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Experience with NCL Free Shuttle?


#1TravelMom
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Does anyone have first-hand experience with the new NCL free ferry(not shuttle)? We would like to take the first ferry at 9a on Thursday. Just wandering how early we need to get in line to make it on. Maybe is doesn't fill up - just assuming???

Edited by #1TravelMom
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I suggest that you post your question to the dedicated NCL forum because most CC members who visit Bermuda do not visit here especially after completing their cruise.

 

OR

 

Find someone who has posted a review of their cruise to Bermuda on the NCL forum and ask them your question in their review thread.

 

SBtS

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Someone on our June 2nd Dawn roll call reported they got off the ship at 0730 and tried to take the 0900 ferry but it was full. This was last week and I am not sure what ships were in port.

 

Here's the original post by member cinbol:

I just heard from a coworker who's sister just got off the cruise on Friday the 26th. There are kinks for the "complimentary ferry" and the lines were very long. They were off the ship early (7:30) on Monday for the 9:00 ferry and couldn't get on. apparently 400 seats are not enough! Have plan B ready!

 

Certainly reliable info.

 

BTW, it doesn't matter what other cruise ships are in port, there is only 1 NCL cruise ship at the Dockyard at a time using the NCL ferry.

 

Any first hand experience?

 

SBtS

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Just off the Breakaway as well....used the free ferry on the last day -- -there's only one ferry that day..one out to St George and one back to the ship....get in line @ 30 mins prior to sailing....not crowded at all....easy to use and it is literally 100 steps from the gangway to get from the ship to the line to board the ferry

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Here's the original post by member cinbol:

I just heard from a coworker who's sister just got off the cruise on Friday the 26th. There are kinks for the "complimentary ferry" and the lines were very long. They were off the ship early (7:30) on Monday for the 9:00 ferry and couldn't get on. apparently 400 seats are not enough! Have plan B ready!

 

Certainly reliable info.

 

BTW, it doesn't matter what other cruise ships are in port, there is only 1 NCL cruise ship at the Dockyard at a time using the NCL ferry.

 

Any first hand experience?

 

SBtS

 

Hello - I am the original poster and I am not sure what happened to the person that gave me the prior information but we had no issues at all using the new NCL Ferry. On Monday morning, we turned on the bow cam station in our cabin (channel 3) at 7:30 am to see if there was any foot traffic heading to the ferry - none was visible - we went and had breakfast and we were in line at the ferry by 8:30 am waiting to board. There was plenty of room and we sailed with some empty seats! I think the person who gave me the info was on the first sailing when the Ferry was offered so there may have been a 'rush" to try it out. Once in St. George you have a short walk to get to the center of town and we were so please to see so many shops have re-opened since we were last there in 2010 - I think this new ferry for NCL will really help the economy on this end of the island! Getting back to the ship was no issue either, we caught the 3:15 just in case but again there was plenty of room...

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I originally started this thread and just returned from Bermuda.

 

Day One of our visit the shuttle was cancelled due to choppy conditions, but the public ferry was running. The other 2 days the shuttle was running. No issues with overcrowding. We got on last minute and there were empty seats on the second day.

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My sister just got back and said that they took a few hours off mid-day because of stormy weather predicted. As the poster above noted, the regular ferries still ran. It didn't matter for my family because they weren't planning on coming back for a few hours anyway, but if you have time-sensitive plans, acquaint yourself with the regular ferry schedule as a plan B if the weather gets dicey but you need to be to St. George or back at the Dockyard at a specific time.

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Not much luck for us.

 

Our ferry on the last day left late waiting for pier runners.

 

Then.

Next time Back Canceled for mechanical Difficultys But said it would be ready for the last run in 3 hours.

 

We took the goverment ferry back.:o

 

Warning : Bo Hingy II ferry is so big and has trouble docking in high wind.

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I originally started this thread and just returned from Bermuda.

 

Day One of our visit the shuttle was cancelled due to choppy conditions, but the public ferry was running. The other 2 days the shuttle was running. No issues with overcrowding. We got on last minute and there were empty seats on the second day.

This was our experience as well.

 

But I think we were on the same cruise, so never mind. :D:D:p

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Not much luck for us.

 

 

 

Our ferry on the last day left late waiting for pier runners.

 

 

 

Then.

 

Next time Back Canceled for mechanical Difficultys But said it would be ready for the last run in 3 hours.

 

 

 

We took the goverment ferry back.:o

 

 

 

Warning : Bo Hingy II ferry is so big and has trouble docking in high wind.

 

 

 

Next year it should be better. The Bo Hingy is a temporary solution leased by NCL for this season. NCL is having two smaller ferries built that are scheduled for next year.

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Not much luck for us.

 

Our ferry on the last day left late waiting for pier runners.

 

Then.

