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Back from Bermuda - a few new insights

dalgirl

By dalgirl,
in Bermuda

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dalgirl

dalgirl

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We were in Bermuda last week and I thought I would add a few insights into what we did, how we got around, beaches, etc.

 

Transportation:

 

When you get off the ship the first day, you will go into the small terminal and there is someone there to direct you to the line to buy your transportation tickets. We bought the 3 day pass for my Mother and myself ($35) and a day pass for DH (he did a diving excursion for one day so did not need the extra day pass) - that was $15 for one day. This included all buses and ferries, all day long. Then when you leave the terminal there are people to direct you to ferries and buses and to make sure you are on the right bus for the beaches or for Hamilton - they really have this down to a science. The buses were quite an experience, they even have a tee shirt "I survived the Bermuda bus ride." Very accurate. One young man on our bus was standing and actually threw up in a plastic bag. Mom wanted to take the bus thinking it would not be as rough as the ferry - she was wrong. The ferries are really the best way between the dockyard and Hamilton and St. George. But the buses will take you beyond the cities of Hamilton and St. George and are a great way to see the countryside - so hop a bus. The cost could not be beat and we did not need any excursions to see any part of Bermuda. The main bus terminal is on Church St. near the Cathedral. If you look at your map guide it will list the main sites (Botanical Gardens, Crystal Caves, etc.) in a separate box listing which bus numbers go to those sites - once we confirmed the bus number, we would confirm with the driver if the bus was going where we wanted to go and hop on and he would tell us when to get off - it was really easy to get around. Not all buses are a rollercoaster so don't avoid them altogether.

 

Staying in touch: We actually used the free wifi outside of the public library - they have tables set up at the entrance under the trees and we were able to check email, etc. with no problems and quickly go on our way. The library we used is on Queen St. right off Front St. I had forgotten my Bermuda map and the library staff gave us another one for free. Really very helpful to tourists.

 

Things to do:

 

Our first day we took the bus to Hamilton (take the ferry!) and saw the sights and shopped around this lovely little city. We then took a bus to the Botanical Gardens from the main bus terminal and had lunch in the garden at the little café there. The sandwiches were very good and it was a quiet, pleasant place to eat outside. After touring the garden we took another bus to Horseshoe Bay beach. Mother was disappointed that the beach wasn't really "pink" although you could see some pink flecks in the sand. Do not take any sand - it is against the law with a heavy fine. Buy a souvenir with the sand in the bottle and you will be fine. The beach was very crowded and the water was cold, but it was really beautiful. I did not see anything untoward on the beach or in the water. There is an incline down which DH and I had no problem walking back up to the bus stop, but for those not inclined to walk there is a $2 van ride to the top - Mother chose to do this. We then returned to Hamilton and then back to the ship.

 

Day two was spent in St. George. An easy ferry ride takes you right to where you want to be, among quaint, touristy shops, quiet streets, and a few restaurants. I did purchase some perfume at the perfume shop which was lovely, and we picked up a few other items, but for the most part I found St. George a little "blah." Once you walked around for a while there really was not a lot to see. We took the ferry back, had lunch at the dockyards and did some more site-seeing and shopping there. Since this was our "girls shopping day" DH was glad that he went on his dive (which he enjoyed, but needed a wetsuit for since the water is still cold).

 

Our last day DH and I visited Crystal Caves - Mother thought she was catching a cold, which turned out to be allergies. Since she was not using her pass, DH was able to use it - the 3 day pass was very convenient. We took the ferry to Hamilton, walked up to the main bus terminal, check the map for the correct bus, hopped on, and was dropped off near the cave entrance (we also passed the Aquarium, but decided not to stop). There are actually two caves, but we only went in the one. It is really a small cave by US cave standards which can be really large, but very pretty with a really wonderful backstory of how the cave was discovered (I won't spoil it for the wonderful guides that tell it so well). It was a nice place to visit on our last day. After returning to Hamilton we took the ferry back to the dockyards and the ship.

 

This was a really laid back vacation - a few days to arrive, three days in dock coming and going as you please, and a much faster day to return.

