What’s the Deal? Is Bimini for Real as a Cruise Port?

Bimini bliss photo by Wallace Immen — The promise of Bimini bliss--Photo by Wallace Immen

The last time most of us heard of Bimini was reading Ernest Hemingway’s accounts of sailing to the Bahamian island in a boat called Pilar in the 1930s to match wits against big fish.

But now the reef-fringed sandbar 50 miles from Miami is showing up on cruise itineraries as an alternative to Nassau or Key West. The late lamented Crystal Cruises started the fad, adding Bimini to its Bahamas itineraries and starting some cruises from the island. Virgin Voyages is making a hedonistic beach stop on Bimini part of its sailings from Florida. And Celebrity Cruises is adding Bimini to its 2023-24 itineraries of Celebrity Beyond.

We’re arriving on Holland America Line’s new flagship Rotterdam as the first stop on a Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale.

So is Bimini about to become the next “in” destination?

Gulls soaring over the rippling turquoise water welcomed us as Rotterdam tied up at a newly opened cruise dock. No marlin or sailfish were jumping the way Papa Hemingway described them, but there must be ample small fish here because the seagull flocks kept jostling to dive into the spray whenever a whitecap crested.

Metal break-walls line the shore to stop the continually crashing surf from stealing the sand from colonial homes in pastel shades of blue, yellow and green that fringe the island. These are the new inhabitants of Bimini: condos and time shares of the island’s main business, Resorts World Bimini. (The resort company is owned by a subsidiary of Genting Group that’s separate from the part of the conglomerate that declared bankruptcy in January, leaving Crystal and Dream Cruises afloat).

The resort’s online brochure boasts: “Bimini is only 50 miles from Miami, yet a world away from the everyday. Preserved culture, historical landmarks, and natural wonders adorn this westernmost island of the Bahamas, beckoning travelers from around the world to explore.…

“Stroll through the streets of Bimini’s quaint towns and discover the friendly faces of locals eager to share stories of the history of their beloved island. Stop by the rustic conch stands and bakeries that scatter the island and taste the mouth-watering flavors of local specialties like conch salad and Bimini Bread. End your days watching the sun set in a breathtaking display of colors over the Caribbean Sea.”

As a cruise visitor, though– as the investment ads point out–your results may vary in the short time you have ashore here.

Follow the tracks to hedonistic Kayak Beach on Bimini–Photo by Wallace Immen

Stepping off Rotterdam onto the concrete cruise dock, a long open-air tram awaits to take visitors around the resort, making three stops: Kayak Beach, the casino and the shops–all part of the resort.

But what about all those promised natural wonders and quaint towns? As a cruise visitor or even a resort guest you have to rent a golf cart –five dollars a passenger—and forego the beach and underwater attractions to circuit the island to seek them out.

Ernest Hemingway lived on Bimini off and on from 1935 to 1937, staying at the Compleat Angler Hotel, where he worked on To Have and Have Not and fished for marlin and swordfish when he wasn’t having martini luncheons. His time here inspired him to write the Old Man and the Sea, but there’s little left on the island from his days here, though, because the hotel burned down in 2006. Most of the locals eager to tell their stories are selling souvenirs.

An alternative to Bimini offered on Holland America’s visit are boat trips to the nearby Exuma Cays where one of a kind activities include swimming with sharks, or with water-loving pigs. Definitely experiences that will one-up your friends when you get home.

A fun historical fact: During prohibition in the United States Bimini was a smugglers den and source of supply for bootleggers ferrying illicit hooch to Florida. There’s not much to see from that era a century later. Sure there are liquor stores and bars where the alcohol flows freely, but they tend to sell way more Bud Light than the Campari and vermouth that Papa Hemingway needed for his nightly Americanos.

Another claim to fame: In 1987, Bimini made front pages when Colorado Senator Gary Hart’s presidential run was crippled when a photo of model Donna Rice sitting on his lap on one of Bimini’s docks was published by the National Enquirer.

Much of the coastline is for residents only–Photo by Wallace Immen

The historic village of Alice Town has a more modern notable credit as the site of scenes in the movie The Silence of the Lambs. It’s biggest attraction today was actually built in 1993. The Dolphin House Museum is a three-story dolphin-inspired museum built using recycled materials by local author and historian Ashley Saunders and it offers a souvenir shop, which is about as quaint as shopping gets here.

Life changed here forever, when the Bimini Bay Resort, now Resorts World Bimini with its Hilton Hotel, started expanding. With room rates that start at about $400 a night, it’s pretty upscale, with an exclusive beach club for guest use, and available for visitors at about $125 for a day pass for two.

The Bimini complex is part of Resorts International, a company whose properties include a new mega-casino in Las Vegas and other locations worldwide. That company is separate from the Hong Kong division of Genting that declared bankruptcy and the resorts and casinos are open for business as usual. So after you take a plunge on Bimini, you can try your luck at the casino.

Ernest Hemingway would probably approve.

Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times

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