Charles4515

You can board with a drivers license and an official birth certificate if your cruise starts and ends in New York.

The 9/15 sailing is listed as arriving Sunday 9/17 at 3:00 and leaving Tuesday 9/19 at 3;00 on the government website.

The 8:00 am time on the 16th makes the most logical sense but I guess you will find out.....

I am not saying at all that they are less capable. The New York City transportation system is not going to be like systems in Australia. I expect it is much easier to navigate public transportation in Auatralia.

I am using the Bermuda Port Schedule issued by the Government of Bermuda's Department of Marine Services revised April 7, 2023. It does say subject to change without notice so it is possible that it has changed since then. There are usually 3 to 4 revisions issued during the cruise season. I don't see any conflicts with other ships docking on either 15th or 16th so there nothing that would conflict with a change being made. So I am not saying that their current schedule is the final word. http://www.marops.bm/Documents/Shipping_schedules/2023 Cruise Ship Schedule.pdf

The Bermuda Port Schedule shows Mariner arriving at on the 16th at 5:15 PM and leaving at 3:00 PM on the 17th.

Very likely someone from Australia is not to used to something like the New York Subway. Hopefully after reading your long post it will confuse them enough that will be convinced not to take the subway with luggage. 😀

I was on the Summit the first time they ever got permission from the Harbor master. It was Captain Leo who got it. I think it was his idea. He announced it was the first time. Captain Leo was the Captain before Captain Kate.

There is not a matter of cost. The ship must get permission from the NewYork Harbor Master. Because of marine traffic and weather conditions they can't always get permission.

I like Tobacco Bay but because it is a small beach you can't escape the people when it fills up. At Horseshoe you can just move away from the faculties and find empty areas. Also I don't care for the noise from the activities and beach toys they have put out. I only stand staying at Tobacco one or two hours and leave while at Horseshoe Bay I stay four to six hours. Tobacco works with only one or two hours because I incorporate it with St. George which is one of the best places to visit in Bermuda.

I have cruised to Bermuda a bunch of times in June and probably 20% of the time it was rough one way or the other. It is not predictable . I have had forward cabins to Bermuda, late bookings, but since I don't get seasick not a problem. If you are prone to motion sickness it might be an issue on any cruise.

The Bermuda port schedule is what I looked at. It shows Mariner arriving on September 17 and ldeparting on September 19.

September 15 is there two nights. I would consider that two days.

Yes.

My suggestion is to take an Uber or a Taxi. Subway stations in New York won’t be great with luggage. Most have stairs. Plus plus you will have to walk a number of blocks from the subway station.

There are also two bus routes the #7 and #8 that take about 60 minutes .

I never had a problem with the ferries reaching capacity from Hamilton. I arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled departure. They were using a very large ferry on that route. Don't know if they are using that one this year. The only time a ferry reached capacity was once from St. George and that was before NCL was doing their private ferry to St. George.

There will be as others have mentioned a passport check in New York. There are several ways I have seen it done. Usually they will have immigration officers in a lounge and you will present your passport. Another way is they collect passports on boarding and return them at the immigration check onboard. No one will be allowed off the ship until everyone clears immigration. If someone does not report you will hear names called on the PA. They will have to find them before anyone can disembark. So the time can’t be predicted as someone previous posted. There is often someone who does not follow instructions and everyone has to wait. Like someone who has decided to stay onboard at the port and thinks that means they don’t have to go through immigration. When you get to Miami you will clear immigration again and then customs.

When you get off the ship there are are different zones designated for island taxi tours, beach shuttles and minibus island tours. Unless they changed it this year the map I attached should be good. The zones have signs. Zone 3 for taxi tours. There are also coordinators there to help. The taxi tours are a minimum of 3 hours, $50 an hour for the taxi. There are a number of ways you could do it. You could do all you mentioned you would like to do by booking the taxi tour for the whole day. Or you could end the taxi tour at the Swizzle Inn then take a taxi or bus to St. George’s. Spend time in St. George and take a taxi or bus to Hamilton. Or end the taxi tour in St. George and then take a taxi or bus to the Swizzle Inn and from the Swizzle take a taxi or bus to Hamilton. The taxi tour driver would probably have some advice. What day of the week will you be in Bermuda?

After the December cruise out of New York we went back to cruising out of Florida in December for the same reasons you gave.

Chankanaab is a national park. There is an entrance fee. The dolphin encounter is inside the park. The encounter includes the day pass. Those not doing the Dolphin Encounter will have to pay for a day pass or some other package that includes the day pass to enter and observe.

Some people I guess enjoy watching people being bullied and think it is funny. When people leave he keeps denigrating them to the audience when they are gone. I thought it was creepy. But he does have a fan group. And they watch that same show that he does over and over~~~over and over. I don’t know about on Royal but on Celebrity he had followers who booked to attend his shows.

OP never actually said what they want except an indoor pool. So I gather the ship is more important than the destination. I hate the Bahamas but the New York to Bahamas cruise in December was good because we like Charleston and at Port Canaveral we were lucky to be there the day of a launch. The ship didn’t have an indoor pool though. Bermuda is my favorite destination but November and December are off season and a lot of stuff is closed. But it’s great then for golfers and enjoying pubs. To someone from New England the water temp may be fine but the Bermudians don’t consider it beach weather and start closing down beach amenities and concessions. I can’t lay out on the beach on a towel with the sand blowing around but younger people may be able to do that.

Which ship calling on Bermuda in November and December has an indoor pool? Same question for the Bahamas? I don’t think that is a bad idea but just wondering.

Here is a link to the board. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/674-world-cruising/