Grand Turk for a week, and then Bahamas?

[rpodos]

Putting together a last minute-ish trip, solo.

I'm thinking Grand Turk for a week, been coordinating with Dale at Oasis for that part. The best airfares I can find are roundtrips with American, through Miami.

So I was thinking, maybe take Sky King up to Nassau, and puddlejump to either Bimini (dolphins) or San Salvador (hammerheads), skip the first segment of the American return flight and just get right to Miami and then home.

Two questions:

1) Any other suggestions in the Bahamas? Big stuff, pelagics, but not the shark rodeos.

2) Anybody else done 'hopping around' trips like this? Is American (or any of the airlines) cooperative if you don't stick right to the flight schedule?

Thanks.

 

[rpodos]

Oh, and advice in terms of hotels would be great too:

If San Salvador, I've been there once before, at the Riding Rock, and while there is *no question* that I'd dive with them again, I'm thinking of staying at the Club Med. Usually, the thought of that would induce shaking horrors, but my wife and I checked it out and it seemed quite nice and relaxed.

If Bimini... no clue as to either hotels or dive ops. Any suggestions / commentary would be welcome.

Thanks again.

 

[Damselfish]

I think if you don't show up for the first segment of a flight on AA or most airlines they'll cancel the rest of your reservation. They frown on using part of a ticket. They'd prefer to sell you 2 more expensive one way tickets or charge you more for one that allows open jaws. You might try booking exactly what you want and see what it is, maybe it wouldn't be more.

See this - http://www.aa.com/content/customerS...t/conditionsOfCarriage.jhtml#TicketCompliance

 

[rpodos]

Hmmm... how about breaking up a round trip:

Newark to Ft. Lauderdale
Ft. Lauderdale to Provo

Provo to Ft. Lauderdale

/BREAK

Ft. Lauderdale to Bimini
Bimini to Ft. Lauderdale

/END BREAK

Ft. Lauderdale to Newark

Maybe I can get away with this paying a change fee?

 

[DivingLonghorn]

I just got back from Bimini on Saturday and I am glad to WARN you where NOT to stay on Bimini. We stayed at the Bimini Sands Beach Club. It was horrible -- DO NOT GO. We ate at the Big Game Club quite a bit; their accommodations were much nicer so try to stay there.

Also, stay away from the SCUBABimini dive op. They picked us up at our hotel without a dive master, without asking for our c-card and just dropped us off in the middle of the Atlantic. The 2 drivers of the boat did not dive themselves. I refused to dive with them; they are unsafe and unacceptable. Our trip was saved with K & B EZ DIVE. It was the nicest operation I've EVER been with. Try to get a place on their boat.

We were there a week and tried almost every restaurant worth eating at. My advice: keep to the Big Game Club. They have a casual bar/restaurant and a formal dining room. Hear me when I say not to bother eating anywhere else.

Good luck to you. The diving really was magnificent, but the accommodations and the airline, Bimini Air, were a nightmare! Pack light for the flight or your stuff may not get there.

--Diving Longhorn's wife

 

[rpodos]

Well, I am here, Grand Turk.

Man,this place *is* quiet. Fine with me though... I think I've got the guys at Oasis psyched for a little bit of unusual.

Haven't booked the second part of the trip yet... all I know is that I go from here to Miami, and will jump from there or Lauderdale to Part Two. Currently thinking Abaco and Abaco Dive Adventures, but they haven't been very responsive.