arrived jan 31 for one week. The staff was very friendly and all the bartenders wonderful. The rooms wer ok worn but clean. We requesed a room change due to a very uncomfortable mattress and were moved that day. The buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner was good, breakfast got boring after a few days but the lunch and dinner buffets wre great they really season food well. The restrauant on-site left much to be desired,we only went once. the beach was great they need to remove some of the broken chairs from the beach but the water and sand were lovely. did 3 dives with their dive operation and had great dives espically the shark dive @shark alley. woul;dn't go back but had a great week,,,p.s. had to let the shower run for about 5 min to get hot water.

We'll go back! 4 of us went in Jan 2003, and all agree it was a great trip. There was an excellent choice of seafoods, and other dishes. The Italian restaurant was super. We found the staff to be very friendly, and they seemed to know when we didn't with to be bothered. Having heard and seen the attitudes of some other guests, I would have to say " treat other people they way you want to be treated "! The beach was wonderful, and the water clear and clean. The option to go para-sailing was a surprising bonus. We all tried it, and we're still raving about it.As for the platic cups...bring along a travel mug! I certainly don't want to be stepping in broken glass!!!

It was awful, as soon as we arrived the staff was hounding us to do time share. The room that we stayed in was dirty. Than when we went for our meals there were cockaroaches crawling on the food . Real gross! The swiming pool didn't seem to be cleaned very often either. Also it seemed like the drinks were watered down. I wouldn't suggest anyone to stay here!

After reading the negative comments I was worried about the vacation I had planned with my family @ Club Viva Fortuna. All I can say is it was a wonderful experience for myself and my family!! The staff was wonderful, they had great activities all day long., and the food was great! For those of you who do not like buffet's then this probably is not for you, but for my boys ages 10 and 8, it was perfect! No waiting for a waitress or any comments like "when will my dinner be here?" We all had a great time, met many wonderful people as well. We will definately go back to this resort.

We arrived on 16 Jan 2003 for a 4-night stay at Viva Fortuna. The staff was friendly upon our arrival, and luckily we were able to get a room right away (we arrived around 12 pm). The group we shared a taxi with wasn?t as lucky and had to wait until 3 pm to get their room (usual check in time). Luckily the time-share lady never approached us because she was busy with another group (but I think we were the rare exception).

The room was pleasant. Based on previous reviews of the resort (and all things considered), it was what I was expecting. The room wasn't sparkling clean, but it wasn't dirty either. Our TV remote did not work, but we didn't make a fuss about it and figured a few steps to the TV every now and then would be good exercise. The windows in the bathroom and over the A/C unit did not contain glass, which surprised me. Instead, they were wood slats and you could open and close. It doesn't do much for controlling their energy costs I'm sure, but we didn't have much problem regulating the room temperature since the A/C unit was functioning perfectly. We had the A/C on cold the first two days, but had to resort to using the heat on the last three days (temps dropped into the 50s in the evening). The cinder block construction (I'm assuming) seemed to soundproof our room since we didn't hear any of our neighbors (either above or next to us).

The food was ok. There were a variety of items to choose from. Breakfast included: scrambled eggs, omelet bar, bacon, sausage, something that appeared to be grits, possibly oatmeal, pancakes/French toast, hash browns, breads and bagels, fruit, cereals, danishes, etc. I was disappointed that the soda machine wasn't turned on in the morning, but there were juices and water available along with coffee and tea (Also, at the bar in the main area, there is lemonade and fruit punch available if you're not into orange or grapefruit juice). Lunch included pastas/rice, occasional fish dishes, meat dishes (I felt courageous and tried the curried mutton--pretty good!), hamburgers/cheeseburgers, French fries, pizzas, hotdogs, salad, fruit. Dinner was similar to lunch (minus burgers/dogs and pizza), but usually included a carving station. The Mahi-Mahi was delicious, the carved beef was a little tough but juicy, and the various other main dishes were ok. There didn't appear to be any problem getting a dessert, although I could see how late eaters might not get a good selection since the desserts didn't get as much staff attention as the main dishes. The cheesecake with lemon topping was surprisingly delicious, but the chocolate cake was a little bland.

A note about the pizza: some people complained, and I think I understand why. The crust was very soft--almost like the consistency of cake. But it had the right flavor. If you can get past the softness of the crust, it isn't too bad.

The Italian restaurant was pretty good as well. The meal started with bruschetta and included a salad and bread bar (with desserts). I had the cannelloni (very good!) and my partner had the linguine with scallop/shrimp scampi I think (also pretty good). The wait staff was attentive and kept our glasses filled. Even though tips are supposed to be included in the price of our stay, I felt inclined to tip our waitress since she was friendly and quick.

The bar staff was also very friendly, both on the beach and inside the main area. They were always quick with the drinks and pleasant to talk to. I tipped the bartender after every other drink and the drinks seemed to get stronger each day. A few times they had our drinks ready even before we got to the bar because they saw us coming. I stuck with the Mango Punch (excellent) but also tried the Love Byte, Margarita, and Bahama Mama (all were pretty good as well). My partner got hooked on the Bloody Mary (fairly spicy).

The afternoon snack was never on time. We were told it's usually served between 2:30 and 4. However, the food never came out until around 4 (a little bit of a problem if you ate lunch early and worked it off from bicycling or swimming). The snack included pizzas, hotdogs, deli sandwiches, a dessert (cake or cookies--alternated), and freshly sliced melon. Note: Make sure you're at the snack bar when the food comes out because it seems to go rather quickly! It was actually somewhat humorous to stand back and watch everyone flock to the snack area.

The pool area stayed clean and the staff was always playing decent music. The young staff seemed to play more modern music (top 40 and dance/club), which didn't seem to cause a single complaint from anyone I saw in the area.

