ringwood1
26-02-2005, 22:53
Still jet-lagged as only being back a day, and I had to work this morning which was very difficult when my time clock is 5 hours behind.
First off me, my husband Keith and our two children Martin (9) and Abigail (6) flew from Heathrow to Miami with BA. We spend the night before at a Travelodge nearby and this proved to be a good solution to the early flight. We had pre-booked our seats and we got them without a problem, flight was long but uneventful. On arrival we got the Tri-Rail to Fort Lauderdale and would recommend this to anyone who wants to do that journey. The traffic in and out of Miami was dreadful and the train was very efficient and cheap $9 for all four of us. We spent our first night at the Holiday Inn Express Cruiseport and this hotel was great, very clean and modern.
At 6.30 am the next day the hotel had a shuttle which took us to Port Everglades and we had a 5 hour cruise onboard the Discovery Sun which is operated by Discovery Cruises. This was really fun, the breakfast that they served us was included in the price of our ticket and it was first class, really couldn't fault it. The children spent some time in the kids club whilst Keith and I drank cocktails on deck. There was a muscian singing various Bob Marley hits, along with other carribean songs and giving the history of the music of the Islands, very atmospheric and very, very nice.
When we arrived in Freeport, Grand Bahama we took a taxi to our hotel, The Viva Wyndham Fortuna. This was an all-inclusive resort and was wonderful. Our room was basic but clean and the food at the hotel was really good. This was the first time we have tried all-inclusive and we all found it to be GREAT. Not having to think about food, where to eat or if it was within our budget was nice, unlimited snacks, drinks and cocktails was lovely. When it was time to leave Martin and Abigail cried. They had enjoyed the kids club and all the entertainment and had made friends with other children that were there.
We had the cruise back and the only draw back was not getting back until 11.00 at night. We had booked into the Ramada and they had a shuttle which was supposed to come and get us. The shuttle never arrived and this was a big let down, especially with two very tired young children, after 45 minutes of ringing up and asking how much longer and being told "10 minutes" we gave up and got a taxi. When we arrived at the Ramada the desk clerk didn't even apologise and by that time I was too tired to make a fuss. Our room was a bit dated and the hotel itself was not that nice, one pool was dirty and other was busy. The hotel provided a free breakfast which was okay but nothing special. Even the shuttle to the airport didn't work out and we got another taxi.
Once at Fort Lauderdale airport we picked up our hire car and set off to Orlando and our villa. We were all feeling a bit upset about leaving the Bahamas and didn't know what to expect as we had never stayed in a villa before. We were staying at Orange Tree off Highway 27 and this was very easy to find as we drove up the 27 all the way from Fort Lauderdale. It was a long drive but it was nice to see the countryside and all the ranches and wild life.
When we finally arrived outside our villa we couldn't believe how impressive it was but nothing prepared us for just how fantastic it would be inside, we all walked in and just stopped dead in our tracks, it was really wonderful and I don't think we will ever forget just how we felt right at that moment.
Next time I will report on all that we did for our 8 nights in Orlando, but right now my fingers need a rest from all this typing.
First off me, my husband Keith and our two children Martin (9) and Abigail (6) flew from Heathrow to Miami with BA. We spend the night before at a Travelodge nearby and this proved to be a good solution to the early flight. We had pre-booked our seats and we got them without a problem, flight was long but uneventful. On arrival we got the Tri-Rail to Fort Lauderdale and would recommend this to anyone who wants to do that journey. The traffic in and out of Miami was dreadful and the train was very efficient and cheap $9 for all four of us. We spent our first night at the Holiday Inn Express Cruiseport and this hotel was great, very clean and modern.
At 6.30 am the next day the hotel had a shuttle which took us to Port Everglades and we had a 5 hour cruise onboard the Discovery Sun which is operated by Discovery Cruises. This was really fun, the breakfast that they served us was included in the price of our ticket and it was first class, really couldn't fault it. The children spent some time in the kids club whilst Keith and I drank cocktails on deck. There was a muscian singing various Bob Marley hits, along with other carribean songs and giving the history of the music of the Islands, very atmospheric and very, very nice.
When we arrived in Freeport, Grand Bahama we took a taxi to our hotel, The Viva Wyndham Fortuna. This was an all-inclusive resort and was wonderful. Our room was basic but clean and the food at the hotel was really good. This was the first time we have tried all-inclusive and we all found it to be GREAT. Not having to think about food, where to eat or if it was within our budget was nice, unlimited snacks, drinks and cocktails was lovely. When it was time to leave Martin and Abigail cried. They had enjoyed the kids club and all the entertainment and had made friends with other children that were there.
We had the cruise back and the only draw back was not getting back until 11.00 at night. We had booked into the Ramada and they had a shuttle which was supposed to come and get us. The shuttle never arrived and this was a big let down, especially with two very tired young children, after 45 minutes of ringing up and asking how much longer and being told "10 minutes" we gave up and got a taxi. When we arrived at the Ramada the desk clerk didn't even apologise and by that time I was too tired to make a fuss. Our room was a bit dated and the hotel itself was not that nice, one pool was dirty and other was busy. The hotel provided a free breakfast which was okay but nothing special. Even the shuttle to the airport didn't work out and we got another taxi.
Once at Fort Lauderdale airport we picked up our hire car and set off to Orlando and our villa. We were all feeling a bit upset about leaving the Bahamas and didn't know what to expect as we had never stayed in a villa before. We were staying at Orange Tree off Highway 27 and this was very easy to find as we drove up the 27 all the way from Fort Lauderdale. It was a long drive but it was nice to see the countryside and all the ranches and wild life.
When we finally arrived outside our villa we couldn't believe how impressive it was but nothing prepared us for just how fantastic it would be inside, we all walked in and just stopped dead in our tracks, it was really wonderful and I don't think we will ever forget just how we felt right at that moment.
Next time I will report on all that we did for our 8 nights in Orlando, but right now my fingers need a rest from all this typing.