Hi!
We are currently planning our 2017 cruise (yes, i plan a long time in advance) and we are planning to go to Atlantis. We are doing it through
DCL (not by ourselves). I doubt that we are going to use the waterslides but we are interested in all the exhibits, lazy rivers, pools and beaches.
The waterslides are really the primary attractions of Aquaventure, and it's worth trying at least the ones in the Power Tower, which are really more like water coasters. If you're not a fan of coasters, these are really not too bad; my wife doesn't like roller coasters but she liked the Power Tower slides fine. There's basically one big drop near the beginning followed by a hump (with water jets to push you over the hump), and then they become fairly normal tube slides. The body slides, OTOH, are pretty steep and scary.
Besides waterslides, there are some pools and the Current, which is a "rapid river". The Current is a bit lazy in sections, but in other sections it gets very rapid and shoots you past concrete boulders that could really hurt you if you're not paying attention. My older son got a pretty bad scrape on his leg when a wave knocked him off his float and scraped him against the concrete wall. I think if you keep your wits about you it's fine, just don't go thinking it's a "lazy" river and veg out or you may be in for a rude awakening.
Over by the Beach Tower there's another pool and an actual lazy river, but we didn't get over there. The Beach Tower is under construction right now and I think that lazy river is closed, but it will probably be re-opened by the time you cruise.
What are the best place to eat with the DCL vouchers?
I believe the vouchers are only good at the food stands, which have very limited food. There are some wrap sandwiches, burgers, very generic pizza and not much else. We ate at a sit-down outdoor restaurant called Shark Bites that was pretty good, but I doubt the vouchers are good there. If they are, I'd eat there, as the selection is much better and you get table service. You might have to pay a supplement for that.
They all seemed very similar, except for decor. The Royal Baths pool is just a big pool with a pretty design on the bottom. The others have some decorative pillars, or a waterfall coming in, or something else that made them stand out visually. From an enjoyment perspective, they're all about the same.
What are the best beaches?
All the beaches have nice white sand and plenty of lounge chairs and whatnot. The Paradise Lagoon beach has almost no surf, which is good for letting kids play in the water. The beach over by the Beach Tower is effectively an extension of Cabbage Beach, which has some very rough surf. The Cove beach, or at least the part of it near the Hospitality Center, looked nice and the surf didn't look too bad.
What are the best attractions?
What do you like? The Dig is very nice, but we took a nice slow stroll through it in about 30 minutes and felt like we'd seen it. There are also the predator lagoons, which we didn't get to, but there's an underwater glass tube you can walk through and watch the sharks. The lobby of the Royal Tower was pretty neat; the artwork around the edge of the dome in the lobby looks like an ancient fresco that tells the story of Atlantis. The overall theming of Atlantis is very well done; almost Disney caliber. You can tell they thought through what Atlantis might have been like, what their iconography would be and their architecture. It's neat.
Where could I find a map of the site?
http://www.atlantis.com/content/pdf/ALLPROPERTYMAPFINAL.pdf
I wouldn't recommend taking the guided tour of the Dig in the morning. It's just wasting time you could spend in the water park while the lines are short. But then again, if you don't care about the waterslides, then the tour might be a good thing. The tour guides we overheard as we walked through the Dig didn't seem to be adding much value, but probably it varies from guide to guide and also depends on what they're describing. I guess you might want to play it by ear. Go on the tour and if it's not great, just head to the water park.
Ultimately, prepare for a large, confusing place. I recommend heading immediately over to the Hospitality Center. It has the lockers and changing rooms (bring a credit card to pay for them), towel distribution, and is near the beach, the Current, and a large number of lounge chairs. It's near the back of the park, so it doesn't necessarily fill up right away. You can get your bearings, change if needed, get towels, etc. Study the map in advance so you know where things are, though I can tell you that on the ground it feels pretty disorienting.
Have a great trip!
