Going above and beyond - enough slackness Bahamas!

By Sarah Kirkby

Yes, we all know that things are tough in The Bahamas. We are all anxious for a miracle to befall our little gem of islands and for things to look rosy and for everyone to prosper. And I hate to say it - we are not alone! There are many thousands (maybe even millions) of Greeks, Spaniards, Italians -- and Americans ... all feeling the pinch of the economic gloom.

So, we have a choice, we can sit here and complain about it or we can make the best of it. I say make the best of it and I wish others here would too.

I am, in particular, going to discuss the SERVICE industry, which includes pretty much everyone. You see, I have a choice of where I am going to spend the money I earn each week, and I am not going to go back to places where the service sucks! I want to deal with people who take the time to smile at me, ask me if I need help, or show up to an appointment on time.

We all know what I am talking about, we have to deal with it every day. Stores where the sales girl is too busy texting to ring up your purchase, where your order comes wrong and the waitress looks at you like she's confused, or, my favourite - when they promise to call you 'right back' with the information.

You see, it's those little things that make a huge difference, but take a mere second of a person's time to make a incredible impact. A friendly greeting, a 'please' or a 'thank you' for your patronage or -- wait for it -- a 'SORRY, I got your order wrong'! Or even, 'Give me just a second, I'll get that for you right now'. As I am sure you can too, I could go on and on but I will not. I am instead going to mention some positive experiences I have had recently. Where service has gone above and beyond and where they are making an effort to make the best of it.

Hats off to Jamal at Zorba's downtown location in Grand Bahama; lovely smile and great service!

Way to go Curly Tails in Marsh Harbour; wonderful food, service and smiles!

Thank you Chante at Commonwealth Bank; always so polite and helpful!

Nice one Regional Airlines; on time, nice staff and a really great young porter!

Wow MAXWELL's (Marsh Harbour) -- that's one nice supermarket and super fast check out!

There are others but these are the recent ones I have experienced over the last two weeks. These are the people who hustled, smiled, assisted and made me want to bring my business back. It's time the rest of us stepped up to the plate. Enough of the "slackness" Bahamas -- let's go above and beyond expectations and maybe we'll all appreciate this little archipelago of paradise more.
Footnote We'd ove to hear your experiences of services recieb=ved whilst on Grand Bahama, locals & visitors alike, why reward bad service when you can give credit where credit belongs, emil us at tasteofgb@gmail.com Subject line "GB Service stories"

Tripadvisor Review for “Calabash Eco Adventures - Best Tours on Grand Bahama"

Photo by Calabash Eco Adventures

By Lyndah Wells

I'm a firm believer in doing research, especially reviewing other regular Joe's reports on consumer based sites before packing my bags and heading off on vacation, especially to places I've never been before.
 So when I see consistently excellent reviews for a toursim product and especially when its based right here in Grand bahama, then I really feel a duty to highlight it.
 Grand Bahama's Calabash Eco Adventures Is the Highlight this week, Read the review below from a very happy customer and click on the link to read other positive reviews on this amazing Eco adventure!

Reposted from Reviewer  Panamerican299 on Tripadvisor

"Believe all of the excellent reviews about Shamie Rolle and his Calabash Eco Adventures and don't miss the opportunity to spend the day with Shamie. I have had many excellent guides in many countries around the world. But I have never met a more knowledgeable, friendly, and outgoing guide than Shamie. He was also extremely professional and made it easy to do business with him and his Calabash Eco Adventures. After exchanging a few emails, Shamie was on time and waiting for us when we arrived by cruise ship in Freeport.

My parents and I were looking for more of a culturally authentic experience while on Grand Bahama and we could not have asked for a better guide and tour. Once Shamie settled into the driver's seat and put on his hands free speaker set, we were off exploring on his West End Adventure. Shamie was an enclycopedia of information as he proudly recounted the history of his island and in particular, the West End. This went on virtually non-stop for five hours. But Shamie did not talk simply to talk. He recounted interesting stories that captured our itnerest and left us longing to learn more. Occasionally he would ask if we wanted him to continue to which we jubilantly told him, of course!

