Solo Bachelor’s Bermuda Journey on the Norwegian Breakaway

[Terpsince74]

I failed to pick up a map at Oleanders but knew I had a bunch of maps in my Fodor’s Planning Guide book on Bermuda. I also find it fun to just head in a certain direction and explore the island that way. The ride out of the port was beautiful. The roads were well paved for the most part and you immediately realize how clean Bermuda is. There are so many amazing flowers in the trees that overhang the streets. As I crossed my first bridge it was hard to resist the temptation to enjoy the view of the turquoise waters to my right and left. I tried to keep my eyes on the road and just keep heading away from the port. I was hoping to head to the South Shore beach areas but honestly did not care where I started. I just knew I wanted to end up at a beach sooner or later. I then crossed Somerset Bridge so figured I was still heading the right way. The funny thing about islands is they look so small when looking at maps but they are always bigger than you realize. It takes longer to get around than you might think, especially on a slow 50cc scooter. One trick I learned quickly was to gun it as soon as you saw a hill coming as it would chug up the hills LOL!

As I continued on my journey I ended up getting lost. That is part of the fun of it. Soon I was approaching signs for Hamilton which was one place I was trying to avoid. I decided to turn around and stop at a gas station for directions. A super nice fellow came over and told me to head back in another direction to find the South Shore beaches. He also gave me a tip to make sure I secured my bag better in the basket. He said that people will just roll up to you and snatch your bag if you are not careful. I never came close to anything like this happening but of course it put me on edge a bit more. I decided to throw my bag in the basket first and cover it with a towel. Oleander provided a few bungee cords to strap things in nice and tightly and that worked out just fine. I headed back in the direction I came and made a turn at the light I thought I was suggested to take. Before I knew it I was on North Shore Road. I decided to pull over for a coffee and start looking at my maps as I was all sorts of turned around. I found a nice outdoor restaurant overlooking the water. You could actually see the Breakaway and Celebrity docked out in the distance.

 

The guy that worked there came out and helped me get my bearings straight on where I was on the map. He said there were a number of beaches on the North coast and suggested I try some of those. He also brought out a bag of bread and said watch this. He threw a piece of bread into the water and a swarm of fish came up to the surface and started eating the bread. It was very cool. The fish actually seemed to sense the bread before it was even close to the water as you could see them swim towards where the bread would land in the water. Here is a video I shot of that…

 

http://s1316.photobucket.com/user/terpcruiser/media/M4H00795_zpsa1f93b30.mp4.html

 

I can picture this being a great place to eat lunch or dinner with the great views. I wish I had taken down the name of it. Just one of the many super friendly people I met in Bermuda. Such a refreshing experience. The world could use some time in Bermuda to learn how to treat people properly.

 

I decided to try the closest beach to the restaurant so I headed over to Shelly Bay Beach. It was not anything special and it was a bit cloudy but was still nice. I went for a quick swim and decided to leave shortly after.

 

 

I decided since I was this close that I might as well check out the town of St George. I had also heard that there was a cool beach up there called Tobacco Bay. After riding around for a bit I stumbled upon The Swizzle Inn. I had heard so many great things about this place so decided to stop by for lunch.

 

 

Lunch- The Swizzle Inn

This ended up being the original Swizzle Inn that I stumbled upon. There is another one a bit closer to the port but was glad to visit the original. As I was pulling into the parking lot I parked my scooter and then started heading in. As soon as I did that a lady on a scooter ended up colliding with a number of other parked scooters as she was trying to park hers. It sounded as if her accelerator jammed on her and she lost control. I was somewhat lucky as she took out at least 6-7 scooters and somehow missed mine. I counted my blessings and headed in for lunch.

I was seated right away and chose to eat on the outdoor deck on the first floor. The Swizzle Inn is known for creating one of the more popular drinks on the island called the Rum Swizzle. It is made with orange juice, pineapple juice, rum and tripel sec.

