Trip report - Sandals Royal Bahamian
Mar 24th, 2009, 07:26 PM
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Trip report - Sandals Royal Bahamian
Sorry so late on the report but we got back from our Honeymoon and life got in the way. Used this site exclusively to get recommendations for our honeymoon and chose the Sandals Resort - Royal Bahamian and can't say enough about how helpful everyone was. We were looking for adult only all-inclusive (and yes I know that is a bad word to some on this site). We also wanted something with easy travel from our home. We went in October 2008. The resort was wonderful. I told them it was our honeymoon before we arrived (make sure to do this at least a week prior to arrival) and we were instantly swept out of our group (we arrived on resort bus with approx 30 other people). We were given a full tour of the resort and taken to our room (which was upgraded for free) and had rose petals, champagne on ice, and snacks.
As for the resort, beach was small as had been advertised here, however the private island offers plently of extra beach space. Unfortunately for us the ocean was not very calm about half of our 6 days there and on those days the boat from the resort to the island did not run. Several resorts guests and employees stated how they had not had that problem for that amount of time in months so it seemed like an anomoly. All the restaurants were very good. My wife really liked the Japanese restaurant Kimonos. It's basically like Shogun if you have one of those close by but with better food and service. If you aren't very comfortable with group dinners then I recommend having a few pre-dinner drinks and loosen up, we have a great time meeting the other 4 couples at our table who were all celebrating anniversaries ranging from 10-30 years. We also like the Crystal Room and the Baccarat (sp?). Some restaurants weren't open every night (not sure if it had to do with time of year we went or if this is usual) so make sure to check the schedule so you can get into all of these, definitely worth it. We took advantage of the resort entertainment most every night and it was pretty good, we had a good time and enjoyed ourselves each night.
We didn't spend a lot of time outside of the resort, we did go to the straw market and walked around down town. Found that area to be more stereotypical of Caribbean islands that we had been to with locals trying to sell items, they weren't as pushy as we've seen but they were always "there".
Overall we loved our trip. We wanted a place to spend the day by the pool or on the beach and enjoy nice dinners and that's exactly what we got. Resort was perfect and employees were EXTREMELY nice. The fact that we didn't have to sign a credit card receipt for every meal or drink made the all-inclusive worth it 100% to us.
As for the resort, beach was small as had been advertised here, however the private island offers plently of extra beach space. Unfortunately for us the ocean was not very calm about half of our 6 days there and on those days the boat from the resort to the island did not run. Several resorts guests and employees stated how they had not had that problem for that amount of time in months so it seemed like an anomoly. All the restaurants were very good. My wife really liked the Japanese restaurant Kimonos. It's basically like Shogun if you have one of those close by but with better food and service. If you aren't very comfortable with group dinners then I recommend having a few pre-dinner drinks and loosen up, we have a great time meeting the other 4 couples at our table who were all celebrating anniversaries ranging from 10-30 years. We also like the Crystal Room and the Baccarat (sp?). Some restaurants weren't open every night (not sure if it had to do with time of year we went or if this is usual) so make sure to check the schedule so you can get into all of these, definitely worth it. We took advantage of the resort entertainment most every night and it was pretty good, we had a good time and enjoyed ourselves each night.
We didn't spend a lot of time outside of the resort, we did go to the straw market and walked around down town. Found that area to be more stereotypical of Caribbean islands that we had been to with locals trying to sell items, they weren't as pushy as we've seen but they were always "there".
Overall we loved our trip. We wanted a place to spend the day by the pool or on the beach and enjoy nice dinners and that's exactly what we got. Resort was perfect and employees were EXTREMELY nice. The fact that we didn't have to sign a credit card receipt for every meal or drink made the all-inclusive worth it 100% to us.
Mar 25th, 2009, 05:02 AM
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Nice report. Glad you like the resort. We were there back in 2003 and really enjoyed it also. Since then we've have found that not all Sandals are created equal. Didn't care for Nassua too much, but I agree if you want a nice hotel, great pools, decent beach and good resturants, this is a good place for that.
Apr 14th, 2009, 10:43 AM
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Thank you for the report. I just booked a long weekend with my husband (an early 10 year anniv.). The reviews really go from one end of the spectrum to the other. I'm a bit worried still; this is the first chain-type resort we've stayed in (like a sandals, couples, etc). But the five stars and no kids (even though we have a wonderful son - it's grownup time), combined with the great travel deals, locked in the decision. Will report back. We're going in early May. Do you think it's important for us to book reservations at the Baccarat now or when we get there? Any additional thoughts are appreciated. Thank you!
Apr 19th, 2009, 07:39 PM
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I had the same concerns after reading some posts but we didn't have any complaints. As far as baccarat, we could only book each morning at 9am for the next night so make sure to get that handled as soon as you can. i think if you're looking for a place with couples, all-inclusive and places to lay by the water and relax and have nice meals every evening i can't see how you would be disappointed at this resort
