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Forum Excerpts - October 2000 |
| Bahamas-mon Club Viva Fortuna in January & ?? about travel certificates |
| October 30, 2000 at 11:04:45 by Karen (klsmith@series2000.com) |
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HI everyone and Joe too if you are out there.
Thanks for your unofficial Club Fortuna website, Joe. It has been very helpful and informative. I sure hope the mosquito problem I read in some posts was not true. Hubby and I went to Freeport about 8 years ago and stayed at what was the Princess then and enjoyed it a lot. We like the warm weather and want to go to the beach this winter. We live in eastern Virginia. We called the travel agent and got a rate for the 4 of us (including 7 year old twin boys) to go to the all inclusive Club Fortuna. Then I was doing more web searching and saw ads for certificates (www/savingsolutions.com, www.lightyearsavings.com/bahama.html) and was wondering if anyone had information on these. Hubby said he has heard of scams where people get these great deals and then end up with no hotel reservation. I have also been looking at the Lucayan (Our Lucaya) and it looks very nice, especially the pools. Although I don't know if the additional pools will be open in January or not. So any information you want to pass along will be greatly appreciated. You can post here or email direct would be great too. Thanks in advance. Karen |
| October 31, 2000 at 20:40:03 by Joe (joekusterer@yahoo.com) |
|
Hi Karen, Yes, I'm out here. If you've got any specific questions about Club Fortuna feel free to fire away. It would be absolutely perfect for a family with twin seven year olds. Although I've never had any experience with them, I think that I too would be a little leary of those 'certificates'. Joe The Unofficial Club Viva Fortuna Resort Website http://www.oocities.org/clubfortuna ps. I see you're posting from Langley, I've got a brother who works there. |
| November 02, 2000 at 18:49:55 by Ann (annkelley@bigfoot.com) |
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Karen - I just called the Lucayan about an hour ago to find out about the other hotels...I was told that Breakers Cay opens 12/1/00 and Lighthouse Point opens 12/26/00 - so all the pools should be open for your trip in January. I'm going there 11/17/00 - 11/24/00, so let me know if there's anything specific I can find out for you. Not sure where we're staying yet, maybe Reef Village...this is our 1st time there, just bought airfare today & frantically trying to decide where to stay once we get there :-) Suggestions are greatly appreciated! Ann |
| November 09, 2000 at 21:23:43 by Betsy Bergman (bergmanbetsy@hotmail.com) |
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Hello Everyone:
My husband and I have made plans to go to the Bahama's in May and we will be staying at the Viva Fortuna at Freeport. If anyone has their web address we would greatly appreciate it. We are trying to find out more about the resort and any other needed information in regards to Grand Bahama Island. Thanks for the help. Betsy Bergman |
| November 09, 2000 at 22:09:44 by Joe (joekusterer@yahoo.com) |
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Hi Betsy, The "official" website is www.vivaresorts.com. In addition, our family stays there regularly and we've used the pictures and info from our trips to create an "unofficial" website (URL below) for the place. Check it out and, if you've got more questions, feel free to post back here or e-mail directly. We love the place and I'm sure you'll have a great time. Joe The Unofficial Club Viva Fortuna Resort Website http://www.oocities.org/clubfortuna |
| November 17, 2000 at 14:44:19 by Carrie (carriek5@hotmail.com) |
|
Hi Karen,
Your husband is right. You have to be very careful of scams. When prices seem too good to be true...they usually are. I often get stuff sent to me in regular mail and email and I just toss them out. I am never too trusting of companies who require travellers to buy or sell vacation certificates, or whether there are pressure tactics for you to put down a deposit on a vacation. Many companies promote scam packages through emails as well as through unsolicited phone, fax, or email. Alot of people get victimized by travel scams. So it's best to work with a reputable travel agency or do the leg work on your own. And always read the message boards to get good information from some of the frequent travellers as well as first time travellers who often have good tips. best regards, Carrie carriek5@hotmail.com |
| November 18, 2000 at 20:54:21 by spence (spence@the-pentagon.com) |
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hi my wife and i just got back from two weeks at club fortuna.
