Atlantis Bahamas Resort
As part of our cruise on the Disney Wish earlier this year, we decided to book the Atlantis Bahamas Resort Aquaventure Waterpark Day Pass for our Nassau, Bahamas port day. And boy am I glad we did! Come along with me for a glimpse into this beautiful property and all there is to do!
We met our group at the scheduled meeting place on board the Disney Wish and then when everyone had arrived we followed our tour guide through the Nassau Port Terminal and into a waiting bus. On our way to the resort, our driver pointed out sites of interest and historical sites as we passed them. It was a nice little bonus and we appreciated learning some of Nassau’s history.
As soon as you crest the bridge to Paradise Island you can see the magnificent Atlantis Bahamas Resort in all its glory! It is such an iconic property that almost everyone has heard of it. We were thrilled to have a chance to see and experience so many of things we had heard about. The bus couldn’t arrive fast enough!
We were dropped off near the back of the resort where the Marina Village is located. We waited in line for our waterpark wristbands and then headed inside where we caught our first real glimpse of this stunning resort. The first area you walk into is called Crystal Court and is inside The Coral building. Crystal Court is lined with high end shops like Cartier and Rolex and the shops are every bit as opulent as you would expect them to be. As you make your way through the shops the next area you encounter is the casino. The casino is massive and has slot machines and game tables as far as the eye can see. After you walk through the casino, you eventually come to the main lobby of Atlantis Bahamas Resort. It is stunning and definitely worth taking pictures of. If you continue walking straight, you will pass the main Atlantis gift shop and as well as a convenience type store (great for sunscreen, medicine, and various other sundries you might need during your visit there). Right after the Sundries Shop, you will find the exit to outside and get your first real glimpse of the outside recreation area. Follow the signs to Aquaventure and you will soon see the iconic Mayan Temple looming in the distance. It really is as magnificent in person as it is in all of the resort advertisements.
The Aquaventure waterpark is divided into two main sections: The Mayan Temple and the Power Tower.. The Mayan Temple area is home to the infamous clear acrylic body and tube slides that send you directly through the shark and marine lagoon. It is home to four of the eight slides Atlantis has to offer: Serpent Slide, Leap of Faith, Challenger Slide, and the Jungle Slide. The Power Tower section of the waterpark, houses the final four slides at Aquaventure waterpark: The Surge, The Falls, The Drop and The Abyss. Surrounding the Power Tower is the Rapids River, a mile long loop that includes wave surges, elevations, and drops of up to 7 feet, including a section with powerful white-water rapids. There are so many things to do and experience that it is nearly impossible to do it all in one day.
Upon arrival at the waterpark, we couldn’t wait to grab towels (they are included with your day pass) and find some chairs to use as our home base. First on everyone’s list was the iconic tube slide that carries you right through the shark tank, the Serpent Slide. It did not disappoint! After a 10 minute wait in line (not bad at all), we climbed into our double inter tube and set off to experience the slide we had seen and read so much about. The five-story corkscrew Serpent Slide propelled us through the darkness of the Mayan Temple's core. It was filled with twists and turns and finally culminated with the iconic leisurely pass through the clear acrylic tunnel fully submerged in the shark lagoon. It was amazing! Not only was the slide itself super fun, but when you finally enter into that clear tube and can see all the sharks and marine life swimming right next to you, separated only by acrylic, it takes your breath away! We could have ridden it all day!
In the Mayan Temple, besides the Serpent Slide, there is a body slide called the Leap of Faith. which is the 60-foot body slide version of Serpent Slide that propels you into a clear acrylic tunnel that runs through the shark lagoon. In fact, that tube runs parallel to the one you enter into for Serpent Slide. Leap of Faith can be seen on the outside of the Mayan Temple as it runs right down the front of this iconic structure. Jungle Slide. also in the Mayan Temple, is a great slide for kids because it is an open air body slide that doesn’t have any unexpected drops. All in total, there are 8 slides at Atlantis Bahamas Aquaventure Waterpark. Each one unique and fun in it’s own way.
I have to say though, my family really enjoyed the Rapids River the most! We loved floating along the mile long loop. Each section of the river is different, some have your inter tube riding waves created by a big wave machine and in other sections you float through caves that give you a jungle tubing experience. There are also fast moving rapid sections that really get you moving and even a cool conveyer belt you can ride while still sitting in your tube. It was the coolest river experience we have ever had at a waterpark and we all went around many times during our day there.
The food at Atlantis Bahamas Resort Aquaventure is pretty decent for waterpark food. They had a good selection of salads, burgers, chicken etc. And there are eating places (including a Starbucks) spread throughout the different waterpark areas. No-one in our group had any issue finding anything to eat or drink during our time there. One thing to note, the menu was exactly the same at all of the waterpark venues (except for the Starbucks of course) so there is no need to walk to all of the eating places in an effort to see if they have a different food selection at each one. Learn from our mistake and just eat at the one that is most convenient to where you are since the menu will be the exact same throughout.
After only about 4.5 hours at the waterpark, it was time to head back to the bus stop and catch our ride back to the port. Time went by way too fast and 4.5 hours truly isn’t enough to see and do all that Atlantis Bahamas Resort and Aquaventure waterpark had to offer. We are definitely planning a return trip next time we have a cruise that stops in Nassau and we are even entertaining the idea of just going to Atlantis Bahamas Resort for a vacation. I haven’t even mentioned the many animals and animal encounters that they have to offer at the resort. There just isn’t time to do and see everything there in a day.
Bottom line: If you are looking for a fun day while in port in Nassau, Bahamas, Atlantis Bahamas Resort Aquaventure Day Pass is a great choice and one that my family (and many of my clients) have enjoyed.