One of the advantages of going on a small tour with Shamie is he literally stops at many places where we were able to get out, walk around, and take in the scenery as he explained the fascinating history. And when we actually ate Lobster for lunch (included with the price of the tour) after I joked about expecting to have Lobster and Champagne for lunch, we were truly amazed.

The only bad part of the day was when the tour ended. Not only did we have a fantastic tour, but we had made a new friend at the same time. I highly recommend Shamie and Calabash Eco Adventures. I look forward to going back to Grand Bahama Island if for no other reason than to take another tour with Shamie."

See our photos at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=284690&id=300270172481

Grand Bahama & Why I'm Sorry I Listened to a Lonely Planet Guidebook

By: Daniel_Williams

A number of years ago, I was investigating the possibility of visiting a variety of Bahamian islands and was turned off of visiting Grand Bahama Island due to a Lonely Planet guidebook on the Bahamas, 2000. Comments by the author such as these were present: "if you're seeking sophistication or Bahamian culture, skip Grand Bahama", "arguably the least attractive because it is surprisingly middle American", "the island's history is colourless", "culturally antiseptic mecca for fast-lane-vacationers", "the island attracts a less sophisticated clientele than do Nassau or the Family Islands", "the center resembles an Australian outback town with about as much appeal". Generally I like the Lonely Planet series and I accept that Grand Bahama clearly wasn't to the author's liking especially; I'm just sorry this negative review kept me from even considering visiting for much of the last 10 years. In fact, had it not been for the fact that Grand Bahama is the only Bahamian island accessible by ferry, I might never gone... which, now that I've been, I think would have been a pity.

*Sea Grape B&B*

I cannot over-recommend this jewel of a bed & breakfast in Grand Bahama. My initial experience portended well since arriving at the harbour, I was so thankful that the Sea Grape's owner had sent someone to pick me up... especially since December 30th was quite the crowd with 1100 passengers being released from the Discovery Cruise Lines ferry from Fort Lauderdale and there was nary a taxi to be found!

Every day Katybel made a delightful continental breakfast, including home-baked breads, a variety of fresh fruits (including tamarinds one day)and tea or coffee. Both she and husband Barry were so incredibly helpful planning my stay, from reserving a kayaking tour in Lucayan National Park to lending me a bike for exploration to reserving a taxi to the harbour terminal my final day.

Equally ideal was the location: only 2 minutes walk from a relatively quiet part of Lucayan Beach (I loved seeing the lizards scamper up the walls of the passageway leading to the beach!) but also an 8 minute walk from Port Lucaya Marketplace and all the amenities (pharmacy, ATM, restaurants, dive shop, Internet cafe, snorkeling & glass-bottom-boat operators). I loved that I was able to stroll over to Billy Joe's in 8 minutes, a blue-painted beach shack on Lucayan where I indulged in that magnificently fresh Bahamian specialty, conch salad... where a Bahamian would cut the conch, peppers, onions, lime and oranges right before your eyes, then squeeze the citrus juice on top and immediatley serve it to you (seems relatively healthy and can it *get* fresher?) in a bowl. And then to be sitting on a bench, eating that conch salad and looking out at that floury-textured beige sand and turquoise water... so tranquil, so magical.

*My Experience Cycling on Grand Bahama Island*

Thanks to the generosity of my hosts, I was able to fulfill one of my passions, cycling, on two different occasions this vacation (something I don't do in Montreal this time of year). Unlike Nassau, where I didn't see anywhere I would feel safe cycling, Grand Bahama has a designated bike lane on Midshipman Road (which was about 10 minutes walk, 3 minutes by bike from my B&B) that extends out as far as Doubloon Road, well east of the busier Port Lucaya Marketplace area. The flatness of the island, combined with the bike lane, combined with the fact that once you're out as far as Doubloon Rood, you rarely see a car, in my opinion make the island an IDEAL cyclist's destination.

Cycling out past Doubloon Road about an hour and twenty minutes from Port Lucaya allowed me to get out to the magnificent and relatively secluded turquoise-watered Fortuna Beach as well as a restaurant in a gem of a spot called Garden of the Groves. The Garden is a delightful setting of semi-tropical vegetation, ponds and a (likely artificial but still lovely) waterfall; the conch chowder was terrific and homemade. I met my first ever white Bahamians here (restaurant owners/ staff) and I must say I did a bit of a double-take hearing a white person speaking with the Bahamian accent.

