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Traded into Harborside & Could Use Some Advice?

Bolen

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Hey Guys:

I've traded into Harborside for the end of January, I'm a first-timer there, and could use plenty of help... Let me just list some questions and if you have any information, I'd appreciate the suggestions:

1. Any suggestions for getting from the airport to Harborside?

2. Is a car rental a good or bad idea? (We're seniors by the way, healthy, but youth challanged, if that matters)... In other threads I've looked at, I've seen the name Sandra talked about, and it sounded like it had to do with a cab service or something, but I couldn't be sure. Anybody know what Sandra provides to Harborside visitors?

3. Do you know if there is any leeway with room assignments, and is there a strategy that works at Harborside for making room requests, or do you just get what you get?

4. Anybody have some suggestions on what's not to be missed at Atlantis or Nassau? Is there a good web site or link that gives the complete Harborside story as to what's available, and what's worth your time...

5. Also could use some suggestions for buying milk, eggs, beer, etc, as far as where to do it, and how to do it?

We're used to fending for ourselves, but TUG tips always (ALWAYS) short cut the learning process and usually help to avoid making costly mistakes...

Vacation is 10-weeks off, so no hurry, but we would apprecaite any and all replys...

Cheers, Bob
 

m61376

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Sandra Ferguson provides great round trip and reliable transfers from/to the airport- her e-mail is sexy_sanny@hotmail.com
For an additional $15 the driver will stop at the market on the way there and wait for you. Well worth the convenience. Prices were $50 for arrival and $35 for departure.

Look through the Atlantis website for the lay of the land. We were there in June on a private trade and had a blast! Hope you have a great trip!
 

Bolen

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Thanks for that Sandra information... I'm assuming from your post that you didn't rent a car? Is that correct, and do you have any thoughts on the subject?

Cheers, Bob
 

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jerseygirl

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No reason to rent a car -- most people rarely leave the Atlantis complex. If you want to go to town (e.g., straw market -- avoid cruise ship days), you can take a cab for ~$10 and pick one up easily when you're ready to return. Or, you can walk to the ferry -- front desk can give you all the info. You can be picked up at the Harborside lobby for all the snorkel, speedboat tours, etc -- just be aware that water temperatures are on the chilly side at the time of year.

The resort has gotten quite strict about not refrigerating items if you arrive before a room is ready (they're not being mean --- they don't have the space -- there's just a very tiny convenience store that probably only has a regular refrigerator in the storage room -- and everyone has jumped on the "stop for groceries" bandwagon). So, depending on when you're flight arrives, I'd think twice about stopping for a full load of groceries (we used to do it all the time, but have respected the resorts request to cease and desist and now bring a travel cooler and only buy the necessities on the way to the resort). They run a shuttle to the grocery store everyday (don't remember if they run it on Sunday), or a cab will take you and wait for very little money. There are also a few stores for basic staples, beer, etc. within walking distance -- again, front desk can direct you.

As far as things to do, we've always enjoyed their live comedy shows if you're into those things. And, movies are free -- there's usually at least one we haven't seen. You have to walk the DIG (huge aquarium). And, I highly recommend walking the entire grounds -- you don't have to do it all in one day. If you have the stomach for it, going to things like the shark feeding (free) are, well, interesting! And, there's always the casino, my favorite!
 

siesta

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Hey Guys:

I've traded into Harborside for the end of January, I'm a first-timer there, and could use plenty of help... Let me just list some questions and if you have any information, I'd appreciate the suggestions:

1. Any suggestions for getting from the airport to Harborside?

2. Is a car rental a good or bad idea? (We're seniors by the way, healthy, but youth challanged, if that matters)... In other threads I've looked at, I've seen the name Sandra talked about, and it sounded like it had to do with a cab service or something, but I couldn't be sure. Anybody know what Sandra provides to Harborside visitors?

3. Do you know if there is any leeway with room assignments, and is there a strategy that works at Harborside for making room requests, or do you just get what you get?

4. Anybody have some suggestions on what's not to be missed at Atlantis or Nassau? Is there a good web site or link that gives the complete Harborside story as to what's available, and what's worth your time...

5. Also could use some suggestions for buying milk, eggs, beer, etc, as far as where to do it, and how to do it?

We're used to fending for ourselves, but TUG tips always (ALWAYS) short cut the learning process and usually help to avoid making costly mistakes...

Vacation is 10-weeks off, so no hurry, but we would apprecaite any and all replys...

Cheers, Bob
Hello

1) taxi's are waiting outside the airport and are plentiful. No need to arrange one in advance. It is around $32 dollars each way, to harborside and back to airport.

2) car not necessary to enjoy Atlantis.

3) considering Jan. Is high season, you will probably getwhat you get.

4) when you check in, ask for the resort map, the property is large. Also, ask for the feeding schedule for sharks and rays.

