VACATIONS FROM HOME: SANDALS ROYAL BAHAMIAN

ONE ISLAND AT A TIME

Team VFH is living it up again, this time in The Bahamas. We are staying at another Sandals, our second stop at this Caribbean chain of all-inclusive, adults only, couples only resort. First started in Jamaica, there are now several resorts throughout the islands. We had spent our honeymoon at a Sandals in Antiqua and were quite pleased with the level of luxury and opulence we enjoyed. Here at Sandals Royal Bahamian, an older, more compacted resort than Antiqua, we are still enjoying the same level of food and drink and service as our first stop with Sandals.

It’s not “traveling”, but vacationing and so far, we like it so much we’re planning a third Sandals to yet another one of their resorts. There is an incentive to planning the trip while here, for we joined their “loyalty” program and we get “points” and discounts when we act early like this.

SANDALS ROYAL BAHAMIAN

THE LAND OF NO “NO’s”

No matter the request, no matter how odd the words may seem coming out of your mouth, here at Sandals we have never heard the word “no”. At your surf and turf dinner you want a second, or third, lobster tail, just ask. If you want Milk… does your body good milk… you can get it at the swim up bar instead of a Zombie or a Mai Tai. If you’re lolling by the water or the pool and you need a drink, someone from Sandals will soon saunter by to fill your request, or fetch a new towel if needed. Sandals is remarkably attentive and each request is filled with aplomb AND brilliant unforced smiles.

SANDALS

HERE AND THERE

Sandals Grande Antigua was spread over a larger area and perhaps because of this had a more sedate feel to it and seemingly an older crowd than in The Bahamas. Stretched along much of the picturesque Dickenson Bay, Antigua catered to a more international clientele with British and American electrical plugs in the rooms, and it is a newer facility. Restaurants were scattered throughout the grounds as well as requisite pools with swim up bars.

The Sandals Royal Bahamian does not lack in swim up bars or restaurants, but it is an older facility. Once called the Balmoral that had been acquired, repurposed and expanded by the Sandals Company, the place is a lot more cramped than Antigua. Yes, the Sandals in The Bahamas offers everything Antigua did, but here it’s all clustered in a much smaller area. Neither is it set off in a remote location, but there are businesses and homes right outside the gate and even a Starbucks just a short distance away. Most of the Sandals restaurants are found in one building; Janet and I call it “the Mall”. We’ve also named the two pools….the “quiet” one and the “noisy” one. Most of the crowds gather at the noisy pool for the daily dance antics and foam wackiness. There are more younger Americans here.as Nassau is just a half hour flight from Miami, and it’s much cheaper to come to Sandals Royal Bahamian than Antigua.

BALMORAL ISLAND

Although the beach here is much shorter than Dickenson’s Bay with jetties helping collect sand for the beach, there is also a private island off shore that has a restaurant, pool and isolated stretches of sand. A launch takes patrons on a five minute ride out to Balmoral Island and we have spent a couple of afternoons there. The sunlight here is perfect for stretching out to tan; while at the pools one has to dodge shadows as the day progresses. Although clothing optional beaches are illegal in The Bahamas, evidently this rule is overlooked on Sandals Island. Balmoral Island is a very nice feature of this resort.

BALMORAL ISLAND

GOING DOWN

Aside from all the decadent care afforded by Sandals are their watersports. Everything from paddle boarding to kayaks to snorkeling to diving is free. In fact, no other resort offers free diving like Sandals which was one of the tipping points for us in selecting Sandals as our destination resort. Here in The Bahamas the diving has been incredible. During this trip we have gone on several two-tank divers (two dives in a day), swam with sharks and schools of neon-blue fish coursing over the reefs like an underwater river, explored a shipwreck, watched a massive sting ray flit out from beneath the sand and at one point dove to a depth of nearly 80 feet.

BRIAN AND ME

Diving was an unnerving sport for a novice like myself, but the attentiveness and care the fellows at both dive shops in Antigua and The Bahamas has gotten me certified as an Open Water Diver. There is a cost for the PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors) and if you want to rent a wetsuit from Sandals, but otherwise it is all free, even the little sandwiches and fruit the resort sends along. Instead of wetsuits we wore UPF protection long sleeve shirts and even though it’s December it is The Caribbean and warm.

A few of our dives were from the other side of the island, so the resort would transport us to the boat. We got to see a bit of Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas in the process, an added bonus.

Given the care and attentiveness, food and drink AND the diving, Sandals may be expensive but it worth the visit.

PADI