Need Help with food budget for Atlantis/Bahamas

[Helene]

Here's the deal. I recently booked a 5 night vacation for myself & the kids (DD, 10 7 DS, ). We'll be staying at the Comfort Suites next to Atlantis. I've heard the prices for food at Atlantis are very high & I'm wondering how accessible other restaurants are in that area.

Has anyone stayed in the Comfort Suites? Is there access to a grocery store?
How much should I budget per day for food??

Any insights or tips from those of you who have made this trip would be appreciated!!

 

[a1tinkfans]

I'd take a peek at tripadvisor for this one. Food is VERY expensive (as is sun screen near pool ($35 for what we pay 10) and a burger is like 15. Budget accordingly. I heard you can go walking distance to a little strip mall to get some "fast food" type stuff thats much more reasonable. I think the place is absolutely beautiful and the trip is a lovely one, as long as you know WHAT to expect..$$ for food and lots of walking (which as disney people is usually fine, lol.

 

[Laxmom]

There is a great restaurant at the base of the bridge to Nassau called "Anthony's". We ate there twice on one of our trips. There is also a couple of other restaurants but I can't attest to them. The food at Atlantis is pricey. Avoid the pool side CS. We got a basic plastic basket with a chicken sandwich, fries and a drink and the bill was $35. That was 4 years ago!! There is a boat that goes to Nassau and there are a lot of restaurant choices there. The boat fee is very reasonable. Both of these options are walkable. I believe there is a little mini mart in there also with very limited choices.

There are some good restaurants at Atlantis that aren't too terrible. I budgeted $100/day per person just to be safe and did not come near that. We liked the restaurant off the casino - I can't remember the name of that one. (Maybe Apollo's?)We also liked Murray's Deli which is off the marina but I have heard mixed reviews. My DH ordered a blt and had to take off some of the bacon. There was 3 inches of bacon on that sandwich.

DO NOT bother with the buffet at Sea Grapes. We finally told our kids to just go find something to eat - anything that was decent. They ended up filling up on desert. The food was the worst I have ever had and it was $34.95 /person. The breakfast buffet on the other hand....awesome!! It used to be $19.95 per person. If you can eat a late breakfast, before they start with the yucky food, you might be able to make it to an early dinner and save some money.

If there is anything else, let me know. We have stayed at Atlantis twice but never Comfort Inn.

 

[Helene]

Thanks for the quick replies!!

It's good to know that travelling into town isn't too hard. I'm planning to pack some snacks for the week for the kids. I believe our room will have a fridge so I'm hoping to eat breakfast & a light lunch in the room & save my splurging for dinner.

I hate to waste $$ on food, especially since the kids don't always finish a meal. I prefer to save on the food budget & splurge for other experiences on the vacation.

 

[Laxmom]

Exactly!! We would rather spend $ on doing stuff and save on the food budget. Be careful to research what you can take and can't. There are restrictions on fruit and nuts but I can't remember if that is coming in or going out. Also, there used to be a $15 per person tax that must be paid at the airport when you leave the country. Be sure to budget for it. I am not sure if it has changed our not - we have been there the last 3 times on a cruise ship.

 

[Helene]

Thanks for the heads-up on the $15 charge.

I could just imagine that phone call home to DH..."oh honey, me & the kids are stuck in the Bahamas. I'm broke and they won't let us leave"

 

[Laxmom]

That would be a bummer but an interesting way to extend a trip!!

 

[BostonTink85]

OMG $35 for lunch!!! I'm going down there with my college and they said they were giving us $25 lunch vouchers, now i'm not sure how much extra money to bring.

 

[Laxmom]

Oh, I am so sorry. I neglected to say that that was for 2! I thought it, just didn't type it!

 

[a1tinkfans]

OMG $35 for lunch!!! I'm going down there with my college and they said they were giving us $25 lunch vouchers, now i'm not sure how much extra money to bring.

Thats not really even a decent lunch, its a glorified Mc D's meal. Its bad enough the food is so overpriced (everything is flown in) but atleast it should be good quality food...not fast food type for the price..

BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET and ALSO be aware of all the taxes, energy surcharge, resort tax etc, they add up fast and can easily add up to 30 extra per day!!

 

[cheerforchelsea]

We ate at a little strip mall near the Atlantis and the food was reasonably priced. We ate at the Atlantis a few times and it was more expensive than I remembered. When near the straw market there was a Hard Rock Cafe with prices similar to the prices here......Have a wonderful trip - it was BEAUTIFUL!!

