Capecodbeachfront

It has sadly been awhile since we last cruised. IF I select a cruise that includes G Cayman it appears ship is tendered from 8-3.  With tendering delays how much time will we have?  I know we will want to visit 7 Mile Beach, but also know we will not need more than an hour to hour and a half there. Can someone suggest an additional excursion that might fit our rather brief time on Island? Is there a touristy shopping area at or near the port? When we were in Nassau I remember a "straw market" that was disappointing. What can we expect at G Cayman? Thank you.

The cruise starts kind of mid week of the vacation week so I thought that might be in my favor. No problem with the reasonable drinking groups but I am sure we all know the extreme situation I am hoping to avoid. At age 70 I am just not as tolerate as I once was. Nor am I as forgiving when cruise lines promote the partying at the expense of others enjoyment.

When I last sailed on Majesty we selected a Monday departure for our Nassau / CocoCay cruise out of Miami. Selected it because we were told the Fri-Monday cruise had an abundance of party-ers. Worked out fine,

Now years later I am considering a Feb 21 (Thursday) departure for 5 day cruise from FLL to Costa Maya & Cozumel. Being over a weekend I worry it could be a booze cruise? Anyone done this particular Thur-Monday cruise. Being a 'cheap' cruise worries be that i could be in for a less than enjoyable experience. Thanks.

Not sure if we really saw the actual aquarium. What we saw for free was the areas under the swim areas that encircle the Atlantis as we walked from marina to the casino / dining area? Might have also been where check in was ? We have seen plenty of aquariums (Ex: New England Aquarium in Boston) but it was still interesting. I do remember you had to pay for the full aquarium. Hopefully the mini experience is still free?

Are there other areas in Nassau that might interest a 5 year old? He would probably get a kick out of the balloon animal hats at Senor Frogs but not really the experience we are looking for.:D

Thank you for the great information. Definitely giving me the confidence to a least consider one of the newer NCL or Carnival ships. When we were on the Majesty of the Seas 7+ years ago I never noticed the kids clubs or activities? Maybe it was confined to a deck I just never visited?I t was an end of January cruise out of Miami. It clearly appears the newer ships have made it a higher priority? Middle Jan to Mid Feb 2019 is now my target date. Grandson has his 5th birthday then and will not yet be in Kindergarten. IF I do go with NCL or Carnival are there particular types of cabins I should consider? I also will take another look at Kid friendly excursions. I know the free section of the Aquarium at The Atlantis would be a hit as would the water taxi ride there. Coco Key activities were good but I suspect he might enjoy the less crowded ship just as much?

Like I said thank you for the very helpful information....:D

Save your BS for someone who cares.

I asked for suggestions and information and got it from helpful members.

Pretty sad when a post tries to guilt me into a Disney cruise...

I thank the others for their helpful posts and will keep my options open.

Thank you.

I totally agree with avoiding the long weekend drunks... sorry if I offended anyone. Just not a good mix for a family style cruise (or grownups in general). Hopefully we can do a cruise covering mostly weekdays. 4 Days is pretty much the limit as it involves flying down & back from Upstate NY. Plus our daughter & son in law will need to get back to work. Easy to forget not everyone is retired!

I clearly need to do some more homework. Did not know there were family style cabins? Do the kid activities need to be booked in advance... like excursions? Good idea or bad idea to have cabins close to each other?

BTW My wife is insisting we go Disney or stay home. Some how the 4x price difference is not on her radar so this may be a hard sell. Doubt Disney ever has a sale? BTW: I might do a You tube search for kid activities on the difference ships. Any particular program names I should search for?