The beaches were relatively clean. There appeared to be an occasional broken bottle on shore--most likely washed up from the tide. The sand was a lot more powdery than I expected and felt nice to walk on. The water was beautiful, with a mix of blue hues. It was only really warm enough the first two days of our trip to go swimming. We snorkeled on the second day, and I'm glad we did. The reef (not far from shore) was breath taking with all the different tropical fish swimming around. Some of the fish seemed curious and would even get close to you if you stayed still. We even saw a large orange starfish (like what's on their penny). There was some confusion because a person we initially shared the taxi from the airport with said he called the resort and was told they no longer offered snorkeling. We were happy to find, however, that they did have the quite a few fins, masks, and tubes for people to use. They ask that you only spend an hour with the equipment so others can have a turn (fair enough!). They had quite a few kayaks you could take out--the water is calm enough that you don't need to worry about getting knocked over. Also, they had a couple of small sailboats that could be taken out.

We were a little annoyed with the people selling the necklaces/shirts/hats/etc. We bought a necklace from "Jackie", who was very persistent. She didn't bother us after that, so it's a good thing we bought it on the second day (she even reminded us what we told her the previous day--that we'd bring money for her that day). The others with her weren't as persistent, and they seemed to respect people who gave a definitive "No." If you hesitate or make up an excuse, don't expect them to leave you alone. About the prices--"Jackie" said the necklaces are typically $12 but she would sell me one for $10. I told her to come back the next day. I ended up offering her $8 (without much resistance from her). I went to Port Lucaya the next day and saw similar necklaces for around $6. You might be able to bargain more with them, but I figured $8 was a fair price since that's how they make a living.

We didn't attend any shows in the theater, but we heard some of the performances were actually pretty good. We played bingo in the afternoon that turned into a drinking game--if you called out bingo and didn't actually have bingo, you had to take a shot of tequila. For kids, they had to drink a Shirley temple. On warmer days, they say you have to jump in the pool for calling it out too soon (it was too cold to do that when we were there).

On one evening, we ventured to the casino near the International Bazaar. It was $17 per person, and I think $3 or $5 for each additional passenger thereafter. It might be too far for some people to ride a bicycle (free to rent at the resort). We did ride a bicycle to Port Lucaya, which was more populated/commercialized than the area around Viva Fortuna. Also, they have an ATM that dispenses US$ at the Our Lucaya hotel/resort (in case you're in need). Surprisingly, it didn't seem to charge a usage fee--so the only fee you are left with is from your bank.

All in all, it was a nice trip. I would agree with the 3-star rating of the resort. The rooms are ok but not extravagant--they serve their main purpose of providing a comfortable place to sleep/wash while you are there. The food is ok--you won't get culinary masterpieces but there is enough variety to accommodate most people. The people are friendly--you sometimes just need to be blunt (but friendly) that you are not interested in buying something. The beaches are nice and there are things/activities available to help pass your time. I was surprised that there is an on-site liquor store and convenience/drug store. The convenience store sells, among other things, magazines, snacks, souvenirs, cigars (even Cuban cigars), and various other necessities/niceties you may have forgotten to pack.

Things to consider bringing: an alarm clock since we didn't have one in the room; beach towels (if you don't want to use the ones they provide); soap/shampoo since they provide an all-in-one body/hair soap gel; a roll of $1 bills for tipping because the front desk runs out of change quite frequently; comfortable shoes if you plan on riding bikes; a friendly attitude because the staff seems to react in the same manner you do; an open mind because it actually is a decent resort if you can look past the minor imperfections.

Would I go back? Probably not, but not because I had a bad experience. It was a nice place to visit and if I had to do it over again I would. But there are other places I would like to try and I'm glad I had the opportunity to try Viva Fortuna.

Please don't waste your money like we did. I read these reviews before going and should have believed them more. Our room had cockroaches and ants everywhere, the soaps they provide were rotten, the sheets were dirty and you had to put down $100 just to activate the phone and each additional minute cost you a fortune. We didn't even spend one night there it disgusted us so much. Thank God it wasn't my honeymoon or I would have been even more mad. We ended up staying at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort which was even cheaper and was absolutely gorgeous. Go there, trust me or you'll regret wasting your time and money at the "Fabulous Club Viva Fortuna" also (YEAH RIGHT)!

We went to club Fortuna in 2001. We were thorougly dissappointed. The room was the first nightmare, it was dirty and needed redecorating. The staff were horrendous and completely rude and unhelpful, they basically chucked the drinks at you! Drinks were served in plastic cups!

The bar staff were absolutely vile, they hated us it appeared!

The beach would have been nice if the seaweed had been cleared, which it was on the last day of our holiday!!

The buffet restaurant was dirty and had cockroaches crawling over the cups. The italian restaurant was awful, and the staff completely rude. If you were there after 8.30 you would not get a dessert!!

Good luck!!

Club Viva Fortuna is a TRUE world class 5-Star resort in my opinion. They treat you like a king. Beach is one of the best i've seen. Great restaurants. Awesome nightclub. Very nice rooms. Great views. All kinds of planned activities and watersports...did i mention tons of chics...yeah :)

PROS:
-beautiful beach
-nice atmosphere
-relaxing
-nice rooms

CONS:
food at the resort was awful - barely edible

OVERALL:
It was really beautful and relaxing to laze about the beach. I had a good time with that. Generally, though, I don't think I'd ever go back. It was pleasant and I had a good time, but once was enough.

Club Viva Fortuna, is an great place to go for a weekend getaway. The service iwas excellent and the staff treats you like royalty.

I would recommend staying at this resort anyone traveling to the Bahamas.