Hurry and Cruise Through November 14th, 2010!

Discovery is offering a $50.00 off per couple if you book an All-Inclusive Fun Day Cruise and sail through November 14th, 2010! Hurry and take advantage of this great deal. They have premium brands and two all you can eat breakfast and dinner buffets. There is dancing to a great live band, movies, games and a casino on board. It is a great value and wonderful way to spend time with your friends and family.

Bahama Mama Party Cruise

I purchased my shore excursion ticket on board Discovery Sun. They give you a telephone number that you have to call to check in with the tour opertator for a reservation and directions. I was told to go to the excursion office located in Port Lucaya Marketplace to check in about a half hour before the tour began and exchange my ticket for their ticket stub. Then they walked us to a two story boat at the Port Lucaya Marina. It happened to be the same boat and crew as the Robinson Crusoe Beach Party. We cruised slowly around the lagoon, canals and out in the ocean. For those who wanted to upgrade their excursion and opted for the steak and lobster dinner, they went to the upper part of the boat to enjoy their meal and then join the rest of the passengers downstairs. For those who decided on the regular excursion, you stayed downstairs and ate meatballs, wings, fresh cauliflower, carrots & broccoli and little finger sandwiches. All of the Bahama Mamas were free as well as red and white wine but if you wanted a beer, it costs $3.00 each. The children had lemonade. They played music and a local artist was on board selling his cds for $10.00 each. We even got to go up a canal to see the “Ghost”, the replica of the ship used in Johnny Depp’s movie, Pirates of the Caribbean. Everyone had a good time; people were dancing, drinking and the crew was very friendly.

Bahamian Getaway

Hello again!

Mr. Almondo Talbot from Tawanna Tours picked us up at our resort bright and early for the Bahamian Getaway tour. He gave us a very informative history of the Island with information on plants, laws, schooling, religion, child rearing, the water supply, Indians, etc. and a tour of Millionaire’s Row. Did you know that the Bahamian flag has three colors: blue represents the ocean, black represents the people of The Bahamas and yellow represents the sun? The national bird is the flamingo and the fish is the marlin. The first stop was The Garden of the Groves, which was built in dedication to Wallace and Georgette Groves for all that they did for Grand Bahama Island. They basically came in to open a lumber business and ended up building the town. This is a beautiful, lush park full of imported plants mostly from Hawaii: hibiscus, chenilles, cactus, guava trees, tamarind trees, the tree of life, lantana, pine screw trees, etc. and herbs such as rosemary as well as medicinal shrubs. They have ponds full of tilapia and some Japanese Koi, ducks, a few parrots in cages, a labyrinth, a statue of the Virgin Mary and a beautiful little chapel that is perfect for weddings. There are a few shops containing, perfumes (they have already blended essences and you can also blend your own creations), herbal soaps, shampoos and creams, candles, crafts and straw market goods. They also have a café with healthy food and drinks – both alcoholic and non alcoholic. I was able to meet Ms. Erika Gates, who was very charming. She informed me that they also do the Kayak Adventure I tried on a previous occasion. From there we went to downtown Freeport and saw the government buildings, hospital and we stopped at some little stands where they sell straw market items such as: t-shirts, conch, smoothies, daiquiris, vegetables and medicinal bush items. We even had a conch presentation, where the woman showed us how she takes the conch out of the shell to make conch salad, scorched conch and conch fritters. Afterwards, we went to the Port Lucaya Marketplace for about an hour or so of shopping until being dropped off at our different hotels. I found this to be very informative and a great value.

Snorkeling in Grand Bahama

A beautiful day for a snorkel tour!

I called the tour operator in advance to reserve the tour and schedule a pick up and drop off for a small fee. We boarded Pat & Diane’s Fantasia and the tour lasted about two hours. They have a stand onboard that sells grilled burgers, hot dogs, strawberry daiquiris, beer as well as fish food and underwater cameras. I did not have an underwater camera so decided on purchasing one there. We went to the reef and snorkeled seeing many fish such as black and white Angel Fish, Grunts, Yellow Tail Snappers, Sergeant Majors, Parrot Fish and an awful lot of Uni….sea urchins. The visibility and colors in these Bahamian waters is amazing……only in The Bahamas! After snorkeling for a while you can get a little hungry so it was time for some burgers and daiquiris. Then off to the climbing wall and a slide that goes from the second story of the boat and into the water. Wooohooo!

