Anyone recently done the RCI's "Atlantis - Discover Atlantis Tour - NS03?

[tankwastheworldsbestdog]

I normally have a great deal of patience in dealing with people on the phone (no matter which cruise line). I've done the 3-night RCCL/RCI Port Canaveral to Nassau cruise at least six times in the past 15 years. '

 

My frustration is that I've spent over an hour on the phone, with three different people, trying to get what I "thought" would be a simple answer to what "should be" a simple question. None of them could help me, so I'm asking Cruise Critic Cruisers for help.

 

I am willing to book and pay for the $59.00 (adult) visit to see The Dig and Predator Lagoon (which is only $45.00 if you buy the tickets instead in front of the "Coral Towers" inside Atlantis. The reason I don't mind paying the extra $14.00 per person is booking through RCI insures you'll get your wrist band and have access to the aquarium, and insures you have transport (at least to) Atlantis. I say that because unless you're willing to stay with the clump of your ship's guests also doing this tour, then you're responsible for your own transportation back to your ship.

 

I've had less than wonderful "Water Taxi" experiences on past cruises taking my family to/from Atlantis (boat crammed so full of people it looked like it would tip over, elderly people needing help and the boats had no decent ramps for their wheelchairs). Also, with the water taxi's they don't really "run" every 30 minutes, they "run" when their boats are full which means you can sit on board for an eternity.

 

Sorry for writing so much, but my questions today to the RCI/RCCL people on the phone were "if I go ahead and book/pay for (3) adults for this Atlantis Excursion for 1/11/14, what method of transportation will be used to take my family from the ship to Atlantis (as the "Pre-Cruise Planner" and the info for this Shore Excursion just say "The experience begins with a short transfer to the Atlantis."

 

Not one of the three people in almost an hour that I kept being transferred to (including an Excursion Specialist) could tell me "how" we would be transferred from the ship to Atlantis. All I want to know is it via a coach/bus, or is it via a water taxi (which I don't like)...I would rather pay extra and do the same tour on my own and just get a taxi at the pier).

 

The final person I talked to told me that RCI/RCCL has no way of knowing the method of transportation, and that only after paying for the excursion, and getting on the ship, and receiving the documents in my cabin, would I find out how my family would be transported from the ship to Atlantis.

 

So has anyone done this excursion in the past couple of weeks? I'm never going to get a straight answer from RCI/RCCL, and if you add up the extra $14.00 per adult ($42.00), then I could just not have the hassle, and grab a taxi each way from the ship to Atlantis and back. My preference is to always pre-pay for everything so I don't have to deal with it later, but I at least want to know how I'm being transported. Seems like such a simple question to me?

[starfish216]

We just did this tour two weeks ago while on the Oasis.

 

We met on the pier in front of the ship at 9:30 AM, but people start lining up earlier. There is a very long line, hundreds of people. Don't worry though, everyone is giving a wrist band. Everyone walks as a large group to the end of the pier where the market/guard booth is. Once we got our wrist bands my dad (84) and sister walked ahead and waited for the group at the guard booth only because dad walks slow. There is also a shuttle bus that runs from in front of the ship to the guard booth for those who find the walk difficult, you can take the bus at your leisure.

 

The group is then escorted to the parking lot and unto smaller buses holding around 30 people or so (I'm estimating). The group on the bus is the group you stay with for your Atlantis Tour. Once you arrive at Atlantis you are met by an Atlantis guide for the tour, she will walk you through the Dig etc. Where the tour ends is where you can go upstairs to catch the bus back to the ship. Also, once the tour ends you are free to revisit any of sights you just saw. We walked back to some of the Digs we just saw. The bands on your wrist allow you passage into certain areas (Dig etc) of the property.

 

We were told the buses run every half hour back to the ship but when we decided to leave a bunch of the small buses were lined up and once they filled up they left. They are first come first serve. It was very easy to get back to the ship.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[starfish216]

About the shuttle bus in front of the ship, do not wait until the tour is ready to leave. The tour gets to the guard booth before the shuttle bus. The shuttle bus will stop in front of other ships too.

