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Miracle NYC to Bermuda - 9/11/2011

davy jones

By davy jones,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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beddibi

beddibi

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We had a blast on this cruise. I too couln't find the hair dryer at first.:confused: A tip - take the fridge out of the cabinet, it works much better. We also had anytime dining, never had a wait. The eggs benedit in the MDR was NASTY, english muffin soggy.:mad: Hot tub & showers in the gym were awesome. Love the glass skylight above the hottub, so relaxing. Another tip - if your going to go to the perfumery while visiting Bermuda go to the one in St. George. I went to the one at the dockyard and they don't give you the pretty pink bag when you make a purchase, lesson learned. We bought a 3 day bus pass when we first got there and because of bad weather on the 2nd day we didn't even use it, wasted money for 1 day. Try to avoid the busses when the children get out of school, during this time the busses are cramed with school kids. The Miracle is a great ship and very well kept. All the staff was awesome.

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jmwg49

jmwg49

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We had a blast on this cruise. I too couln't find the hair dryer at first.:confused: A tip - take the fridge out of the cabinet, it works much better. We also had anytime dining, never had a wait. The eggs benedit in the MDR was NASTY, english muffin soggy.:mad: Hot tub & showers in the gym were awesome. Love the glass skylight above the hottub, so relaxing. Another tip - if your going to go to the perfumery while visiting Bermuda go to the one in St. George. I went to the one at the dockyard and they don't give you the pretty pink bag when you make a purchase, lesson learned. We bought a 3 day bus pass when we first got there and because of bad weather on the 2nd day we didn't even use it, wasted money for 1 day. Try to avoid the busses when the children get out of school, during this time the busses are cramed with school kids. The Miracle is a great ship and very well kept. All the staff was awesome.

 

Hi Joanne! Actually, I quite enjoyed the Eggs Benedict! I used a tip I read about on CC....I ordered it with the sauce ON THE SIDE...that way it was fresh made! I had it 2 or 3 times and thought it was great! We got off the ship on the 2nd day, before the warnings came not to do so, and we used our bus passes to the fullest! I missed the perfumery in St. George! I forgot about it until we had left St. George! And agreed, the staff was great, and we only waited one evening for about 5 minutes for the dining room!

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beddibi

beddibi

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Hi Joanne! Actually, I quite enjoyed the Eggs Benedict! I used a tip I read about on CC....I ordered it with the sauce ON THE SIDE...that way it was fresh made! I had it 2 or 3 times and thought it was great! We got off the ship on the 2nd day, before the warnings came not to do so, and we used our bus passes to the fullest! I missed the perfumery in St. George! I forgot about it until we had left St. George! And agreed, the staff was great, and we only waited one evening for about 5 minutes for the dining room!

 

Wish I had known the tip about the eggs benedit. Hubby discovered Bermuda fish chowder, he fell in love with this stuff. He had it at the White Horse tavern (St. George) & the Frog & onion (dockyard). So I bought him a bottle of the sherry/rum sauce, now I have to get the recipe to make it. Another tip - there is a nice pharmacy in the dockyard with lots of stuff (sodas, water, chips, toiletries, USA newspaper, etc). It was much better for soveniers than the craft market at the dockyard. Don't forget to stop by a bank and get some Bermuda money, it is beautiful. There is also a Bermuda moon gate at the dockyard for a nice pic, don't forget to get a pic of the red phone booths at the dockyard, pretty cool. I bought some of the rum cakes at the dockyard but really couldn't taste the rum. Carole Holding has a nice studio in the shops at the dockyard with some beautiful water color paintings. I bought a painting, coasters & mug from her with beautiful Bermuda scenery. I was really looking forward to going to the ER Aubrey jewelery at the dockyard for the Bermuda lucky stone but was very disappointed in their selection.