my only dissapointment was the food you are best to get there when it opens
otherwise, because its buffet but you can eat at the other restaurant every
night if you want. the no-seems didn't hit me and most people who were affected it was minor, otherwise it was great. money you can get at the casino in us dollars in pt lucaya |
| Geographia Trip Report? Club Fortuna |
| 10/22/00 6:13:52 PM by Nancy, Islandgirl957@aol.com |
| Our trip to Club Fortuna was great! We travelled with another couple.We had booked our trip through Grand Bahama Vacations. Our fight from Ft. Lauderdale was provided by Laker Bahamas (a/k/a LB Limited). Everything was fantastic! Although our limo ride to Club Fortuna was slightly unpleasant (it smelled of cat urine-Yuk!)otherwise this was an excellent vacation package. Our return trip to the airport was provided by Lincoln Johnson(Lincoln Limousine)cab # 72. His Bus. phone # is (242) 352-7101 Home # is (242)359-5201. The return trip to the airport in this limo was much more pleasant! I would highly recommend him to everyone. Club Fortuna was excellent. The food in their main dining hall "Junkanoo" was fantastic. This is an open air dining hall that serves breakfast, lunch, & dinner. We also tried their restaurant "La Trattoria". You need to make daily reservations for this sit down dinner. It is part of their all inclusive plan. They do have two meals on this menu that are an extra $28.00(one being lobster & steak and I forgot the other one).The food in both area's were delicious. The four of us decided that if someone didn't like the food they must be finicky eaters! We chose Club Fortuna for some much needed R&R and we got it! The beach was awesome. Definately try the snoreling. The coral reef is close to shore. We took some great pictures with an underwater camera. Just for your information we did see quite a bit of topless sunbathing on the beach and no one ask the ladies to put a top on...so it is permitted there. We found everyone to be pleasant and friendly. If you participate in any of their tounaments (volleyball, bocce, water polo, etc.)and your team wins you get a free tee shirt. My husband & I both got one! I had my hair braided by a lovely woman named Edna Moxey. She has a contract with the resort and works on the beach. There are several women there but we found her most pleasant to deal with. Do go to the Lucayan Market place before you purchase any souvenirs. Things there are much cheaper than at the resorts. Especially the liquor and jewelery. Try not to miss the sunrise in the Bahamas...it's awesome! Now...some helpful hints. Even though the resort provides beach towels bring your own for extra cushioning. The lounge chairs are made of hard resin & get uncomfortable after a while. Do bring aqua sox or water shoes for swimming. There are rocks & coral scattered in the water close to shore. Also, bring along a thermal mug (they only provide 6oz plastic cups) for your drinks(I saw this frequently on the beach). The beach bar had ice tea, ice water & lemonade dispensers as does their main bar area.This way you're not constantly getting up for a drink. The bars do request that you limit your drink requests to two drinks per person per visit. We did have our picture taken by "MIke" the photographer. An 8x10 costs $20.00. It was a pretty good picture. You get to view the picture before purchasing so if you don't like it you don't have to buy it. This man is a funny character. He had us laughing almost everynight. All in all we had a great vacation experience. We liked it enough to go back next year. It's definately worth the money! Any questions feel free to E-mail me. Nancy |
| 10/23/00 4:25:39 PM by Carrie, carriek5@hotmail.com |
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Hi Nancy,
Sounds like you had a great time. best regards, Carrie carriek5@hotmail.com |
| Bahamas.com CLUB VIVA FORTUNA:WARNING |
| October 15, 2000 2:48:51 pm UTC by PERCY.POLO@VIRGIN.NET |
| my husband and i have just arrived back from fortuna and i can say it is the most disgusting hotel i have ever stayed in. the rooms were filthy we had ants in our bed and our toilet didnt work there was no bath and the showers are football showers. if you can handle a very basic room then that part is fine.the worst bit about the hotel is the food, it is cold and disgusting 8 people went sick in the first week , the couple we met there spent 3 days in hospital and she had avery bad case of food poisioning,we saw a bird go to the toilet in the scrambled egg,it is a filthy place we have taken pictures t send off to a holiday programme, the staff were rude and all drinks were served in plastic cups . entertainment was terrible and the beach filthy. we moved hotels after the first week to the lucayan reef and had the best week there we have ever spent in a a hotel words can not express how great it was. look forward to having a response from this article. |
| October 15, 2000 3:18:55 pm UTC by Barbara |
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Sorry to hear that your trip to Club Fortuna was such a disaster.
