MMGo785

We've returned! Had a blast, despite a few temper tantrums!

For those of you curious, we ended up taking a taxi to Horseshoe, and bringing our Cosco Scenera car seat. Honestly, we were probably the only ones. There were tons of babies, toddlers, and young children in the Baby Beach section, but no car seats to be seen. There were strollers everywhere on the beach, so my guess is that most people used the minibus shuttles or rode in the taxis without car seats. From the reactions of our taxi drivers, that's probably the norm. Our first driver was concerned about the car seat leaving marks on the back seat, and the other asked us without any snark "What's the purpose of the car seat? You don't just hold the babies in your arms back home?" When we explained about possible accidents, the response was "We never had those seats in old times, and everyone turned out OK." I definitely don't fault the taxi drivers. Even in NYC where I live, car seats aren't required in yellow city taxis, though they are in private cars. I imagine people could get questions like that at any port.

We used a car seat gate check bag that was pretty cheap from Amazon to keep sand out of the seat, and it worked great. No sand anywhere! We didn't need belt clips at all in the taxis we used, though we had them with us.

Also, my husband had to remove the car seat from the gate check bag both coming off and getting back onto the ship (Anthem). His backpack even got searched leaving the ship, while I walked straight out with the baby in the carrier. This would have been annoying with just one adult, so something to keep in mind.

All in all, we would do the same thing again, especially with a 1 year old. It was worth it to us for a comfortable, safe, private ride.The Scenera was super light for my husband to carry, and I wore baby in a carrier any time we walked, so that I could have free hands.The taxis to/from Kings Wharf to Horseshoe were $33 each plus tip, and easy to get. There was always someone asking what type of transportation we wanted, and the cabs were right there - no wait.

15 hours ago, jq22 said:

Did anyone go or think of a solution? Our trip is in June and mine will be 10 months. Right now planning on bringing the carseat and taking a cab to the beach, but would love to hear other ideas or experiences. 

I'm on my way there within the next few days. We've decided to bring the carseat and take a cab. Apparently the bus system isn't as reliable as it used to be, and I'd rather not risk a long wait with a baby, and then still have to go up the hill. The shuttle bus is a no for us, as most seem like large vans that wouldn't be able to accommodate a car seat (though there isn't a standard size). We'll have to deal with a sandy carseat at the beach,  but it's the fastest and safest option. We figure the privacy and peace of mind will be worth it. I'll report back, when we return.

20 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

 

If you have no mobility issues the only concern I think would be the toddler. You would want to have a stroller. Probably you are already taking one on your cruise. You can take a fold up stroller on the public bus. More of a concern would be the state of the public bus system which has had to reduce their schedule because of a major bus shortage. Before that happened and before the $7 shuttles became available I took the public bus many times. I usually walked up that hill without any issue as I don't have mobility problems and I am in reasonable shape. 

No mobility issues for the adults, so maybe we can do it. About how long does it take to go up and down the hill, walking?

Yes, we'll have a small umbrella stroller with us. Are the buses about 30 minutes apart? We'll be docked on a Monday (9AM Bermuda arrival) and Tuesday. 

2 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

There is no standard minibus shuttle vehicle. It is whatever vehicle the owner buys. They are private vehicles. All of the ones I have been in are large minivans. They are not smaller versions of a public bus. I have seen a few of those there that are like small buses but that is not the the norm. Most of those are used for tours but I have seen them sometimes being used for the shuttles.

 

If you bring a car seat I would probably take taxis as they all have seat belts.

 

I see...Thanks so much for the explanation! The variation in size is probably why I haven't been able to find a standard picture. I've been seeing everything from full size city buses to minivans in internet searches.

1 hour ago, marci22 said:

The shuttle vehicles $7pp go directly to the beach and take about half an hour. The #7 bus is cheaper but it makes a lot of stops along the way so it takes longer (40-45 min?).

 

Once you arrive at the top of the hill there is usually a van called the 'to the top shuttle' or something like that. It's $2pp for the van to take you to the bottom or to the top of the hill. We usually walk down but it's money well spent going back up.

 

Since you will be using public transportation both days you could get a two day ticket at the visitor center and use the buses and ferries as you like. Allow more time than you think if you end up doing that. Sometimes buses are full when they get to your stop and you have to wait for the next one.

As Charles mentioned, I've been seeing recent posts saying that the $2pp van is no longer there. We may end up doing the public bus, so thanks for those tips, especially the one about building in more time. We're from NYC, so used to public transport issues, but not used to the public transport issues of smaller towns. The buses are 30 minutes apart, right? Hmm. I'm thinking we'll have to get off the ship as early as possible, stay at the beach for a couple of hours, then head back before afternoon nap time.

1 hour ago, ProfCruise said:

We took our son (3 at the time) on the mini-bus.  The one we got was more like a large van.  Probably not the safest thing in the world without a car seat, but we did it anyway and would do it again considering the other options available.  He's a review of our trip to Bermuda, traveling with our son, if you're interested. 