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jmwg49

jmwg49

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Wish I had known the tip about the eggs benedit. Hubby discovered Bermuda fish chowder, he fell in love with this stuff. He had it at the White Horse tavern (St. George) & the Frog & onion (dockyard). So I bought him a bottle of the sherry/rum sauce, now I have to get the recipe to make it. Another tip - there is a nice pharmacy in the dockyard with lots of stuff (sodas, water, chips, toiletries, USA newspaper, etc). It was much better for soveniers than the craft market at the dockyard. Don't forget to stop by a bank and get some Bermuda money, it is beautiful. There is also a Bermuda moon gate at the dockyard for a nice pic, don't forget to get a pic of the red phone booths at the dockyard, pretty cool. I bought some of the rum cakes at the dockyard but really couldn't taste the rum. Carole Holding has a nice studio in the shops at the dockyard with some beautiful water color paintings. I bought a painting, coasters & mug from her with beautiful Bermuda scenery. I was really looking forward to going to the ER Aubrey jewelery at the dockyard for the Bermuda lucky stone but was very disappointed in their selection.

 

*** sorry for hijacking your thread******!!!!!

 

ER Aubrey in Hamilton had a lovely collection! I got a ring and two pairs of earrings, plus a $10 off coupon for another purchase! If anyone is interested in Lucky Stone, don't go to the Dockyard store!! Front Street in Bermuda had a great selection!!!!

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review!!!!

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davy jones

davy jones

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It is still Tuesday night. We are scheduled to arrive in Bermuda in the morning. One of the evening notes left in the cabin by Francisco says that laundry in Bermuda will be limited due to Bermuda water restrictions. Drats! We save on luggage by doing a load of under garmets, swim wear and exercise wear mid cruise. I decide to do the load now. Yes, I am doing laundry at 11:30 PM. As one might expect, I do not have to wait for a washer or dryer. Since we are going to be up, we order a snack from room service. We did not eat any lido food today. (Insignificant, but perhaps a first) After the laundry, we turn in.

 

Wednesday morning arrives and we are sailing along the north shore towards the Dockyard. This is the only facility in Bermuda that can handle today’s larger ships. I have seen it referred to as the Royal Naval Dockyard, King Wharf, or the West End. Each may have some historical significance, but they are essentially the same place. This causes confusion for some. I will refer to it as the Dockyard, because it is the easiest to type.

 

The following about Bermuda is my experience and opinion. There are many places to get Bermuda information online. Cruise Critic as a good Bermuda board in the ports of call section. Member Sailbad the Sinner (love the name) freely shares so much Bermuda information that the local tourism board should pay him or her. We have been to Bermuda a number of times. The last time was a one day stop at the Dockyard a Princess cruise last year. The others were quite a while ago, and were the standard 3 to 4 day Bermuda stops.

 

I view many Caribbean ports as places for water sports, beaches, partying, and sometimes shopping. (Note that we do not consider shopping to be a recreational activity.) Bermuda is different. There are museums, historic, and natural sites worth seeing. It is more formal and not a party site by nature. You won’t fine a Senor Frogs or Carlos and Charlies there. Most cruises are there for multiple nights, so the ship nighttime dynamic changes. The casino is closed and professional shows are limited. Onboard entertainment is more cruise staff directed, like karaoke, marriage game, etc. The bars and lounges are open though and there is music there. The people are friendly and everything is more formal and organized than other Caribbean ports. You will not find a horde of folks calling for your business as you leave the ship. Taxis are regulated and orderly. You can not rent a car. Transportation is by taxi, public transit (safe and efficient), or scooter rentals for the more daring. We did rent scooters in our younger days. DW is no longer so daring. If you rent a scooter, the roads are narrow, but the speed limit is slow and cars are small by law. Being British, they drive on the left and have roundabouts at some intersections, which can be interesting. You won’t find straw markets and street vendors, or haggling. There appears to be very little poverty. Homes are pastel colored and solidly built. It is a beautiful place with a very safe feeling.

 

The weather is sunny and a bit breezy. Given that Maria is ominously lurking, I expect that it may cloud up as the day goes on. By the time we finish breakfast in the dining room, the ship has docked and been cleared. We head out.

