lookingforward
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2001
Well, we were finally on the ship and our bags were unpacked and we had survived hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. 
The first night in our Cat 5 cabins were not without incident (see part two) but we were just glad to be there and we learned that our house was still standing so that was good news too!
First thing I noticed as we arrived in Nassau was that my husband was hunched over when he walked. Now, he is old but not that old so I asked "why the h*** are you walking like that?" (my sympathy was blown away by Jeanne). He said the bed was horrible and his back was "out". Oh no! That might mean that I was "alone" with three kids!! So I got out the motrin and gave him a back massage. He said the bed was like a toture rack. Now..my husband survived 26 years in the USMC so he is not a wimp. He has the highest pain threshold of anyone I know. I tested the part of the bed he had just slept on (the side that was replaced). OUCH! It was like a metal buckle that sticks into the lower part of your back. I immeidately phoned Guest Services and they said "so sorry madame" and promised that they would remedy the bed. HA!
I was off to the spa for a pedicure and manicure. The spa was almost deserted. One other women was there getting exactly the same services. I saw noone in the lobby or hair section. The manicure and pedicure was okay, nothing special, and definately not worth $95, but it needed to be done. The technician was adequate but was not very friendly at all. I feel that no matter what cruise line you go on they are the same three spa ladies on each ship. A little snotty, a little distracted, making minimal conversation. At any rate, I had a lovely conversation with the other women getting a manicure and the time flew by quickly. I was not subjected to much of a hard sell because I figured out how to avoid it! What is my secret???? I lied. I said that I had just gotten off a celebrity cruise and had bought lots of the same products (they are the same spa company). She seemed satisfied that I had enough of the overpriced goodies and stopped explaining how the de-tox products would clean out my colon and make my nails grow at the same time
! Please don't flame me for lying!
We had breakfast in the buffet and it was actually pretty good. The eggs were fresh and they were making breakfast burritos which were yummy. My husband was standing up straight which was a good sign. We had originally planned to go to Atlantis before the cruise was shortened but I had cancelled the comfort suites reservations. The weather was fabulous so we went back to the cabin and tried our cell phones. No go. So I picked up the sea to shore line and with hands shaking ($6.95 per minute!) I dialed the comfort suites. They said it would be $195 plus tax for four people. But we had five. The women said "FOUR!" and told me to book two rooms. $400 for a day at Atlantis? I don't think so. So I called Atlantis and they offered a day room for five for $150, tax included. Sign us up!
We got off the ship and made our way to the taxis. At the same time Carnival had two ships disembarking. The Fantasy seemed like a party ship with lots and lots of very young people in large groups (did I say rowdy!) I hate being accousted and thats what happens in Nassau. NO! I don't want braids or private tours! We got a van to Atlantis for $4 per person. I live in South Florida so for years I have been seeing the exotic Atlantis commercials on television, they make the resort look like heaven. HA!
We checked in and were given a room in the older section of the hotel. It was clean and I wasn't complaining for the relatively fair price I was given. After all, a DCL tour to the beach (with no access to the pools, etc) would have cost us $220. We changed and made our way to the infamous slides. It was quite a hike. Along the way we had at least five very stern looking Atlantis employees ask to see our room key. They didn't seem to be asking anyone else so I turned to my husband and said "we don't look like the beverly hillbillies do we?". He assured me that I was fashionable, fabulous and totally in the moment (He was still loving me after that back massage!) We went to the aquarium and loved that. It was really cool and the kids loved the different marine life that they could get up close to.
Off to the pools. The slides were amazing and very scary looking to this middle aged women. Our daughter was too little so I went to zero entry pool with her. My husband went off to the slides with the boys. He forgot to give me his credit card and money in the pocket of his bathing suit and promptly lost it as he careened down the slide (see I told you that he had a high pain threshold ...and a death wish!). The money in the pocket thing would never happen to a women! He totally forgot. He got one of the pool guys to dive into the "pump room" and fish out his id and credit card. He also found a $20 bill which my husband promptly tipped him with. He saved our day and it was well worth the money!
As I sat by the pool with my daughter fuming about how dumb my husband was (not normally, of course ) I began to realize that this resort was kind of dirty and kind of unmanaged (trash, ciggerettes, etc). It certainly wasn't equivalant to a four star resort to which it is compared. We had lunch by the pool which turned into a nightmare. The pigeons and seagulls were aggressive and hostile and would swoop down and literally grab food from your hands. It didn't help that certain guests were feeding the birds and one pineapple was actually hitting the birds on their heads with his budweiser hat. (I'm not kidding) The hits to the poor birds made them even more aggressive but heck, the guy with the bud hat felt better! I felt like Alfred Hitchcock was going to stroll by and say "Good evening". Off we went to the famous Atlantis Beach....