Our grandson will be 5 NEXT winter (2018-19) and we would love to do a 4 adult / 1 kid cruise. Probably 4 day out of Port Canaveral or Lauderdale. I admit to feeling a bit of sticker shock when it came to pricing a Disney cruise. Before I start making commitments... are there other kid friendly cruises? I know Disney has the reputation but in truth our grandson has not been raised 'Disney'. His favorites are Paw Patrol, Ranger Rob, etc. The Marvel Super Heroes are far more familiar to him than Mickey, Goofy, or etc? Disney seems to be the default choice and I know they would do a first rate job. But are there other choices? I know ships have kid clubs etc but are there also other character opportunities that he might enjoy? Costumed characters on board? Dining visits? Themed cruises? As much as I would like to do a Holiday Season cruise I doubt work schedules would allow for a cruise during November or December. January or February 2019 would be much easier to do. Suggestions??

Thank you the schedule is helpful... Since I am only looking at April to Early May I can work backwards to see how long some of the ships are in port. We have been away from cruising research for awhile (Europe land trips instead) so I did not know Escape was a new monster ship. I did remember there was a site that gave a chart for where & how long ships were in port by cruise line. Damn if I could find it again.

BTW Is the Kings Wharf area worth a ferry trip from Hamilton or a longer bus ride from the south shore? The area seems to be promoted well? But it would likely take up more than 1/2 a day. It would likely be an either / or selection between St Georges & K Wharf. Doubt we would do both...

Thank you, especially for the tip re: Bermuda holiday. Mid April will likely be fine with us. We are 'go to the beach' type, not snorkel, swim at the beach type. Water temps would not be that critical for us.

The huge ships intimidate me... The thought of thousands of passengers hitting the beach at the same time would pre-stress me, even if it never actually happened. Makes me think of the many times a quiet overlook was ruined when 2 tour buses of 'ants' swarmed for their 20 minute stop...

BTW I am still trying to decide where to stay.... Hamilton area vs along the South Beach bus route (7?). Zero chance we will be brave enough to use scooters. Seems like either way we will be spending (wasting) a lot of time on local buses. Most of our meals, maybe all, will be out. Does that make Hamilton a better choice? Hate to add an 8 PM Taxi fare back to the south shore to an already pricey meal. Are there public restaurants along the south shore bus route?

Right now it looks like my wife and I will be flying to Bermuda for a 5day / 4 night vacation in April or early May. Can some one here on CC help me avoid days when the largest cruise ships will be in port? I know from April on there are no days when there would be no ships docked. I'm fine with small ships but would like to avoid overlapping with some of the 4000+ passenger ships. I am hoping most of the huge ships do not start docking until mid May? Any suggestions ? What days of the week might be best to build my vacation around? Thank you.

Do the independent mini buses take credit cards?

Veendam docking in Hamilton was my original choice. Then I read posts saying Dockyards had grown so popular there was actually more to do in and from there. EX: the mini buses to South Beaches. Plus many raved about the cheap ferry service to Hamilton for the one day I would likely spend there. Verses having to use taxis or slow buses to get to places if located in Hamilton. They made a persuasive argument... As a FIRST time visitor trying to make the most of my time. Do want to do a couple of the beaches, Do want to do Hamilton Front Street, May or may not want to visit St Georges. NO interest in using scooters so I will need transportation. Buses sounded fine but reviews lately have been critical...

I will look at the NCL cruise from Boston that leaves late in the day as a compromise vs Veendam. Small ship still intrigues me. Enjoyed that small ship feel of Majesty of the Seas on our first cruise. Also may have to re-look at the schedule. May to early June may be my target dates. With all the hurricane issues this year Sept & Oct 2018 seem too risky.

What cruises offer a useful amount of time on Bermuda? I was looking at cruises for 2018. Found one NCL sailing that arrived at 9am, departed at 3pm the same day... I like cruising but i do want some port time... Did I read the info wrong? Is the Veendam cruise docked in Hamilton

the best for port time? Would a Dockyard cruise that

at left at 3Pm have any useful time that AM? Cruising out of NJ or Boston... Thank you.

Charles, I re-read my post and see where I confused the stay in port issue.

BTW I also made up the sailing days of the week just as an example...

You make a very good case for Hamilton...

That first afternoon could be useful as you are centrally located at Hamilton.

Then would have 2 FULL days to sight see further from Hamilton...

I still might be a bit fearful of the final morning...