 

Since we were at the Dockyard last year, our three day plan is for a day in Hamilton, a day in St. George, and the last day at Horseshoe Bay. We will squeeze in the Dockyard if time permits. I have plans for walking tours in Hamilton and St. George from a well known travel site. We disembark the ship. We are optimistic and purchase three day passes for the busses and ferries.

 

The fastest way to get to Hamilton or St. George from the Dockyard is the ferry. The Hamilton ferry runs every half hour during the day. The St. George ferry only runs a couple of times. We hop on the ferry to Hamilton. There is tourist information at the ferry terminal. We grab a map and head off on the walking tour.

 

Hamilton is a commercial center and has a small city feel. The Veendam is docked at the Front Street pier, squeezed into the dock. Our first cruise was to Bermuda on the Veendam. Our romantic nostalgia is limited because this is not the Veendam of 30 years ago. For all we know, that Veendam may be a stack of I beams now.

 

The forecast says that the Maria’s eye will pass about 120 miles west of Bermuda. If there is a major storm approaching, the residents don’t seem concerned. There are no panic runs on the plywood and bottled water at the Home Depot. The grocery stores are well stocked and business is normal. Most importantly, the local media is not forecasting a soggy Armageddon. The newspapers are devoting a couple of paragraphs to the storm and we speak to a few locals who casually say that it will be rainy and a bit windy.

 

The walking tour is quite good. There are churches, parks, small museums, an art gallery in City Hall, Fort Hamilton, government buildings, and small points of interest. The walk up to Fort Hamilton is uphill and hot. We spend over six hours in Hamilton and ferry back to the ship.

 

As stated in earlier threads, the buffet now closes between 3:30 and 4 PM to prepare for dinner. It doesn’t seem like a very good idea when there are hundreds of passengers returning to the ship from their port day. That said, you wont hungry, you’re just waiting in longer lines for the available food. I eat a sandwich and DW has some pizza.

 

I make it to late trivia. No workout today. Sudsy bliss is replaced by the cabin shower as we prepare for dinner. I should have checked the menu in advance. This would have been a great day for the steakhouse. The MDR offerings were uninspiring to us. I opt for the pork, which was a bit tough. Mrs. Jones goes vegetarian on me and says that the dish is good. We have a different waiter. I don’t recall his name, but the service was good.

 

After dinner, we head out to check out the Dockyard. There’s nothing going on. Outside of a couple of uncrowded restaurants, the place is closed. There are some crew members out and about who are happy to escape the belly of the ship, but we may be the only passengers in the Dockyard. It’s a nice, quiet walk.

 

As we board the ship, Mad Hatters sounds like a happy place. We head in and they are doing a variation of karaoke that I have never seen before. The music is not canned. You (actually, they) sing with a live band and a backup singer. The band and backup singer are quite good and most of the singers appear to be karaoke regulars.

 

When the band took a break, we headed upstairs and the marriage game was just beginning. It was hosted by the CD, Malcolm “Woo Hoo” Burn. The CD is a person who won’t make or break a cruise for us. I can only recall the CD from one prior cruise. Malcolm seems personal and at times funny. He doesn’t overdo the “Woo Hoo” bit. Anyway, the marriage game is the usual PG-13 rated stuff designed to make the participants blush. If you volunteer for this, you know that you’re trading a little fun embarrassment for a bottle of bubbly.

 

After the marriage game, we take in a little music. The Mexican fiesta was moved from the lido to the atrium. After a while, we are bad and head up for a Mexican snack before turning in.

 

I expected the weather to be much worse by now. Maybe the problem named Maria has been solved.

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H82seaUgo

H82seaUgo

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It is still Tuesday night. <snip>

 

I expected the weather to be much worse by now. Maybe the problem named Maria has been solved.

 

and you were not going to post a review! and let us miss all this? keep it coming.

 

i'm visualizing being there sailing from st. catherines to dockyard right now, perched on the staircase up to the slide!!