5) you can go into town for shopping, via shuttlle/ferry. I chose to order groceries online and had it delivered.

www.foodstore2go.com
 

Bolen

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clsmit

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This map http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=580987&postcount=1 shows all the unit numbers. Personally we like building 5 the best and higher floors are nicer than being on the ground floor.

If you like walking, walking off property over to the One and Only Club is a nice way to see other parts of the Island.
 

levatino

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1) Sandy worked for us. She was late upon arrival, but with her cell phone in hand before I left, I was able to have the airport desk help call her. Pickup back was seamless, on time, and with her son.

2) car rental - expensive and you might even need to pay to park at harborside (though i am unsure of this). Not really too much to see on Nassau (we asked Sandra's son), and they drive on the left, so it would be a bit of an adjustment.

3) We had no luck with asking for a room assignment, however we arrived a day after our check-in day. the front desk wasn't rude, they just let smiled and didn't do anything when we asked.

4) Personally, I was underwhelmed at the Atlantis experience. We saw a movie and relaxed a bit. the restaurant at Harborside was decent if somewhat overpriced. The seashell domed carousel looking roofed lagoon restaurant had abundant portions of standard fare. Nassau island does not lend itself to haute cuisine and the shopping the 'straw market' is full of tourist crap that didn't appeal to me. the main shopping drag is yucky looking and has all the character of a strip mall. You will stay on paradise island, most likely, and be a welcome prisoner, I mean guest.

5) we went to City Market, I think. I saw the web site on another post and they had a circular. The items are not sale reduced on the shelf, however, so you may want to print and bring the circular so you know where the deals may be. Eggs were about $1.70 a dozen here and over $7 at the resort. Sandra waited patiently for us while we shopped. I think for three of us she charged $85 roundtrip.
 

tomandrobin

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As many have said, we per-arranged for a pick-up service at the airport. Unlike most, I won't recommend Sandy's service...Used her once, was not happy. I am sure it was a fluke, since so many rave about her.....However, you only get one chance to impress.

I do not recommend a rental car. Taxis are cheap, plentiful and readily available..

Trading into Harborside means you'll get last room assignments and preference. To be honest, there really isn't much in views and as long as you don't get the dreaded far rooms, near the toll booth, you'll be fine.

If your arrival is near check-in time, have your driver stop at the grocery/liquor store. Ask for the price in advance.
 

yumdrey

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Even as an owner, I had hard time to get requested (desired) rooms or locations.
If there's any problem in the unit, they will move you to somewhere, but if room is ok and functional, you need to stay where they assign you.

Resort offers shuttle to city market daily basis ($7/one way), so you don't have to buy whole week's grocery at arrival.

If you plan dining at one of Atlantis restaurants, dinner in weekend, you may need to make a reservation in advance by calling concierge.
 

Bolen

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Thanks everyone for the low down on Atlantis... Sounds like what I thought, that the car would be more trouble, expense and risk, than what it's worth.

Does anyone bring food with them to Nassau, and if so is it worth the trouble? I don't mean Mac & Cheese, or powdered milk, or cans of Tuna, but say a cooler of frozen meats, etc. We did that once several years ago going to Aruba, and it worked out fine. Not sure with airport security, Customs, and being older now, that it is worth the trouble. Still, if any of you Tuggers find it a workable, and useful strategy, we'd consider it...

By the way, OT how is the Atlantis Beach...decent, crowded, not as nice as the pools?

Thanks again, Bob
 

mariawolf

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I have been going to HRA for 10+ years and have never gotten a car--we have used Sandy for 6+ years without an issue.
We travel with grandchildren--our now 13 year old calls it his favorite vacation-- so I pack a rolling cooler with things I have brought mostly purchaed at Costco--pre cooked bacon, lunch meat, breakfast sausage and even the special creamer I love for my coffee. Pack it tightly==freeze whatever you bring and it will be fine and likely still frozen--we travel from DC direct but have seen others post they do this and also still cold or frozen. Bring Purex sheets for laundry--take fewer clothes and pack snacks.
Sandra makes a stop at the newer market in Cable Beach for juice/milk/eggs etc. Everyone in our group==we usually have 9 of us brings their own water bottle and we bring crystal light for during the day==freeze it and it stays good all day.
No grills there so bringing meat in my opinion is a waste unless your want to fry burgers/steaks in a frying pan.
We makes lunch but eat out at night--we rarely go in to town for dinner because by the time you pay for a cab back and forth you realize that when added to food prices right at the resort you don't save any money going to a less expensive off resort location.
Don't stress about location in the resort--won't be in the room much
 