 

 

At first I thought I would avoid the alcohol since I was on the scooter, but decided you have to have at least one Rum Swizzle. I ordered the rum swizzle and also ordered their famous Swizzleburger (a bacon cheese burger). The rum swizzle was good but a bit tart. I decided to order a ginger beer for lunch which is a like a sweeter version of a ginger ale. It was so good that I ordered 2 or 3 while I ate. The burger was really good as were the fries. I can picture this being a great place to go with a large group of friends. Make sure you take a taxi as the Rum Swizzles can creep up on you from what I hear. After lunch I headed upstairs to buy a few souvenirs.

 

 

As I left the Swizzle Inn I also spotted Baileys Ice Cream parlor which I had heard a lot about. I made a mental note to try to swing by there later as I heard that their ice cream was to die for.

I got back on the scoter and before I knew it was near the airport. I knew I was going the right way as St. George was just beyond the airport. Thankfully I was able to follow some signs and find my way to St. George.

 

Town of St. George

It was a bit overcast at that time so I figured this was a perfect time to get out and walk around for a bit. I parked my scooter and started walking around. I did not realize it at the time but read up on it later. St. George was founded in 1612 and is one of the oldest towns in the Western Hemisphere. I loved the windy streets and colorful buildings that lined them.

 

 

I took a stroll down to see Town Hall as well as the Harbor.

 

 

 

[Terpsince74]

I also stumbled upon St Peters Church which happens to be the oldest, continuously operated Anglo church in the western hemisphere dating back to 1620. They were collecting $5 to preserve the church so I decided to donate. I also figured it could not hurt being that I needed all the help I could get riding a scooter around the island for the next few days.

 

 

 

From there I walked around the town a bit more. I saw another Oleander Cycles location and decided to walk in. I told them I needed a more detailed map and they provided me with one that was super helpful. They also directed me to the beach at Tobacco Bay which happened to be pretty close by to St. George.

 

Tobacco Bay Beach

I finally arrived at one of the more famous beaches of Bermuda mid afternoon. The weather was starting to clear up and get sunny.

 

 

 

I was a bit nervous being by myself to leave my stuff alone while swimming but quickly realized that there were many Breakaway passengers laying out. I could tell by their blue NCL towels. My advice for solo travelers is to keep an eye out for the blue NCL towels and make friends with the people sitting on the beach near you. I told them I was on my own and if someone came over to grab my stuff, they were stealing it LOL!

 

 

I decided to just take a swim and as soon as I got into the water I realized that a family of people that I knew from the Vibe were out there. We exchanged hellos and talked for a good while. I told them about my scooter ventures and they were impressed. They had taken a cab out to this beach. It was pretty but I would not rank it super high on my list of favorite beaches. It was very shallow which probably makes for great snorkeling but that is not my thing. It is also a good beach for kids I would think since it is so shallow.

It was very peaceful out there and the beach had a bar and restaurant which made for a nice setup. It also had wifi. I quickly learned that the beaches had the best wifi connections. If you can wait to connect to the internet until you are on the beach I would suggest it. I was not happy with the internet connection at the port. Before I knew it my friends from the Breakaway were leaving as they had to get back to catch a cab or bus back to the ship. It was then that I realized just how handy it was to have a scooter for transportation. As soon as they left a lady and her friend strolled by and offered me a drink. I wish I could say this happens to me all of the time! LOL! I of course said yes and enjoyed a Dark & Stormy with them. A Dark & Stormy is made by mixing Gosling’s Black Seal Rum and Ginger Beer. It was an awesome drink and much better than the rum swizzle so said my taste buds. I returned the favor and bought them drinks. They told me that they travel to Bermuda often and gave me some great pointers for my next day in Bermuda. They suggested I make it over to Gibbs Lighthouse. I had read about that but forgotten all about it. After letting the drinks wear off I had to hit the road. Being that I was all the way on the opposite part of the island I did not want to risk riding after the sun went down. As I was leaving the parking lot I spotted a rooster just roaming around. You saw this a lot out near St George.

 

[Terpsince74]

I made what I thought was the correct turn out of Tobacco Bay beach and quickly realized I was headed in the wrong direction. Once I turned around I was eventually back near the airport.