Grand Bahama Beach Party

Grand Bahama Beach Party

Greetings!

It’s always good to get away from the daily grind so back to The Bahamas for me. I boarded Discovery Sun and looked through all of the Shore Excursions they offer and decided to do something I haven’t done in years….go to a beach party – a Bonfire Beach Party to be exact. I was picked up at my resort and taken to a place called Outriggers on Taino Beach. It was great. They had the wood stacked up looking like a teepee. Unlimited Bahama Mamas were served. Activities were a nice selection of games such as relay races on the beach and a hat game were they play music and you pass the hat around from your head to your neighbors’ and whoever gets stuck with the hat in their hand when the music stops is out of the game (kind of like musical chairs with a hat instead of a chair). The winners get a bottle of rum. Everyone was participating and it was quite funny to say the least as well as a great way to make new friends. We all watched a beautiful sunset from lounge chairs and picnic tables. Some people walked on the beach and others took a dip in the ocean. When the sun went down the bonfire was lit and it was very warm and beautiful. Dinner consisted of a very tasty buffet of: bread, ribs, peas & rice, chicken and corn. Afterwards was a limbo contest, dancing, a fire eater performance and more and more dancing. Did I mention the beautiful full moon? It was another wonderful evening in Grand Bahama.

Glass Bottom Boat

If you do not snorkel or dive and still want to see the reefs of Grand Bahama Island, a glass bottom boat tour is a great option. Discovery offers two different tours, one departing from the Island Seas Resort and the other from Taino Beach, where The Ritz and Flamingo Bay properties are located. I was staying at the Flamingo Bay and departed from the marina, which was conveniently right outside of my hotel room. We were gone for about ninety minutes and went to some of the colorful coral reefs I had snorkeled on other excursions. The Captain of the boat threw some bread in the ocean so we had plenty of beautiful fish to look at such as angel fish, parrot fish and seargent majors. From there we were taken out to deeper water – over forty feet deep and there got to see big groupers, nurse sharks, chub and jack. Then off to a purposely sunken tug boat that gives divers something different to dive around or in.

Swim with the Dolphins

I’m back!

What exciting things do I have to tell you today? I booked another shore excursion on Discovery Sun and this time I chose to swim with the dolphins. It is something I always wanted to do. I did the dolphin encounter about ten years ago with the same company, UNEXSO, in Grand Bahama Island. Back then we went by boat to a lagoon and got on a platform where a dolphin swims up and you can touch and pet it, the trainers give you interesting facts and background and then you get some great pictures.

This time around I went to the lagoon and they gave me some fins to wear. I jumped in the water and met Kayla, a 34 year old female dolphin. I thought I would be so scared to be so close to a mammal so much bigger than I but she was incredibly gentle. She swam right next to me almost the whole time…if I turned, she turned and if I switched directions so did she. The training is incredible and her attention span is quite good. The trainer showed me hand signals…if I waived my hands – she waived her fins, if I went in a circle – so did she, if I splashed her with water – she splashed me back. She of course was very happy with her fish treats for her perfect performance. It was an amazing experience and I purchased some beautiful pictures. I even got a dolphin hug and a kiss! Highly recommended.

Scuba at Viva

Good day to you!
I have to tell you about my latest visit to Grand Bahama Island. I took a few days off work and decided to go and get my Scuba Diving certification. I sailed on board Discovery Sun and stayed at the Wyndham Viva Fortuna Beach, where they have a PADI certified Scuba Team. They were all fantastic. Most of my friends that are certified take a three month course and I managed to do it in four days. It was pretty intense but so well worth it. You follow a book and do quizes, watch videos, do training in the pool and then out in the ocean. I honestly didn’t think I could do it as I was very nervous and did not have much snorkeling experience prior to this. My Instructor, Kelly, was amazing; she was so patient and never gave up on me. I was determined not to come back without a certification and it was a wonderful feeling to be able to complete that. The reefs and the fish are so beautiful and I even managed to see a shark before leaving. I simply cannot wait to go back and just dive for fun. I am told they have shark dives and a sunken tugboat that you can go to. So much to do and so little time!