tomandrobin

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so I pack a rolling cooler with things I have brought mostly purchaed at Costco--pre cooked bacon, lunch meat, breakfast sausage and even the special creamer I love for my coffee. Pack it tightly==freeze whatever you bring and it will be fine and likely still frozen--we travel from DC direct but have seen others post they do this and also still cold or frozen. Bring Purex sheets for laundry--take fewer clothes and pack snacks.
Sandra makes a stop at the newer market in Cable Beach for juice/milk/eggs etc. Everyone in our group==we usually have 9 of us brings their own water bottle and we bring crystal light for during the day==freeze it and it stays good all day.
No grills there so bringing meat in my opinion is a waste unless your want to fry burgers/steaks in a frying pan.
We makes lunch but eat out at night--we rarely go in to town for dinner because by the time you pay for a cab back and forth you realize that when added to food prices right at the resort you don't save any money going to a less expensive off resort location.
Don't stress about location in the resort--won't be in the room much

I could have written this post.
 

tomandrobin

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By the way, OT how is the Atlantis Beach...decent, crowded, not as nice as the pools?

We prefer the Atlantis pools over the spending time at the beach. Both are busy. The beach will be extremely busy on days when the cruise ships are in port.
 

mariawolf

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tomandrobin--too funny! I do like the beach--more like a lagoon--in front of the farthest buildings--I also bring a noodle to use in that area along with some beach toys from the dollar store and then just leave them there! My children make fun of everything I pack but once there they are happy I did!
 

esk444

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Hello

1) taxi's are waiting outside the airport and are plentiful. No need to arrange one in advance. It is around $32 dollars each way, to harborside and back to airport.

I hate picking up taxis at the airport or at Harborside without prearrangement. The reason is that the cabbies will often charge you bogus fees that can be $10-15 more than what the regulated rate is. The three most common ones is an extra passenger fee for children 5 or under (free), small bags like backpacks (free, not $1 or $3 per bag), regular luggage ($1 per bag, NOT $3 for 50lbs+ luggage). Another one is if you have a normal sized duffle bag (should be free), they try to charge you $3 for oversized luggage, but it only applies to the extremely large military style duffle bags. My last trip, I was quoted $42 when it should have been $29.

The taxis have these runners at the airport that steer you to certain cabs that they kickback $5 or more, so they overcharge you to make that back. The porters at Harborside also take kickbacks from the cabbies so they can bypass the taxi line outside the gates. Every taxi driver I've picked up while on the island outside of harborside and the airport complained about this and even confessed that they have paid up in the past.

It's a disgusting process and if you specifically call a cab, they get to avoid this mess, get your full fee without kickbacks, and generally won't overcharge you with bogus fees. But if you take a random taxi and think you are overcharged, I would at least stiff them the tip if you don't want an argument about the rate.

In the overall scheme of things it is not a lot of money, but I really don't like the system of graft based on the exploitation of tourists and try to avoid supporting it.
 
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siesta

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I hate picking up taxis at the airport or at Harborside without prearrangement. The reason is that the cabbies will often charge you bogus fees that can be $10-15 more than what the regulated rate is
One should always agree on a price before leaving in a cab. If the driver is adding "bogus fees", simply walk away. Taxis are plentiful.
 

komosatp

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My last trip, I was quoted $42 when it should have been $29.
Your number are out-of-date. The minimum charge for an airport-to-Paradise Island ride should be $33 ($32 for the ride, plus $1 for the toll). See here.

In any case, I've found that the drivers in Nassau are quite pleasant and hard-working people. I've not felt gouged on any ride in the past ten years.

And the taxi ride from the airport is generally one of the least expensive things at Atlantis/Harborside.
 
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esk444

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One should always agree on a price before leaving in a cab. If the driver is adding "bogus fees", simply walk away. Taxis are plentiful.

The next guy is likely to quote me a bad price as well. It's not about the money. It's about not wanting to get hustled and then ride with them for a 20 to 30 minute ride with someone you aren't comfortable with. If it was purely about economics, I simply would get in the taxi, get the quote, and if it has bogus add ons (it always does), just stiff them on the tip.

But it isn't that hard to call in advanced to make sure I get someone honest and not have to haggle or argue. I'd rather my money reward them instead of supporting the runners and graft system.
 

jojo777

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We just returned from Harborside in October