 

[Laxmom]

It wasn't even McDonalds. You know those red plastic baskets some mom and pop places use? Yea, those. The one's you would pay $4.95 for here. Two of them for $35. The food was expensive on Atlantis but not so bad other places.

The taxi's are flat rate fare so don't hesitate to take one. If you do, ask your driver or ask the one that takes you from the airport to the resort. They all have differing opinions but I haven't heard of any of them being wrong. There are the typical fast food places too, although a little distance from Atlantis; I think there is a KFC, Burger King and maybe a Pizza Hut. Someone correct me if those are no longer there; it has been 4 years.

 

[BostonTink85]

Oh okay for 2, that makes more sense - but still expensive! Thanks for the info.

 

[Laxmom]

We also ate at Iguana Joes downtown, right on the main drag, on the second floor above some stores. I think there is a Senor Frogs somewhere down there also.

 

[SandraVB79]

When we were there during our cruise, we had lunch at a restaurant in Nassau. It was a small/ local restaurant.
We had conch chowder (I think it was 8.95) and conch fritters (or something like it) and I think those were around 10 USD.

In one of the travel guides we got from there, all the restaurants in the Atlantis complex were mentioned, and they all seemed even more expensive as the others! (makes WDW restaurants feel like real bargains!)
It won't be possible for every day, but maybe try to get a shuttle/ bus thingie from Atlantis to "downtown" Nassau and have lunch there?

 

[Laxmom]

I don't think there is a shuttle from the resort. You can go by taxi or ferry boat and neither is free; both are convenient though.

Yea, and people complain about Disney! They obviously haven't been to Atlantis.

It is a beautiful resort that almost doesn't seem real - like a dream. The Dig is just so cool. Keep your eye out for celebrities. Michael Jordan and Queen Latifah were here when we were. There is so much to do there. The glass sculptures in the Casino above the cash cages are fantastic!!! I found the locals off resort more friendly than the people working in the resort. We thought that was strange.

I'm jealous of you guys. I told my DH last month that I was about ready to go back. We do have our cruise in Sept. - maybe a trip to Atlantis while there. Hmmmm. Have a fantastic time!!!!!

 

[andychris14]

We are also thinking about going to the atlantis this summer and staying at the comfort inn next store.
Since breakfast is included when you stay at the cs, we will have to get lunch/dinner. We do not want to stress over the price of these meals. How much should we plan on spending for lunch and dinner?
What is at the breakfast at the comfort inn? Is there anything there that we can take for lunches?
We do not have to have big formal meals but do not want to have sandwiches for dinner for a week.
What goes on in the evening at the atlantis? Are there shows, etc. We are traveling with our children who are 13 and 11. Are there family things to do?
Any help/tips would also be appreciated.

 

[Stitch And Friends]

If you stay at the comfort suites next door, do you get access to all the Atlantis amenties like the Dig site with all the water rides? We're thinking of going later this year but the hotels are so expensive! I'm guessing comfort suites would be cheaper.

 

[java]

keep watching travelocity ect.. My friend is going down in 2 weeks to Atlantis and was able to get a room there for $125 a night!! Last year she got it for $89!! (and that is for 4 people in the room) At that price we may try it next year.

 

[Laxmom]

Can't answer the Comfort Inn questions. We aren't fancy dinner people either. We will usually have one really nice dinner during the week when we are on vacation. On one trip, we went to Compass Point which is a fair distance by cab from the resort; the airport is half way between the resort and this restaurant. It is 30 minutes from the airport to the resort. It is on the ocean and it was fantastic. That was the trip w/o kids, though. I would budget high for meals just in case. I would rather have money left than realize I didn't plan for enough.

There really aren't any shows in the evening. Most people head to the casino. The pools and beach close early. (the beaches in the Bahamas are all public access - so no private beach) We did spend an evening in the hot tub with some adult beverages one night. One night there was a junkanoo parade at an even on the resort. We heard the drums and new what it was from a previous visit. We ran out of our room in time to see them go down the center of the resort. That was so awesome. There are a lot of shops that link the different hotels in the complex. It is fun to people watch and there is The Dig. It gets a little quiet in the evenings for families. BTW, gambling and drinking age are 18. And did you know it is illegal for a Bahamian to gamble? They can work in the casino but not gamble. At least this is what I was told 4 years ago.