advice needed: first time at Atlantis Harborside

[carmaker]

Hi, everyone! I'm new here and thank you for letting me join. My family (2 kids, 10 and 11 y/o) will be traveling to Atlantis Harborside for the first time in October (late to the game, I know), and was wondering if I can get advice on the following:
1. How bad is hurricane season in Atlantis in October?
2. I read that most TUGs users use Sandra's Taxi Service from the airport to Harborside. Can someone please share her contact information, and also her rates?
3. We're planning to bring food with us and eat in our villa most of the time. Do you have suggestions about what to bring from the US and what to buy from the store?
4. Are there good local restaurants that we should try when we're there?
5. Are there any other activities that we can do/try?

Thank you all!

 

[emeryjre]

I use

Cheryl’s Bahamas taxi and tours
using iPad so it is not pasting link

Very reliable. Price is the same.

Hurricane season is hit or miss. It is very possible, would recommend trip insurance for that time year.

 

[DanCali]

Hi, everyone! I'm new here and thank you for letting me join. My family (2 kids, 10 and 11 y/o) will be traveling to Atlantis Harborside for the first time in October (late to the game, I know), and was wondering if I can get advice on the following:
1. How bad is hurricane season in Atlantis in October?
2. I read that most TUGs users use Sandra's Taxi Service from the airport to Harborside. Can someone please share her contact information, and also her rates?
3. We're planning to bring food with us and eat in our villa most of the time. Do you have suggestions about what to bring from the US and what to buy from the store?
4. Are there good local restaurants that we should try when we're there?
5. Are there any other activities that we can do/try?

Thank you all!

Hurricane season peaks August to October, so travel insurance is recommended. Odds are you'll be fine, but better safe than sorry.

Sandra's taxi service is: https://sandrastransportationbahamas.com/ - always have been very reliable with us. They can make a stop at the grocery store on the way from the airport.

Food is expensive there, so anything you can bring helps. It's always a tradeoff between how much you are allowed to bring on an airline and willing to carry, and saving money. There are no grills at HRA and the villas don't have ovens (only convection microwave) so I wouldn't bring steaks there... But we've brought pancake mix for breakfast and cold cuts for sandwiches could work if that's up your alley.

For dining, you can look at the restaurants at Atlantis and see what appeals to you. They have anything from burgers to very upscale. For local food, you can try going to the Arawak Cay area - there are a few restaurants in that block. We tried a couple (don't remember which) and they were good. We went by Tripadvisor recommendations.

Lots of activities to do, but really depends on you. You can spend the whole week at Atlantis without being bored, or also explore Nassau sites, take a day trip and go swim with pigs in Exuma. The concierge would love to talk with you (and try to get you to attend a presentation for 10,000 Bonvoy points) and can provide decent ideas.

 

[LMD]

We are headed there on Friday. It has been several years since our last visit. I did book transportation with Sandras. $175 round trip for the 6 of us with a 30 min grocery/liquor stop.
I am pretty sure I brought cheese/cream cheese with me last time but I just looked on the web page and it says no dairy can be brought in ? I am planning on bringing snacks, breakfast/lunch items so we only have to eat out once a day.
We will have my daughter who is 11 and another family who also have a daughter 11 with us- I will let you know what we find fun for that age!! Last time she went she was too young for the water slides.

 

[carmaker]

Thank you, DanCali and LMD! Also, looking forward to an update, LMD. Have a safe trip and have fun!

 

[carmaker]

Also, thank you, Emeryjre!

 

[TheHappyWanderer]

I would be more worried about hurricanes in the Bahamas in very early October, and less so in very late October. But they can happen anytime in October. This is just category five, but it gives you an idea:

"From 1851 to 2021, 37 Category five hurricanes wreaked havoc on The Bahamas: 1 in July, 8 in August, 21 in September, 6 in October, and 1 in November."

 

[dioxide45]

I would be more worried about hurricanes in the Bahamas in very early October, and less so in very late October. But they can happen anytime in October. This is just category five, but it gives you an idea:

"From 1851 to 2021, 37 Category five hurricanes wreaked havoc on The Bahamas: 1 in July, 8 in August, 21 in September, 6 in October, and 1 in November."

Can you cite your source for this? Those numbers are very high, especially if only cat-5 storms.

 

[mort1345]

You can Google what food can be brought in to Bahamas and get a good idea on your needs and what is allowed. The grocery store stop can be hectic so know what you
are looking for as the driver can get impatient. Snacks and breakfast items are high on our list. There is a sundries shop in the lobby but pricey. They will hold your things
at the lobby if room is not ready. The porter will bring your suitcases and other things to the room. If you have not been there, you have a short walk to your room. We were there in January and just like here, prices are up over what they were in 2021. You can get a burger in Marina Village for a fair price. We walk over to Dunkin Donuts and Margaritaville Dunkin has a wifi hot spot. Enjoy your trip. The water park is a blast.

 

[LMD]

We just returned yesterday.
We ended up taking Sandra’s transportation to and from Harborside and made a grocery stop (30 minute stop) on the way. It was $175 round trip for the 6 of us plus tip.I brought with me- coffee, oat milk (shelf stable) , individual coffee creamers, peanut butter, jelly, deli turkey, mayo, mustard, oatmeal, crackers, nuts, cheese, bread, a variety of bars. At the airport we used a porter to get all of the luggage and bring it outside to the transportation. Customs never asked us any questions at all.
Sandra has a restaurant that went to one evening called Midnight Spot. It was our best (and least expensive meal) . It is on the other side of the exit bridge. Sandra provides complementary transportation to and from the Harborside. We also ate at Carmine‘s, Poseidon’s Table, The Burger Shack, got Pizza one night on property. We had a drinks and appetizers when we were downtown one day. Atlantis /Nassau was very busy due to Spring Break.
The kids loved the water park so spent most of our time over there. One day our friends rented a private boat. The captain took us snorkeling, swimming with the pigs and to Rose Island where there is a restaurant. That was lots of fun.

The Atlantis did not have my reservation when I got there so we spent an extra hour at check-in. I had called II a few days before and they had a “manager send it over again”. I had done two exchanges. Our friends did not end up in the same building as us- which was not a big deal but not as convenient as being in the same building.

Housekeeping called me on Monday at 10am to ask if we wanted a cleaning or new towels. We needed towels so I put everything in a pile to make it easier for them. When we got back to our room at 5pm there were no towels. Called the front desk and 45 minutes later three bath towels showed up. Meanwhile we needed to shower for dinner and did not have towels. When they arrived they said they were totally out of hand towels and wash clothes. They do not by the way have any kitchen towels. Anyway- they never delivered towels the next day either so I ended up just washing them myself.

As far as internet- I used the free wi-fi in the lobby. My phone actually stayed connected to it in building 3 when I got back to the room but I could not connect from the room. Verizon charges $10 day which includes data, calls and texts so I just used that since it was less expensive.