NCL ferry effect on Tobacco Bay?

This is the 5th year in a row we will be taking Celebrity Summit to Bermuda. In the past we've done one day at Tobacco Bay, taking the 9:30 ferry, and immediately grabbing a cab when we get to St George's. For the first 2 hours it's nice...not too crowded, decent snorkeling. By noon or so, it gets pretty mobbed, and the water is cloudy from all the people splashing around, so snorkeling for the day is done.

I know NCL has a complimentary ferry for their passengers, which leaves a half hour earlier for St George's than does the government ferry. Can anyone comment on how crowded Tobacco Bay is this summer around 10-11 in the morning? I'm thinking it's possibly no longer worth going to Tobacco Bay at all, if there are already a couple hundred people there.

This is the 5th year in a row we will be taking Celebrity Summit to Bermuda. In the past we've done one day at Tobacco Bay, taking the 9:30 ferry, and immediately grabbing a cab when we get to St George's. For the first 2 hours it's nice...not too crowded, decent snorkeling. By noon or so, it gets pretty mobbed, and the water is cloudy from all the people splashing around, so snorkeling for the day is done.

 

I know NCL has a complimentary ferry for their passengers, which leaves a half hour earlier for St George's than does the government ferry. Can anyone comment on how crowded Tobacco Bay is this summer around 10-11 in the morning? I'm thinking it's possibly no longer worth going to Tobacco Bay at all, if there are already a couple hundred people there.

NCL's ferry has been broken most of the summer. :(

I was just told by recent cruisers that Tobacco bay has become very commercialized and to stay away. Can anyone else verify?

I would like to know the answer to that also. I was hoping to go to Tobacco Bay in the afternoon to get in some snorkeling. If it's not worth it, I'll skip it and go somewhere else. If anyone knows good beaches for snorkeling, I'd be interested.

We just got back last Friday and I found Tobacco Bay definitely has built up a bit compared to a few years ago. The beach is lined with loungers for rent, not much open sand for those of us that prefer to lay out on a towel. And there was a water float volleyball net thing just off shore, meh.

For snorkeling, the main bay area seemed to have less sea life than the last time we were there. But once you got out into the rocky area looker's right from shore, we found lots of fish including a few massive parrot fish. It was definitely still worth it for good snorkeling from shore.

It wasn't too busy. Actually, surprisingly light traffic for the summer I thought. But on the flip side, I think the day we took the ferry (public ferry, NCL's wasn't running) over to St. George's, we were the only ship in port (on the Dawn, we got to see two ships come in while we were there... HAL and RC ships). And we took the first ferry and headed over to Achilles Bay at noon before it got too busy, no more than a half dozen people at Achilles Bay throughout our visit.

I'd do it again even though I don't care much for the build up. But once you get out around the rocks, as long as you beat the crowds, what is happening on the beach is irrelevant. I think with three ships in port in the A.M., it could be too busy... especially with the Breakaway.

 

For snorkeling, the main bay area seemed to have less sea life than the last time we were there. But once you got out into the rocky area looker's right from shore, we found lots of fish including a few massive parrot fish. It was definitely still worth it for good snorkeling from shore.

 

I'd do it again even though I don't care much for the build up. But once you get out around the rocks, as long as you beat the crowds, what is happening on the beach is irrelevant. I think with three ships in port in the A.M., it could be too busy... especially with the Breakaway.

I do Tobacco Bay for the snorkeling, not the beach, and I don't spend hours there like I do at Horseshoe Bay. We hit it early and it is not too crowded then. Snorkel in the area you mention to the right by the rocks where there is an opening. That is an easy area where the coral and fishes are. If you go straight out to the far end, the other side of the far out rocks, if you dare, some huge parrot fish usually. If you go there go with a buddy.

They never had that volleyball net up when I went. I would not like that.

We spend about and hour or so snorkeling and reward ourselves with a beer from the concession. Then it is off to explore other parts of St. George's. The Forts, the Town. We have lunch in town.

The area where the opening is to the ocean on the right is the best right side snorkeling. In the second photo you can see those far out rocks. The whole bay up to the rocks on the sides and end is fairly shallow. As you see it is not overly crowded in the morning. There is space for a towel if you don't want to rent a chair. This was last year and before the NCL ferry existed so I don't know if the morning time frame is now more crowded than these photos I took show.