Resorts World Bimini Superfast Evening Cruise Party

We first heard of the Resorts World Bimini SuperFast Cruise from a relative who had obtained a promotional invite for August 11, 2013. We quickly booked and were ready to enjoy what we thought would be a fun day in Bimini. The same day we learned of a second promotion for the night party cruise on August 10, 2013 leaving at 10:00 pm and arriving at 6:00 am the next day; providing enough time to board the 9:00 am day cruise to Bimini. We had a group going so we decided why not?

Arrival and Check-In Process

Arriving in Terminal F just before 8:00 pm, we were dropped off and made our way inside. There is also a parking lot next to Terminal G with a nice Mercedes van shuttle back to Terminal F run by Resorts World Bimini for your convenience. As we approached the entrance, they verified we had our tickets at the first check point and there were other employees making sure you kept them out as you walked in. Once inside, the security checkpoint was a breeze. Then we proceeded up to check-in which was also a breeze. We were attended by Joe who was excellent in his service and even gave a recommendation for our next day trip to Bimini. We were given a boarding number of 1 and were advised to wait for the boarding call. The entire process took no more than 10 minutes.

We then waited for our friends who were running a bit late. At 8:50 pm they were at the bridge to cross into the Port of Miami and were denied entry with the police claiming the cruise was already full even though they also had reservations. They were not allowed through under any circumstances, even though boarding had not begun and there was no way the ship was already full. People were even still checking in. I suppose the officers may have already had a cut off time to block the bridge regardless of capacity being reached. No one on the Resorts World Bimini staff was able to offer more insight as to why they weren’t allowed in.

On our own now, we decided to check out the cruise anyway. It was free after all. Then time continued to drag on… and on. It was already 10:00 pm and no one had boarded the ship. They started to tell people to make their way to the roped entrance and they did so in a massive conglomeration. No order, no rhyme or reason to the line, if you can call it a line. We asked a staff member how we would be called since we had a boarding number  of 1 having arrived early and they simply said we had to make our way through the masses to the front of the rope when the number was called. When we suggested that this was ridiculous and what was the point of being given a boarding number, a staff member scoffed and said “it’s a free cruise” with an attitude and dismissing tone. At this point we are debating whether we should just leave. Even though it was a “free cruise” it’s meant to be a promotion to promote and introduce this new cruise liner and the resort in Bimini. I am sure Resorts World Bimini owners, Genting would not be happy to hear how their investment is being represented. The comment was uncalled for, rude and left a bad taste of what would come next.

We made our way near the roped entry when they started calling boarding and that was a mess. We essentially had to push and pull our way through to get to the front. They would only let about 20 people through at a time and would then close the rope off again. It felt like trying to get into an exclusive club in South Beach with heavy security at the ropes. We finally got through and made our way up to the gangway. Right before boarding, our cards were scanned and finally we were able to board around 10:45 pm.

Finally Aboard!

Once inside, we headed up to the free food on Deck 10 and stood in line. There was no designated line and within moments people were already starting to cut in line in various points in front of us. After we caught a glimpse of the burgers and hot dogs, we decided the mission of the line wasn’t worth it. Instead, we went down to the $10 buffet at the Sailfish Bistro on Deck 7. The other dining option was the Ponce de Leon restaurant also on Deck 7, for $25 per person which includes an appetizer, entree and dessert. When our card was swiped we were told there were issues in the system and the receipt would be brought to us at our table. The food wasn’t amazing but it was good for buffet style food. After several minutes going by and no receipt being brought over, Jason made his way back over and is told that no receipts had printed; the system was completely down and it would probably process sometime later if at all. Being an all you can eat buffet we were confused now as to how we would be allowed back without a receipt and were essentially advised to get our helpings at that time as there would not be a way to verify our purchase later. However, the staff was very courteous, although they didn’t seem to know much about the ship, save their own place in it. We saw a few important looking people sitting nearby who looked very disgruntled. We wondered if perhaps they were Genting executives looking into the operations of the Resorts World Bimini Superfast Cruise. If they were, I suspect they weren’t too happy with what they saw.

After eating, we still hadn’t left the port of Miami and the party had barely begun so we decided to take a tour of the ship. When you board, you walk in through the slots casino floor and there is a great selection of machines and a bar. Since we hadn’t set sail, they weren’t available for use yet and neither were the tables in the Deck 8 casino area. On the main Deck 10, the bar was swamped. We hadn’t even set sail and they were already out of red bull. They were playing a mixture of music from top billboard hits, reggaeton, and dance music. The dance performers are also only on this dance area. We made our way to the aft of the ship and the music there was mostly house and electronic. The bar back there was empty and very well stocked; and so we found our niche area for the evening.

Setting Sail it’s Party Time!

The ship finally set sail at 11:45 pm; nearly two hours past the expected 10:00 pm departure. The departure didn’t really matter, as we were not disembarking on Bimini on the night cruise anyway. It was just upsetting since our friends were barred from entry when the ship was running two hours behind.

The credit card system on the entire ship was down for the evening and no further credit transactions were accepted. The ATM was also out of service, so as a work around they would essentially charge your card a manual transaction at the cashier at the casino, give you a receipt and hand you the cash. Luckily we had some cash on hand to start but later in the evening we had to visit the cashier. Drinks were cheap; $7 for a redbull and vodka and similarly $7 for beers. You won’t find prices like that in any club in Miami.

The party was great and once the ship departed, there was an amazing breeze throughout all of the outdoor decks. The main deck party was packed to the brim with people on the dance floor. There were also VIP areas on either side of the deck with bottle service provided. One area was designated for the DJ and dancers but the other areas seemed to be open for anyone willing to purchase bottle service. We did not inquire further on this service. The dancers had great outfits and changed frequently. There was security everywhere. Anyone seen attempting to start or close to a brawl would be escorted away by security immediately.

If spanish music is more your cup of tea, you could head to the inside bar on Deck 7 near the Sports Bar.

Once we arrived in Bimini waters, we anchored offshore as the ferry boat picked up the people doing the full day cruise with the layover on Bimini. As we waited there was a conga line of Bimini people playing instruments going through the main deck party and through to the aft.

On the way back from Bimini, the party started to wind down as far as people’s enthusiasm. The main deck was no longer buzzing with swarms of people although there were still many party goers on the floor. As you walked through the side of the ship you would find rows and rows of people passed out on deck chairs.

At around 5:30 am we make our way down to the casino on deck 7 to prepare to disembark. There was already a line formed along the casino corridor nearest the exit. At 6:00 am we were already back in Miami but were advised the boat needed to clear customs before we would be allowed to disembark. Everyone expected to begin disembarking at 6:00 am and so around 6:30 am, the casino began to swarm with tired, drunk people yelling to be let off the ship. There were people sleeping on the floor, fights breaking out among friends that security had to break up and the fact that the air conditioning was turned off didn’t help things any.  Another 30 minutes passed before people started to be let off the ship, in small groups. We finally disembarked at around 7:15 am to then have to go through customs. Luckily customs wasn’t too bad. We got off the ship and through customs after a 2 hour process then made our way to meet our family to board again for the day cruise around 7:40 am.

Overall, the night cruise was a good time. The music was good, the drinks were cheap and you could gamble to your heart’s content when you got bored of dancing. The problem with the night cruise was the boarding and disembarking. There was no organization on either event causing long unnecessary lines on both occasions. Once they resolve this issue, I am sure they will have a noteworthy evening cruise.

Read about our Resort World Bimini Day Cruise Experience