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davy jones

davy jones

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I wake up and the ship is not slamming against the pier. In fact, it's not moving at all. That’s a good start. Bridge TV actually shows a bit of sun, but the water looks really choppy. A quick trip up to the promenade deck confirms both. It is difficult to open the door to the outside deck. There is a bit of sun peeking out from a small gap in the clouds, but it is mostly cloudy. It is also a bit breezy. OK, it's windy. Perhaps the storm is past. If this is the worst that it is going to get, I am headed to St. George. It will be on the bus though. Today I am not getting on any boat smaller than the one that I am already on. A ferry ride on those waters would not be pretty.

 

The big question is, “Will it get better, or worse?” The ship’s posted NOAA forecast is from yesterday. It shows the storm even with Bermuda about now. At least I think it does. I ask customer service about the weather. They say that there is a storm passing by. That’s like telling me that I am bald. It is correct, but I already know that. I’m not leaving right now, so we’ll see what happens. I head back to the cabin to prepare for the day. Mrs. Jones surprises me when she says that she want to go to the lido for breakfast. Up there, she can make her oatmeal the way she likes it. Oatmeal for breakfast on a cruise……to me, that’s just wrong.

 

It’s early, so the lido isn’t crowded yet. Mr. Sun has left the building. It is now raining and the wind appears to have increased. St. George is not looking good. While eating, the captain announces that the wind is 50 knots and conditions will get worse. I may not know what 50 knots is in miles per hour, but it’s far too windy to head out. Today will be like a sea day with the ship and deck chairs tied down tightly.

 

The cruise staff is scrambling to add activities to amuse the captive masses. Of course, this includes more trivia sessions. They will be in Frankie and Johnnies, aka the smoking lounge. I pick up today’s puzzle sheet on the way in and start the first Sudoku on the sheet. After a while, I think “this is really hard for a 1 star puzzle.” I am correct. The 5 star puzzle is first on the sheet. That’s sneaky, but I spend the next two hours doing puzzles and trivia.

 

If you do trivia, you get to meet the entire cruise staff, except the CD. Shawn is the assistant CD, he also is the MC for the Punchliner comedy shows in the Mad Hatter lounge. Ben and Rachel are young assistants who preside over many different activities. Simon is an Australian fellow who did progressive trivia and other activities. He introduced most of the shows in the Phantom Theater and also sang at the farewell party. They were all very visible around the ship during the week.

 

I am sitting by the window and can see that it is getting windier and wetter. I can see cars and busses moving on the roads. The boats are all at the docks. A few hardy souls are getting off the ship. About half of them get hit with 50 knots of wisdom and return to the ship. The other half bravely, or insanely, carry on. Later some tell me that they took the bus to Hamilton. It is more proof that nothing can stop a deranged shopping addict. To them, this is not a storm. It’s opportunity.

 

By noon, it looks really nasty. You can’t go to the outside areas of the ship, even if you wanted to. The captain’s update says that the eye has now passed and conditions will improve as the afternoon goes on. We head for the gym to more exercise, steam, and sudsy bliss. Afterward, we head to the lido for a snack. Outside conditions have improved. The wind has diminished and the rain has reduced to periodic bands of showers. It’s a good time for a nap.

 

Around 6, it is good enough to leave the ship. There were (and still are) signs about “Dockyard Harbor Nights” on Thursday evenings. We had planned to check this out. Our walk around the Dockyard and confirm that it is not happening on this Thursday. Some people are walking around. A group of people asks us to take their picture. We learn that they are passengers on the Veendam and rode the bus to the Dockyard. I hope that the ride was good, because nothing is happening here, other than the Frog and Onion is putting the tables and chairs back on their outdoor terrace. The only “damage” that I see is some leaves and a blown over sandwich board ad. I hear that the wind was over 70 (knots or MPH?).

