Help!!! Anxiety about Atlantis

[trezoc]

Hi everyone! First time cruiser coming up in a few days. Last minute, I scheduled Atlantis thru Disney for my husband and two teens.(aquaventure). We always wanted to check it out and may not get that way again...I feel CRAZY to spend that kind of money for 6 or so hours. Anyone out there willing to help me justify this day.Tell me how great this will be Thanks!

 

[MyHappilyEverAfter]

The first time we cruised was for our honeymoon (Jan 2010), my husband & I did the Discover Atlantis excursion which was fun- There is a local tour guide who takes you through all the various aquariums & outdoor water areas at the resort. They had sharks, turtles, piranas, etc. After the tour, we spent the day roaming through the resort until we took a taxi back to the ship. It was really easy to get around & we always felt safe. To us, that excursion was worth it - at least once!

And the last time we went to Atlantis in Feb 2011, we ended up getting our own taxi to Atlantis & exploring the area around the resort as well as the Atlantis casino on our own (Taxi was $10/ per person round trip). So long as you don't go off the beaten path, the area is safe & beautiful... also the shops along the port offer good deals as well as a quick stop at Senor Frogs for a refreshing "Yard" beverage.

 

[tweety38]

I guess I would ask myself a few questions...Are we going to go hungry, is the rent gonna get paid, how about car payment? If I can answer yes to those questions then I would do it. Your teenagers are only going to be teenagers for so long. Enjoy your time with them. Make some memories!! No the the hungry question haha.

 

[ALSBC91]

We did this in October with our family: me and DH, three kids: DS 15, DS 13, DD 10, and my parents. We all had a blast! The boys hung together and did almost everything at the water park. Their greatest joy was getting their grandparents to go on some of the water rides, not just float in the "lazy river". The lunch was included and was fine.

We chose this excursion because it was one of the few that ALL of us wanted to do. Having seen commercials for Atlantis for years, we were happy to finally get the chance to go. That said, having been there once, none of us are really feeling the need to go back.

So go, have a great time!

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

We did the Atlantis on our own on our first Disney cruise and loved it! It was well worth the price for the day and this was before the new water features were added. We felt safe letting our boys play around the water areas on their own (together) and we had a blast sliding and playing with them! If you can afford it without worrying about it, give it a try! If it is too expensive, cancel! This is your vacation and you should be excited, not worried!

 

[WDW Princess 71]

It is very worth it IMO. I have gone to Atlantis for the day on 2 cruises, and also went there for a vacation. I dont feel the need to go back for a vacation again just because the expense for staying there several days, dining, etc, but we LOVE going for the day on the cruise. Yes, it is an expensive day trip, but so much fun. The slides, the beach, everything. We booked our room at the Comfort Suites for our May 2012 cruise which is slightly cheaper than the DCL excursion if that helps.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

I feel CRAZY to spend that kind of money for 6 or so hours.

How much did you spend on your wedding?

Anyway, Atlantis is awesome. A Disney-level quality facility that the whole family can enjoy together. And visiting for the day on a cruise is much cheaper than a trip there.

 

[lbuher]

Sorry.. don't mean to hijack your thread, but I have the same sort of question. We haven't booked Atlantis because I have such a hard time justifying that kind of money on top of what we are already spending on the cruise itself. My kids LOVE water parks, but what makes Atlantis so much better than any other super-nice water park (which we could do for a WHOLE lot less money?)

 

[jd9891]

We just got back from a Royal Carribean cruise. We did Atlantis on our own. It cost $120 per person for adults + $4 cab ride per person. We were a group of 25 and received a 10% discount off the price ($108 final price). I know children were less, but do not remember the price. You purchase the bracelet in the "Temple of the Sun" booth in the middle of the casino.
I definately suggest doing this on your own and saving the $$.
We are going on the Dream in August and may go again.

 

[trezoc]

Hahaha....about the wedding post. Good point.The Dream itself is somewhat a splurge for us,we have to go during prime season.I really should stop thinking of it as a "day" and more of an experience.Just trying to get a feel from you guys the cost per fun ratio. (If know what i mean). Thanks for all the responses!

 

[FrozenMinnie]

We do not go until January 2012 and I have wondered this as well. Great discussion as well as ideas for options to save a bit....Bottom line safety will be considered for me...as my husband is deployed and I am on my own with two kids......

 

[jrbdad]

I guess I would ask myself a few questions...Are we going to go hungry, is the rent gonna get paid, how about car payment? If I can answer yes to those questions then I would do it. Your teenagers are only going to be teenagers for so long. Enjoy your time with them. Make some memories!! No the the hungry question haha.

