To Atlantis or not to Atlantis? That’s the question.

I’ve admitted that until I was invited on the Jet Adventure trip I never had considered taking a beach-resort vacation of this type. Which of course means now that I’ve had the chance to do it the $60 question is whether I would do so again at the Atlantis Resort and on my own dime.

My answer to that question is, well, possibly, yes.

That said I do have some definite ideas about what kind of vacation I would plan with my family, with the goal not only of having the most fun, but also of spending my money wisely. Were I to return to Atlantis I would:

• Stay at the Beach or Coral Towers, which have smaller rooms that cost less to book than the Royal Towers. There are several reasons I would do this. I liked that side of the resort, which is a little quieter since it is away from the water park. The public spaces in the Royal Towers are opulent and ornate and definitely worth a look. Happily, they are also accessible to anyone who is a guest of the resort. The rooms at the Royal Towers are more centrally located (they are right next to both The Dig and the AKA Club). But that can be a disadvantage too – on the Saturday night of our stay a reggae band played disco music (no I’m not confused – it was most certainly disco reggae – Y.M.C.A. and all) at the pool outside our room. They stopped at 10 p.m., but I have no need to be close to that center.
• Purchase the more expensive of the two meal plan options (called “Casual” and “Gourmet”) so that I could be sure to eat at some of the higher end restaurants – the buffets just wouldn’t do it for me. And I’d budget either for in-room babysitting or a few evening sessions in the AKA Club so that Matt and I could enjoy a few evenings out without the kids.
• Take as much advantage as possible of the considerable amenities that came with the price of our room and which are unique to the place such as the gorgeous grounds and pools, the beaches, all of the aquariums and lagoons, and the water park.

  One tip about how best to do so: since the pools don’t open until 9 and close at 5, Teddy and I found that early in the morning and after dinner were wonderful times to explore. It often felt like we had our own private resort because there were so few people around. Seeing The Dig after dark, when it is illuminated, was especially spectacular.

• Avoid the temptation to spend money on extras like race cars, stuffed animals, spa treatments, shopping, and gambling. Since I can hop in my car and do any of these things within ten minutes of my house, or go online and choose between 918kiss or kiss918 for gambling options anytime I may want, I don’t view them as critical components of a fun vacation.
• However, if you do carry the temptation of doing any of these things, we live in a world that is filled with technology, so you could always do some shopping when your kids are tucked up in bed after the end of an action-packed day. And if gambling is your go-to, you could always have a look at the rich palms casino bonus to see how you can win extra money all from the comfort of your own bed. Who knows, this extra bit of cash could help to make your vacation even better.