 

Clearwater Beach and Turtle Bay Beach

I saw some signs for Clearwater Beach and Turtle Bay beach so decided to check them out real quickly. It was getting late in the afternoon/evening but both beaches were pretty empty. I can imagine these being nice remote beaches where you can enjoy a swim by yourself or with a significant other. I could be wrong but both were nice as you can see from the below pictures. Clearwater has a nice playground which would be good for kids. I believe I read in my Fodor’s Bermuda book that Clearwater Beach is one of the few beaches on the island with lifeguards in the summer.

 

This is Clearwater Beach...

The playground at Clearwater Beach...

 

 

This is Turtle bay...

 

 

As I headed back across the causeway from the airport I saw Bailey’s Ice cream parlor and decided that I would not be back up this way so should grab an ice cream.

 

Bailey’s Ice Cream Parlor

Apparently this is a very popular ice cream parlor in Bermuda so I had to check it out. I tried the Coconut ice cream and it was awesome. If you are in this part of the island you should try this place out. I spoke with the owner briefly who was a super nice lady. Spotting a trend here yet? Bermuda may be the friendliest place on earth.

 

After studying my map again at Bailey’s I decided to try to make my way back towards the port via South Road which hugs the southern coastline. I made my way down through Tucker’s Point Golf Course. Wow that was a beautiful course. One of these days I will have to drag my buds out to Bermuda for a golfing trip and a more extended stay at The Swizzle Inn. I hear there are some amazing courses on the island. I finally found South Road after looking for it half of the day. Before too long I could see the water from high atop South Road. There were some amazing views from up there. I started seeing signs for some of the famous beaches that I had heard about as I passed Elbow Beach, Jobson’s Cove, and Horseshoe Bay. Horseshoe Bay was number one on my list for day 2 as was Gibb’s Lighthouse. Before too long I was back on Middle Road and passing some familiar buildings so I knew I was headed back the right way towards Heritage Wharf.

 

As I got close to the port, I decided to pull over to take a few nice pictures.

 

 

 

I made it back just before the sun went down thankfully. The site of the Breakaway lit up in the distance was a welcoming feeling. I made it back! I was not quite sure where I could park but as I rode up towards the ship I saw the line of scooters. You could park right outside the ship towards the aft corner. It was amazingly convenient!

 

 

[Terpsince74]

 

Dinner- Garden Cafe

After a long day of exploring Bermuda I was starving and pretty exhausted. I headed straight up to the Garden Café for dinner to see what my options looked like. I did not feel like doing anything too formal. They had a pasta station and that was just what the doctor ordered. I ordered a pasta primavera with sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms. It was delicious. I used the wine machine for the first time on the trip and was amazed how good the wine was there as well. I had a little more ice cream for dessert from the soft-serve machine. It was good but a tough compare after eating Bailey’s earlier.

 

 

After dinner I headed back off the ship to see about buying a 3 day wifi connection. Unfortunately the place closed at 6. I am someone that cannot stand to be away from the internet for too long but I was not missing it one bit while on this trip. The sign of a good vacation! I was looking around for the Frog & Onion Pub to see what that place was all about but never did end up finding it. I took some pictures of the ship lit up at night time and then decided to head back onto the ship to see what was going on that evening. I figured that I would head out to Hamilton most nights but never did. The best nightlife was on the ship from what I could tell. Everything closed right at midnight around the dockyard from what I could tell.

 

Wednesday Nightlife

I was exhausted from the long day but did manage to head out for a few drinks. I was excited to share my experiences of the day and also learn what other people did that day. I ran into a few people. One lady went with her kid to a place called Coco Reef Resort. http://www.cocoreefbermuda.com/ She loved it and said they served 2 amazing meals while also having access to a beach and pool. I made a mental note to consider that my next time in Bermuda (yes I will be going back someday for sure) as it sounded like fun. I also made plans for dinner the next night with a friend who said she had a bottle of wine from her latitudes points which I told her I would gladly help her drink! I called it an early night Wednesday and thankfully passed on ordering late night wings LOL!

[Terpsince74]

Day 5- Thursday July 11th, 2013- Bermuda

I woke up fairly early that Thursday as I wanted to get out to Horseshoe Bay and beat the crowds as I heard that beach gets packed early.