 

My dad and sister were able to wait for the tour at the guard booth since my DH and I walked with the group and they joined the group once they saw us. Otherwise it would have been more difficult to know which tour was their's that was walking past the guard booth since there are several different tours meeting in front of the ship and walking down.

 

It was a nice tour, something to do for a couple of hours.

 

The buses were new, well kept and clean. All the people involved with the tour were friendly and nice.

[cruisnseas]

Well here's the thing, and I know you won't want to hear this but, they can only tell you what typically happens - and often then they are not in receipt of that information.

 

There are literally 1,000s of excursions offered and it is simply not feasible to provide every detail (including of method of transfer) on every excursion to every agent. That is why they have an email option on the website - that goes to one of five analysts that deal with this more in depth.

 

Now back to my first point, they can only tell you what typically happens because the vendor has the right to change the method of transport within reason (between water taxi and bus, for instance) as long as they can still transport the same people and provide the same service.

[gaylemh]

I don't know if you can still do it, but last year when I went, after getting off the shuttle (mini bus) we just took off on our own. We didn't stay with the group, because I had been there a few times before on land based vacations.

As long as you have the wrist band you can tour on your own. The shuttles were lined up to go back, at the same place they let you off. They left as soon as it was filled.

 

I also know of some people that as soon as they got their wrist bands, they didn't wait for the group and go on the shuttles. They went ahead and took taxis. They arrived about a half hour before the group that went on the shuttles. They did take the shuttles back to the ship.

[tankwastheworldsbestdog]

Do the shuttle buses have any logos or signs on the sides of them so cruise ship passengers know that those are the shuttle buses they are allowed to get on to get back to their ships?

[tankwastheworldsbestdog]

Also, this excursion says it lasts about 2.5 hours. Other posts say that once the buses are full they leave and don't return. Does anyone remember about how late the buses remain there in the afternoon? For example, our ship (Enchantment, Jan 10th) doesn't arrive in Nassau until noon, and it says this excursion begins at noon, which knowing how long it takes passengers to get off the ship when it docks, the arrival time of the ship, and the beginning time for this excursion can't be exact? I've always been on ships that arrived into Nassau much earlier in the morning, so not arriving until noon won't give long (while still light) to enjoy Atlantis. Thanks for any insight!

[gaylemh]

Also, this excursion says it lasts about 2.5 hours. Other posts say that once the buses are full they leave and don't return. Does anyone remember about how late the buses remain there in the afternoon? For example, our ship (Enchantment, Jan 10th) doesn't arrive in Nassau until noon, and it says this excursion begins at noon, which knowing how long it takes passengers to get off the ship when it docks, the arrival time of the ship, and the beginning time for this excursion can't be exact? I've always been on ships that arrived into Nassau much earlier in the morning, so not arriving until noon won't give long (while still light) to enjoy Atlantis. Thanks for any insight!

 

The last time I was there they ran until 6, when the waterpark closed, but we were on the Aquadventure tour that included the waterparks. It's not a big deal to take a taxi back to the ship, I think it was only $4 per person. Just make sure you leave with enough time to get back before the ship sails.

 

The shuttles are hard to miss. They all lined up right where they left you off.

[MermaidWatcher]

Never did the trip, so obviously I can't answer, but when I read this, I could not help thinking.............

"The final person I talked to told me that RCI/RCCL has no way of knowing the method of transportation, and that only after paying for the excursion, and getting on the ship, and receiving the documents in my cabin, would I find out how my family would be transported from the ship to Atlantis."

Did she write speeches for Nancy "You have to pass the bill before you can know what is in it" Pelosi.:confused:

[starfish216]

The buses do have a logo on them, ask the guy at the pier that you get the wrist bands from which one they are using.

 

Going back to the ship I honestly don't think it matters what bus as long as you have a wrist band on your wrist. Our bus back had guest from different ships on it. As I said it is first come first served back to the port they didn't separate passengers by ship or tour. There is a dispatcher at the bus stop kind of directing buses when to leave. It was not hectic or rushed but then again we went back to the ship early and didn't wait until the last minute.

 

I don't remember the time of the last shuttle since we were there from 7 AM to 2 PM, there were a total of five ships in port each leaving at different times.