Probably just a last minute souvenir shopping trip close to the port!

Sailing from Boston does have an added advantage... our son lives there.

Thank you.

BTW In a separate post I asked about flying vs cruising to Bermuda.

I continue to look for flights as I could stay longer.

BUT so far direct flights have been scarce,

Others have long lay overs, and overall are more expensive that I expected.

I might have the days of the week incorrect for the Veendam... I am looking at 2017?

Thank you for the explanation of "holding pattern" for the Summit waiting for space at Kings Wharf. Makes perfect sense, once explained to me.

Sneaky way for the Cruise company to have an additional 24 hours to entice me to spend more $$$.

:)

Can some one offer some details re: USABLE time in port?

Holland Veendam sails out of Boston 4PM.

Itinerary I saw shows Veendam getting to Bermuda by 1PM after 1 full day at sea. (Ex: Leave Boston on Friday, arrive Bermuda on Sunday). Then staying in Bermuda at Hamilton dock for 2 days before leaving on the 3rd day at 1PM

Compare this to Celebrity Summit leaving NJ 4PM.

Itinerary shows Summit with 2 full days at sea before arriving at Bermuda by 8AM on the third day. Then staying at Kings Wharf for balance of the arrival day, plus full day in port, then leaving at 4PM on the third day.

My questions:

1/ Does the Veendam from Boston actually take less time to get to Bermuda than the Summit from New Jersey?

Smaller, faster ship???

2/ Arriving at 1PM then leaving at 1PM with Veendam seems like it might not be very efficient use of port time? Especially the leaving at 1PM on the third day? Not sure I would want to venture too far from the ship.

3/ Would the Summit arriving at 8 AM then leaving at 4PM on the 3rd day actually be better use of port time?

4/ Would there be a huge difference in convenience between being in Hamilton with the Veendam vs. Kings Wharf for the Summit?

Any comments re: sailing experience with either ship would also be welcome. Recent reviews seem to favor Summit?

Thank you.

Even though my login is Capecodbeachfront we actually live near Saratoga NY. Vacation home is in Chatham on The Cape thus the login name.

Albany (ALB) would be our nearest 'International' airport. Unfortunately ALB is not very 'international' even when you take into account connecting flights. EWR to Bermuda does have reasonable fares $300 to $400 range on United but direct flights are not plentiful? I only found 1 per day? Add a connecting flight from ALB and the fare jumps to $700. Other flights back track to PHL then have a 3,4, or 5 hour layover before connecting to Bermuda. I looked at flights from Boston where our son lives and found the same back tracking flights with long layovers. I had not looked into JFK but will do some research for flights out of there. I wrongly expected Bermuda to be a popular flight destination from EWR (2 hours +) with many direct flights.

I could use some United miles I have stockpiled but have decided cashing in 30k in miles for a $300 flight is foolish. The same 30K in miles could get me a $1000 flight to London or Paris. Although my wife has nixed any European travel for awhile.

I often fall back to the cruise idea. Easier but it does offer only limited time in Bermuda. The cruise pricing also is always misleading since some port fees and taxes are never included in the quoted price. Now that I have gained some knowledge thru suggestions on this thread I can see where there are reasonably priced options for housing and meals in Bermuda if you step away from the advertised resorts. Expedia did offer some bundled deals but they often had the worst flights... some with crazy long layovers!

Thanks for the extra info. A quick check leads me to believe some properties have dual listings on BermudaRentals and the vacation rentals part of Tripadvisor. St George seems to have the historic vibe of Bermuda plus close to the airport going for it. I am thinking we might want to be more centrally located... maybe along the south coast? Pagent(sp) seems to pop up frequently? Time for some additional research but all the assistance has given me a great base to work from. Now I will have to study flights. Not many are direct... seems strange to leave Newark, fly to PHL for a 3-4 hour layover, before traveling to Bermuda. Then repeating the legs on the way back... Even looked into Boston... again most flights had hours of layover time. Guess Bermuda is not a 'profitable' route???

