This morning, my adventure began with a ferry ride to the Grand Bahama Island for luxurious stay at the Grand Lucayan Resort—but first, the ungodly hour of 4:30 AM. Yes, folks, 4:30. While most people were blissfully dreaming, I was stumbling into the bathroom, toothbrush in one hand and razor in the other, trying to kickstart my day without looking like I’d just survived a shipwreck.

As I debated whether to shower, the clock and my lack of motivation teamed up against me. The decision? Skip it. Who needs a shower when you’re headed to an island where the sun and saltwater can handle it later? Priorities, my friends. Priorities.

Super Shuttle Company

The Super Shuttle company seriously impressed me with their high-tech service. Yesterday, I signed up for their text updates, and let me tell you, it was like having my own personal dispatch system. I knew exactly where the shuttle was at all times—modern travel wizardry at its finest.

At 4:55 AM, I got a text saying the shuttle would arrive at… 4:48 AM. Wait, what? Time travel? Nope, just punctuality on steroids. Luckily, I was ready to roll, stepped outside, and there it was, patiently waiting like the perfect travel buddy. Bravo, Super Shuttle.

The cost? A cool $40. Pricey? Maybe. But compared to a $120 taxi fare, I felt like I’d won the lottery—or at least a reasonably priced scratch card.

Port Everglades

My mission: get to Fort Lauderdale for the Balearia Bahama Express ferry, about 20 miles north of Miami. Easy, right? Wrong. Figuring out the logistics yesterday morning felt like a full-blown crisis. Miami’s public transport is… let’s call it “aspirational.” Three hours to cover a distance that a car could handle in 25 minutes? Depressing doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Thankfully, the shuttle came to the rescue. First, it swung by Fort Lauderdale Airport, giving me a quick tour of its tarmac glamour, and then dropped me off at Port Everglades—which, fun fact, is just a fancy name for Fort Lauderdale’s port. Confusing? Absolutely. Convenient? Surprisingly, yes.

I sipped on my drink while waiting, making sure to finish it before heading to the security check—better safe than sorry. The security process was quick and uneventful, and soon I found myself in line for check-in. Five minutes later, it was my turn.

The check-in agent handed me back my passport with a fresh stamp—another one for the collection! I love those stamps; they’re like little trophies of adventure. She even placed it neatly on the same page as the others, unlike the US officer in Hawaii who, for some reason, decided the very back of my passport was the perfect spot. Small victories.

Let the Waiting Game Begin

After check-in, I settled into the terminal with plenty of time to spare and lucked out with a seat near a power socket—a traveler’s jackpot. I spent the time writing on my laptop and grabbed a quick snack from one of the vending machines.

About an hour and a half later, it was time to board. We had a slight delay and ended up departing around 9:20 AM instead of the planned 9:00. No big deal—I’ve learned to roll with delays by now. Just another part of the adventure, right?

A Quick Ferry to the Bahama’s

I put on some music and leaned back, ready to embrace what I thought would be a futile attempt at sleep. To my surprise, it seemed jet lag had finally released its grip on me—or so I hoped (spoiler: more on that tomorrow).

One blink later, three hours had flown by. As I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I glanced out the boat’s left windows and saw land coming into view. We had arrived! Time to shake off the grogginess and dive into the next adventure.

For this two-day trip, I packed light—just a small backpack to keep things simple. I left the rest of my belongings with Daniel, who kindly agreed to watch them while I was away. My plan was to return to Bikini Hostel on June 30th, where I’d already booked and paid for my stay until July 1st. After that, I’d be heading off on a flight—but I’ll save the details for later!

We docked at the port of Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, and, as usual, I was the last one off the ferry. First, the first-class passengers disembarked, then the one-day trippers, and finally, us overnight passengers.

Transportation options

Once outside the terminal, I checked on transport options. As expected, buses weren’t an option—taxis were the only game in town. The ride to my hotel was quoted at 27 Bahamian Dollars or USD (both currencies are equal in value and used interchangeably across the island).

I was told I could take a shuttle instead, so I went for it. They initially said it would cost $5, but by the time I reached the hotel, the driver informed me it was actually $20. I wasn’t in the mood to argue, especially after watching a few other passengers already lock horns with the driver earlier. I paid and chalked it up to the island’s infamous costliness—something I’d braced myself for from the start.

