Our amazing trip to Bermuda on the Summit: pictures, tips, guides, and opinions

[PathfinderEss]

Wonderful review and awesome photo's. Really enjoying it all and looking forward to the rest of your report.:)

[Eiansmomma]

Wednesday, June 4th Continued

A Simple Guide to Horseshoe Beach

 

We got off the boat easily as we waited until about 10:00. Essentials: We had a backpack with two Celebrity-provided beach towels, a ziploc of sunscreen, a smaller ziploc for our cash, driver’s lisences, and seapasses. We also took a giant bottle of water and pre-packaged granola snacks in case we needed a little something. I am not a fan of eating fast food at the beach and didn’t want to leave what food we would find at the beach to chance. On the boat itself, there were no lines to exit. Etiquette: I read about this in my guide book and it seemed to be true. Always greet locals with a “Good Morning”, etc., even people you see on the street passing by. It’s not like living in NYC where it’s acceptable not to make eye contact with random people on the street. In Bermuda, strangers will tell you “Good Morning” and it is considered rude not to smile and say it back. Also, officially swimsuits are not allowed on the busses. Of course, everyone breaks that rule, but make sure you have dry towel on which to sit if you are still at all wet. You will be asked to sit on a towel, so just make sure you have one out. Don’t stress your driver out. Last, make sure you have an acceptable cover up on top of your swimsuit.I had read it was a modest culture and from what I saw, it’s true. We had a quick security check of our backpack by Bermudian officials and then we were good to go. Courtesy Shuttle: As soon as you exit the dock structure checkpoint, you are under a covered pavilion. You can wait underneath that area for a courtesy shuttle that will take you over to the busses/ferries and shopping area. The shuttle is a long trolley and it's hard to miss. Note though that the shuttle picks up from just across the road. You may want to go ahead and cross when you see the shuttle in the distance. It’s just nice to be able to wait in the shade. We actually only took the shuttle once due to an unfortunate mishap, but I’ll get to that later. All of the transportation is an easy walk if you don’t have any mobility problems. Our first stop was for transportation passes which are located just to the right when you exit the security check. We waited in a less than five minute line and asked about the ticket booklets. They didn’t have those, but the official told us they could be obtained at the visitor center in Hamilton. Well, that would mean a ferry ride of $4.50 each just to get to Hamilton and then a bus ride to the beach. No thanks. We purchased two $25 transportation passes which are just so easy to use and we at least broke even with them if not a bit ahead. We continued on until we saw a very large color coded signs that gave clear instructions on where things were, however before I could fully even look at it, we were approached by a local who kindly pointed us towards a big pink bus with a line full of tourists in front of it. This was the express bus, he said, and it is the same cost as the regular “local” #7 bus you could take to get to the beach, it just gets there faster as it goes straight to the hot destinations. That sounded good to us. We joined the queue and didn’t wait long before a bus pulled up.

 

 

 

I also read in the book about etiquette on the island. I have started doing two things because of this:

 

1) I've been prepping my kids (and husband) on the importance of following the islands customs and beliefs etc.

 

2) I have started trying to make eye contact with more people here in the States. I have also started greeting more people with a "hi or hello, how are you today" or just a simple smile etc. I'm really surprised at the number of people who DO NOT look at you while passing. And those that do look and I smile at or greet get really nervous and will quickly look away.

[meatball_nyc]

Loving your review, photos and helpful information!

Thank you so much :)

 

 

~Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

[dani negreanu]

I relish and enjoy your review and pics. You have a gift with words and a real talent with descriptions....

This cruise to Bermuda seems like a very good option for us, who have to make a 12h flight to New York, and then south, to Miami, etc., if we want to see some exotic places. Leaving from New Jersey and "saving" another flight is quite appealing to me :D

Thank you for taking precious time from your holiday to "entertain" us. Enjoy the rest of the cruise, I'll keep reading till "the END" ;)

 

Dani[ela]

[LunaSeaRetreat]

Thanks so much for your wonderful review. Just booked for this July. Now I won't spend all of my time planning. I'll just follow yours.:D

Cynthia

[whycruisewhynot]

Thanks so much for your wonderful review. Just booked for this July. Now I won't spend all of my time planning. I'll just follow yours.:D

Cynthia

 

I was thinking the same thing, booked last weekend for July 6th sailing. Love that a planner has already done my normal work!

[funNJfamily]

I just booked Summit as a surprise for my wife. I can't wait to read thru this thread.