 

Breakfast- Café at the Atrium

I went down to the Café at the Atrium again for another coffee and lobster tail. I studied my map over breakfast as I wanted to make sure I found my way quickly to South Shore Rd.

 

I headed out and was on my scooter in no time. The weather was perfect and enjoyed another great ride away from the port. I missed the right hand turn I was supposed to take so decided to pull over at the same gas station I did the day earlier. They suggested I head back and take the first left turn. This ended up working well and was a nice short cut from Middle Road to South Road by way of the Fairmont Southampton Hotel. Keep an eye out for the Fairmont Southampton Hotel. It is hard to miss as it is high up on a hill and pink in color. You take a steep road up to the hotel and just follow the signs to the South Rd. Soon enough I was on South Rd and quickly found the entrance to Horseshoe Bay beach.

 

Horseshoe Bay beach

This is the top rated beach in Bermuda from what I could tell and you can see why by this picture.

 

 

The turquoise waters are amazing. I got to the beach around 10am and there was plenty of beach front space available. I decided to rent a chair that reclined and had cup holders. I also signed up for a 3 hour wifi package. They suggested that you stay closer to the building where the wifi antenna was. I found a nice spot on the beach surrounded by blue NCL beach towels. I quickly introduced myself to my neighbors and let them know I was on my own. They were all very friendly and a nice Canadian family promised me to keep an eye on my stuff while I went for a swim. The water was the perfect temperature and beautiful. There were a number of small rocks that you could swim out to. I climbed a few and dove into the water copying what many of the kids were doing. What can I say, I am still a kid a heart!

 

 

When I got back onshore I decided to grab a Dark & Stormy which they were selling in cans. I picked up a Budweiser for the gentleman that offered to keep an eye on my bags (since that is what he had been drinking). We chatted for a little while and off I went to try the internet out on my phone. The wifi connection was superv. I could not believe how far onto the beach it reached. I sent my friends and family at home this picture to rub it in as they were likely sitting at work lol!

 

 

On one group text I sent out with the picture I did have to walk up closer to the building to get it to finally send but everything else was just fine. I caught up on a number of text messages from friends and family that I had missed while being off the grid. The trick is to just stay on airplane mode but to access the internet via wifi. That way you don’t get hit with any roaming charges. Most of my friends have iphones so I was able to send them imessages while on the wifi network.

 

I then decided to go do a bit of exploring. I had heard there are a number of cool places you can walk around and check out along the shore there at Horseshoe Bay. Little coves and rocks to climb. I decided to just climb up the rocks to the right hand side of the beach. These are the rock formations you see on all the pictures advertising Horseshoe Bay.

 

Just to the right of the large rock formation there is a small cove that many families had their kids playing in. It was like a natural baby pool. Pretty neat.

 

Here are some of the amazing pictures I took from high atop the rocks I climbed. Beautiful huh?

 

 

 

Horseshoe Bay is an absolute must. I think it ended up working out well that I visited this beach on day 2. It sounds like this is the first place people go to on day 1. It got crowded but there was always a place to layout and the beach is huge.

 

After spending another hour or so just relaxing on the beach I decided it was time to change venues. The Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse was nearby so I decided to go see what that was all about.

[Terpsince74]

Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse

Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse is easy to get to from Horeshoe Bay. You just turn left on South road coming out of the Horseshoe Bay entrance heading west (back towards the port) and then turn right on Lighthouse Rd. I passed Henry VIII Restaurant & Bar which is on the corner of South Rd and Lighthouse Rd. I decided I would stop there for lunch on my way back. I parked my scooter and walked up to the lighthouse. There was a $2.50 fee to climb the 185 steps to the top. The lighthouse is 117 feet tall and has been in service since 1846 and was not automated until 1969. Each floor has pictures and tells the story of the history of the lighthouse. The climb up to the top is worth the effort as the top platform offers breathtaking panoramic views of Bermuda. You can even make out the ships docked at Heritage Wharf if you look close enough in the below pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

As I was leaving the Lighthouse I noticed that they had a really nice looking restaurant that offered spectacular views of the water right next to the lighthouse. I think it would be worth checking out sometime for lunch or dinner. It looked pretty fancy so am just taking a wild guess that the food is good.

