Bahamas - New Providence Report

[bawb47862]

Bahamas Trip Report - December 8th to 14th

Dive Center – Stuarts Cove – 4 scuba dives and snorkeling

Buses consistently late but this “is” the Bahamas. Good to call before to make sure you’re on the list. Busses all have radios. Good at checking to make sure no one is left at shop.

Check In is rather hectic. Not enough staff. Boats won’t leave without you. Rental gear the usual stuff. Could use better maintenance, o rings replaced etc. Lots of boats going out. My shark dive was only 6 people. Regular dive had 13 divers. Not too crowded. Good head counting on boat. Had to sign in after every dive. Dive staff was excellent. Photographers good. Quality of pictures and video was excellent. Boat staff good. Boats seemed to be in good shape. Water was unbelievable! First salt water dive. Previously, Indiana Quarries and Lake Superior. Visibility, temp, sea life was awesome. Overall a great experience for my first time salt water dive. A bit expensive, especially the photography/video but it was worth it.


Hotel – Sandyport Resorts – 6 nights.

Never again ! Hotel rooms were small, no amenities like fridge, microwave etc. No room for luggage. Room was clean except for tiny ants in bathroom. Maid staff was good but occasionally late or missed completely. Nothing came up missing. Was a lot of fixing up going on not related to last Hurricanes? Had to walk to beach restaurant for ice machine. Machine near room was broken. Looked like a long time judging by rust. No soap in ending machines in laundry room. Phone service was intermittent and expensive. Resort is mostly Time Shares. Those are better rooms. Many attempts to sell you on these. If that’s what you want, look elsewhere. Some of the Time Share people we talked to went happy either. Most people at front desk were clued out on activities and schedules. Got different answers on every question asked.

Beach restaurant “Coco Locos” food was okay but wait staff was poor. One man in particular was down right rude. They get their 15% so who cares. Restaurant on other side of boat channel “Poop Deck at Sandyport” on the other hand was excellent. Not connected to resort in any way. Food and staff were superb. Highly recommended!

Bahamas in General

Don’t drive if you value your life! Bus service was good. They really pack you in when leaving down town area and wait for full bus before leaving. Better to walk out a block or two before getting on. Food was expensive. Probably double of US prices. 15% is added too most bills so wait staff doesn’t work hard for tips.

“Provance” and “Poop Deck”near Sandyport Resort were excellent. At the “Fish Fry”at Arawak Cay, the “Ah Andros” restaurant was really good with good service. “Green Lizard” located on the east side of the bridge on Paradise Island had great food.

The Show at “King and Nights” near Crystal Palace casino was great but don’t waste money on the dinner there.

If you gamble go to “Crystal Palace” but not the “Atlantis” casino. Interesting to see everything that you can at the “Atlantis” but expensive. Even if you pay to get in you don’t get access to everything. Aquarium wall at restaurant in east building was great. Don’t pay to see the other one. Better yet go diving.

 

[Scuba65]

Thanks for that report. We just came back from there all. SC was awesome with us..we had no sort of problem all week that we dove with them. the bus was always on time to pick us up. the staff was all great..very nice. yes, they do need more staff but otherwise they do run a really good operation there. We did 2 sharks dives with them and both were awesome. and yes, the DVD/photos are very expensive but they are a must. all in all we had a great time, good diving, our hotel was pretty good, can't complain, clean, roomy etc. We did encounter a few rude people.

 

[caymaniac]

I have been to the Bahamas three dive trips. I'm not in a hurry to go back. I've been to Freeport twice and New Providence once. I would go to other islands in the Carib., try Bonaire, Coz, any of the Cayman Islands, even USVI beats the diving in the Bahamas. While in the Bahamas I didn't like being asked if I wanted to have drugs, I didn't like being asked "do you want women?", I was there with my wife on vacation! Go to Turks & Caicos the diving far surpasses the places I've been in the Bahamas. Maybe if I went back to the Bahamas I would choose San Salvador, other than that not much chance I'd go back for the diving.
Dive Safe,
Caymanaic

 

[cdiver2]

I have been to the Bahamas three dive trips. I'm not in a hurry to go back. I've been to Freeport twice and New Providence once. I would go to other islands in the Carib., try Bonaire, Coz, any of the Cayman Islands, even USVI beats the diving in the Bahamas. While in the Bahamas I didn't like being asked if I wanted to have drugs, I didn't like being asked "do you want women?", I was there with my wife on vacation! Go to Turks & Caicos the diving far surpasses the places I've been in the Bahamas. Maybe if I went back to the Bahamas I would choose San Salvador, other than that not much chance I'd go back for the diving.
Dive Safe,
Caymanaic

I would not go back again. There are a lot better places that cost less.

 

[nikyyo]

For what it's worth I just got back from Provo and was asked If I wanted buy pot from the cab driver. That stuff could go on anywhere.

 

[cdiver2]

For what it's worth I just got back from Provo and was asked If I wanted buy pot from the cab driver. That stuff could go on anywhere.

Not just the drugs read Cay's and my post again diving is (better and less expensive) plus no hassle with the other stuff.

 

[archman]

Tell me about the dive sites. Were any of the reefs covered in a dark green crusty algae?

 

[cdiver2]

Tell me about the dive sites. Were any of the reefs covered in a dark green crusty algae?

of the things that put me off was the dive boat wraping the anchor chain round a coral head and damage done to the coral on film set sites.

 

[KidK9]

I would not go back again. There are a lot better places that cost less.

I was wondering what other places you would recommend that are cheaper and better. I've been to Cozumel, Jamaica, Bahamas, Aruba, Mayan Riviera, Hawaii, North Carolina, Costa Maya, and all over Florida. I'm looking at setting up another trip for late March due to my schedule and would love some recommendations. I originally was thinking about Bahamas b/c my fiance would like to do a shark dive but am WAY open to suggestions.

Any web sites I should look into??

 

[cdiver2]

I was wondering what other places you would recommend that are cheaper and better. I've been to Cozumel, Jamaica, Bahamas, Aruba, Mayan Riviera, Hawaii, North Carolina, Costa Maya, and all over Florida. I'm looking at setting up another trip for late March due to my schedule and would love some recommendations. I originally was thinking about Bahamas b/c my fiance would like to do a shark dive but am WAY open to suggestions.

Any web sites I should look into??

Roatan IMHO it was a lot better and more bang for your buck. I stayed at CoCo View and they have trips to Anthony's Key for shark dives.
Make contact with Roatanman and he can give you a better view on it as I have only stayed at CCV and dived once at AK from a cruise ship but enjoyed both.