I've never stayed there but I've been there a couple of times and I
thought it was quite nice. I've mostly heard excellent things about
it. Check out the following website:
http://www.oocities.org/clubfortuna
which was created by a frequent visitor of Club Fortuna...his name is Joe. I just want others to hear the positives about Club Fortuna before they make any decisions on whether or not they should go there. |
| October 16, 2000 0:56:40 am UTC by Joe, joekusterer@yahoo.com |
|
Amazing! it's been almost exactly one month since the Club
Fortuna "Troll-of-the-Month" club has struck. And this one even
mentions food poisoning! The only response these deserve is
the same one that was posted the last time...
Subject: Club Viva Fortuna Freport Bahamas Date/Time: 9/11/00 1:16:33 PM Looks like our Club Fortuna "Troll-of-the-Month" club is alive and well. About once a month someone posts a rant alleging all sorts of terrible things about the place. These rants always seem to have several things in common... - I know 'spellin and grammer aint not important' but these are usually noticeably worse than average in these respects. - There're usually no hard facts, just a long laundry list of rumor and innuendo. Often times, in fact, they're stories from a 'friend of my sisters mother-in-law' or some such. - They're usually posted to the 'wrong' board. This site has a board for Grand Bahama Island specific posts which would seem more appropriate. - They're often (not apparently in this case, though) posted anonymously and, when challenged on the boards, have never once responded. - And finally, for some reason or another, they always seem to claim that somebody got 'food poisoning'! What's up with that? Anyways, decide for yourself whether to give any creedence to these posts, but do so after reading all the posts on all the boards. If anybody wants facts, including plenty of photographs, about Club Fortuna, check out the website below. Joe The Unofficial Club Viva Fortuna Resort Website http://www.oocities.org/clubfortuna |
| October 16, 2000 10:11:24 am UTC by PERCY.POLO@VIRGIN.NET |
|
Well what a reply. I can assure you that all i wrote was the
truth.The account of our stay has not come from anyones mother
or sister but from myself and my husband.
So what if the spelling and grammar was not all perfect,i want people to read about the hotel not how well i can type.From reading your letter you seem to disbelive the cases of food poisoning?. Well i was under the impression that DOCTORS DO NOT LIE. I am not saying that everyone had a problem with the food as i am sure they did not but the case is that my friend was very ill and still is as a result from food poisioning. To watch a bird do its buissness in the scrambled egg then watch it being stirred up again and then watching someone else eat it is disgusting. The difference is we have proof of all i say and it will be used.We payed alot of money to stay at Fortuna and if someone gave me a free holiday there i would not go i would rather sleep in a stable and starve.People were paying a alot of money to change hotels,you do not do this unless you are unhappy. I do not think that people should go to the Bahamas to be greeted by rude staff and then have to have 2 rooms as the first one was dirty and had mould in the bathroom and had a toilet that was over flowing,maybe these are the things that you personally like. |
| October 16, 2000 12:03:44 am UTC by Barbara |
| Geez I have heard of "Bird Watching" but why would you sit back after observing what you claim you saw and not warn the people that were about to dine on the eggs? |
| October 16, 2000 5:04:50 pm UTC by Linda |
| Barbara you beat me to it. I guess it must have been the "pet bird"! |
| October 16, 2000 9:24:19 pm UTC by PERCY.POLO@VIRGIN.NET |
| I am so glad you all find it so funny i can assure you we did not and considering it was our honeymoon the hotel and the food completly wrecked it for us, but hey everyone has differnt standards!!!! |
| October 16, 2000 10:02:21 pm UTC by Barbara |
| "Birds of a feather flock together". |
| October 17, 2000 2:06:58 pm UTC by Billy |
| kinda gives new meaning to the phrase "pardon me, but would you have any Grey Poop-on?" |
| Geographia Club Viva Fortuna |
| 10/12/00 3:32:21 PM by Teresa Wilks, twilks@hotmail.com |