 

Since the day was kind of dull, I will talk about last year’s Dockyard experience. It is a nice place at the west tip of the island chain and I may not give it the justice it deserves. There is a large fort there that the Royal Navy base in Bermuda. The fort has a number of buildings and now houses the Bermuda maritime museum. Oddly enough, the fort also houses the dolphin experience. If you are in the museum, you can view the dolphins pools and people who paid for their dolphin experience. Adjacent to the fort is a place called Snorkel Park Beach. It’s a private man made beach with an admission charge Sunday through Friday. For some reason, Saturday is free. We were there on a Saturday, so we checked the place out. It looked like a place that you can relax and swim. There is also a bar and food. I don’t know how good the snorkeling is, but there are many far better beach options in Bermuda. I would only go here if time was very limited and I was desperate for a dip in the ocean.

 

There are a number of craft shops where the art and glass are made on site. The glass house can be very hot. There many other shops and the usual assortment of shops with touristy things and restaurants. You can also purchase stamps and mail post cards back home. There is a drug store where you can purchase remedies, magazines and newspapers. You can also restock your cabin beverages and munchies there.

 

It is quite walkable, but there is a “train” that shuttles passengers around the area at nor charge

 

Back on board, we head for dinner. Our waiter tonight is Jirawat, a very nice Thai woman. Service is excellent and DW likes her. She decides that she will be our waiter for the remainder of the cruise, even if we have to wait.

 

There is some kind of show scheduled for this evening. We arrive to find out that the scheduled performer didn’t make it to the ship because the flights into Bermuda were cancelled. Malcolm is going to do some kind of improvised show with passenger volunteers, but I choose not to stay. I head back to the cabin for TV and puzzles while DW stays for the show. She tried to describe what they did, but I think that I had to be there to understand what was going on. Anyway, she did find it to be amusing, particularly on short notice.

 

The day ends. I don't know if Maria was a tropical storm or hurricane, but it looks like everyone in Bermuda made it through nicely. Off to sleep. We leave tomorrow afternoon and have to make up for the “missed” port day.

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jmwg49

jmwg49

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I am giggling to myself here, so I will respectfully add my two cents worth!

 

Apparently, my husband and I were among the crazy people who chose to get up and out of there early on that fateful, hurricane-like day!!! We were up and off the ship around 730 in the morning, and as best as we could, we bucked the winds and headed toward the ferry dock!!! We knew the weather had obviously turned for the worse, but thought we are here for a short time, not a long time, and we were determined to solider forward and do out sightseeing, come hell or high water!!!!

 

As we stood, gazing around at the rough seas, the palms bending in the wind, and noticing that it was very obvious WE were the only two out there looking for a means of transportation to Hamilton, a kind gentleman blew in with the wind (he worked at the pier) to inform us that the ferries had been cancelled for the day! Just as we had expected, but we were still determined. We asked about the buses, and he said "Of course the buses will run".....so we waited for the next pink bus to come along, and we got on. There were only 4 people on the bus, but the bus driver said of course she would get us to Hamilton, but it may take a little longer than normal. Eventually, we got off the bus in Hamilton, and much to our surprise and delight, there were actually very few brave souls wandering around the streets in Hamilton. We proceeded to shop, sightsee and do all we had planned in the horrific winds and sometimes rains that forced us inside. We bought a couple of 'disposable' ponchos and tried to keep dry, and made a whirlwind effort at seeing it all. With no crowds to contend with, we managed quite well, however the Cathedral was closed due to high winds. We made our way to Fort Hamilton and 'walked the moat' which was truly an incredible experience. I don't actually think we should have been down there, as the trees were swaying and bending, breaking and crashing down on us down below in the moat area of the fort. But it was beautiful, and would highly recommend it to anyone who makes their way to Hamilton. We eventually got on another bus and thought we would go and see what all the fuss was about Horseshoe Bay!! Obviously, we knew this was not a beach day, but as we had plans for the following day, we knew this was our only opportunity to see this famous beach. We walked down the long hill and finally made our way to the beach. SURPRISE!!! We were the only ones at the beach that day!!!!!! We got some great photos of the waves crashing over the rocks, but the sand being whipped against our faces and legs was not an enjoyable experience. Thankfully, the winds had died down somewhat at this time, and made the walk back up that dreadfully long hill a little bit easier. There were no cabs around, so we were stuck with this long trek! We then caught the next bus heading back toward Dockyard and got off to go and see Gibbs Lighthouse. One again, we walked up, up, up, up, that winding hill, to reach the top only to see a small note attached to the lighthouse gate stating that the lighthouse was closed due to high winds. GRRRRRRRR...but exactly what we were expecting. We took our photographs, rested a bit, and headed back down. We caught the next bus back to the Dockyard, pleased with our adventure for the day. We were somewhat shocked when we boarded the ship around 5 pm to learn that the advice had been not to get off the ship! We learned that some of our new-found friends had ventured out around noon, but we were happy just the same that we didn't miss a beat in our most excellent Bermudian adventure.

