Resort Living



Serenity found good protection from a prolonged period of strong winds and high seas at the Sandals Emerald Bay Resort and Marina.  The property was reopened in November 2009 after a $15 million upgrade – it shows.  The facilities are very, very nice, however there are some strange twists starting with the marina pricing structure.  They have a 40’ minimum, and the rate for boats 40-59 feet is $2.25 per foot with electricity and water metered (electricity: $.85 kwh, water: $.40 per gallon).  They also provide what they refer to “non-service slips” at a rate of $1.00 per foot per night. At the non-service slips metered water is available, but electricity and cable TV are not. 

OSHA violation

Let me see if I got this straight, you want me to pay 125% more just for the access to electricity I will then have to pay for? Guess where most of the cruisers are? Most cruisers share our belief that when slip fees approach $2.00 per foot, we expect daily maid service with clean sheets and towels. Over $2.00 we expect turn down service and mints on our pillows.

Showers, laundry and Wi-Fi are free, and the facilities are first rate. The marina club house is the best we have ever seen and features great furnishings, wide screen TVs (I got to watch the evening news), and a pool table.

The onsite bar/restaurant and pool did not reopen, but adjacent to the marina is the Grand Isle Resort where marina guest are welcome to enjoy Pallappa Restaurant & Bar. 

But, not the pool and hot tub because it seems previous cruisers are accused of pinching the towels.

While adjacent to the marina property, pedestrian access to the resort property has not been adequately developed. One gets the feeling that you are climbing through gaps in the fence. The villas in the Grand Isle Resort complex are exquisite, but empty.

The coconut telegraph reports that 31 of the villas are in foreclosure. If I were a prospective buyer, I would run, not walk away from the ghost town feel of the common areas.

Further on down the beach are the all inclusive Sandals Resort (children not allowed), and Red Lane Spa. Again, the prices exclude most cruisers. While I am sure that Sandals provides service industry jobs for the local Bahamians, an unintended consequence is that by being all inclusive it has dried up the local businesses. We did find Big D’s Conch House about 3.5 miles down the Queen’s Highway, but most cruisers do not have fold up bikes.

Just off of the Grand Isle Resort property is a small but very popular strip mall that includes a grocery store, liquor store, and a bank with ATM. There used to be a pizzeria/ice cream shop, and the bank is closed except for the ATM, probably a result of the unintended consequences and the nearby ghost town.

It looks like Tuesday or Wednesday will provide us with a good weather window to scoot on down to George Town.

Naked Angel surfing in

One boat tried to leave early in the week, but when they noticed waves breaking over the channel markers, they turned around and came back.

But, in the mean time, this isn’t bad at all.  Serenity’s food and liquor stores have been replenished, we have ridden our bikes every day, Friday night there was a cruiser potluck happy hour, yesterday we got in some reading, and today we may go snorkeling.