| I just want to say something in response to the article that so negatively TELLS people interested in visting NOT TO, and to save your money. I have had a time share at CLub Viva Fortuna for 5 years now and I have nothing but GOOD things to say about the resort. I NEVER have gotten sick from the food. In fact the food is fabulous. I have spent two weeks at the resort EVERY year for the past 5 years. So perhaps you and your friends had a case of heat stroke. Or better yet, perhaps you drank too much since it is all inclusive. THAT can do a number on ANYONE. I could not imagine the food being the cause of any illness at this resort. It is wonderful, beautiful, the food is fabulous. And I have been traveling around the world for MANY years and I have stayed at all kinds of resorts, including Club Meds, and honestly Club Fortuna is the best, and has been my favorite. So GO AHEAD and spend the money. I am certain you will have a great time. Just remember not to drink too much of the island drinks and lay in the sun because you will get dehydrated! ENJOY |
| 10/13/00 11:53:46 AM by Joe, joekusterer@yahoo.com |
|
Hi Teresa, We too are members there and couldn't agree with you more! We're only at two years so far but we're going for two weeks next summer. Since you've been there so much why don't you check out our website below. I'd be interested to hear any suggestions or comments you might have. Joe The Unofficial Club Viva Fortuna Resort Website http://www.oocities.org/clubfortuna |
| 10/16/00 10:56:17 AM by Bahama Mama, BH@aol.com |
| You must be white trash if you like this place. It is DISGUSTING!!!! |
| 10/29/00 9:20:50 PM by Nancy, Islandgirl957@aol.com |
|
I just got back from Club Fortuna Oct 15th. I didn't like it at all- I
LOVED IT! Going back next year. Experience it for yourself! I'm glad I
did. It is a laid back place though so if you're looking for a wild night life
book somewhere else. The food was fabulous. We were two couples
traveling & we all agreed that if someone didn't like the food there they
were picky eaters. Don't miss the nightly shows they're a blast! Nancy |
| Geographia Looking for all inclusive resort for honeymoon in November 2000 |
| 10/12/00 9:42:43 AM by Rick, rcecco@minspring.com |
|
My travel agent suggested the Bahamia, but with many negative reviews,
I am trying to make that place my last resort. I asked about the Lucayan
Resorts, but was told the all inclusive is not available. They finally told me
about the Club Fortuna. How is this resort comapair to the others. Who
has the best all inclusive resort on the island? Any help is appreciated. Rick |
| 10/12/00 2:47:28 PM by Carrie, carriek5@hotmail.com |
|
Hi Rick,
When are you planning on going? The all-inclusive should be available through Our Lucaya (formerly known as The Lucayan) beginning in January of 2000 from what I've heard. I could be wrong. ,br> Club Fortuna is a nice place too, just a bit secluded from other properties and restaurants. The person who probably is most knowledgeable about the property is Joe who posts on this board. Just scroll down to get to his postings...he gives his website and email address. If you need any info. regarding Our Lucaya, Club Fortuna, nightlife, activities, feel free to email me directly. best regards, Carrie carriek5@hotmail.com |
| 10/12/00 3:14:50 PM by Rick, rcecco@mindspring.com |
| I will be going between November 13 - 17. How is the club fortuna compaired to bahamia?? If I had a rental car, would it be better? Do you know of any other all inclusive sites? Any info appreciated. Thanks. |
| 10/12/00 4:35:27 PM by Frank, digerfrank@aol.com |
| We just got back from the Viva Fortuna. This was our 2nd time there and we had a super time. The food is good and the fact that they have their own little reef right off the beach is a big plus. They have their own scuba shop and can take you diving every day was wonderful. We enjoyed ourselves and plan to go again next fall. We went last November and the weather was really good and the water temp was quite warm for the season. Hope you have a good time...Frank |
| 10/12/00 4:36:14 PM by Stuart, stugardner@aol.com |
|
Rick, My wife and I just got back from five glorious days at Club Fortuna. We cannot wait to go back. The staff were very friendly. The drinks were great (I had expected them to be stingy with the liquour, but they were not.) The food was good. The beach was beautiful and clean. We only left the resort once during our stay - to go on our dolphin swim - worth every penny! To reiterate myself, we had a great time! If you want even more info, I'll be happy to provide it. |
| 10/12/00 5:34:54 PM by Dan, dan4523@aol.com |
|
Carrie,
I'm kinda surprised you asked when they were coming, seeing as the title of the post said Nov. 2000? You must of been tired? Dan |
| 10/12/00 7:57:06 PM by Carrie, carriek5@hotmail.com |
|
Hi Dan,
Yep...I was tired....my mistake. best regards, Carrie carriek5@hotmail.com |
| 10/13/00 11:27:17 AM by Joe, joekusterer@yahoo.com |
|
Hi, I'm the Joe to whom Carrie refers. Our family regularly stays and
Club Fortuna and we love the place. For more info and pictures, check
out our website below. If you've got any more questions, feel free to
email.
