Bringing this one back given Spring breaks are upon us…

We know school breaks are approaching, and we know you might be looking for a little escape from the cold, so let’s talk.  The Bahamas…just far south enough to include that beautiful blue water, white sands, and yes some tropical warmth.  And come wintertime in the US, the “Bahamas” sound A okay.  Finding that somewhat nearby, perfect tropical destination where you can be guaranteed sunshine is not easy come January/February…but we found the Bahamas is a good bet.  So off we go.  And no, although the Bahamas are basically a Cruise line pit stop these days (complete with the Carnival “cruisers”), we took to land, not sea, for this adventure.  Paradise Island is a small island off Nassau, home to the well advertised Atlantis Resort…and the One & Only Club (Hip Daddy No Kids Trip Approved #btw.)  Alas, let’s stick to the kid’s vacation 🙂  So for those of you have heard about the great Atlantis and want to know more, our Hip Daddy Atlantis Resort Do’s & Don’ts are as follows…

The Do’s

Walk the resort upon arrival.  It’s somewhat gigantic with lots to offer so you def want to get the lay of the land before jumping in.  And yes, a little family fitness is always nice upon arrival, especially after a long Jetblue flight.  The activities are endless, some free some cost, so do your homework once onsite.

Waterslides.  Yes, we see the TV commercials and highly targeted ads online (good digital team the Atlantis has fyi) touting all sorts of waterpark type fun and they deliver.  There are slides for all sizes- from toddlers to grown Hip Daddy.  “The Abyss” and “Leap of Faith” are pretty much heart attacks waiting to happen (but worth the wait) while the “Jungle” slide is fast and underrated.  And yes, the “Challenger” slide is fun for any sibling rivalry.  The Atlantis does water slides right, period.

Find the right pool.  Plenty to choose from but when the Budweiser-tank-top-Croc-wearing Carnival cruisers stop by, you will know what we are talking about.  Kidding aside, we enjoyed the Collonade pool as it was a bit more quiet and the waterfalls are always fun for all kids.  One note, save your chairs early and with overly obnoxious items…for some reason, people didn’t understand that a magazine or a book on a chair meant it was taken.  Bring hats, clothes, anything that hopefully points out that “these chairs are ours, do not take them!”  But once secure, the pools overall are indeed awesome.

Be patient.  The resort is huge, the service is on “island time” (so you know what that means), and check-in times apparently mean nothing (LOL).  So yes, please do have a Bahama Mama.  It’s the Bahamas, you need one…or maybe two or three pending the kids behavior 😉  Patience is a virtue, good teaching opp for the kids!

Swim with the Dolphins.  Pretty simple one to understand here, and likely worth the cost of admission.  And it will be great for your Instagram feed too 🙂

The Don’ts

Buy the meal plan.  Obviously you are going to be dropping plenty of dollars on meals, but when we did the math, it didn’t make sense…even with 3+ kids.  The food is fine, not great, not horrible.  Actually we found the kids food to be the best thing going…it’s true.  Forget Nobu and Olive’s (yes, for some reason, one still exists), they are simply a sign outside a pretty standard Bahama-run restaurant.

Expect some amazing beach.  Yes, it’s nice but the sand is a bit rough and a bit underwhelming overall. Okay, we here at Hip Daddy HQ might be beach snobs but don’t let the pictures fool you.  That said, the water is blue and clear and deserves at least one dive and dunk.  One note, stay away from the ‘public’ beach near property as you will be accosted by Jetski rentals and hair bead people. “No seriously sir, for the third time now, my 5 year old and I do not want to rent one of your jetskis.”

Upgrade to the Cove.  Honestly, it is indeed a bit nicer and updated, but at the end of the day, you are there to enjoy the resort which means you spend most of your time out of the room enjoying parts of the resort that all other vacationers are experiencing.  The Royal Tower is the mid tier option (not value) and is good enough for what you came for.  Sure, if you are traveling without the kids, then the Cove is right for you.  However, that said, not sure why you would ever go to the Atlantis as just adults #justsayin.

So there you have it.  The weather was spectacular and the Bahamas delivered.  All in all, we give the Atlantis a solid Hip Daddy “B”.  It’s def worth doing once, but a repeat trip might not be in the cards for this Hip Daddy household…however, those waterslides are awesome…hmm…