Next time Back Canceled for mechanical Difficultys But said it would be ready for the last run in 3 hours.

 

We took the goverment ferry back.:o

 

Warning : Bo Hingy II ferry is so big and has trouble docking in high wind.

 

IIRC Bo Hingy II has about the same passenger capacity as Millennium, which is the ferry the government leases for the St. George's service, and at least to my eye there's not much difference in size between them. I'm not sure size explains why one was running in high wind but not the other. It may be some other characteristics of the boat...or perhaps even the skill and experience of the captains.

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IIRC Bo Hingy II has about the same passenger capacity as Millennium, which is the ferry the government leases for the St. George's service, and at least to my eye there's not much difference in size between them. I'm not sure size explains why one was running in high wind but not the other. It may be some other characteristics of the boat...or perhaps even the skill and experience of the captains.

Did you notice the height of Bo Hingy's Bow?

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IIRC Bo Hingy II has about the same passenger capacity as Millennium, which is the ferry the government leases for the St. George's service, and at least to my eye there's not much difference in size between them. I'm not sure size explains why one was running in high wind but not the other. It may be some other characteristics of the boat...or perhaps even the skill and experience of the captains.

 

 

It was built in Australia in 2008 designed for high speeds in heavy sea conditions. I found this:

 

"The Bahamas Ferries [http://www.bahamasferries.com] recently took delivery of a 41 by 12-meter catamaran, the Bo Hengy II, from Aluminum Marine of Queensland. Built to a design by Oceanic Yacht Design, also of Queensland, the boat has a 28-knot top speed and the dramatic looks to go with it. The vessel’s semi-swath hull design combined with good clearance of the bridge between the hulls, allows the high speeds to be maintained in heavy sea conditions."

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It was built in Australia in 2008 designed for high speeds in heavy sea conditions. I found this:

 

"The Bahamas Ferries ["]www.bahamasferries.com] recently took delivery of a 41 by 12-meter catamaran, the Bo Hengy II, from Aluminum Marine of Queensland. Built to a design by Oceanic Yacht Design, also of Queensland, the boat has a 28-knot top speed and the dramatic looks to go with it. The vessel’s semi-swath hull design combined with good clearance of the bridge between the hulls, allows the high speeds to be maintained in heavy sea conditions."

 

Bo Hingy has had a face lift too..

She's got NCL on all the new seat work, new paint. Ride's real well.

She Just has trouble docking in high wind.

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Bo Hingy has had a face lift too..

She's got NCL on all the new seat work, new paint. Ride's real well.

She Just has trouble docking in high wind.

 

 

 

Are they docking Bo Hingy at the new ferry dock on Penno in St. George's down the road from Penno's Wharf? Or at Penno's Wharf? Or at Ordnance Island?

 

Is it the same ferry terminal the government ferries are using?

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Bo Hingy can't dock bow forward like the government ferrys do, so No scooters.

The new dock in St. George is not finished yet.

Both ferry tie up to Penno's .

On the other end " dockyard" Bo Hingy ties up to the inside of Heritage Wharf. There the big ship on side and the fort wall on the other side create's a type of wind tunnel that is problematic for her.

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Bo Hingy can't dock bow forward like the government ferrys do, so No scooters.

The new dock in St. George is not finished yet.

Both ferry tie up to Penno's .

On the other end " dockyard" Bo Hingy ties up to the inside of Heritage Wharf. There the big ship on side and the fort wall on the other side create's a type of wind tunnel that is problematic for her.

 

The Millennium, the chartered ferry the government uses for the St. George Orange Route service also doesn't dock bow forward, so no scooters allowed on that either. I wonder where the two ferries are docking on days when a cruise ship is is at Penno's. The government had said they were building a new dock for the ferries that was supposedly near completion in April when St. George ferry service started for the season. Apparently it wasn't as close to completion as they claimed.

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The Millennium, the chartered ferry the government uses for the St. George Orange Route service also doesn't dock bow forward, so no scooters allowed on that either. I wonder where the two ferries are docking on days when a cruise ship is is at Penno's. The government had said they were building a new dock for the ferries that was supposedly near completion in April when St. George ferry service started for the season. Apparently it wasn't as close to completion as they claimed.

 

It does appear to be very near completion now.

But it look's to be the other type of dock " bow forward " I think neither Bo Hingy or Millennium could use it.

Edited by biker@sea
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Bo Hingy can't dock bow forward like the government ferrys do, so No scooters.

The new dock in St. George is not finished yet.

Both ferry tie up to Penno's .

On the other end " dockyard" Bo Hingy ties up to the inside of Heritage Wharf. There the big ship on side and the fort wall on the other side create's a type of wind tunnel that is problematic for her.

 

 

 

Thanks. I had been wondering if the new dock was finished. They are very late from their scheduled date.

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