 

We enjoyed our visit and I would visit Bermuda again one day. We met several couples who came for the golf and from what we saw the courses are beautiful and the weather excellent for playing. DH enjoyed the diving, so there is something for everyone.

 

Overall you should not be disappointed. And don't stress out with planning, it is a very easy place to navigate and the people are friendly and helpful - just sit back and enjoy:)

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dsarah

dsarah

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Thanks for the tips. We are headed to Bermuda in June. We'd like to take the ferry to Hamilton and then the bus to Horseshoe Bay, then back to the ship at the Dockyard. Do you happen to know how long the bus ride is to Horseshoe Bay from Hamilton? Then from Horseshoe Bay, do you know if there is a bus going back to the Dockyard from there or would we have to go back to Hamilton and catch the ferry back.

 

Thanks again!

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dalgirl

dalgirl

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Thanks for the tips. We are headed to Bermuda in June. We'd like to take the ferry to Hamilton and then the bus to Horseshoe Bay, then back to the ship at the Dockyard. Do you happen to know how long the bus ride is to Horseshoe Bay from Hamilton? Then from Horseshoe Bay, do you know if there is a bus going back to the Dockyard from there or would we have to go back to Hamilton and catch the ferry back.

 

Thanks again!

 

The buses from Hamilton are not far to Horseshoe Bay. If you plan is to tour Hamilton and then go to the beach, then that is your best bet. If your plan is to go directly to the beach, take the bus that they are filling with beach goers - it will get you there directly.

 

If you take the bus from Horseshoe Bay back to Hamilton, don't expect to get on any bus. There is a bus that comes by and picks up those returning to the ships which saves time. If you try to get on the "regular bus" - those with a few cruisers site-seeing (like us), along with locals, they will tell you not to board (there will be a lot of people at that beach bus stop, all of them cruisers) and the driver will tell you that "another bus is coming and will take you to the dockyard." This means that it is an express and will not make a lot of stops at every bus stop on the route. We were on the regular bus and stopped all the time - it took forever to return. Since we were just site-seeing anyway, this was OK with us.

 

If you take the bus back to the ferry in Hamilton keep in mind that the ferry may only go once an hour, and if it just left, you will have a long wait. So an express bus back to the docks would be a better bet - but ONLY an express back. Otherwise wait for the ferry. Mom did not want to wait so we took a long, bumpy bus ride back to the ship and the ferry got there when we did:(

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dalgirl

dalgirl

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We will be sailing to Bermuda in August. Looking for a recomendation for a good dive shop. Can you share who your husband used?

 

Thanks for the wonderful information!

 

DH did the ships excursion- the only excursion we booked. He has most of his own equipment and it was more convenient to meet on the dock at the ship than go into Hamilton, although we did pass by a shop near the ferry in Hamilton. He said there were people from both ships in port and from the hotels on his dive. They did a great job, very professional, so don't be afraid to just take the excursion if you like. And check out the scuba board for more recommendations if you don't like ship excursions, DH always does the excursion as the cost is comparable.

 

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Forums mobile app

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njhorseman

njhorseman

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Where was your ship docked? we've been doing research and found there are docks that seem to be far apart so trying to plan based on King's Warf.

 

There are two cruise ship docks at the Royal Naval Dockyard, Kings Wharf and Heritage Wharf. All the large ships visiting Bermuda dock at the Dockyard. Kings Wharf and Heritage Wharf are adjacent to each other, so they're not far apart and it makes no difference for planning or any other purpose at which your ship is docked. Normally Royal Caribbean and Celebrity dock at Kings Wharf and NCL at Heritage Wharf. Occasionally (mostly off season) other lines' ships may dock there. I believe the OP was on NCL and docked at Heritage Wharf.

 

There are some smaller ships that go to Bermuda in the off and shoulder seasons and may dock in Hamilton or St. George's.

 

What ship are you on? Here's the 2014 port schedule, which shows where each ship will be docked:

 

http://seaexpress.bm/Documents/Shipping_schedules/2014_Cruise_Ship_Schedule.pdf

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dalgirl

dalgirl

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We were on NCL and celebrity was right there with us at the dock yards. Everything at the dock yards was in easy walking distance to both ships.

 

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Forums mobile app

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