Atlantis Meal Deals (Paradise Island, Bahamas) - are they worth it?
 

There will be a party of 3 adults and one 15 year old teenager girl in our party, for a total of 6 nights. We would be staying that the Harborside at Atlantis units - where there are kitchens (note- I own several timeshares - so I can guess what Harborside offers, but I have not stayed at that timeshare before).

I am still thinking about the Atlantis dining plan - at least the $50 per person. Being buffets, we do not have to worry about how little or how much we eat. One question is how much do the buffets for breakfast and for dinner cost, if we were to go there without a dining plan?


I believe that both plans are open to people staying at Harborside at Atlantis - even though it would not be obvious when reading the statements below.



Welcome Back $50-$95 -- Daily Meal Plan: Choose from up to 16 Restaurants* By Travelzoo Staff updated 6/5/2011
Keep an Atlantis vacation stress-free by pre-paying for your meals. Choose from two daily meal plans that cover breakfast and dinner.

Plus, kids ages 11 and under eat free with the purchase of an adult plan.

Note: This Atlantis experience is only available for those who book a three-night minimum stay at one of the Atlantis properties. It is a "Customize Your Experience" option when booking online.

At $50 per adult, per day:

•Breakfast and dinner at Seagrapes and Marketplace buffet restaurants and Virgil's BBQ (opened in November)
•Available for guests of the "Beach Tower," "Coral Towers" and "Royal Towers" only

At $95 per adult, per day:

•This upgraded meal plan allows guests to choose from 16 restaurants
•Eat breakfast at Voyagers, Seagrapes, Murray's Deli, Plato's, Marketplace, Virgil's BBQ, Mosaic or The Pointe Restaurant & Bar
•Eat dinner at Seagrapes, Bahamian Club, Casa D'Angelo, Chop Stix, Marina Pizzeria, Bimini Road, Carmine's, Murray's Deli, Atlas Bar & Grill, Marketplace, Virgil's BBQ, Mesa Grill, Mosaic or The Pointe Restaurant & Bar
•Available for guests of the "Beach Tower," "Coral Towers," "Royal Towers," "The Reef Atlantis" and "The Cove Atlantis"
All dinners include one appetizer, entree dessert and nonalcoholic drinks. Both plans are available through Dec. 21.
Book by July 11.

I think you should choose food or meal coupons. These are the best to redeem your meals in any order throughout your package stay until each person's meal total is complete.

I'm also interested in this, as I'll be renting a timeshare at Harborside. Not sure if these options apply to me if I'm not booking directly through Atlantis.

Make sure you have accurate pricing. the prices I am currently seeing at $75 and $125 for the plans. That does not include tax or tips. Note that the OP here is over a year old.

Is it worth it? Well, a few things to consider. First, this is only two meals. You are still on the hook for lunch. Perhaps if you fill up on breakfast buffet, you won't need lunch, but only you can know that. Second, if you are staying at Harborside and have a kitchen in your unit, do you need to fork over this money every day for everyone in your party? When we went to Atlantis, we ate a few meals in town. Also, you might want to go to some other restaurants on site while you are there. Does the dining option allow you to transfer credit for meals eaten elsewhere on the property?

While the Atlantis food is notoriously expensive, you can eat within budget if you want. We (party of 3 both times I was there) went to Starbucks in the morning and/or one of the onsite lobby cafe spots and had breakfast for under $10 for the 3 of us. (A muffin was fine for us.) Lunch usually ran about $15 pp onsite. Both times I went, we ate at Carmine's for dinner and split two entrees (or one and a salad) between the 3 of us and it was plenty of food. Several meals were had off property. There is also a Johnny Rockets onsite if you are looking to eat within a budget. But the pizza was ~$35 a pie for your typical 8 slice round pie (and not all that great to boot).

Only you know how you usually eat on vacation. For us, the meal plan would not have been beneficial. For you, perhaps it will be. You need to check prices and requirements further before you can be sure.

Have fun; Atlantis is beautiful!!