[miched]

I also read in the book about etiquette on the island. I have started doing two things because of this:

 

1) I've been prepping my kids (and husband) on the importance of following the islands customs and beliefs etc.

 

2) I have started trying to make eye contact with more people here in the States. I have also started greeting more people with a "hi or hello, how are you today" or just a simple smile etc. I'm really surprised at the number of people who DO NOT look at you while passing. And those that do look and I smile at or greet get really nervous and will quickly look away.

 

Don't limit it to the people on Bermuda. The workers, and staff on board the ship also say good morning or greet you in some way. They also like to be acknowledged and not be ignored like chopped liver.

 

I always find that a smile gets good results no matter where I am. I even find that it gets fantastic results when someone flips me the bird especially if they can hear me also say thank you, give me another.

 

🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Viva_la_Vida]

Great review so far. We are leaving this Sunday on the Summit. So this has been great to read and get an idea of some things to do. The question that I have, are the tasting classes free? Where do you pay for the world wine tour classes. We have sailed with Disney before and those types of classes filled up fast and had to be signed up for ahead of time at guest services. Is it the same with Celebrity? Thanks for the help and looking forward to reading more.

 

Hi Again, I managed to locate the wine flyer we were given at dinner. Hope it helps.

 

Enjoy your trip!

wine event front by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

Wine events by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

[cccruisingjay]

Hi Again, I managed to locate the wine flyer we were given at dinner. Hope it helps.

 

Enjoy your trip!

wine event front by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

Wine events by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

 

Thank you so much for posting.

[Viva_la_Vida]

Thursday, June 5th

Church Bay

 

6-5 Front by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

6-5 Middle by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

6-5 Schedule by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

6-5 Back by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

We slept in after our late night and took advantage of the very empty boat. We enjoyed the pool in the early afternoon but lost track of time, which caused us to miss the ferry were were planning on taking to St. George! ***TIP: Check the St. George ferry schedule very closely. Not only are there only a few trips a day, but the schedule varies by day.***I was very disappointed at first, but then we came up with an alternative plan that sounded great. The day before on the way back from Horseshoe, our bus stopped for some beachgoers at Church Bay. They sat across from us and told us how beautiful and quiet the beach was. We decided we would give it a try, so we boarded an express bus. We were the only ones on it!

 

IMG_5700 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

[Viva_la_Vida]

Thursday, June 5th Continued

 

Our bus driver was delightful - honking at just about every car because he knew the driver. I love the small, intimate island. Another scenic drive and then we were dropped at the pink stump with very clear instructions on how to reach Church Bay.

 

DSC_0848 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

Pink poles or in this case, a stump, mean the buses are heading toward Hamilton. Blue poles mean buses are heading for the dockyard.

 

DSC_0855 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

Once you get off the bus, cross the road and head left on the sidewalk. You will see the car entrance on the right. Follow it and the path becomes blocked to cars. The beach is straight down the hill. There are nice picnic tables here. We used one as a tripod.

 

DSC_0771 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0774 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

This beach is NOT handicap accessible. These stairs look bad, but really were better than horseshoe’s slow uphill climb in my opinion.

 

DSC_0775 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0778 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

[Viva_la_Vida]

Thursday, June 5th Continued

 

Once we got down we could see the beach was practically deserted. There was one other couple and two snorkelers. This is a smaller beach but with a lot of areas to explore. The first thing that came to mind seeing the beach was that the Maine coastline had been picked up and placed in a tropical setting (minus all of the fog). The initial view was stunning, but honestly it just got better the more you headed into the rocky areas. Because of the rocks, It is not easy exploring and proper shoes are essential if you don’t want your feet cut open. We had water shoes, thankfully. We were able to explore lots of the little cove and cave areas beyond the accessible beach. The weather was beautiful again, a high of about 72. Marc is NOT a beach person. He grew up in south Florida and I think it somehow jaded him. I on the other hand, grew up land-locked in the north Georgia Mountains and love the beach. That being said, he actually admitted that he loved the beaches in Bermuda and that Church Bay was the best one he’d ever visited. Ladies and gentleman, I think we’ve found our new favorite beach vacation spot! Marriage saved, ha, just kidding! But it was a big victory for me. :D

 

DSC_0781 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0795 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0809 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

As you can see, the water here is a bit rough and there are again all of those rocks. That on top of no restrooms makes this beach a not so great choice for families with young children, and for staying all day. We enjoyed the three hours or so we spent there. I actually didn’t get in the water more than up to my knees. Had it been hotter and earlier in the day, I most certainly would have braved it, but the water was a bit too cold and rough for me.

