gplimpton

We just returned from a trip to the Bahamas, and after reading all the posts about Atlantis, and seeing all the advertising hyperbole they put on TV and in magazines, we were quite curious to visit.<BR><BR>All I can say is, thank goodness we stayed at the Ocean Club.<BR>Atlantis was quite possibly the most overhyped, disappointing resort I've ever visited.<BR>What's good about it? It has its own harbor, its own casino, plenty of great activities for the kids (water slides, pools, movie theater, etc).<BR>What's wrong with Atlantis?<BR>1. The 'nice' rooms are no better than a decent Holiday Inn in the US, at the price of a Ritz Carlton.<BR>2. The food is mediocre on a good day, and waaaay overpriced.<BR>3. The 'Dig' is just a very large aquarium. Very nice for the Caribbean. Pales in comparison to any big city aquarium in the US.<BR>4. The quality of everything from the lobbies of the Beach and Coral Towers, the restaurant environments, and the whole look of the place ranges from low rent/shabby to cheesy and in poor taste. <BR>5. The place is so overrun with people who seem to be straight out of the trailer park that it further diminishes the questionable impression the place gives off.<BR><BR>Atlantis practically defines the term &quot;bad taste&quot;.

sweetwhite62

Dear G, Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you didn't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all. We are going there in one week and we already know all of the negative points but we also know the positive points and we thought our children would enjoy themselves there. My husband and I have been to five other islands over the years and figured it was time to bring the children to an island. Maybe you could ease up a bit since children who are excited about their &quot;big&quot; trip might be browsing this sight with their parents. Thank You.

tamara

If you think you are bringing your kids to an &quot;Island&quot;, you will be shocked. You are not going to an island.. you're heading to Disney/Vegas/SeaWorld. No sign of island life here. gplimpton should be thanked for her views. The review was right on target. Post when you get back. We'd love to hear what you have to say about this &quot;wonderland&quot;.<BR>

MuyLinda

Sorry Sweetwhite - but gplimpton is entitled to his/her opinion. I like reading good vs. bad on a resort or destination. Besides, if you know the good vs. bad, having the bad posted shouldn't bother you. Lastly, this is an adult travel forum. I don't think anyone should be required to censor their opinions to only the good because your kids or other's kids may be reading it. I make sure my daughter knows the positives vs. the negatives before we vacation anywhere.

cdt

If the kids want Disneyworld and the parents want a beach resort in the Caribbean/Bahamas area, AND if mom and dad have lots of money, why not go to Atlantis?<BR><BR>Not my cup of tea, but as a parent I can understand the attraction.<BR>

tamara

I agree it's a good place for family fun, as long as you know that you don't get much value for your $$$. If you do your homework, and know that your $400. a nite room is likely to be only Holiday Inn quality, and the food is not quite up to par, then go for it.<BR>It's cheesy, but it can be fun.<BR><BR>Most folks are floored when they have spent a fortune on the dream vacation and are disappointed on the quality of accomodations, service and dining.<BR>

Dreamer2

If Ocean Club is the type of thing that appeals to GPlimpton, I don't see how he/she could even think about staying at Atlantis. It's like comparing apples to oranges. <BR>However, I really don't see how anyone could compare Atlantis to a Holiday Inn or call The Dig just another aquarium. Every detail of the fabulous lobby, gardens, marine displays, and water parks evokes the theme of the mythological lost city. And speaking of &quot;bad taste,&quot; I believe this comment falls into that category: <BR>&quot;5. The place is so overrun with people who seem to be straight out of the trailer park that it further diminishes the questionable impression the place gives off.&quot;<BR>This is a forum for all opinions - good and bad. But insulting the patrons really isn't part of a review.<BR>At any rate, I really don't think Atlantis is pretending to be something it is not; rather, what it is, it does well. However, I can concede that it is not for everyone.<BR>PS. Personally, I thought the food as Ocean Club was mediocre and over-priced. <BR>

Kath

It seems like if you are wanting to take the family somewhere and have something in it for the kids too that Beaches T &amp; C would be a good way to go. Is Atlantis even more expensive than Beaches?

Jefl

Dreamer2, I couln't have said it better myself, thank you for your post - well written. Its been 3 weeks now since we've returned from our Atlantis vacation - spent a week there. Unless you are new to Caribbean / Bahamas travel forums, how can you not know what to expect from Atlantis? We went (was our first trip there) with our eyes wide open - and, truth be told, Atlantis did not disappoint. There are many wonderful features about Atlantis, however there are definitely some things about Atlantis that do not make it a destination for every traveler. If you are seeking seclusion, or quiet or just trying to &quot;get-away&quot;, don't go to Atlantis. Go to Ocean Club or Compass Pointe, or even better yet one of the out-islands (I would recommend Harbour Island off of Eleuthera). If finances are truly an issue, don't go to the Caribbean - go to Florida or Gulf Shores area.<BR><BR>And I will weigh in that we should all be able to post our opinions, regardless of tone but mindful of content.<BR><BR>Jeff

sweetwhite62

This is for MuyLinda, I don't mind when people give a trip report or if a question is posted, then I believe the truth should be told. My problem with gplimpton was that the sole purpose of her post was to blast Atlantis for no reason. It was not in trip report form and nobody was fishing for Atlantis info. Most of all she did not have anything to add that has not been said dozens of times before. I don't have a problem with opinions, that's how most of us get our information, but I simply believe that post was very mean-spirited.

Amparo

This message is for Kath. What is T and C? Also for those of you concerned with finance, my advice is go to Mexico. There are great bargains still to be found. We were in Paradise Island years ago. We didn't think it was anything special, and yes the prices were high.