1. We used Sandy on the way down, with a grocery stop. On the way home we had the bellman get us a cab. (the bellman did bring my groceries to the room for a tip$$$, but we were reasonably close to check in time)
2. I brought tuna, crystal light, dunkins coffee, ziplock bags, plasticware, paper plates and bowls, pringles, crackers, mayo, splenda, the stuff to make a pasta salad, mac and cheese and my favorite wine wrapped in bubble wrap and MOST Important a ROLLING soft sided cooler, I used it as a carry on and brought sandwiches and drinks to the pool. (If you freeze pina coladas in gallon size ziplocks and put the in the cooler, they get slushy and perfect by the time you are ready....)
3. The only thing I really wished I had brought was a float for the beach. I really wanted a noodle or a float and could not find anything
4. The lunch combos were ok and inexpensive by the beach or pool. I liked my home made sandwiches better. On the last day I found one right near the cove beach that had a better selection of salads and wraps, they also had frozen drinks. I think it was called beach bites.
5. You dont need a car. The busses came every 5-10 min to every tower.
6. We took the water taxi to the straw market and went to Hard Rock ffor lunch. I brought some Coach bags and wristlets back for my daughter and nieces. The booze at the duty free was dirt cheap, but not the wine and not the best selection. I think it was like 15 bucks for absolute vodka and malibu rum, just for example
7. I really enjoyed Bimini Road in the evening to sit outside and have drinks while listening to the music. The food was good, nice appetizers and we did enjoy a lunch there one day. We went almost every night for music and a drink. It was located in the marketplace, so we could walk and then go to the casino from there.
8. We ate at Carmines, in the Marketplace (It lasted 3 days) The portions were so big, 1 meal of Chicken Marsala lasted us 3 days.
9. We also at at Atlas bar and grill in the casino, was good and reasonable. Not fancy, but good.
10. The bar and grill at the Harborside pool was very nice as well-reasonable
11. I just could not bring myself to spend 50-80 on a steak.
12. One night we went offsite to a restaurant, something gardens. They picked us up at the resort. The food was good and we enjoyed it. Very reasonable.

All in all it was a FANTASTIC vacation. I want to go back and bring my kids. We went for our anniversary and some friends took the other half of our unit. They loved it as well. We normally love Aruba and travel there every year. I am glad we experienced Atlantis. We will vist again.

Have fun!!!!
 

jojo777

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We just returned from Harborside in October

1. We used Sandy on the way down, with a grocery stop. On the way home we had the bellman get us a cab. (the bellman did bring my groceries to the room for a tip$$$, but we were reasonably close to check in time)
2. I brought tuna, crystal light, dunkins coffee, ziplock bags, plasticware, paper plates and bowls, pringles, crackers, mayo, splenda, the stuff to make a pasta salad, mac and cheese and my favorite wine wrapped in bubble wrap and MOST Important a ROLLING soft sided cooler, I used it as a carry on and brought sandwiches and drinks to the pool. (If you freeze pina coladas in gallon size ziplocks and put the in the cooler, they get slushy and perfect by the time you are ready....)
3. The only thing I really wished I had brought was a float for the beach. I really wanted a noodle or a float and could not find anything
4. The lunch combos were ok and inexpensive by the beach or pool. I liked my home made sandwiches better. On the last day I found one right near the cove beach that had a better selection of salads and wraps, they also had frozen drinks. I think it was called beach bites.
5. You dont need a car. The busses came every 5-10 min to every tower.
6. We took the water taxi to the straw market and went to Hard Rock ffor lunch. I brought some Coach bags and wristlets back for my daughter and nieces. The booze at the duty free was dirt cheap, but not the wine and not the best selection. I think it was like 15 bucks for absolute vodka and malibu rum, just for example
7. I really enjoyed Bimini Road in the evening to sit outside and have drinks while listening to the music. The food was good, nice appetizers and we did enjoy a lunch there one day. We went almost every night for music and a drink. It was located in the marketplace, so we could walk and then go to the casino from there.
8. We ate at Carmines, in the Marketplace (It lasted 3 days) The portions were so big, 1 meal of Chicken Marsala lasted us 3 days.
9. We also at at Atlas bar and grill in the casino, was good and reasonable. Not fancy, but good.
10. The bar and grill at the Harborside pool was very nice as well-reasonable
11. I just could not bring myself to spend 50-80 on a steak.
12. One night we went offsite to a restaurant, something gardens. They picked us up at the resort. The food was good and we enjoyed it. Very reasonable.

All in all it was a FANTASTIC vacation. I want to go back and bring my kids. We went for our anniversary and some friends took the other half of our unit. They loved it as well. We normally love Aruba and travel there every year. I am glad we experienced Atlantis. We will vist again.

Have fun!!!!
 

m61376

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We packed food, including some steaks, in a cooler with 24 hour ice packs. Everything stayed fine. As posted above, no grills- but I picked up a nice grill pan from BedBath for about $25- a double skillet size, perfect for traveling, that I threw in my suitcase. Great for cooking steaks, etc.. We prefer to eat in a couple of nights rather than eating out an entire week- too much food, and this worked perfectly.

Have a great trip- we enjoyed our visit there last summer :)
 

Bolen

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Sorry I haven't been back in several days, but my sincere thanks to all who offered their suggestions, and advice for Harborside... I've copied the entire thread and read it, and will reread it as the time draws closer for better retention... Thanks again all...please feel free to add more if the spirit moves you cause I will pop in now and again to check... Cheers, Bob
 
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