Bimini Blues

Do you ever find yourself looking through your photos, 2 weeks post-vacation, thinking “take me back here”? This is me with every trip, and I like to relive them through my pictures. Sometimes I’ll -without warning- bombard my travel buddies with pictures, accompanied with a caption that says “let’s plan another trip” or “take me back here”. Don’t worry, they’re used to me at this point. However, my lovely readers are not. So I thought I’d share some photos that left me dreaming of another time and place.

Late in the summer of 2015, my mom, sister & I went on a mini-cruise to the Bahamian island closest to Miami- Bimini. It was our first girls trip.

Our cruise ship -now defunct- was Bimini Superfast, a cruise line that offered affordable weekend getaways to a resort on the island.

Although this particular cruise line doesn’t run anymore, the resort now offers a ferry service from Miami, and travelers also have the option to visit by seaplane, or private jet – if you have the cash.

Roundtrip cost for Florida residents (3-day cruise) – ~$230. 

Tip: If you’re a city resident, chances are you can get reduced fares on activities within your hometown. A popular one for FL residents is the discount we get on tickets to Disney World. 

Bimini is made up of 3 small islands – North, South & East Bimini. This means you’re going to see water at every turn.

Since our ship was going to be docked in the same spot for two days, we were free to spend all of that time on the island or on the ship. We spent our first night on board and woke up early the next day to see the island.

As soon as we disembarked, a complimentary shuttle picked us up from the ship and dropped us off at Resorts World Bimini. Since we came in on the cruise ship, we had access to all the resort amenities – which was not a lot since the resort was still under construction- and complimentary cocktails at the poolside bar.

One of the perks we had was cabanas. At Miami’s beaches, cabanas, umbrellas or any kind of artificial shade can set you back about $40 so complimentary cabanas were a welcome perk. Plus, after I swam in salty ocean water & attempted to drive a large water bicycle with my sister for no good reason, a shady cabana to rest in was exactly what I needed & wanted.

North Bimini, the island we visited, is in my book of travel records as the smallest island I have ever been to. At only 7 miles long, we were able to see much of the main city (Alice town) by driving around in a rented golf cart. I’m not much of a thrill seeker when it comes to driving but that golf cart could not have moved any slower!

Back on the ship, we checked out some of the onboard entertainment. At some point in the evening, I decided it would be a good idea to become the onboard entertainment so I attempted to sing karaoke to a ballad by one of my favorite artists – P!nk. She has an incredible voice so I don’t know what I was thinking, but since there were less than 20 people in attendance, my confidence level was on high. Everyone knows that’s all you need for karaoke.

Luckily, I didn’t sound terrible. You will have to take my word for it.

We spent most of our last night onboard and only stepped out for a while to see if the resort had any entertaining nightlife. Unfortunately, it didn’t so we ordered drinks at the bar, watched other people attempt karaoke, and wrapped up the night watching a dance performance put on by the cruise ship staff.

Around 2pm the next day, the ship had docked at the port of Miami, and Bimini was already a memory.

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I find that cruises allow me to relax. Maybe it’s the limited network access that makes me pick up my phone less or the knowledge that I’ve left my daily routine on the mainland. Whatever it is, I always find that I come back feeling like both my body and mind got some rest. 

Have any of you visited islands in the Bahamas, or been on a cruise? How was your experience? Leave me a comment to let me know!

As always, 

Thanks for reading!

All photos shot on iPhone5

Update* Postscript – Several islands suffered on account of Hurricane’s Irma & Maria. Here’s how you can help – Click here to help places & people affected by Hurricane Irma & here for Hurricane Maria. Thank you. 

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same footprints, different sands