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Subject: Re: freeport - end of June 2004

Posted by: Carrie
Host: muhc15220.MUHC.McGill.CA
IP #: 198.168.152.20
E-mail: <carriek5@hotmail.com>
Date Posted: June 15, 2004 at 10:44:20
Subject: Re: freeport - end of June 2004

Message:

Hi Becky and your family,

Island Seas is a nice place and the good thing is that you can cook in your
facility and save money from eating out all the time. Bring some groceries and
snacks from home since groceries are quite expensive on GBI.

You might want to order pizza from Papa John’s or Dominos. They will deliver.
You'll have to pick it up in the lobby since they don't deliver to the
individual units.

Since you have four teenagers, I can understand that organized tours would
probably be too costly. If you do want to do one of the organized snorkel
tours, two of the best would have to be:

1) the Paradise Cove snorkel package ($35 per person – includes free
transportation, snorkel equipment and lunch) at Paradise Cove
(www.deadmansreef.com) You can do the snorkel package for $35 per adult which
includes FREE transportation to and from your hotel. You can stay a few hours
or the whole day since the Paradise Cove shuttle bus brings back people at a
few selected times throughout the day. The $35 package includes a hot dog or
hamburger or veggie burger and chips and soda. You can also choose other items
from the menu for additional cost. If you have your your own transportation
(ie, car rental) and your own snorkel gear, at Paradise Cove, they will charge
you approximately $3 per person for a full day pass which is a great deal. If
you rent the snorkeling gear from them ($10 per person), the $3 will be
subtracted from this so it's still a great deal at about $7 per person.
Paradise Cove is about 15 miles west of Freeport (about 25 minutes to drive out
there).

2) the Sail and Snorkel package aboard the Fantasea ($45 per person – can be
booked through Reef Tours) - good reputation, great captain, and music aboard –
Reef Tours has an office at Port Lucaya Marketplace). The Fantasea leaves
right from the dockside of Port Lucaya Marketplace and Marina.

The Kayak Snorkel trip to Peterson Cay (through Kayak Nature Tours) is fun but
costs about $69 per person (probably too expensive for everyone in the family).

The Deserted Island Cruise with Snorkeling (through Pat & Diane’s tours) is
also nice but costs about $69 per person. Peterson Cay, GBI's smallest national
park, is nice. You can just relax on the lovely beach. Take lots of sun
protection. Snorkel equipment, snorkel instructions, lunch and unlimited Bahama
Mamas and non-alcoholic punch are all included in the price. You get to snorkel
around Peterson Cay. This excursion goes only on certain days of the week. The
cost is about $69 for adults and about $35 for children 12 years and under.

Paradise Watersports is onsite at the beachfront of Island Seas and offers
watersports activities such as Waverunner rentals/Jet skis, Water Bikes,
Parasailing (about $50), Banana Boat Rides (about $10-$12), Yamaha Waverunner
rentals (about $50-$60 for 30 minutes – I think you have to give a deposit of
$100 cash or a credit card deposit), Paddle boats & Funyaks, Waterskiing
lessons, Canoe rentals, etc.

If you plan to explore the island and do some snorkeling on your own, you may
want to rent a car to see some of the many beaches and see the west and east
end of the island, that are not so touristy. If you are a family, it would
probably be less expensive to rent a car. A car rental can prove to be a great
convenience since you can see the entire island in just a few days. As well,
you won't have to count on buses or pay taxis which can be quite expensive.

If you rent a car I would recommend KSR Rent-A-Car (www.ksrrentacar.com) or
Brad's Car Rentals (www.bradscarrental.com). Both of these car rental
companies have good reputations and reasonable prices.

I imagine that doing one of the organized snorkel excursion packages with your
whole family would probably be too costly.

Lots of beaches on the island – here are just some:
Xanadu Beach, Lucaya Beach, Williams Town Beach, Gold Rock Beach, Air Force
Beach, Taino Beach, Smith's Point Beach, Fortune Beach, Churchill Beach (in
Mather Town), Barbary Beach, Peterson Cay, Bishop's Beach (at High Rock),
Pelican Point Beach, Crabbing Bay Beach (near McLean's Town), Paradise Cove
Beach......so lots of beaches to choose from, especially if you have a car
rental.

Visit some of the less touristy parts of the island like the West End, Paradise
Cove, Lucayan National Park and Gold Rock Beach, Pelican Point (eastern end of
the island), McLean's Town (about 60 miles away on the eastern end of the
island), etc.

