfied you can more than likely find what you want for a cheaper bartering price from a different grass hut local. 

     Those are a few things I just really would have liked to have known before going over to the island. They might seem a little on the negative side, though, and so I will reveal some of the nicer things... 
The beach in the backyard of the Island Seas Resort.
     About the beach: the beaches are great! They have a very gradual decline to the ocean, I'd estimate a hundred yards from the beach into the water is only five feet deep. The water is mostly clear, save for seaweed wading in here and there, and so you don't have to worry about stepping on wildlife that may intend harm to potential predators, since  you can see the sand under your feet. The sand, as I've said before, is white and never hot, as the sand in the states can get, and is great for playing in or just walking across. And the beach we were on was never crowded even in the least: there was at most ten people other than me and my mom ever on the beach at one time. I felt kind of like we had our own personal beach. And the beach is regulated by someone (or our part of the beach was anyway) who can offer chairs, towels, and protection if someone happens to wander over and bother you (which I can't see happening, but is possible) most of the day. 
     About the Island Seas Resort, where we stayed for two nights: The resort staff, property and location was great for us. We had to wait a little while for our room to be ready, but we still were in our apartment hours before our check-in time, and our bags were safe with the bellman while we were otherwise disposed without our personal room, and the resort boasts a "hospitality room" which is a whole apartment and a half really for guests who have to wait for or after a bus (as we did) without a room. The apartment was very clean and very roomy, with it's own kitchen (and dishes), bathroom, living room, dining room, bedroom, and front and back decks. We also had multiple TVs. We ate at the Seagrape Grille, but found they were overpriced, over-charged tip (which we especially didn't like because the server ignored us most of the time we were there), and the food wasn't that great at all. There were plenty of activities to choose from to get involved in, and a variety of interests to be intrigued by these activities. The resort had a shuttle bus free for the use of visitors, which we used multiple times to travel to and from the marketplace. Both my mom and I would suggest eating and shopping in the marketplace, the choices are better and the prices are more reasonable, or so it seemed. And one of the best things about this resort is that the beach is literally in its backyard: I could walk from the pool (which is the midst of the resort) straight to the beach in less than a minute, which is very convenient. 
     About the activities in the Grand Lucayan Resort: We personally experienced the Glass Bottom Boat Tour, which we both highly recommend. The tour hosts take you to the shark hangout, tells you about all the oceanic wildlife you see through the bottom of the boat, and even let you feed the fish, and feed the sharks themselves so you can get good pictures of them. We had some friends who took a scuba diving class with a waterproof camera, and they had a blast. We saw some banana boats, too, and we wished we had chosen to do that as well. The activities do seem a little high-priced, but from what I could tell they were worth whatever the price was.
     All right, well, that's what I have to say about the Bahamas. They are mainly a tourist attraction, and so the people there are very nice and considerate to foreigners. There are tons of things to do there, though the beach alone is worth the visit, just to experience it for yourself. We had a lot of fun and we came back with a ton of good pictures, but we wished it hadn't cost us so much... If you have any questions you feel like I could answer or any comments on my experience or wish to share yours, feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think or share with you what I think. Thanks for reading.

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