 

DSC_0811 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0814 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

[Viva_la_Vida]

Thursday, June 5th Continued

More beach, getting "home", and our evening

 

You can maneuver around the rocks that jut out to explore the coves. There were lots of small little caves scattered in them, but all required climbing to access.

 

DSC_0828 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0840 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

We didn’t risk our good camera with all of the splashing surf, so unfortunately no pics from the coves. All too soon, it was time to make our way back to the ship. Here’s where we waited for our bus. That beats any other bus stop I’ve ever waited at!

 

DSC_0843 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

Something interesting happened while we were waiting for our bus. A taxi pulled up. Of course, this is a pretty typical thing to do, try to get the impatient people to pay for a cab. We weren’t interested, and told the driver “no thank you”. He said “no, I’m offering you a ride for free”. Still skeptical, he again offered and said he was going to the dockyard anyway. We let him know we didn’t have cash and hopped in. The cab was very official, although had my DH not been with me, I wouldn't have taken the free ride alone. I am just very alert about things that seem too good to be true. Our driver was another very chipper Bermudian and we enjoyed hearing about his job. It seemed he just really enjoyed talking to others. He said he loved his job and where he lived. There was a group of people waiting as we got closer to the ship trying to get a cab. At first we passed them, but our driver asked if he could go back as the lady looked tired. It was true, she did, and we had no problem taking the two minutes to pick her up. Their ride was free too, but they were less skeptical since they had us to tell them that yes, this was legit a free cab ride. It turns out she and her husband were guests on the Breakaway. It was interesting hearing her experiences. She wasn’t very happy and complained about the crowds and need to make reservations for everything including shows. This made us even more grateful for our good times on the beautiful Summit. The taxi was MUCH faster than the bus because it would have been a local bus at that time of the day (after 7pm). We did manage to round up a couple of dollars to tip our driver. Maybe that's why he did it, but I'd like to just think he was a nice guy wanting some company.

 

This was the only evening we opted for the buffet for dinner. I was really wanting a baked potato and we didn’t want to give up the pool and hot tub yet in favor of a drawn out meal. We basically headed straight for the buffet. We saw a beautiful sunset while eating. I had a veggie meal. Tofu salad (good), baked potato (good but not hot enough), and pizza. It was nice to have a more relaxed dinner for a change. After, we got in the hot tub and continued to watch the beautiful pink sky fade to gray.

 

After getting changed and ready, we went into the Solarium to check out Liquid. It featured loud music and a very talented acrobat on a pole. Apparently there was a mermaid splashing in the pool too, but it was so crowded around the pool that we couldn’t see. I liked the idea of Liquid, but I think having it in the Solarium was very awkward. Everyone was gathered around the pool, standing on furniture, etc. The lower level below the pool was pretty empty. It made moving around and seeing difficult and so we left after about five minutes.

 

We headed in early in order to take advantage of our last day in Bermuda.

 

Next up, our snorkeling excursion, my trip to the ship medical facility (nothing too bad!), and some controversial MDR dress code opinions!

[CruisingChick]

Your review of Liquid was exactly what we experienced. We couldn't see anything and after ordering a drink and then talking to the cruise director Lisa, we left.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7

[Laney219]

Is liquid one night only?

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

[Viva_la_Vida]

Is liquid one night only?

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

 

 

Yes, just the one night.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[travelingirl70]

I just want to say again how much I am loving your review!! We leave in 5 weeks and your pictures and details have really helped me solidify our plans. I'm a planner and like to know where I'm going. This is by far the most helpful thread I've seen yet. I check CC multiple times a day in anticipation of the next installment!!

[Viva_la_Vida]

I just want to say again how much I am loving your review!! We leave in 5 weeks and your pictures and details have really helped me solidify our plans. I'm a planner and like to know where I'm going. This is by far the most helpful thread I've seen yet. I check CC multiple times a day in anticipation of the next installment!!

 

 

Thank you!! I am so glad it's helped you plan. I wish I could go back in 5 weeks! :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Laney219]

Thank you!! I am so glad it's helped you plan. I wish I could go back in 5 weeks! :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

You are more than welcome to join travelingirl and I :)

[atlasali]

I am enjoying your thread. Your reviews are excellent and your photos are lovely. In fact, it would be a good guide for a novice Celebrity cruiser. I can see your skill as a middle school teacher come through. I was a teacher for 35 years.

