The Bahamas! Tips? Travel & hotel recommendations?
 

For anyone that's visited the Bahamas ... any tips or recommendations?

Things to do? Things to avoid?

How to get there?

I'm not a big fan of huge resorts and prefer small lodgings and quaint B&B's. But I'm open to suggestions for a very well run resort.

TIA

Things to do: gamble or swim

Things to avoid: sun, panhandlers and stay very close to your resort. Do not roam the streets.

How to get there: fly

It's been many years since we've been there but I believe this is all still good advice.

Stay away from most of Nassau - sketchy and dangerous, especially at night. The rest of the Bahamas is gorgeous; great beaches and mostly nice people outside the aggressive types in central Nassau. Great seafood too!

Thank you!

I figured that Nassau would not be all that safe.

What is Freeport area like?

I based my response on the Freeport area. At the time, the hotels advised against people leaving the hotel grounds. When I said swimming, I meant the pools at the hotel and felt the beaches on the Gulf Coast of Florida were fine if we wanted to go to the beach.

It's September and if you're traveling now, be very aware if a hurricane warning goes up while you are there.

Been there many times on cruises. Each time crime seems to be worse and constantly told watch out.

I would rather go to S Caribbean such as Curacao or Aruba. Much nicer and safer

I know two people who were there on cruises. Their main comment, was. "Never again!"

Ugh! This is good info, thanks for posting everyone!

My advise it’s hurricane season make sure none approaching?:wave:

Things to avoid: The Bahamas😁

In the Bahamas, it is best stay at the larger Resorts. Especially if you have never been there before.
There is a nice family owned small All Inclusive Resort called Balongo Bay in St Thomas you may want to check out.
Ask your Travel Agent, they will have a lot of different resorts small and large to recommend.
I own Travels with Theresa and will be happy to assist with your upcoming trip if you do not have a Travel Agent. There is no charge for our services. 352-668-3139

The Bahamas
 

My advise is to stay at a resort, it’s safer than roaming around from a B n B .
All your amenities are right there. We were at BaHa Mar in July it was awesome , pricy but everything was beautiful.. Sandals resort is an all inclusive, Atlantis is good I hear also.

I didn't like my experience in Freeport Bahamas. Constantly asked to buy something while trying to enjoy the beach. The water was exquisite, but I didn't find it relaxing.

Great Bonefish fishing on Andros Island!

The island of Exuma is very safe and the water is beautiful. Can’t wait to return.

My wife and I spent a week at the Wyndam at Grand Bahama. It is an "All Inclusive Resort", so all of your meals, shows, use of amenities and Lodging in a nice clean room are included. We traveled there and back by Cruise Ship. It was our best vacation ever!!! Following is a link:
Viva Fortuna Beach by Wyndham - Viva

The State Dept issued an advisory for the Bahamas in January for gang-on-gang crime. be careful.
The Bahamas Travel Advisory

I agree, wouldn’t go near Bahamas. Might suggest USVI, specifically St. John

St John has gorgeous beaches but no idea what to do there for more than a few days

Caution about crime in The Bahamas: The Bahamas International Travel Information
If you decide to travel to The Bahamas:  

Do not answer your door at your hotel/residence unless you know who it is.  
Do not physically resist any robbery attempt.  
Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.  
Follow the Department of State on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  
Review the Country Security Report for The Bahamas.  
Prepare a contingency plan for emergency and medical situations.  Review the Traveler’s Checklist.  
Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel.

Depends on one's expectations, I would think. We've gone on some wonderful cruises and a couple that I'd rate good to very good. But never a bad one.

One thing that sticks out in my mind though are the reviews of individual cruises that we've taken. After reading some of them you'd swear that the cruise line, the food, the service, or whatever, are about on a par with service (if it exists there at all) in the Black Hole of Calcutta. I've seen a cruiser excoriate a waitstaff person in front of everybody because her breakfast orange juice wasn't cold enough! I've seen a family who was about a half-hour late for their "my time" dining reservation on a RCCL ship climb all over the guy in charge (maitre'd?), a Turkish guy who was fantastic in his handling of people, because he didn't have a table ready to seat four for about 20 minutes.

It is a fascinating thing. Of course you should expect competent service. But if you buy an inside cabin on Deck 3 next to the engines, don't expect to be treated like Caledon Hockley on Titanic. Treat staff as human beings, show some interest in what they do and where they come from, and they'd likely bend over backward for you.

An Educated Suggestion About The Bahamas
 

I do not mean to criticize any of these posts, but there is a whole other part of the Bahamas that has not been discussed. Familiarize yourself with the Bahamian "Out Islands" such as the Abacos, Exuma, Eleuthera, etc. There is SO much information on these with a few Google clicks. I have been taking groups of people to these islands for 30 years, and have never had any issues with theft, assaults, etc. The Out Island Bahamian people are thrilled to have you come, with big white smiles on their faces. And there are NO cruise ships or rip-off tourist traps. Yes, I am also a guide in the Virgin Islands, Grenadines, etc. But the Bahamas are right next to Florida, so easy to get to. My recommendation if you want a "get away from it all" vacation: Fly from Orlando direct into Marsh Harbor in the Abacos, and take a fast ferry over to Hope Town. You will never forget it. www.https://www.bahamas.com/islands/abacos

An experienced and different viewpoint about The Bahamas
 

I do not mean to criticize any of these posts, but there is a whole other part of the Bahamas that has not been discussed. Familiarize yourself with the Bahamian "Out Islands" such as the Abacos, Exuma, Eleuthera, etc. There is SO much information on these with a few Google clicks. I have been taking groups of people to these islands for 30 years, and have never had any issues with theft, assaults, etc. The Out Island Bahamian people are thrilled to have you come, with big white smiles on their faces. And there are NO cruise ships or rip-off tourist traps. Yes, I am also a guide in the Virgin Islands, Grenadines, etc., which are all great. But the Bahamas are right next to Florida, so easy to get to. My recommendation if you want a "get away from it all" vacation: Fly from Orlando direct into Marsh Harbor in the Abacos, and take a fast ferry over to Hope Town. You will never forget it. www.https://www.bahamas.com/islands/abacos

With big white smiles on their faces... what in the world are you thinking!

The truth about the Bahamas, all of them, is that the local people working the resorts and BNB's do what they need to so to keep their employment. When we traveled there, we were made aware by some staff that most Bahamians believe all Americans are very wealthy and they resent us. Especially those Americans who carry on like they're "special" and are demanding and we all know what they're talking about. That doesn't make the Bahamians bad people, just an unstable environment for vacationing on those islands.

It's been a while since we traveled there and we certainly weren't wealthy. When we arrived back home after traveling to Freeport, we discussed that fact that we were indeed wealthy by Bahama standards.

You can enjoy the trip, just stay within the compound of the resort and relax.

Stay Away from Lucaya
 

Freeport Port Lucaya area is seriously sketchy. Watch out for pick pockets and don’t go out after dark.

The Bahamas
 

[QUOTE=AMB444;2368239]For anyone that's visited the Bahamas ... any tips or recommendations?

Things to do? Things to avoid?

How to get there?

I'm not a big fan of huge resorts and prefer small lodgings and quaint B&B's. But I'm open to suggestions for a very well run resort.

The Atlantis at Paradise Island. Been going there for fifteen years. Great Beach, Casino, Restaurants Pools and People.Aruba is also great in the High Rise Area. Super restaurants.

Thank you for posting this. Which cruise line did you use for the round trip to/fro Grand bahama?