Happy Friday (aka Gilmore Girls Revival Day. Raise your hand if you’re also spending the day watching Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life. UPDATE: I just finished watching the Gilmore Girls revival and it was AMAZING! I truly loved every second of it). One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is getting to spend time with my family and catch up with/hear about all of the wonderful things that my loved ones have been up to lately.

I found myself spending a majority of yesterday sharing with my family and loved ones lots of details about the trip I took to the Bahamas earlier this month (I’m still having a “pinch me” moment about that trip!). So, I decided to share a little bit more about my trip to the Bahamas (and Carnival Cruise) here on the blog as well (you can check out my two previous cruise posts HERE).

During my Carnival cruise, I got to spend two (wonderful) days in Nassau. I spent the first day really exploring and getting to know the island (I’ll share more about that in a later post) and I spent the second day exploring Atlantis Paradise Island Resort!
How gorgeous is that view of Atlantis Paradise Island Resort (it’s the actual view from my Deck 6 balcony stateroom)! Visiting Atlantis Paradise Island Resort was something that had been on my bucket list for a while. I remember seeing all those commercials for it while I was growing up and always thinking “man, I’d LOVE to visit there someday.” (Who knew someday would come so soon!).
If you’re arriving to Atlantis Paradise Island Resort from the cruise ports, a taxi will drop you off (for only $4) in front of Coral Towels (where you can purchase day passes, since Atlantis Paradise Island Resort is a private resort). 
The actual Atlantis Paradise Island Resort hotels themselves are breathtaking! There were so many awesome details in the ceilings and walls and the interior was just lovely. I don’t know what it is about me (maybe I’m just super LUCKY), but whenever I’m traveling I ALWAYS seem to have “normally crowded places” all to myself. Much like my visits to the Louvre in Paris or the Saint Louis Art Museum, I basically had the entire Atlantis Paradise Island Resort to myself (as you’ll see in the photos below!).
I started off my Atlantis adventure by checking out The Dig Sunken Ruins. In order to get to the Dig, you have to pass through Atlantis’s famous casino (which just so happens to be the largest casino in the Caribbean). 
Like I said earlier, it felt like I had most of Atlantis to myself that day (I also think that visiting during the off season really played out in my favor)! It was so much fun getting up close and personal with all the fish without having to worry about being in other people’s way (I don’t know about you but I like to take my time when I’m exploring new places).
Reflecting the tunnels and thoroughfares of the lost continent; The Dig features habitats for 100 venomous Indo-Pacific Ocean Lionfish, 500 piranhas, iridescent jellyfish and six-foot Moray Eels.
I could honestly spend all day looking at different kinds of marine life. There’s just something so fascinating (and beautiful) about it.
I even ran into a few Disney/Pixar characters— Finding Nemo’s Nemo and Mr. Ray and The Little Mermaid’s Flotsam and Jetsam—while I was exploring the Dig.
Along with viewing all the amazing sea life, I love that the Dig allows you to explore the ancient ruins of the mythical city of Atlantis. 
After exploring the Dig, I decided to spend a few hours relaxing on the GORGEOUS beaches at Atlantis Paradise Island Resort (I even went snorkeling!). I don’t think I’ve ever seen water that blue in my entire life!
One of the things I knew I HAD to do while I was at Atlantis was ride the famous Leap of Faith water slide (you know, the 200-foot body-slide that sends you speeding through a clear acrylic tunnel submerged in a shark-filled lagoon!).
You can LITERALLY see sharks swimming around you WHILE you’re sliding down the Leap of Fatih! It was such a fun experience and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone visiting Atlantis!
Fun fact: Atlantis is home to several stray cats (but no need to fret, they’re very friendly!). While I was having lunch at the Lagoon Bar Restaurant, I encountered two different strays.
I also spotted an adorable little island kitty while I was making my way to the Leap of Faith slide!One of the many highlights of my Atlantis adventure was having predator lagoon completely to myself (again, I don’t know how I get so lucky!). At predator lagoon, guests can come face to face with the awesome predators including sharks, barracudas, rays, and sawfish as they walk through a 100-foot clear underwater tunnel submerged in the lagoon.
It was such a magical experience being in the clear underwater tunnel by myself. (How adorable is that Ray? It looks like he’s smiling!).
After a glorious day of relaxing at the beach, exploring the Dig and hanging out with a few cool predators, I decided to pay a visit to the Marina Village before heading back to the cruise port. Marina Village, which is located right next to Atlantis, is a fun little shopping center with over 20 designer and retail shops spread over 65,000 square feet.
Best. Daiquiris. EVER!
Okay, how adorable is that ice cream cone Ben & Jerry’s bench.

Atlantis Paradise Island Resort is such an fun and amazing place and I’m already in the process of planning my next trip there! Any fellow cruise lovers out there? Stay tuned for more cruise and Bahamas related posts coming SOON!

*This post is in partnership with Carnival Cruise Line. As always, all opinions are my own.