[Viva_la_Vida]

Friday, June 6th

Snorkeling with Jessie James Cruises

 

We ordered room service again with much better results! We had requested the 7:30-8:00 window and we got an apologetic call around 7:40 that it was on its way. I don’t know why they called, but I appreciated it! Sure enough, there was a knock on our door within the minute. We ordered bacon and it was just as pleasantly crisp the second go round. Other items were pretty much repeats except this time, I tried the plain omelette. It was good! No fake egg runny stuff. It wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t cold either. The bagel was good, but they were very small, fyi. Both days we ordered room service we received phone calls asking how the food and service were. That was a very nice touch. We ate and got ready to get off the ship for our snorkel.

 

Here is the daily (The stuff highlighted was done by us):

6-6 Front by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

6-6 Middle by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

6-6 Schedule by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

6-6 Back by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

[Viva_la_Vida]

Friday, June 6th Continued

 

I had spent a good deal of time researching an excursion. I looked at some through our TA, Celebrity, and various companies on the island. In the end, we settled on Jessie James Cruises for the small vessel, favorable ratings, reasonable price, and various stops. We paid $65 each and opted for the 9AM tour since all aboard was 4:15PM. Two stops are included on this trip and one of them is dependent on weather. The first stop is a shallow island to help novice snorkelers learn before getting in deeper waters. The second stop is either a sunken vessel or a coral head, depending on weather and tide. I had never been snorkeling but really wanted to try it. I am squeamish about underwater things, but am OK if I can see what’s there. It’s the walking around in darker murky waters that freak me out. Chloe, the captain, had asked us to check in with her the evening before the excursion to make sure it was still on in case of weather upsets. I had called the night before and we were still good to go, but as we are standing in line to exit the ship, it starts pouring rain. I give her another quick call and she says it is a fast passing shower and that we’re still on. So, we walk over to the public dock area. It’s located in the very middle of the dockyard, directly across from the taxi/bus area before you get to the ferry line. We get on the catamaran, already soaked, and meet our fellow passengers. They were a family of four celebrating a graduation with a trip on the Breakaway.

 

So with just us six plus Chloe and an assistant, we set out for the shallow cove area. It was fun to be on a fast moving catamaran and within five minutes the rain had stopped. I was the only one on board who had never snorkeled, but Chloe was very patient and gave a thorough explanation to all of us. I was kind of nervous. The still-cloudy skies made the water a bit harder to see through, but I stuck with Marc and did OK. I think the hardest part to get used to was the motion you have to do with the flippers. It was hard to keep them submerged. I never got it down completely. We entered a more shallow area around some rocks and plants. I was doing great and enjoying the many fish we were seeing. Unfortunately, I got freaked out when something brushed my leg (it was just a piece of plant) and I slammed my leg down hard on a rock. It was very painful, but the pain subsided quickly and I was laughing it off with Marc. It wasn’t until we got back into the boat about 15 minutes later that I realized I was bleeding pretty badly. Taking a better look, the gash was very deep, like the deepest wound I had ever had. I got some paper towels and Chloe was ready with a big band aid from her first aid kit. I felt fine about doing the next site as it wasn’t hurting that bad. The next site was some coral heads back way behind the dockyard. We couldn’t visit the shipwreck site because the weather front that had caused us such issues on the way to Bermuda was impacting that site and her small boat couldn’t risk it. That was OK with us. The sun was out, and the waters were gorgeous! You could see the dark coral U-shape just under the surface and Chloe explained how we need to check every once and a while that we’re not going outside of the U shape. She anchored just outside the open part of the U so as to help us not swim into open sea. I opted to use a noodle this time around and take it easy. Marc was in charge of our cheap, disposable underwater camera. It got some OK shots. While the coral was lovely, I think we actually saw more fish at the first site. Here are the best photos. I loved the small striped fish and the yellow brain coral.

 

snorkel1 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

snorkel2 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

snorkel3 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

snorkel4 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

Snorkelmarc by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

SnorkelVal by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

[Laney219]

I commented earlier and forgot to say how much I was enjoying your review! (sorry for the rudeness!)

 

I know you said you only had the one glitch with the beverage package at the martini bar (inconsistent bartenders w/ the mini versions).

 

Was hoping you could provide insight to any MIXED drinks you recall that were included in the classic package?! (I know you had upgraded, but maybe your husband had some?!) I have searched and most people are worried about the wine inclusions/exclusions. Not a wine drinker, but I do enjoy my mixed cocktails!

 

Thanks so much and looking forward to the rest!

[HTML5]

This is one of the best reviews I've ever seen on CC. Thanks so much for posting! DW and I will be sailing on the Summit repo in October and this preview is most welcome.