You could rent a car and visit Paradise Cove for some offshore snorkeling.
It’s a bit of a ride to get there. It’s a nice relaxed atmosphere away from the
hustle and bustle. Paradise Cove is off the beaten path, located on the
southwest end of Grand Bahama Island near Deadman's Reef and not far from West
End. You can go snorkeling on your own – if you have your own snorkel
equipment –they will just charge you $3 per person for a full day pass (a good
deal). If you rent the snorkeling gear from them ($10 per person), the $3 will
be subtracted from this so it's still a great deal at about $7 per person.
Paradise Cove is about 15 miles west of Freeport (about 25 minutes to drive out
there). The website for Paradise Cove is: www.deadmansreef.com

If you have a car rental, drive out to Gold Rock Beach and spend the day there
and at Lucayan Nat'l Park which is across the street. Gold Rock Beach is
stunning. If you go out at low tide, the beach is probably about 200 yards
wide...at high tide it narrows to about 15 feet wide.

If you have a car rental, visit Old Bahama Bay - a beautiful property, nice
beach on the western end of the island. It's a bit of a distance though to
drive there. This is a gated resort, but tell the guard that you want to go to
the Dock Side Grill and Gift Shop and he will let you in. The building that
houses the gift shop and grill also houses the sales office. Check out the
multi-million dollar properties available...wow! If you have your own snorkel
equipment, you can snorkel offshore.

If you have a car rental, drive out to Bishop's at High Rock. There is a small
bar/restaurant (more like a cafe) here that serves probably some of the best
cracked conch on the island (they even have burgers). As well, there's an
absolutely, wonderful beach that is mostly deserted and stretches for miles.
The owner, "The Bishop" is quite a character.

Junkanoo Street Festival - This summer of 2004, every Thursday from about June
10-August 26, there's a FREE, energetic Junkanoo street festival in the area of
the International Bazaar which is lots of fun from about 6-9pm. You will get to
see some of the Junkanoo groups with their elaborate bright costumes. They
usually launch each Thursday evening of the Junkanoo Festival, and then close
with a massive rush-out at the end of the night. The music will get you moving.
The International Bazaar is walking distance from the Crowne Plaza Golf Resort
& Casino at Royal Oasis.

Wednesday Night Fish Fry at Outriggers in Smith's Point (get a taste of local
culture) - a must do. I have gone to the fish fry many times and I would highly
recommend it as a "Thing to Do". It's like a taste of Bahamian culture - you
get to meet lots of Bahamians when you attend this weekly inexpensive fish
fry. Locals and tourists hang out in a fun atmosphere. Every Wednesday night,
from about 6:30pm tourists and locals begin to line up at this locally famous
outdoor fish fry for platters of fried or steamed fish, priced at approximately
$10-$13 each. At times, they also have fried chicken or fileted fish. Remember
to bring cash only for the fish fry.

See the Shark Feeding at Pier One Restaurant. Maybe make reservations for about
6:30 pm so that you can stay and see all 3 shark feedings. Great sunsets from
this restaurant! I would advise just going for appetizers and a drink since it
would be too costly to eat a whole dinner as a family. Shark feeding each
evening at 7, 8 & 9 p.m (times are always subject to change). You can call them
a day or two before you go to make a reservation, especially if you would like
an outside seating so that you can get a good view of the shark feeding.

Tiki Torch Lighting Ceremony held Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings at 8pm
at the Beach Pool, between the two properties that make up the Crowne Plaza
Golf Resort & Casino at Royal Oasis properties. It goes on for about 45
minutes. Admission is FREE. Music, dance and a fire show – nice to see the
lights and gas powered Tiki torches around the pool area that illuminate the
beach pool’s waterfall.

Port Lucaya Marketplace has a festive atmosphere at night - have a cold
tropical drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholiic) at one of the bars overlooking the
main Count Basie Square. Fun for adults and children alike in the main square.
On Friday nights there is usually a cultural show in Port Lucaya’s Count Basie
Square with live entertainment by Ultra Vibe, Port Lucaya’s house band, and you
will see King Barry too (he’s the Limbo King on roller skates – he wears a
cape). Everyone from children to grandparents love Port Lucaya Marketplace.
Port Lucaya Marketplace at night has a festive atmosphere, especially in the
busier tourist months. There's always audience participation for line dancing
(Electric Slide), the Hold Ya Head dance, the Macarena, Dollar Wine etc. And
the entertainment is FREE.