Joe The Unofficial Club Viva Fortuna Resort Website http://www.oocities.org/clubfortuna |
| Bahamas.com Club Fortuna- Good or Bad? |
| October 9, 2000 7:48:09 pm UTC by Suzy |
|
Does anyone have comments they'd like to share on the Club
Fortuna? I went to their website and called the number listed. I
guess it's a timeshare and the price difference is over 50%. I'd
love to book them, but I'm concerned because it is such a price
difference for just sitting through a 90 minute seminar. ($70 per
person/night going through the timeshare $189 per person/night
otherwise)
Has anyone stayed there or know much about this property? Is this a scam? Any advice would be helpful. Thanks, Suzy |
| October 9, 2000 10:05:36 pm UTC by Barbara426@yahoo.com |
|
Check out the Unofficial Club Viva Fortuna website at
http://www.oocities.org/clubfortuna/forums/index.html.
I've heard great things about Club Fortuna...the only downside
is that it's off the beaten path so if you like to explore places
then you'll want to rent a car. Write me directly for more info
on Grand Bahama, what to do, where to go, how to rent a cheap
car, etc.
If will have to sit through a hard sell for 90 minutes but as long as you are tough, you'll be fine...just be firm and say NO. |
| October 10, 2000 4:58:36 pm UTC by joekusterer@yahoo.com |
|
Barbara426@yahoo.com wrote: >Check out the Unofficial Club Viva Fortuna website at >http://www.oocities.org/clubfortuna/forums/index.html. >FYI that's one of the sub-pages. The home page for the >site is http://www.oocities.org/clubfortuna >If will have to sit through a hard sell for 90 minutes but as long >as you are tough, you'll be fine...just be firm and say NO. There is another alternative - sit through the 90 minutes with an open mind. You might decide like we did that it's actually a pretty good package and get in on it. If you have any say in the matter, ask for Madeline as your sales person. Also, to really get on their good side, mention our name - if they don't recognize it just say "the family with Madeline's 5 year old good buddy David" - guarantee they'll recognize that! In any case, the 'hard-sell' isn't really that 'hard' and the place is great. I'm sure you'll have a good time. Joe Kusterer The Unofficial Club Viva Fortuna Resort Website http://www.oocities.org/clubfortuna |
| Bahamas-On-Line ? Sea Fishing Club Viva Fortuna |
| Oct 8 05:36:33 2000 by Tegers |
|
Can anyone give me any advice about sea fishing in may of
2001 when I will be on my honeymoon.
Who is reliable, where situated, cost etc. Any tips would be
most welcome. Cheers |
| Oct 8 18:54:53 2000 by Janice |
|
Dear Tegers,
I live on the island and there are many types of Sea Fishing. There is Deep Sea Fishing where you go for big fish such as Marlin, Wahoo and Mahi Mahi. This type of fishing is $70 per person. You can go reef fishing which is shallow fishing on the reef. You don't necessarily catch the big ones but you will catch a lot of fish. This type of fishing is $40-$45 depending on who you go with. Bonefishing is the most expensive kind of fishing. It is a catch and release sport and is approx $250. They fish in the flats areas. For Deep Sea Fishing I recommend Reef Tours, for Reef Fishing I recommend Lil B fishing. I do not have a recommendation for Bonefishing but I can check around if you're interested. If you need any information on how to contact any of these companies you can e-mail me directly at lilb71@hotmail.com. Janice |
| This page is owned by Joe Kusterer. |
| This page was last modified on 10 February 2001. |