[Terpsince74]

Lunch- Henry VIII Restaurant & Bar

I had read that this restaurant was definitely worth trying out. They are known for their fish & chips, classic pub atmosphere, and a great selection of beers. I decided to sit at the bar and said hello to some of the other local patrons who were sitting at the bar enjoying a cricket match and having lunch. The bartender came over and was super friendly. I decided to order fish & chips along with a pint of Boddingtons beer. The locals all nodded their head in approval of my order so I figured I was in good shape. These folks were friends with the bartender so we all just sat their talking about sports and Bermuda in general. One of their friends left and offered me the rest of his chips (fries). I took a pass but could not believe the gesture (I swear I am not making this up). I had heard about the huge cricket matches that dominate the July-August timeframe. Apparently there are some big rivalries between the teams from St George and the other parts of the island. These guys were more into soccer though so we talked a lot about the English premier league. They also said they get into the NFL a bit. It was amazing to me that an island not too far off the coast of the US still had so much British influence. The fish & chips were great as was the beer.

 

 

 

The guys at the bar got to talking about the bartender named Maurice who had recently won an award for best drink invention on the island. I told him I would love to try it if I was not on the scooter and he totally understood. I recommend you head in to visit Maurice sometime and try the fish & chips as well as his signature cocktail. The restaurant also has some cool outdoor seating. I imagine it is also a great place to enjoy dinner while the sun is going down.

 

 

As I was leaving the manager of the restaurant came over and I asked him if it was alright if I snapped a picture of him with his Bermuda shorts/socks. This is typical of many people around the island. I saw many people riding scooters going to work dressed just like this.

 

 

I was considering trying another beach out for the rest of the afternoon but it was starting to get late. I really wanted to also try Elbow Beach and regret not visiting there. I will have to try it on my next trip to Bermuda! I decided to just head back to the ship.

 

 

You can see in the below picture just how close to the ships you can park your scooters...

 

[Terpsince74]

Wifi/Jetski tour purchase

Before heading onto the ship I decided to go buy a 2 day access card for the wifi in port. I also decided to sign up for the jetski tour the following morning. I had already determined that I would stick around the port on my final day in Bermuda as I did not want to risk missing the sailaway. The jetski tour was $135 for 90 minutes. I signed up for the 10 am session so I could sleep in a bit and not feel rushed.

 

 

Since I had a balcony towards the aft of the ship and we were docked on the port side, I figured I would test the wifi connection from up there. I had heard that some people were able to access the internet from their balconies. I was bummed to learn that it just could not connect. Maybe it was because I was all the way up on the 13th deck. The signal was not quite strong enough to be able to use it on the balcony. It was also pretty hot out there at that time of day to enjoy it anyways. I got it to work the next day but found that you really had to walk right on up close to the hut (where I purchased it) to use it. It was only $10-$15 so not the biggest waste but I would not recommend it. I would rather just pay for the wifi at the beaches.

 

Vibe & Spa

After giving up on the internet, I decided to go relax at Vibe and grab a few drinks. I told the bartender Marcial that I had survived 2 days on the scooter and we joked about that a bit. He told me they beat the Celebrity guys in his soccer game which I was sorry I missed. It was very hot up there so decided to hit the hot tub. When it is really hot like that, they turn the heater off so that the water is cool. It was very refreshing. I spent an hour up there and then decided to hit the thermal spa for a bit before dinner. The spa was nice and empty while in port so that was a nice change from the crowded beaches. I read for a little while on the loungers before heading down to get ready for dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner- Ocean Blue/Raw Bar

I met up with my friend for dinner and we decided to try the Ocean Blue Raw Bar. I was in mood for sushi again and but she wanted to try something light from the Ocean Blue menu. I cannot quite remember how this worked but I was able to order off of the Raw Bar sushi menu while she was able to order a fish dish off of the Ocean Blue menu I believe. We sat outside and had no trouble getting a table. It was fairly late (around 9ish) when we sat down but was again surprised it was so easy to enjoy outdoor seating. My sushi was very good and fresh and I tried her fish dish too which was also great. She had a bottle of white wine which they brought out for us and it was a nice dry wine that we both enjoyed.