 

Thanks for letting me share my vacation with you too!!!! We loved Bermuda and can't wait to go back...with or without a hurricane!

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jmwg49

jmwg49

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You deserve a DOD for that adventure. Thank goodness the ship wasn't ordered to leave. That WOULD have been an adventure. Picturing your description, it sounds like a commercial for something, I just don't know what ! LOL

 

Actually, the bus driver at the Dockyard told us just that! That she had heard of the ships having to leave the pier during this type of weather. But she reassured us that if we came back to find our 'home away from home' no longer there, SOMEBODY would put us up for the night til the ship could return for us! We weren't that concerned about it. Of note, the stores in Hamilton were all open, and the local people didn't seem at all bothered by this storm, as they seemed to take it in stride. Around mid-day there seemed more and more people poking around, but they were off of the Veendam, which was at the pier in Hamilton.

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golfadj

golfadj

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You deserve a DOD for that adventure. Thank goodness the ship wasn't ordered to leave. That WOULD have been an adventure. Picturing your description, it sounds like a commercial for something, I just don't know what ! LOL

 

It wasnt that bad on Thursday just that Canadians named Jill are a bunch of wimps.icon7.gif

 

Nobody from the ship advised us not to go out, basically said the storm would be gone in a few hours.

 

The fun was actually walking into the wind on the way back to the ship.

 

We went out about 10 and took a bus into Hamilton but most of what we wanted to see was closed so we came back to the ship around noon.

 

Did go to Horseshoe bay on Friday and gorgeous beach . Wonder though what happened to the pink sand.

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davy jones

davy jones

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You Canadians are hardy souls. I am in awe of your superior moxie. I salute you.

 

You walked a number of miles in those conditions. Those hills are steep and nasty in good weather. I hope you didn't get close to the edge of Fort Hamilton. You could have been blown off. I am proud to call you my neighbor! :)

 

That's far more interesting than my day.

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jmwg49

jmwg49

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You Canadians are hardy souls. I am in awe of your superior moxie. I salute you.

 

You walked a number of miles in those conditions. Those hills are steep and nasty in good weather. I hope you didn't get close to the edge of Fort Hamilton. You could have been blown off. I am proud to call you my neighbor! :)

 

That's far more interesting than my day.

 

Thank you!!! At least someone appreciates our "Moxie"....take that STU!!!!

 

We had the best time! I'm glad we braved the weather! I guess it is in our blood!

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cruisingcouple2008

cruisingcouple2008

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while Im waiting for the next installment....I'll add this....

 

Delta Dear Jane and JMG Jill two of my cruising friends....how awesome !!!!

 

Jane you must be beside yourself at this point waiting for your cruise and reading this wonderful review....

 

You two should friend each other from my FB so Jane can see all your pics Jill.

 

Jane I bet Poom would love to see them too. Hope you and Captain Morgan are well and that he is healed and ready to sail

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golfadj

golfadj

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knock, knock...

 

Glad to hear there is stuff to see & do in the dockyards.

 

Our pan of attack = on arrival day - go to BAMZ (traveling with a 3 year old)

Day 2 - we have a tour scheduled with Colin

Day 3 - stay close to the ship.

 

We had originally planned to stay close to the ship on day 3 but after day 2 being mostly a washout went to Horseshoe Bay and than Swizzle and very very glad we did.

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