*Coming up: A few firsts for me: Junkanoo, Scuba Diving and Kayaking!
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLE AND INTERESTING COMMENTS!

Trip Advisor- Port Lucaya Marketplace: Traveler Reviews

“Great Variety”
We loved spending time at the Port Lucaya Marketplace. We took advantage of almost everything it has to offer: shops, restaurants, bars, excursions and the straw market. My sister and I had a blast at the straw market. Yes, the vendors try to get you to buy their stuff, and yes, some of it is overpriced, but we never found them to be rude or aggressive. Most of the vendors are actually very friendly and willing to barter. It pays to be pleasant and not walk in with an attitude.
The arts and crafts section of the straw market had some wonderful and unique items. You must visit Shelly's shop if you are looking for beautiful handmade dolls. Of course, that is assuming that she has had time to make more dolls since my sister practically bought out her entire shop! We bought some very cool adjustable magnetic bracelets/necklaces that we gave as gifts when we got home. Everyone loved them. The first time we were there we bought them for $10 each; by the end of our trip we figured out that some vendors will sell them for 3 for $15. That is all part of the fun, and even at $10 we thought they were a good deal.

In the middle of the Marketplace there is a stage and outdoor seating area called Count Basie Square. It seemed kind of dead during the week, but on Friday and Saturday nights it came alive. It was so much fun to listen to the music and people watch. The bars are full of people, yet it is also very family friendly. We never once felt unsafe or uncomfortable.

The Marketplace has a couple of convenience stores and also a couple of liquor stores. It was nice to be able to buy a few things that we could bring back and keep in our hotel room. The prices seemed reasonable enough, all things considered. And finally, a must stop is the little fruit stand in the middle of the Marketplace. They have the best pina coladas, and you can order them with or without rum.
READ FULL REVIEW HERE

Positive online reviews for three local properties

By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL

Image © 2009 Lyndah Wells

Freeport News Reporter

Despite the continuous decrease in the number of visitors to Grand Bahama over the last few years, local hotels have managed to maintain positive ratings on travel websites.

The Radisson Our Lucaya Resort, Pelican Bay Hotel and Old Bahama Bay Hotel – three of the largest properties on the island – each received high ratings on the TripAdvisor site.

The Our Lucaya Resort page, on which there were 78 reviews posted, had 79 percent of travellers recommending that property.

Twenty five persons gave the property an excellent rating and 31 a very good rating, while only nine rated it as poor and four as terrible.

Among the positive comments for the resort were that the rooms and general facilities were clean and the proximity to the Port Lucaya Marketplace was convenient.

"I couldn't have picked a nicer place. Rooms were great - they're quite large. The beds were nice and comfy, big fluffy pillows. The bathroom is large as well and has tons of counter-space. Balcony's were nice too - even the ones overlooking the market and tennis courts," one reviewer wrote.

"The location is superb! You're right on the beach of course, and it's well maintained and spacious so you don't feel crowded."

Some of the worst reviews described poor service and a lack of entertainment and dining options.

"The staff were consistently rude," wrote one guest.

"There was very little to do and the unfriendly service at the hotel made us desperate to end our honeymoon early."

Image © 2009 Lyndah Wells

There were 318 reviews posted for the Pelican Bay Resort, with more than half (171) being excellent and 94 being very good. Only 19 reviewers gave the property a poor rating, and 10 said it was terrible.

Eighty-eight percent of reviewers said they would recommend the resort. The positive reviews on that property included comments about nice rooms and the free breakfast offered.

"Rooms were clean and nicely themed. I enjoyed eating the simple breakfast by the sea inlet, receiving pastries and a NY times to my letterbox each morning," one review read.

Reviewers with negative experiences cited rude or unhelpful staff and problems with their rooms.

"I was a little taken back on how rude the receptionist(s) were. Every day as we exchange(d) our towels, the receptionist never ever said hello, good morning or even attempted to communicate with us. They were so busy on the phone, chatting with each other. The bellman was very friendly, he was the only one that was very helpful."

The Old Bahama Bay Resort received 107 reviews. Good food and a wide range of activities were some of the strong points of the resort noted by guests.