Thursday Nightlife

 

 

From there we went up to Spice H2O and met up with our newly formed group of friends. We enjoyed dancing for a while and then took the party down to Bliss Ultra Lounge for some late night partying. It was a fun and late night. I believe it was also a wing night at O’sheehan’s (always the sign of a good night)!

[cherylroslyn]

Wifi/Jetski tour purchase

Before heading onto the ship I decided to go buy a 2 day access card for the wifi in port. I also decided to sign up for the jetski tour the following morning. I had already determined that I would stick around the port on my final day in Bermuda as I did not want to risk missing the sailaway. The jetski tour was $135 for 90 minutes. I signed up for the 10 am session so I could sleep in a bit and not feel rushed.

 

 

Since I had a balcony towards the aft of the ship and we were docked on the port side, I figured I would test the wifi connection from up there. I had heard that some people were able to access the internet from their balconies. I was bummed to learn that it just could not connect. Maybe it was because I was all the way up on the 13th deck. The signal was not quite strong enough to be able to use it on the balcony. It was also pretty hot out there at that time of day to enjoy it anyways. I got it to work the next day but found that you really had to walk right on up close to the hut (where I purchased it) to use it. It was only $10-$15 so not the biggest waste but I would not recommend it. I would rather just pay for the wifi at the beaches.

 

Vibe & Spa

After giving up on the internet, I decided to go relax at Vibe and grab a few drinks. I told the bartender Marcial that I had survived 2 days on the scooter and we joked about that a bit. He told me they beat the Celebrity guys in his soccer game which I was sorry I missed. It was very hot up there so decided to hit the hot tub. When it is really hot like that, they turn the heater off so that the water is cool. It was very refreshing. I spent an hour up there and then decided to hit the thermal spa for a bit before dinner. The spa was nice and empty while in port so that was a nice change from the crowded beaches. I read for a little while on the loungers before heading down to get ready for dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner- Ocean Blue/Raw Bar

I met up with my friend for dinner and we decided to try the Ocean Blue Raw Bar. I was in mood for sushi again and but she wanted to try something light from the Ocean Blue menu. I cannot quite remember how this worked but I was able to order off of the Raw Bar sushi menu while she was able to order a fish dish off of the Ocean Blue menu I believe. We sat outside and had no trouble getting a table. It was fairly late (around 9ish) when we sat down but was again surprised it was so easy to enjoy outdoor seating. My sushi was very good and fresh and I tried her fish dish too which was also great. She had a bottle of white wine which they brought out for us and it was a nice dry wine that we both enjoyed.

Thursday Nightlife

 

 

From there we went up to Spice H2O and met up with our newly formed group of friends. We enjoyed dancing for a while and then took the party down to Bliss Ultra Lounge for some late night partying. It was a fun and late night. I believe it was also a wing night at O’sheehan’s (always the sign of a good night)!

More legs....Thank you Jesus!!!!!!

 

 

:) seriously you should double post this review over on the Solo Board......

Edited August 7, 2013 by cherylroslyn

[lostone65]

Great review and beautiful pictures!

[tiffygirl]

EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT REVIEW! Thanks for posting!!!

Edited August 7, 2013 by tiffygirl

[Terpsince74]

Hi!! I am loving your review!!! I am so glad we met! You have to come hang at the jersey shore this summer!!!

Lisa

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Hi Lisa,

It was awesome meeting you too! Yes a trip up to the Jersey Shore sounds like a must. I will call you to set something up! :)

[turquoise 6]

You have to book certain category room to use Haven ( mostly suites and most expensive). Vibe is adults-only area. You have to buy a weekly pass.

 

OH OK , thanks for the info. I thought I could book the Vibe online,but NCL

said that I have to buy the passes on board

[russianmom]

Great review and excellent pictures!!!!

 

Hoping to make it back to Bermuda next summer :D

[NYGirl1002]

I love your review and your pictures are fabulous. I'm glad you had such a good time.