Movies: What do you do when the weather is occasionally bad? Go to the Movies!
There are 2 movie theaters on the Island. The Columbus Theater, 352-7478 and
The RND Cinemas, 351-9190. Both have multiple screens and they are located near
each other on East Mall Drive. The RND Cinema complex is near the Int'l Bazaar
area, kind of in back of Club Amnesia, located in the RND strip complex. Check
the Freeport News on Thursday for what is playing and the times.

During my many vacations I have visited Island Seas for the day and have always
thought it was a nice place. Island Seas is a low-rise (3 floors) property,
comprised of several buildings, the exterior painted a nice pastel peach/coral
color. There are NO elevators to the upper floor units. With kitchen facilities
at the Island Seas, you can cook and save some money on eating out in
restaurants. All nicely furnished units have tile floors, full kitchens with
full size stove, dishwasher, full size refridgerator, can opener, microwave,
toaster, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, and cooking supplies (pots and
pans), utensils, plates, silverware, cups, and bowls.

The beachfront of Island Seas is nice and wide, really pretty. It is NOT very
long. The beach is quiet.

You might want to bring your own snorkel equipment from home. Please note that
there is NOT all that much to see right around the resort in terms of
snorkeling. There is no offshore reef at Island Seas.

If you want to try some native food, you can eat it right at the beachfront of
Island Seas. You will have to try Zonk, the Conch Man's conch - He can cook
conch about a dozen ways. If you walk to the beach, turn left and go about 300
yards that is where you’ll find Zonk, the Conch Man - good, reasonably priced
island food. Try the grilled conch or conch fritters or fresh conch salad
(about $10)...mmmmmm....all good!! Zonk cooks the conch right on the beach so
look out for his little beach hut. Zonk, is independent and not an employee of
Island Seas.

At Island Seas, there is an outdoor poolside restaurant and bar, “CoCoNuts Grog
& Grub”, a big open air restaurant with a large sloping metal roof. "CoCoNuts"
serves tropical drinks and native Bahamian dishes -- open from about 7 am - 10
pm with a limited menu (breakfast, lunch and dinner)so this might be
bothersome). There is Happy Hour at the CoCoNuts Bar from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
daily with a featured tropical drink at $5.00 and high-balls for $2.00.
Tropical drinks are good but at approximately $6 for a small plastic throwaway
glass, a bit expensive. A soda will cost about $2. The restaurant staff is
nice. Hamburgers cost about $8.50 ($0.55 extra for bacon or cheese), appetizers
under $12, a Philly Steak sandwich at about $13.25. Also serves sandwiches and
pizza. Great pita wrap sandwiches (crab salad and chicken salad) for about
$7.95-$10.95). Keep in mind that a 15% service charge is added to all food and
beverage bills.

There is a Beach Bar and Grill right on the beachfront. Snacks/casual food and
tropical drinks are served at the new beach bar. If you want a hamburger or hot
dog, they are about $1.50-$2.00 cheaper than they are at CoCoNuts.

At Island Seas, there is a large pool deck complete with cascading waterfalls,
hot tub/jacuzzi, and a small swim-up bar. The pool is NOT very big but
adequate, even though it is somewhat narrow. The water in the pool is
shallow...only about 4 feet deep throughout. There's a little island in the
middle of the pool, as well as the tiny swim-up bar.

Wishing you all a very pleasant vacation at Island Seas and on Grand Bahama
Island.

Best regards,

Carrie
carriek5@hotmail.com

: Hi . . we will be in Freeport the last week of June at the Island Seas with 4
: teenagers. Was there once a few years ago without the kids.
:
: Any good suggestions for cheap activities with teens? Low budget this
: trip . . . definitely want to do one snorkel trip at least with the
kids . ..
: prefer something longer than an hour -- never enough time.
:
: Also . . trying to find a rental car . . think that would be best. Coming
over
: via Discovery Cruise . . . is there a car rental at the port??? Would like
to
: go to Gold Rock Beach and Lucayan Nat'l Park and think a rental would be best.
:
: Thanks!

Re: Re: freeport - end of June 2004 - Carrie 6-15-04
Re: Re: freeport - end of June 2004 - Monica 6-15-04