BTW I did a quick re-check on the cruise option... had forgotten there were no cruises in October(?) and only one at the end of April. Must have been why I had been researching May dates.

I have used HomeAway (partner with VRBO) before on stays in Florida. Worked out quite well but it was always a gamble to see what your neighbors might be like. For those of you familiar with Florida you know what I mean. On a single street you might have 3 wonderful properties, but next to each one might be an uninhabited foreclosure! We even had friends who are year rounders do a drive by that eliminated a couple of properties. I also have used Google Street view and usually shy away from owners that will not give actual address. Last 2 years we have used AirB&B with decent results in Stuart FL. Had private room & bath but we were sharing common space with the owner which had its odd moments.

A different thread mentioned a couple of services that listed just Bermuda properties. Can anyone refresh my memory of which they were?

If I did go with a Fly & stay should I shoot for St George's or Hamilton? South Beaches? Thanks...

MC,

Did you use a 'service' to find your lodging?

I was quite surprised when I discovered there really are no chain hotels or resorts in Bermuda. For me it means no using my IHG points, etc. Could be one of the first vacations in a long time I actually pay full price for.:)

My decision really has not been made... flight vs cruise. I still have some time before booking a year away trip. In my heart I really DO want to cruise again and the 3 night 'floating hotel' in Bermuda seems like a great option. Not keen on flying internationally, although I do have enough United miles banked for a future return visit to Europe. But also not keen on a cruise with hectic 11AM to 4PM port stays. The extended stay in Bermuda just seems a perfect compromise.

It has been a few years since our first and only cruise, which was the 4 night 'beginners' cruise out of Miami to Key West, Bahamas, & Coco Cay. I was sold immediately but my wife not so much. The "day at sea" is her primary concern. She would spend a day "on the road" if we were driving somewhere but for some reason the day at sea intimidates her. As it does me but to a lesser extent. We had chosen the M-F Bahamas cruise to avoid the over the top celebrators the F-M cruise attracted. Bermuda seems like it might attract a less crazy crowd?

Sounds like both of you have done a similar cruise to the Celebrity Summit cruise I am considering. What did you find to do on your day(s) at sea? Any problems with the crowd? I enjoyed the dining room dining option on Majesty of the Seas. Does Celebrity still offer something similar without having to upgrade to a Speciality Restaurant? Really not ready to do my evening dining next to a couple who threw on a cover up or sweatshirt over wet bathing suits. Unfortunately I know it does happen from personal family experience... embarrassing!

Suites and balconies are probably out of my price range but at the same time an inside cabin might stress my wife. So O'View would likely be our choice. Any deck suggestions?

Originally I wanted to look for a cruise to Bermuda in April or May 2017. Lack of availability tells me Bermuda must not be warm in April? What should I expect for weather on an early May visit? BTW my other choice had been October but the chance of a hurricane ( and my poor luck) caused me to reconsider.

Will the 3 day stay from a Celebrity Summit cruise out of New Jersey be long enough to see the Island. The cost to fly vs cruise is pretty much a toss-up. If I flew I could likely stay 4 or 5 nights. Although the cost per night in Bermuda is far higher than I was expecting! That was part of what pushed me back to the cruise as a "floating hotel" with at least one daily meal already included.

When it comes to touring Bermuda as a first time visitor, does either a being a cruise ship passenger or staying at a hotel offer any advantage? Kings Wharf seems to be a major starting point?

thanks

I was in the midst of planning a San Juan vacation for this Fall. Was thinking of doing a 4-5 day stay then a short cruise. Oops... I was quite shocked when I could find no 3-5 day cruises departing from SJ in Sept or Oct. Did I set my search incorrectly? I was expecting a number of short cruises to St Thomas, etc but all I would find were 7 cruises, and truthfully not many of them. Are there smaller cruise lines that might fit my needs if the majors do not?

I was planning the trip as a final hurrah of my 2 year Southwest companion pass which expires at the end of 2015. I am sure SJ would be great but SJ and a mini cruise... absolute heaven. Bummed in cold, snowy Upstate NY!:)