We schleped over the wooden bridge and found ourselves on the beach. It was kind of small but the sand was very soft. We were immediately assaulted by jet ski drivers that were obviously drinking (and I don't mean water) They would not let up when we said no thank you. Finally my husband straigtened out his back and told them to back off. They then tried to humiliate him into renting by saying he was "hen pecked" and had to listen to his "boss" (me!). That didn't work, but he got madder and I was hoping I would not end the day by having to bail him out of Bahama Jail! The Atlantis "security" was right there sitting in his golf card ignoring the harrassment. His job was obviously done when he checked to see we had our room card! The jet ski commandos and banana boat guys hassled every single person that walked by. One young, very cute guy with his very cute girlfriend almost punched them out. It was painful to watch and a travisty for such a "nice" resort. Lets just say the words "never again".
Back on the ship we relaxed and got ready for dinner. We were doing the suggested double dip. Early dinner at Parrot Cay and then a romantic dinner at Palos. I was ready and my husband was walking normally so he was ready too! Dinner was again very good. My husband and I had an appetizer and split a few of the ribs which were delicious. Our server Gede was so sweet. We enjoyed another bottle of wine ($69.00 for three bottles plus $1000 in gratuaties
) The kids enjoyed the meal. The boys were off to "have fun" and I said great, just make sure you don't go partying in Nassau or fall off the sides of the ship. They promised that they would not. Our daughter was dropped off at the kids club. Easy? Nope. She cried and begged to stay with me. I guilted her into staying "You dont' want daddy to eat all by himself do you?". Hey, it worked. Or so I thought. I ran up to Palos (okay, I took the elevator). Edu was our very handsome and very good Italian waiter. Did I say handsome?? Word to the wise...DON'T DOUBLE DIP. I was so full from my appetizer and rib tasting that I really did not enjoy my Palo meal. Unless you can pack it away, don't do it. The service, food and atmosphere was breathtaking. Very romantic. We have three kids and both work so lets just say romance is not at the top of our to do list. We were connecting at Palos, truly merging our souls together and having a very intimate and inspired conversation......when we heard the "BEEP, BEEP, BEEP". It was kind of funny to see my husband look around to see if it was coming from somewhere else. Nope. It was coming from the beeper on his belt. Message: "danielle would like to be picked up from the club". Romance out the window. Edu looked like he was going to cry for us. Did I pack the Xanex?? Edu offered to have our desserts sent to the cabin which we gladly accepted. Did I mention that Edu was handsome??
We made our way to the cabin and discovered that our bed was not fixed at all. A think pad had been thrown over the metal "dagger" but that was it. My husband tucked in our daughter and then went to sleep on the pull down sofa bed. I went to see Mr. 3000 with the boys. Some romantic evening, huh??? Sigh.
The first night in our Cat 5 cabins were not without incident (see part two) but we were just glad to be there and we learned that our house was still standing so that was good news too! First thing I noticed as we arrived in Nassau was that my husband was hunched over when he walked. Now, he is old but not that old so I asked "why the h*** are you walking like that?" (my sympathy was blown away by Jeanne). He said the bed was horrible and his back was "out". Oh no! That might mean that I was "alone" with three kids!! So I got out the motrin and gave him a back massage. He said the bed was like a toture rack. Now..my husband survived 26 years in the USMC so he is not a wimp. He has the highest pain threshold of anyone I know. I tested the part of the bed he had just slept on (the side that was replaced). OUCH! It was like a metal buckle that sticks into the lower part of your back. I immeidately phoned Guest Services and they said "so sorry madame" and promised that they would remedy the bed. HA!
I was off to the spa for a pedicure and manicure. The spa was almost deserted. One other women was there getting exactly the same services. I saw noone in the lobby or hair section. The manicure and pedicure was okay, nothing special, and definately not worth $95, but it needed to be done. The technician was adequate but was not very friendly at all. I feel that no matter what cruise line you go on they are the same three spa ladies on each ship. A little snotty, a little distracted, making minimal conversation. At any rate, I had a lovely conversation with the other women getting a manicure and the time flew by quickly. I was not subjected to much of a hard sell because I figured out how to avoid it! What is my secret???? I lied. I said that I had just gotten off a celebrity cruise and had bought lots of the same products (they are the same spa company). She seemed satisfied that I had enough of the overpriced goodies and stopped explaining how the de-tox products would clean out my colon and make my nails grow at the same time
! Please don't flame me for lying!We had breakfast in the buffet and it was actually pretty good. The eggs were fresh and they were making breakfast burritos which were yummy. My husband was standing up straight which was a good sign. We had originally planned to go to Atlantis before the cruise was shortened but I had cancelled the comfort suites reservations. The weather was fabulous so we went back to the cabin and tried our cell phones. No go. So I picked up the sea to shore line and with hands shaking ($6.95 per minute!) I dialed the comfort suites. They said it would be $195 plus tax for four people. But we had five. The women said "FOUR!" and told me to book two rooms. $400 for a day at Atlantis? I don't think so. So I called Atlantis and they offered a day room for five for $150, tax included. Sign us up!