The Wyndham Viva Fortuna was a perfect setting to complete my mission. Check out the Viva virtual tour on the attached link. The beach is really nice and the resort is all inclusive. They have all kinds of things going on such as dance lessons, archery, karaoke, shows, snorkeling, non motorized water sports, chess, bicycles and you can even learn how to trapeze (that is my next mission). They have young people from many different countries that perform. The food is really good and they also have two upscale restaurants that you need to make reservations for as well as a stand on the beach where they make hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers and fries…..and another for pizza at night. They even have a disco. All of this on one property and you really don’t have to leave for anything since they also have a little store and a boutique. The main buildings are not air conditioned but the rooms and upscale restaurants are. It is very European but yet you are in The Bahamas. It was such a pleasure to not have to take my purse and wallet everywhere with me. I could really get used to this all inclusive concept. My only suggestion would be to reserve an ocean view room since it is a stunning panorama. This one gets a thumbs up!

Welcome back Discovery Sun!

The Discovery Sun was on hiatus for one week. She was in Grand Bahama Island undergoing the yearly refurbishments and is looking really nice. The schedule has changed slightly with the doors closing at Port Everglades at eight o'clock am and departure soon therafter. You should still allow the two hour check in time so you can arrive in Freeport as early as possible. The scheduled arrival time is one thirty pm and leaves Freeport at 5:15pm with an earlier arrival in Port Everglades. The all inclusive concept now includes premium brands of alcohol and a revamped activities program. So come and join the fun with Discovery!

Robinson Crusoe Beach Party

Thank God it's Friday! Here we are gearing up for Labor Day Weekend and I hope you all have a good one.

Another great Shore Excursion Discovery offers to their passengers is the Robinson Crusoe Beach Party which lasts approximately five hours. It is the same crew and boat as the Bahama Mama Party Cruise. They are a great group on board and lots of fun. They offer free Bahama Mamas, lemonade for the kids and beers for $3.00 each. The crew took us to a reef for some snorkeling. The water was rough so everyone had to wear a life vest around their torso. They throw bread in the water to attract the fish. You are supposed to snorkel on a buddy system but I had no buddy. So I went off on my own and Captain William was kind enough to put on his gear and snorkel with me. He took me around the whole reef, told me when I needed to clear my mask and dove down to feed the fish and bring me starfish so I could touch them and others could take pictures. I unfortunately did not have an underwater camera. We saw several different types of sergeant majors, parrot fish, grunts, snapper, beautiful blue fish, fire, brain and other types of coral. No one wanted to get out of the water but it was time to move on. I again asked about the wildlife and was told they do have quite a few snakes and wild boars on the Island. They took us to another beach, where lunch was set up…..peas and rice, ribs and chicken with Bahama Mamas, lemonade and water. I saw my first dogs on the Island and we were feeding them as they looked a little hungry. We had an egg throwing contest for a bottle of rum and then a game of volley ball with the girls against the guys. I hung out with my Kayak Adventure family and paired up with the son for the egg throwing since he had been my kayaking partner the day before. I also managed to speak to the Mother of the group. It turns out they won a free cruise on Discovery when they sailed over and they are all planning on coming back to Grand Bahama in December. After our games, we packed everything up and it was time to go back to Port Lucaya. There was dancing on board on the way and everyone had a really nice day.