Kath

Sorry. Turks and Caicos.

al

Hey sweetwhite62, don't sweat it. Some people like Atlantis, some don't, but it's nowhere near as bad as some make it out to be. It's a great place for your kids -- they'll love it, there's lots of stuff for them to do, and if they're happy and content you'll be happy and content too. <BR><BR>Just for the record:<BR><BR>The Beach/Coral Tower rooms are not opulent but perfectly acceptable. Hopefully you'll be spending most of your time OUTDOORS, and not indoors worrying about the color of your bedspread. <BR><BR>O.K., the food is overpriced, so use your creativity. Check out the different restaurants early on and get a game plan together. Eat off the grounds as much as possible. Eat big lunches. Try the restaurants in Hurricane Hole or try the Poop Deck (across the P.I. Bridge, turn left) for lunch.<BR><BR>The Dig is very cool. <BR><BR>Cheesiness/poor taste is a judgment call, no?<BR><BR>A resort of that size will obviously have all types and nationalities of people visiting, and some of them might not be to your liking, but really, who cares? Live and let live.<BR><BR>Go and enjoy!<BR><BR>

ahrodriguez

Another good Atlantis report:<BR><BR>This is a great place for a family! My husband and I went by ourselves, and we were sorry we didn't bring the kids. Okay,it's not the Ritz, but it doesn't cost as much as the Ritz, either (know from experience), and the patrons are much more down to earth (is that considered trailer trash?-distasteful comment). <BR>Go and have a great time. If you feel like skipping Disney and trying a new family get away- this is a good one.

do_da_man

Thats why they make chocolate and vanilla, to give you a choice. <BR>My wife and I stayed at the Atlantis in September and loved it. We stayed in the Royal Towers Imperial Club and for the extra dollars we saved much on food and were pampered by the staff. They make it a point to learn your names and greet you like a long lost friend. I recomend the Bahamian Club for dinner as the staff there is wonderful and the food was the best. The news cafe was a nice inexpensive choice for off site meals and a close walk. The Poop Deck was also a good choice for off site meals. We did not eat at the Buffet of opt for the meal package because of the cost and lines that we read reviews about. We went just after school started and there were not many childern there. I enjoy watching kids play, but did not want to be there while there were hundreds of them screaming. It was a perfect time to go for some adult fun and the weather was great even for Hurricane season. The grounds were beautiful and the aquariums and lagoons were eye candy. <BR><BR>I can't understand why all the Atlantis bashing. People know what the rates are and that everything is more expensive in the Bahamas. There is no tax, but import duty for everything that comes into the islands drives the cost of goods and services way up. If you want cheap eats and cool treats, stay home and go to the Dairy Queen. Reguarding trailer trash, there were may types of people at Atlantis as with any resort. Europeans, Asians, Jamacians, and good ole USA trailer trash as well. All were welcomed and treated like they treated the locals. If your an A hole, thats how you are treated. If you are friendly and kind, you got that back many times over. There are undesireables wherever you go, and many of us would find the folks complaining undesireable because they turn there nose up at the world and walk around with a stick up there butt. I did my homework and had one of the best times of my life. I would go back and do it all over again. The Ocean Club is a beautiful property and I would like to try it on a future trip. I'm glad some of its guests came down to the slums and visited some of us trailer trash. We get a kick out of you high falootin snobs. The cruise ships unload hundreds of guests on the resort that may be confused with paying guests wandering the casino or lobby area. Perhaps some of us trailer trash were from the Love Boat. You did not see the cruise ship guests at the pool or the beach as they are not allowed access to those areas without a room key checked by hotel security. <BR><BR>Decide for yourself and let us know what you think.<BR><BR>&quot;Tennessee Trailer Trash&quot;<BR><BR>Your worst nightmare, a redneck with an education and money <BR><BR>

travleis

To ahrodriguez:<BR><BR>Actually Atlantis DOES cost more than the Ritz Carltons of the Caribbean!!!<BR><BR>I checked May dates and the Ritz in the Virgin Islands and the Ritz in Puerto Rico are both significantly cheaper than the CHEAP rooms at Atlantis at the same time.<BR><BR>I think that's a bit odd.<BR>

BeachBoi

I find any reference to &quot;trailer trash&quot; , &quot;str8 out of the tp&quot; demeaning and cruel.I grew up in a trailer park.It was all my Mom could do for me and my twin brother.Life goes on.

al

Avril who?

sweetwhite62

Well here I am again, this time I'm happy and relaxed from my fantastic trip to ATLANTIS!You know, that resort that's on an island.I heard that I wouldn't think I was on one when I got there. I wasn't completely sure until my kids got their sneakers and shorts wet from the waves before dinner the first evening we arrived. The next day we went to the calmer cove to play in the gentle water, we could see this beach from the top of the Mayan Temple slides.Two days later we really knew we were on an island when we took a boat trip that went around part of the island to bring us to another island where we snorkeled, feed stingrays,played on peddleboats and kayaks. That was a terrific day trip. Anyway, with all this talk about us being on an island, I'm neglecting to say that we all had a great time at the resort too. Every rotten thing that people have been spouting off about all this time is nothing but bologna. The room was fine, service was great and food was very tasty. The only thing we thing that could have been a problem, was the pool chairs. We were there in one of thier busiest weeks so we had to take towels down before breakfast to save our chairs, no biggie. I can't say enough about this place, I loved it!

rwilliams

I think you missed the point of the &quot;not going to an island&quot; comment.
One of the common criticisms of Atlantis is that it has little or no Caribbean flavor. That is, Atlantis could be in San Diego or Miami or Mexico and you wouldn't know the difference.
That may not be a problem for many people, but most travellers who spend the time and money to go out of the USA want to experience something unique that they can't get inside the USA.
There isn't anything at Atlantis that isn't available in Florida.