Have you received a text message that says you won a free trip to Bahamas? Well, it’s not really ‘free’ perse. There are some hidden costs and expenses which you need to be prepared for before embarking on that Bahamas Vacation.
Overview of The Free Bahamas Vacation Package
The Bahamas package is a vacation cruise trip to Bahamas offered by numerous travel agencies, eg Briar Travel, Merek Travel, Lennox Travel, etc. Often times, these agencies get people to think they’ve won a ‘free cruise’ ‘free Bahamas vacation for 2’ vacation package after they participated in a raffle draw in a mall.
However, by mere filling the pink paper in the mall, you’ve automatically won yourself the so called free Bahamas trip. When you take a close look at the form you filled, it states you are a “winner” just by filling out the entry card.
Like, we mentioned earlier, the trip is by no means free at all. Below are hidden costs and fees you’d have to pay during the Vacation.
Breakdown Fees and Expenses
- $20 booking fee
- Cruise fee of $87.50
- Bahama entry fee $99
- $12 fuel surcharge
- (hotel fee) or resort fee of $20-80 depending on the choice of resort.
- You are responsible for all normal travel expenses inc transportation etc.
- You might get a few free nights at a resort, but there will be “extras” that in the end cost as much as a regular resort.
- Food $40 – $80 per day depending on the restaurant you dine
How Much Does The Free Bahamas Vacation Trip Really Cost?
If you’re planning of going for a vacation at the Grand Bahama you should budget between $1500 – $2000 for 2 persons. As of May 2018, Macey a travel blogger, spent $1037.24 all together, of which $846.62 was unavoidable fees/transportation. This is what he has to say;
Our trip was not a scam, but expect to spend about $1000 on your “free” vacation when all is said and done. They also had an upgrade for an all-inclusive hotel, but we did not go for that. Expect some black out dates and patience when booking the trip.
Wendy on the other hand, has this to say about her expenses during the Bahamas vacation;
”I went on last June 2022. There were lots of fees here and there !!! The resort daily fee was $79 per person per day ($1703.00 4 persons added 2 kids to my reservation) . .set up fees $39.. cruise admin fees total $279.96 … On the cruise $12 fuel surcharge x person per trip.. gratuities ( cant remember how much but they charge both ways) drinks (package is $99 and soda package was $25) total cruise expense adding the drink packages came up to $563.38 one way and $163 returning) ”
How To Cut Down on Expenses During Your Bahamas Vacation
- Make advance booking online
- Travel during the off season
- Go for affordable transportation
- Don’t pay extra tips at restaurants (the main bill already included 15% gratuity)
- Have a splurge budget, so you don’t overspend
- Don’t spend much on local food. Buy what you can eat, not for experiment or picture sake
When Is The Best Month To Travel To Bahamas To Save Costs?
The best time to travel to Bahamas to save costs is from the end week of April to the second week of December. This is because, there are a few months in which Bahamas experiences visitors much more than the average. As a result, prices of everything increase by a large scale. The off season is between end of April to second week of December. So, to cut down your expenses there, you can plan going to Bahamas in the off season.
Bottom Line
The Free Bahamas Trip or ‘Free Bahamas Vacation for 2’ is not a scam as you feared. However, it’s not really free as claimed. There are a handful of fees, taxes, and expenses to be paid for. If you’re thinking of going for the 4 – 6 days free vacation to Bahamas, you should budget between $1500 – $2000 for two persons, or $1000 – $1200 for 1 person.