Kayak Adventure in Grand Bahama Island

Morning All!
I thought I'd tell you about my Kayak Adventure in Grand Bahama Island. I purchased my shore excursion ticket on board the Discovery Sun. They have many different excursions to choose from for same day round trip passengers or over-night passengers. I was an over night passenger on this particular trip.
I woke up early and was picked up by a van that took us to the Lucayan National Park. It was approximately a thirty minute ride from our hotel. I met a very nice family of nine that allowed me to hang out with them. We paired up and got into the Kayaks where we paddled against the wind for about an hour or so; it was a great workout. The rest of the time, we maneuvered in between the mangroves. Some of the areas were so narrow that we had to dismantle the oars and paddle canoe style. We saw birds, crabs and fish. We were completely soaked by one of those quick rain clouds that put a bit of water in our kayak....ahh adventure. It was very interesting and a lot of fun. Afterwards we went to one of the most beautiful deserted beaches I have ever seen. The tour operators provided us with sandwiches, non alcoholic drinks and fruit. We had enough time to go swimming and walking. We saw raccoons and fish and then we walked to some underground caves where they have bats that come there to breed in the summer and some more fish that have become accustomed to living in both salt and fresh water. The fresh water comes from the rain that soaks through the ground; it is above the salt water that comes in from the ocean below. People can go cave diving in these caves. They also provide the fresh water supply for Grand Bahama Island as the rain water seeps through the ground above and collects beneath. One of the caves used to have remains of some Lucayan Indians. The remains have since been reburried in an undisclosed location out of respect for the dead. Did you know that the largest wild animal in Grand Bahama is a raccoon? They have some snakes, lizards, and a couple of squirrels that were accidentally brought in with landscaping. It was a very nice tour and a great opportunity to see more of the Island.

July & August Thursdays in Grand Bahama

Hello again!

I finally made it back to Freeport. Upon my arrival, the cab driver on the way to the resort had mentioned a Goombay Junkanoo Festival that takes place on Thursday evenings in July and August. I saw it advertised again when I checked in at The Reef Our Lucaya Resort, where they offered free transportation at a scheduled time. I asked about it at my favorite conch shack, Billy Joe’s, and they also recommended it. My friends and I decided it sounded like a fun way to spend the evening. There was music and many stands with Bahamian crafts, foods and drinks. The best was the Junkanoo parade that they had with all of the beautifully colored & beaded costumes and musical instruments. Everyone was dancing and joining the parade in their procession down the street. It was very energizing and a nice way to start off a truly Bahamian vacation.

Shore Excursions for Same Day Passengers

I took a trip on the m/v Discovery Sun a couple of weeks ago and decided why not take a shore excursion to see what Grand Bahama Island has to offer. Since I only went for the day, I chose the Taino Beach Resort & Clubs Plus Shopping Tour. It was the one I thought had the most variety and I wanted to see and do as much as possible in the hours I was there. First we were taken by an air conditioned bus to The Taino Beach Resort. They have a great pool area with a grotto and a nice little restaurant overlooking their beach. Their friendly staff greet you with a Bahama Mama or fruit punch and you have approximately a little over an hour to spend on the grounds. I then took a water taxi to the Port Lucaya Marketplace where I had the option of shopping, bar hopping, or having lunch in one of their restaurants. I decided on the conch stand where I ordered a scorched conch and conch salad and then took that to a little outside bar where I ordered a Bahamian Kalik Beer and watched whatever game was on at the time. I reunited with the rest of the day passengers at five pm on the air conditioned bus and headed back to the ship for our voyage home. It was a beautiful day and I cannot wait to go back and spend a few days on the Island to check out the other shore excursions they offer.

No Hidden Fees

Starting June 13th, 2010 Discovery will have all new rates with no hidden charges. The price you see will be the price you pay. For example, a Fun Day Bahamas Cruise Sunday through Friday will be only $99.99 including two all you can eat buffets, house drinks, entertainment, surcharges and fees. I cannot wait to go with my friends!

Our Lucaya

Book before June 30th and travel by September 1st, 2010 and you can enjoy a four day/three night cruise 'n stay vacation at the beautiful Our Lucaya Resort for only $199.00 per person. This great deal includes round trip cruise from Fort Lauderdale, your hotel stay, all taxes and surcharges. That is less expensive than flying. Call 888-213-8231 to make your reservation.

Cruise Free on Your Birthday Month

If you celebrate your birthday in May, like I do, you can sail free on Discovery's fun day Bahamas cruise any day in May....just bring along a full fare paying friend and you cruise free ($35.00 surcharges apply). If you want to make it extra special, check out the Grand Bahama Grill gourmet dinner menu.

Win a Free IPad!

Right now Discovery Cruise Line is offering a chance to win a brand new IPad. If you haven't seen the new IPad yet, check it out....it's really cool. All you have to do is register to receive their email newsletters. On June 15th one lucky winner will be selected. Click here for your chance to win IPAD CONTEST.