Well said! My DW & I were talking the other night about whether or not we should book another cruise while on-board. She reminded me that after this summer, we probably only have two more with the whole family.

And yes - we will be at Atlantis for our first time in about two weeks on a 5 night cruise on the Dream .

 

[GrnMtnMan]

what makes Atlantis so much better than any other super-nice water park (which we could do for a WHOLE lot less money?)

it is..

A Disney-level quality facility that the whole family can enjoy together.

First of all, where have you found a 'super-nice water park'? Outside of BB and TL, most are concrete pads with holes for water features.

What makes it great: it's wonderfully themed throughout, has wild and mild attractions, you don't have to get out of your tube to climb stairs for several attractions (conveyor belt), is on the beach, and has awesome themed sea-life attractions.

It's not visiting a local water-park. It's experiencing an Atlantis vacation for a day.

 

[lbuher]

it is..

First of all, where have you found a 'super-nice water park'? Outside of BB and TL, most are concrete pads with holes for water features.

What makes it great: it's wonderfully themed throughout, has wild and mild attractions, you don't have to get out of your tube to climb stairs for several attractions (conveyor belt), is on the beach, and has awesome themed sea-life attractions.

It's not visiting a local water-park. It's experiencing an Atlantis vacation for a day.

I wasn't really aware that Atlantis was Disney-level quality, but regardless, it definitely sounds like we need to skip it. We obviously don't know what we're missing by being perfectly content with the water parks that we have been to, and it's probably best to leave it that way.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

We just got back from a Royal Carribean cruise. We did Atlantis on our own. It cost $120 per person for adults + $4 cab ride per person. We were a group of 25 and received a 10% discount off the price ($108 final price). I know children were less, but do not remember the price. You purchase the bracelet in the "Temple of the Sun" booth in the middle of the casino.
I definately suggest doing this on your own and saving the $$.
We are going on the Dream in August and may go again.

You have to be careful about this. During busy times Atlantis may not sell any day passes, so you can only get in if you've prearranged your tickets.

 

[MermaidsMom]

You have to be careful about this. During busy times Atlantis may not sell any day passes, so you can only get in if you've prearranged your tickets.

Is it very crowded? Are the visitors mainly families?

 

[jrbdad]

Our biggest concern is doing this on our own. I know it won't happen, but we have nightmares about missing the boat.

Our plan is to get off immediately, make our way over, check-in, head to the water park, ride everything, enjoy lunch, check out the resort, aquarium, etc. Then make sure we are in a cab two hours before final boarding.

If we have time, we might head to our room to clean-up before heading back to the Dream. But we figure two hours gives us plenty of cushion.

Any thoughts? I'd welcome feedback. Maybe I'm just paranoid - probably.

 

[Presley]

Hi everyone! First time cruiser coming up in a few days. Last minute, I scheduled Atlantis thru Disney for my husband and two teens.(aquaventure). We always wanted to check it out and may not get that way again...I feel CRAZY to spend that kind of money for 6 or so hours. Anyone out there willing to help me justify this day.Tell me how great this will be Thanks!

I thought the price was too high, also. My son and I did go and I am so glad that we did. For one thing, spending the day there was way cheaper than going there for a weekend - which I always wanted to do. I felt we got enough out of it that I am satisfied and don't need to go there again.

Besides that, Nassau is a yucky place to visit. I will never get off the ship there again, unless I have a dying need to see Atlantis again.

 

[papamouse1]

Another way to look at it is simply viewing like any other shore excursion. Pretty much any shore excursion with any length of time and extra activity besides sitting on beach or short boat trip is going to run you more than $100.
Even though it is high, when you think of it, most shore excursions are "overpriced" but all part of making your trip more magical.

On a side note, we are actually going to try another plan for our upcoming cruise. We actually booked a 1-day stay at the Comfort Inn next to Atlantis. The hotel provides access to Atlantis as part of your stay. We will pay just under $500 for the stay, but get Aquaventure tickets for 4 of us. Saves a little over $150. Well see how it works out

 

[papamouse1]

We just got back from a Royal Carribean cruise. We did Atlantis on our own. It cost $120 per person for adults + $4 cab ride per person. We were a group of 25 and received a 10% discount off the price ($108 final price). I know children were less, but do not remember the price. You purchase the bracelet in the "Temple of the Sun" booth in the middle of the casino.
I definately suggest doing this on your own and saving the $$.
We are going on the Dream in August and may go again.

This sounds good, but also very risky. As PP mentioned, there may be no tickets available, also I have never seen a price that low listed at ATlantis website, so you may have lucked out when they were offering a special, but wouldn't count on it. Would be interesting to hear if you do try it in Aug how it turns out... let us know