We got off the ship and made our way to the taxis. At the same time Carnival had two ships disembarking. The Fantasy seemed like a party ship with lots and lots of very young people in large groups (did I say rowdy!) I hate being accousted and thats what happens in Nassau. NO! I don't want braids or private tours! We got a van to Atlantis for $4 per person. I live in South Florida so for years I have been seeing the exotic Atlantis commercials on television, they make the resort look like heaven. HA!
We checked in and were given a room in the older section of the hotel. It was clean and I wasn't complaining for the relatively fair price I was given. After all, a DCL tour to the beach (with no access to the pools, etc) would have cost us $220. We changed and made our way to the infamous slides. It was quite a hike. Along the way we had at least five very stern looking Atlantis employees ask to see our room key. They didn't seem to be asking anyone else so I turned to my husband and said "we don't look like the beverly hillbillies do we?". He assured me that I was fashionable, fabulous and totally in the moment
(He was still loving me after that back massage!) We went to the aquarium and loved that. It was really cool and the kids loved the different marine life that they could get up close to.Off to the pools. The slides were amazing and very scary looking to this middle aged women. Our daughter was too little so I went to zero entry pool with her. My husband went off to the slides with the boys. He forgot to give me his credit card and money in the pocket of his bathing suit and promptly lost it as he careened down the slide (see I told you that he had a high pain threshold ...and a death wish!). The money in the pocket thing would never happen to a women! He totally forgot. He got one of the pool guys to dive into the "pump room" and fish out his id and credit card. He also found a $20 bill which my husband promptly tipped him with. He saved our day and it was well worth the money!
As I sat by the pool with my daughter fuming about how dumb my husband was (not normally, of course ) I began to realize that this resort was kind of dirty and kind of unmanaged (trash, ciggerettes, etc). It certainly wasn't equivalant to a four star resort to which it is compared. We had lunch by the pool which turned into a nightmare. The pigeons and seagulls were aggressive and hostile and would swoop down and literally grab food from your hands. It didn't help that certain guests were feeding the birds and one pineapple was actually hitting the birds on their heads with his budweiser hat. (I'm not kidding) The hits to the poor birds made them even more aggressive but heck, the guy with the bud hat felt better! I felt like Alfred Hitchcock was going to stroll by and say "Good evening". Off we went to the famous Atlantis Beach....
We schleped over the wooden bridge and found ourselves on the beach. It was kind of small but the sand was very soft. We were immediately assaulted by jet ski drivers that were obviously drinking (and I don't mean water) They would not let up when we said no thank you. Finally my husband straigtened out his back and told them to back off. They then tried to humiliate him into renting by saying he was "hen pecked" and had to listen to his "boss" (me!). That didn't work, but he got madder and I was hoping I would not end the day by having to bail him out of Bahama Jail! The Atlantis "security" was right there sitting in his golf card ignoring the harrassment. His job was obviously done when he checked to see we had our room card! The jet ski commandos and banana boat guys hassled every single person that walked by. One young, very cute guy with his very cute girlfriend almost punched them out. It was painful to watch and a travisty for such a "nice" resort. Lets just say the words "never again".
Back on the ship we relaxed and got ready for dinner. We were doing the suggested double dip. Early dinner at Parrot Cay and then a romantic dinner at Palos. I was ready and my husband was walking normally so he was ready too! Dinner was again very good. My husband and I had an appetizer and split a few of the ribs which were delicious. Our server Gede was so sweet. We enjoyed another bottle of wine ($69.00 for three bottles plus $1000 in gratuaties
) The kids enjoyed the meal. The boys were off to "have fun" and I said great, just make sure you don't go partying in Nassau or fall off the sides of the ship. They promised that they would not. Our daughter was dropped off at the kids club. Easy? Nope. She cried and begged to stay with me. I guilted her into staying "You dont' want daddy to eat all by himself do you?". Hey, it worked. Or so I thought. I ran up to Palos (okay, I took the elevator). Edu was our very handsome and very good Italian waiter. Did I say handsome?? Word to the wise...DON'T DOUBLE DIP. I was so full from my appetizer and rib tasting that I really did not enjoy my Palo meal. Unless you can pack it away, don't do it. The service, food and atmosphere was breathtaking. Very romantic. We have three kids and both work so lets just say romance is not at the top of our to do list. We were connecting at Palos, truly merging our souls together and having a very intimate and inspired conversation......when we heard the "BEEP, BEEP, BEEP". It was kind of funny to see my husband look around to see if it was coming from somewhere else. Nope. It was coming from the beeper on his belt. Message: "danielle would like to be picked up from the club". Romance out the window. Edu looked like he was going to cry for us. Did I pack the Xanex?? Edu offered to have our desserts sent to the cabin which we gladly accepted. Did I mention that Edu was handsome??We made our way to the cabin and discovered that our bed was not fixed at all. A think pad had been thrown over the metal "dagger" but that was it. My husband tucked in our daughter and then went to sleep on the pull down sofa bed. I went to see Mr. 3000 with the boys. Some romantic evening, huh??? Sigh.