 

Thanks for the tips.

[bingo3]

Thanks so much for your review!! I am anal and a planner, for budgetting purposes, can you tell me about what the wi-fi costs were at the beaches?

Thanks!

debbie

[Terpsince74]

Hi Debbie

I think it was about $8 for 3 hours

[Terpsince74]

Day 6- Friday July 12th, 2013- Bermuda

I was able to sleep in for a bit on Friday as I did not have too many plans for the day. I had the jetski tour planned for 10 am, had to return my scooter eventually, and also wanted to knock out some shopping for my family.

 

 

Breakfast- Café at the Atrium

I went down to the Café at the Atrium again for another coffee. I decided to try the regular canoli instead of the lobster tail. The canoli surprisingly was not that great. I have had better in DC. I then strolled over to the jetski dock aroud 9:45 as instructed.

Jetski Tour- KS Watersports, Royal Naval Dockyard

The jetski dock was literally right out in front of where our ships were docked so it was easy to get to.

 

 

The tour guide talked to us for a brief minute about how to use the jetskis and what we should do if we fell off. He explained that there were some rocks and reef that we needed to be on the lookout for and that it was important to follow the person in front of you. It sounds like this is the reason they don’t let you just freelance with your jetski wherever you want. Even the shallow hulled jetskis can do damage to the reefs and conversely the reefs can damage the jetskis. They also rented out tiny Boston Whalers that are very shallow and those you can take out on your own without a tour guide. I think I might try that the next time out with a 6 pack of beers.

 

I have ridden jetskis many times so this was nothing new but it was fun to do a tour. At first I stayed behind the guide but decided to lag behind at the back later into the trip. This allowed me to do some 360s and mess around a little bit jumping wakes and what not.

 

The tour guide took us out to the shipwreck of the HMS Vixen. There are a ton of fish that swim in that area. We also saw a few sea turtles while out there. From there he took us to a small remote beach to jump out and take a quick swim. The tour was fun, the right amount of time, and we really were able to open them up and go pretty fast. I would recommend this for your last day in port. It worked out perfectly time wise. There are also some smaller remote beaches that are not too far away from the port I also considered hitting that day but did not. I just wish I had brought my camera as there was a nice compartment to keep it from not getting wet.

 

 

I then rode over to return my scooter. That process was quick and simple. From there I did some shopping around the dockyard and also got some stuff in the building connected to Heritage Wharf. By the time I was finished shopping it was about 2:30. I took one last picture of the Breakaway in Bermuda.

 

 

 

 

I decided to head up to Vibe to hang out up there for a bit. I had some beers and decided I would head back to room and enjoy my balcony for my sailaway from the port.

 

Sailaway/Late Lunch

I decided to just order a bucket of beers (even though it was not on my UBP) and also ordered a pepperoni pizza from room service. The food and beer got there within 20-30 minutes. The pizza was huge and pretty good. The had guys using these machines to wash the balcony windows before we left port.

 

 

It was fun watching everyone hurry back to the ship. As it started to get closer to departure time we started hearing them page a number of people. I think they were looking for 5 people in total. The ship had started its engines and time was really getting close. Soon after we saw a guy running with his kid. Shortly after that a lady came sprinting up. Everyone was hollering from their balconies encouraging her to run faster. I felt a little bad for her but it was honestly super funny. We were glad they made on board even though I am sure it was a bit embarrassing for them. I hear this is a ritual that people do on cruises. I will definitely take part in it again and hope that is never me LOL! I only counted 3 people so not sure if the other 2 got left behind or if they ended up finding them already onboard.

 

As the ship started sailing away I called my folks who were watching on the Port Bermuda webcam. If you don’t have this bookmarked, I would suggest you do. Here is the link… http://www.portbermudawebcam.com/

My parents actually saw me as they zoomed in on us as we left port. That was a pretty cool experience. I sat on the balcony for a while and then headed back up to Vibe for the rest of the sailaway.

 

 

[Terpsince74]

From Vibe you could see how narrow of a trench the cruise ships have to navigate to get in and out of Bermuda. There are very shallow reefs that you can clearly see from the below pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is another leg shot for the ladies! LOL!

