My recent trip to Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas was actually not my first! It had been years since I had last been, and it was our first family vacation with our son who was only 7 months old at the time.
I distinctly remember being very much in need of a vacation (hello new mom life!), and we had an amazing time on that trip! I often thought back to that vacation and had said to myself that it was time to go back to Atlantis again and experience it with my now six year old.
This time around I went on my trip with Air Canada Vacations and the Tourism Board of the Bahamas, and we had some time to enjoy the resort and everything it has to offer!
Check out my video of my stay at Atlantis and I’ll catch you on the other side with the details of my trip!
I was actually just in Nassau in February, so I felt very lucky to be able to return a few weeks ago!
The Bahamas is one of my favourite islands to vacation on – the people are friendly, the flight is short and easy, and the beaches are beautful and they have some of the bluest water I have ever seen!
Air Canada Rouge offers flights daily from Toronto into Nassau, and the Air Canada Vacations hotel offering there is vast. They include Bay View Suites Paradise Island, Breezes Bahamas, British Colonial Hilton, Comfort Suites Paradise Island, Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, Graycliff Hotel and Restaurant, Melia Nassau Beach, Sandal Royal Bahamian, and Warwick Paradise Island Bahamas.
Of course they also include where I stayed – Atlantis!
Atlantis is located on Paradise Island, which is only a short drive from Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, Bahamas.
For my adventure I stayed in The Coral which is one of 5 different hotel options at Atlantis. The options include The Beach, The Reef, The Royal, and finally the adults-only option – The Cove.
All of the different buildings share a large stretch of beach, and a list of amenities that is seemingly endless.
My Room at The Coral
The Coral has a beautiful lobby which includes the Kids Concierge which I will get to later, and the Sun & Ice cafe that was one of my favourite spots at the resort!
My room was bright, had PLENTY of space, and included a large closet that I was very happy to see since I had a suitcase full of clothes!
Waking up in paradise was not hard to love! There was a complimentary resort shuttle service which ranfrom hotel to hotel, unlimited local phone calls, and even complimentary movies in their movie theatre.
There are so many amenities it’s hard to list, but a few of them included two free bottles of water brought to each room daily, free WiFi in the guest rooms and lobby, access to the fitness centre, and even gaming sessions are provided in the casino. As a guest you are provided to access to all of the Atlantis water park features which includes 11 swimming areas, 11 water slides, two lazy river rides, the Paradise Lagoon, The Dig, Predator’s Lagoon, and all of the marine life habitats.
With all of these fun options included with your stay it’s easy to relax and have a good time during your vacation.
We also spent some time on our trip touring around some of the other hotels on the resort, and one of my other favourites was The Cove! It had an ultra exclusive feel with not only a gorgeous indoor/outdoor area, but it was all surrounded by pools that either had a relaxing vibe, or were much more lively with a DJ.
The Food
Atlantis is not an all-inclusive resort, but instead it’s a full service resort.
There are meal plans available at the resort if you choose, or you can purchase meals as you go!
I can’t help but mention one of my favourites – Sun & Ice! Their ice cream flavours were out of this world, and they also had specialty coffee’s, teas, and some amazing pastries! I loved the decor, and did I mention the ice cream?
Our group ate together at both Poseidon’s Table (oh wow, this buffet was amazing – so many options from Mexican to Indian and more!), and Virgil’s Real BBQ! The portions at Virgil’s were family style, but we found that even the appetizers were good enough as a meal for two.
I think one of my favourite perks of Atlantis are all of the food options. There is everything from fine dining, to casual, and easy quick service spots. The choice is yours every day – reservations are available up to 90 days prior to your trip, but we easily walked into the restaurants we wanted to eat at without a wait.
There are two outdoor and one indoor Starbucks at the resort as well, and plenty of other options for treats and snacks during your stay.
The Shopping
Marina Village is my favourite spot at Atlantis! The cotton candy coloured buildings mixed with being right on the water help to make it a pretty spot to walk, but the Marina is also full of restaurants and shopping as well to make it a must-visit location.
Atlantis is one of those resorts where if you forgot something it would be easily replaceable with the retail options there. That is not easily said at most resorts where they may be only one store if you’re lucky. At Atlantis there are shops in each hotel, and the Marina is full of everything from souvenirs to high end watches and jewelry. My only regret? The pretty little pom-pom covered beach dress I left behind. It was so cute – why did I let it go?
Adventures
Swimming with the dolphins? This can be done right on-site. You can also paddle board, snorkel, scuba dive, play with sealions and pet stingrays.
The waterslides seem endless, and I even braved the Serpent Slide through the shark-filled lagoon. Brave right? The waterslides ranged from adventurous to a slower and at an easier pace.
The Lazy River was quite the adventure, and the most fun I’ve ever had on an inner tube! We clocked that from start to finish we were almost on this river for an hour heading up conveyor belts and down slides and into rapids. It was SO MUCH FUN. Really, it’s a must when you stay at Atlantis!
