Atlantis Aquaventure

[vacationbound]

The Atlantis Aquaventure looks like so much fun. I would like to know if anyone has done it and if it is worth the money. Thanks.

[LuvlyLibrarian]

I thought it sounded fun, too, so we booked it for our cruise in January.

When are you going? If it's later than January, I'll post again and let you know how it is when we get back.

[vacationbound]

Hey Luvly! Welcome to cruise-chat. I would definitely appreciate your feedback. I am planning on a September or October cruise so it is way off, but I want to get an idea of what I want to do. The aquaventure sounds great. I hope you enjoy your cruise. What ports are you going to and what ship?

[LuvlyLibrarian]

Hi vacationbound,

We're going on the Carnival Imagination. It stops in Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau.

We don't have any excursions booked for the other two ports due to money issues, so we're just planning on relaxing on the beaches those days.

[vacationbound]

I would definitely love to hear your review. That is the same itenerary I am thinking of doing. If we do decide to do the Aquaventure we won't do anything in Grand Turk or Half Moon Cay except lounge around.

[Berick1234]

Your excursion sounds like a Great time...I've been to the Atlantis Hotel and spent the day there just walking around and enjoying the view...The hotel is expensive for just about everything....but the casino did payoff for me...I don't think you will go wrong spending the day at their park...But then there is a lot of shopping if you decide to do that...Enjoy the cruise....be ready to take pictures as you enter Nassau...a Kodak moment with the little light house backed up by the Atlantis Hotel..

Bob E

[LuvlyLibrarian]

Originally posted by vacationbound:
I would definitely love to hear your review. That is the same itenerary I am thinking of doing. If we do decide to do the Aquaventure we won't do anything in Grand Turk or Half Moon Cay except lounge around.

The cruise was awesome. I'm so sad to be home.

As for the Aquaventure, my husband and I loved it. Best waterpark we've ever been to, and we could have spent all day (or several days) on the lazy/non-lazy river. The tube conveyor belt that takes you up to the Power Tower slides was a cool experience, but you get shorter lines if you get out of the tube and carry it up the stairs.

The tube slides were really fun, but you have to be careful on them or you will end up with a black-and-blue bum, as I did. Basically, the slides take you down and shoot you upward, which means you have to keep your bum up, or you'll hit bottom when you go down.

However, I've never been on a more thrilling waterslide than tube slide at the top of the Power Tower. After the slide finishes there are rapids, which are amazing, but unexpected. (They're what gave me the worst of my bum bruises.)

Aside from that, the only complaints I would have are the cost and the short amount of time. Our excursion started at 8:15 am; there was a lot of walking and a ferry ride, so don't expect to get into the water before 10:00 am.

We spent basically the whole time in the water, and only took about a half-hour to look at "The Dig" aquarium before we had to get back to the ship. I definitely wouldn't plan on doing any sight-seeing or shopping if you pick this excursion.

I've never been to Nassau (or on a cruise) before, so I'm not sure if it would be quicker to go on your own or not. I read in someone else's post today that you could use the waterpark for $105. Carnival's price was $149, but it included the transportation there and back, someone to escort you to the waterpark, and lunch (burger, fries and a sodapop).

Overall, it was a great day. And we made a good (and frugal) choice by lounging around the other two days when we went to Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk. The beaches on both are just perfect (although you may want swim shoes for Grand Turk as the ocean floor is a little rocky).

[vacationbound]

Hey Luvly,
Thank you for your review. It sounds awesome. Overall, how did you like your first cruise and the Imagination? Did you use the Carnival Water Works area? I hope you get to plan another cruise soon.

[LuvlyLibrarian]

Originally posted by vacationbound:
Overall, how did you like your first cruise and the Imagination? Did you use the Carnival Water Works area?

Hi vacationbound,

Overall, I loved the cruise. It was very relaxing, great food, and there was almost always something to do if you were up for it. We had an oceanview room, and I really liked that.

A balcony probably would have been even better (although too expensive for us), as I tend to like a quiet place with a pretty view to relax and read, but some of the outside decks weren't too noisy, especially in the mornings.

I also loved the ports. Grand Turk opens right onto a cruise area, so you can just walk off the ship through a couple of shops and claim a chair on the beach. Half Moon Cay was the most beautiful beach ever. Both had great service with waiters walking the beach to bring you drinks, although Grand Turk's service was from Margaritaville, so it was even more expensive than the ship's drinks. At Half Moon Cay, people even walked around to pick up your garbage. We were very spoiled. And you can see from above that Nassau was great.

My only complaint was that there's nothing open except the Lido restaurant at 5:30 am, and even then they're just getting breakfast ready. I wake up too early, which comes from having a toddler at home.

Unfortunately, the decks are all being cleaned, etc, at this time, which is kind of distracting. The gym is supposed to open at six, but twice I had to call to get someone to open the main doors by the spa, because they still weren't open at 6:10 am.

The Imagination itself was great. It was small enough that you could learn to navigate it easily by the end of the cruise. Although, next time I cruise, I will bring one of the maps from Carnival's cruise brochure books, as the maps you can get from the purser's area aren't as good.

I didn't get a chance to do the water works. It closes at 5:00 pm, so it will be closed soon after you get back from port on a few days. It's kind of weird because it doesn't open into a pool or anything. It's just basically a kids play area in the back of the ship with a super huge water slide.

I hope we get to cruise again, too, but it will probably be a few years until the next time. Sigh.

I hope you have an awesome time on your cruise.

[vacationbound]

Luvly, I forgot to ask....at the Aquaventure is there a locker or something you can rent to keep dry clothes so when you get done you can change? How much is it?