 

 

 

 

It felt as if they were only 50 feet away from the ship. No wonder there were so many shipwrecks around Bermuda before technology was around. I spent a few hours up at Vibe just relaxing in the hot tubs as we sailed away and finally reached open water.

 

 

Dinner- Garden Cafe

Since I had such a late lunch I was not super hungry until later in the evening. I ended up going back to the Garden Café for a small bite once it got dark. I got a hot dog and a salad. Not sure if they were serving the same hot dogs from the hot dog carts up there or not but it was pretty good with mustard.

 

Fireworks

Friday night was firework night. Everyone was saying that you could best view the fireworks from the pool deck over looking the port side of the ship. It was getting pretty crowded and it was only 9:15pm. They were saying the fire works would start around 10. I did not feel like waiting up on the pool deck so I went over to Spice H2O to see how it looked. It was starting to get very crowded on the port side so I went over to the bar and hung out for a bit (on the starboard side). I saw a few folks that I chatted with for a bit. I decided I would just roll the dice and see if I could enjoy the fireworks from my balcony on deck 13. Soon after I got settled on the balcony the firework show started. You could see them perfectly from my balcony. It was hard to hear the synchronized music but I really did not care about that. The show lasted longer than I thought it would and the fireworks display were better than I thought they would be. If you have a portside or even mid-ship balcony, I would recommend you watch the fireworks from your balcony. It is so much better than having to stand around waiting with all of the crowds.

 

 

Here are a few videos I shot of the fireworks from my balcony…

 

http://s1316.photobucket.com/user/terpcruiser/media/M4H00978_zpsb8b04e8e.mp4.html

 

http://s1316.photobucket.com/user/terpcruiser/media/M4H00977_zps483465b5.mp4.html

 

Friday Nightlife

After the fireworks ended I headed up to Spice H2O and met up with everyone. We had a blast that night. Everyone was saying that this was the night to party as most people take it easy on the final night. That sounded like a good plan to me especially after a few drinks. We danced up at Spice H2O and then continued the party down at Bliss Ultra Lounge. That seemed to be the routine. Spice would start dying down around midnight and everyone would then head down to Bliss after that. I made plans to have dinner with another one of my newly formed friends. The plan would be for Teppanyaki with her and her daughter the following night.

 

I am headed to a Bachelor Party in Vegas tomorrow so am sorry I was not able to complete this before leaving but was thankful to get through Bermuda section at least. I am hoping to be able to finish this up on the flight back on Monday. Stay tuned…

[KerCar]

Still loving your review! I'll be Bermuda bound for the 5th time in a few weeks. Definitely one of my favorite places to visit. Your story about the Henry the VIII reminded me of one of my all-time favorite Bermuda memories~happy hour with the locals at one of the pubs in Hamilton. It was my first time there and I couldn't believe how incredibly friendly and welcoming everyone was!

 

I highly recommend renting a Boston Whaler next time you are there. We did this last time and had a blast. We dropped anchor and hung out on a small deserted island for a couple of hours. Priceless! :)

[newcruiser48]

Woo Hoo! Thanks for the leg shot, lol! Loving your review.

[Ms.Eva]

I love your review. You went on right after me. Glad there was a fireworks show, as I thought it was just for the Fourth of July. Mom and I were on port side and we watched the fireworks from our balcony (and participated in a group sing a long of The Star Spangled Banner), watching it from the balcony was awesome.

 

Anyway, great review!

[OnTheGoMom921]

Great review and photos! We loved Bermuda and can't wait to return. But until then, I can just enjoy all the reviews posted here on CC. Lovely pictures, especially the ones from up on the rocks at Horseshoe. Just Beautiful!!

[kba1988]

OMG!! Such a fabulous review. I feel like I'm right there with you! Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. We are sailing in September, and we plan on visiting some of the places you showed here. Thanks, again.!!

[kittykittygrrl]

This was an amazing trip report! Thanks for ask the pictures and details. Looked like a great time and so excited for my first cruise later this year. You had so many recommendations and tips. Truly appreciated!

 

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