I think I could write a whole post on everything Atlantis has to offer when it comes to excursions. There are so many different things to choose varying from age to comfort level. It’s all at the resort itself so there’s no need to leave to have an adventure!
Family
I get more than a little excited when I head to a resort’s website to look at their offerings for kids, and I see a whole tab dedicated to Family!
Starting from ages 1 and up there are offerings for children that I’ve never seen before at a resort. Atlantis Kids Adventures is for ages 3 to 12, and kids can choose to take a culinary lesson, create interactive electronic art, play in the story telling tree or in the lego room!
Sea Squirts is for the same age range, and this one hour program includes 20 minutes of marine activities and 30-40 minutes of feeding time where children can head to the fish nursery to feed baby stingrays, sharks and fish. Kids also receive an Atlantis swim shirt when they participate.
Kids 6-10 can act as an Atlantis Junior Ultimate Trainer for a day which is a four hour long experience where they can work as dolphin trainer feeding fish and sea turtles.
Pre-teens can check out the Atlantis Speedway and Club Rush, and teens can head to Crush – a 14,000 square foot read with an internet lounge, two pool tables, air hockey foosball, a Gaming Stadium, a live DJ and dancing and a concession stand.
There really is something for every age at Atlantis, and their kids programming is second to none.
Finally I have to talk about the Kids Concierge! It’s open daily from 10am to 7pm in the lobby of The Coral, and this desk is just to ensure that kids have the experience of a lifetime while they stay at Atlantis.
Their resident experts can make bookings for any child related experience, provide information on all of those programs I mentioned and more so you don’t miss a thing during your stay, and they can create daily itinerary for your kids so they have a trip of a lifetime.
They also have information on the children’s menus from restaurants on the resort, details on stroller rentals and more. A one stop shop for kids!
The Experience
What I love about Atlantis is that you can make your adventure here exciting by going to the casino or heading to Nobu, enjoy a more laid-back experience by grabbing a couple burgers at Marina Village and looking at the yachts docked nearby, or an epic family vacation having a family-style meal at Carmines and spending the day looking through the glass at the fish.
You could spend the day just walking through all of the Lagoon’s on the property, or relaxing with a book on the beach. Every day of your vacation could be completely different, and the endless options are what I loved most about this resort.
When you book your stay at Atlantis with Air Canada Vacations there are some special inclusions I wanted to note!
With your stay Air Canada Vacations offers Meal and Beverage Plans to suit your vacation, the deals are pretty amazing!
With your booking you can receive a Two Course Value Casual Dining Plan (CDP) which includes:
– Breakfast featuring a choice of up to 2 restaurants (subject to change without notice in an event of a restaurant closure)
– Dinner daily (2 course meals) featuring a choice of up to 7 selected restaurants (subject to change without notice in an event of a restaurant closure)
– Coffee, tea, milk, fountain sodas and juices
Valid for travel now to January 1, 2019
15% mandatory gratuities and 7.5% VAT included
Not included in CDP: Lunch, room service, Mini-bar, Alcoholic drinks and select non-alcoholic drinks
Terms & Conditions
All guests sharing a room on a dining plan must dine together and purchase same dining plan, same time and same restaurant
Children 11 years and under must order from Kid’s menu at all venues where kid’s menu are offered , others wise they will be charged full adult rate from adult menu
Reservation is required for some restaurant, recommended to be made in advance by contacting hotel.
Dining plan does not include kosher meals, bottled water, canned or bottled beverages or sport drinks
Dining attire guidelines exist for all restaurants
European Plan (EP)
Thank you to Air Canada Vacations and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism for choosing me to be a part of this trip! It was an incredible experience, and I fell in love with Atlantis all over again!
Use Promo Code BAHAMAS102 at checkout on AirCanadaVacations.com to save $102 per booking to the Bahamas! The Promo Code is valid until July 31, but for travel from July 1 – April 30, 2019!
Here is the fine print: Promo code is valid on bookings made online only between June 7 and July 31, 2018 11:59 p.m. ET, for travel between July 1, 2018 and April 30, 2019, for Flight and Hotel packages to Bahamas. Value of $102 per booking. Promo code BAHAMAS102 must be applied online at aircanadavacations.com for the discount to be applied. Not applicable to group bookings. Offer not combinable with other promo codes, and is not combinable with other discounted packages. Offer expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date indicated. Your promotion code may not be distributed or sold, or otherwise used for commercial or personal gain, other than for the purpose for which it is intended. Air Canada reserves the right to modify or cancel this promotion code at our discretion. Any violation of these conditions may be subject to cancellation of any booking made using this promotion code, and/or to any legal or other recourse available for the recovery of damages suffered or costs, expenses or loss incurred as a result of such prohibited use.
Have you ever been to Atlantis? Let me know what you thought of the resort in the comments!
Items in this post may have been provided to me for review, but all opinions are fabulously my own.