Arrival at a Luxurious Resort

The Grand Lucayan Resort turned out to be pricier than expected, thanks to an assortment of fees: a resort fee, a service fee, a water charge, taxes, and who knows what else. I’d anticipated this, though, knowing the nightly rate would climb higher than the advertised base price.

Check-in was smooth and hassle-free. My room was a short walk away, but I didn’t mind at all—the gorgeous resort surroundings made the stroll a pleasure. Sometimes, it’s the little distractions that make the extra costs feel (almost) worth it.

Living the High Life

There’s something special about stepping into a luxury hotel room. I had a king-sized bed, a sleek bathroom with a bathtub, a refrigerator, a big TV, a phone, a desk with a chair, and a secure vault for my valuables.

The first thing I did? A bath—my very first one ever on this world journey. It was blissfully hot, and after soaking in that luxury, I followed it up with a refreshing shower, using nearly every free toiletry provided (because why not?). This was the good life, no doubt. As I relaxed, I couldn’t help but think back to my first day in Singapore. It felt like a lifetime ago, yet time had flown by.

I stayed in the hotel room for about 30 minutes, waiting for the rain to let up. The downpour was intense, but luckily, I had made it inside just in time, so I stayed dry. It was nice to be able to relax a bit before heading back out.

Port Lucaya

The Grand Lucayan Resort was nestled in the Lucaya area of Freeport, right next to a vibrant, touristy shopping strip. I loved the colorful exterior, but the inside? Not so much. It turned out to be a classic tourist trap. The shops were a mix of jewelry stores, high-end clothing boutiques, and countless souvenir shops, all catering to wealthy American tourists.

I ended up grabbing a couple of overpriced bottles of Coke from a small pharmacy. When I paid, I asked the cashier for my change in Bahamian dollars—part of my ongoing mission to collect the major currency bills from every country I visit. So far, I’ve managed to snag the 50, 20, 10, and 5 bills, plus coins, from every place I’ve been, including Australia. Small victories, right?

Relaxing in the Afternoon

Back at the hotel, I took some time to unwind. I worked on a few articles while casually watching Austin Powers Goldmember.

I chatted with a few people and made some plans for tomorrow, although I knew deep down they probably wouldn’t happen because of jet lag. I’d hoped my nap on the ferry had reset my sleep pattern, but it turns out, it didn’t. More on that tomorrow.

In the late afternoon, I took a walk around the beach area in front of the The Grand Lucayan Resort. The weather was perfect—probably the only bit of sunshine I’d get during my stay. Honestly, I was mostly here for the room and the pool. I just needed some time to relax and catch up on typing reports.

A Walk Around the Resort

I started by exploring the right side of the beach in front of the Grand Lucayan Resort. It wasn’t very big, so I made my way back pretty quickly. The left side, however, was much more picturesque. I headed toward the palm trees in the distance, but when I realized there was a ceremony taking place, I decided to turn back and give them some space.

I wasn’t about to photobomb anyone’s wedding pictures, so I headed back toward the resort. As I walked, I thought about grabbing a few snacks for the evening. I made my way to the small touristy shopping area, but, of course, there were no budget-friendly supermarkets—something I wasn’t too happy about. Instead, I had to settle for overpriced snacks.

I stumbled upon a Subway and decided to grab a sandwich for $14 (which, okay, included a drink, but usually that combo would run me around $11). This turned out to be the priciest Subway I’d visited on this entire trip.

Writing Blogs, Pizza and Game of Thrones

I spent most of the evening typing away at the Grand Lucayan Resort, but by 10:30 PM, hunger hit. I decided to order room service, fully aware it would be pricey, but I thought, “Why not?” I went for a pizza for $16 and a Diet Coke, which brought the total to around $23 after the 20% service charge.

About 40 minutes later, when my food arrived, I asked the woman if she received a portion of the service charge. She confirmed she did (otherwise, I would have tipped her directly—yes, I’m that thoughtful!). She was friendly and hospitable, but that was to be expected. They always were—especially considering the price I was paying.

I had this delicious pizza, but what’s better than pizza? Pizza in bed, of course! So, I cozied up and ate it while watching Game of Thrones season 4. I had just started the new season and couldn’t wait any longer. Although, I still had to finish reading A Storm of Swords, which covers both season 3 and 4—so I had some catching up to do!

I finally went to bed around 3 AM, with my alarm set for the morning. Unfortunately, it failed me. The Netherlands was playing Mexico at noon, and I was really looking forward to watching the game. I also planned to check out a special beach in the morning, but jet lag had other plans and completely threw off my day.