"We wanted a secluded place to relax and this was perfect. Room was very nice, staff was friendly, the food was good," one guest wrote.

Negative reviews included comments about bugs and poor service.

"Overall the majority of employees seemed quite resentful of tourists and were interested in doing the absolute minimum necessary to avoid having guests check out early."

Eighty-one percent of travellers recommended this property.

Websites like tripadvisor are often used as marketing tools by hospitality executives who view it as a gauge.

Pelican Bay's Director of Sales Marva Munroe said the company uses the feedback provided on such websites to monitor customer satisfaction levels.

In addition to TripAdvisor, management at that resort also monitors other sites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz and Yahoo Travel. The team even responds to some postings, she explained, both negative and positive.

"The management team at Pelican Bay at Lucaya uses the opinions of travellers on the media sites to further deepen the relationship with the customer, to talk to the customer, of course certainly when there is a negative posting and of course intermittently when there are positive postings, to acknowledge them and say thank you too so that the customer sees that we are paying attention," she said.

"Whatever comments are made on the websites, the management team at Pelican Bay uses that information to improve some particular service that may need to be improved or just as a barometer of what's happening and what may need to be done."

It does take some effort for someone to log on to a site and post a review, and it may seem more likely that someone would do so to highlight a negative experience than a positive one, and Munroe says it makes it all the more special that customers take the time to post positive feedback.

"The management team is certainly appreciative and extremely grateful... because as you all know recommendations are seen by many thousands of customers and these customers pay attention to these sites and what's said on them so it's very important for us to be cognizant of what our customers are saying on these channels as well," she said.

Excellent reviews for Garden of the Groves

Once again, tripadvisor.com popped up on my radar for its recent reviews from visitors to our Island.
This time they were reviewing the wonderful Gargen of the groves, here's a snippet of some of the reviews.
"This was a lovely out of the way place with an excellent tour guide, restaurant and gift shop.It was one of the most lovely places we saw in the Bahamas...."

"Erika was a wonderful guide. Much more than Flora and Fauna, there was also a walk through the rich history of the Bahamian people and culture...."

For the full original article click HERE

"Absolutely Amazing"- Island Java Gets top reviews on Trip Advisor.com

Reviews are in for one of the Islands newest coffee stops. Tripadvisor.com places the Java house #7 out of 59 restaurants reviewed by independent visitors to the Island. "Island Java is the epitome of deliciousness. The food is amazing, the coffee is great, and the service is very friendly. My favorites are the desserts. They are well made and a great deal of time is put into making them as close to perfection as possible." "A delightful little find" Says another reviewer. "When in Freeport we walked into Island Java to have a cup of coffee. Not only were we pleased with the friendly service but the coffee, pastries and sandwiches were all delicious! It's a place you'll want to visit many times when in the town of Freeport!
Bravo Island Java!"

There's a reason he always wins.. Billy Joes knows that Simple & Fresh is best

Cacique Award winners 2009  "Billy Joe" 2nd left

If you don't know who won the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Cacique award for The Bahamas, let me put you out of your misery. Grand Bahamas very own John “Billy Joe” Gilbert, Took this prize and it's easy to see why. If you search on Tripadvisor.com. ( My favorite go-to site when I'm heading to places unknown)

images by Rodman 12

images by Rodman 12

His simple wooden beach restaurant out by The Raddison Our Lucaya beach rates #1 out of 59 restaurants in Grand Bahama. That's right, a simple beach shack with a few benches, and a stunning view, is what, it seems like, our visitors REALLY want. And Billy Joe gives it to 'em and more.
Now there are mnay other very good restaurants in town, but when you're feeling like some fresh seafood cooked "The Bahamaian way" then this is THE Spot
One reviewer states: “Best, Freshest Fish I Have Ever Had”, another, "Fun!! Fun!! Great local food, as it should be.” And these are are seasoned reviewers on Trip Advisor, people, who I would definitely consider their reviews were I a newbie visiting this island, or any other island for that matter.

image by Rodman 12

Dobos

So make up your own minds. Check out the review HERE Or better still head down there, Enjoy a SANDS & partake in some local culinary delights.
Let me know what you think. We Care.