 

https://profcruise.com/the-3-best-beaches-in-bermuda-for-cruisers/

 

Happy to try to answer any kid related questions you have.  Have fun!!!

 

 

Thanks! Nice to hear from someone who's traveled to Horseshoe with a small kiddo. The shuttles really are the most convenient option for most people. It would be a no-brainer without a toddler so young. I'm leaning toward the public bus more and more - just concerned about that hill.

Checked out the first few paragraphs in your blog link - love it already! Haha!

We'll be bringing our 16 month old on the Anthem for her first cruise in a few weeks. The ship will be in Bermuda for two days, so we're thinking of taking a ferry and bus to the Aquarium/Zoo one day, and going to the baby beach at Horseshoe Bay the other day. It seems like options for Horseshoe Bay transport are taxi, # 7 bus or beach minibus shuttle.

Has anyone taken the minibus shuttle with a child or infant? I've been trying to find pictures of the shuttles, with the thought that if they're just smaller versions of a public bus, a toddler/infant would be OK being carried. I don't think I would feel comfortable without a car seat if the shuttle was the size of a minivan, however. I asked over on the Family board, and the shuttles might be 15-seaters? 

We have a Cosco Scenera car seat that we could bring along, but we were hoping to avoid it (I found a car service with infant seats that we can use to/from the ship for departure and our return home). We also bought a car seat lock clip, just in case we do bring the car seat.

The other option (which I'm leaning toward) is the #7 bus, but I heard that we would have to get up/down a hill to get to the beach, which wouldn't be ideal with a baby and all of our gear. There will be 3 adults, as my mom is joining us, so maybe we could do it? Has anyone taken the #7 bus to Horseshoe with an infant or toddler? Any tips for transport?

On 4/12/2019 at 7:28 PM, 1025cruise said:

How do you plan to get to the aquarium from Hamilton/St. Georges? The ferry doesn't go direct there. You will still need a taxi or a bus.

 

I think the mini buses are like 15 passenger vans, but I'm not sure.

I was planning on a ferry+bus combo for the aquarium. I have no issue taking the public bus at all, I was just concerned about the hill at the Horseshoe public bus stop more than anything. I can't tell how doable it would be for our group based off of other posts, since it's so different for everyone.

15 passengers sounds OK. Maybe I'll have to decide once there though. Thank you!

On 4/12/2019 at 7:30 PM, Essiesmom said:

Welcome to Cruise Critic.  You might try asking this on the Ports of Call board for Bermuda, which is here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/118-bermuda/

Thanks! Appreciate it. I'll ask on the Bermuda board as well.

On 4/12/2019 at 9:52 PM, jludvigs said:

I’m also trying to figure this out. We’ll be going on Anthem when our daughter is 14 months. Honestly, the mini buses don’t look like they’d be safe for them and I don’t think you can install the car seat. I was considering bringing the Cosco seat and taking a taxi, but then I don’t know what to do with it on the beach. 

Hopefully someone will have some ideas. 

But please let us know how it goes for you guys! 

I'll definitely return to this thread after we go, and let you know. I've searched around both on CC and TripAdvisor and still can't decide. I imagine it will just be one of those parental judgement calls made at the moment. Since we'll have 3 adults, we might just end up doing the public bus for sanity's/safety's sake. It might not be as difficult as I think it is. The car seat at the beach just doesn't sound fun. And I can picture sand falling out of it for months afterward. I think we're going to nix the taxi option.

I'm also going to check on the Bermuda port-of-call board, as Essiesmom suggested. Good luck to you!

Hi,

First post, but I've been lurking for a while 🙂

We'll be bringing our 16 month old on the Anthem for her first cruise in a few weeks. The ship will be in Bermuda for two days, so we're thinking of taking a ferry to the Aquarium/Zoo one day, and going to the baby beach at Horseshoe Bay the other day. 

It seems like options for Horseshoe Bay transport are taxi, # 7 bus or beach minibus shuttle. Has anyone taken the minibus shuttle with a child or infant? Would a toddler or baby be safe sitting on an adult's lap or in a baby carrier? I've been trying to find pictures of the shuttles, with the thought that if they're just smaller versions of a public bus, a toddler/infant would be OK being carried. I don't think I would feel comfortable without a car seat if the shuttle was the size of a minivan, however.

We have a Cosco Scenera car seat that we could bring along, but we were hoping to avoid it (I found a car service with infant seats that we can use to/from the ship for departure and our return home). We also bought a car seat lock clip, just in case we do bring the car seat.

The other option is the #7 bus, but I heard that we would have to get up/down a hill to get to the beach, which wouldn't be ideal with a baby and all of our gear. There will be 3 adults, as my mom is joining us, so maybe we could do it? Has anyone taken the #7 bus to Horseshoe with an infant or toddler? Is that our best option?