Cruise ships bring 10,000 to Bermuda in one week

[smeyer418]

Last modified: August 09. 2005 10:46PM

from the Royal Gazette

Cruise ships hit 10,000 mark

 

 

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Docksiders

 

 

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"Cruise ships will have brought in 10,000 visitors by the time this week is over.

The first caller was the Horizon which brought 1,555 people from Philadelphia to St. George's on Monday while the Zenith brought 1,604 passengers to Hamilton.

Yesterday the Norwegian Crown brought 1,247 visitors to St. George's while the Norwegian Majesty brought 1,725 to the East End.

Also yesterday Voyager of the Seas brought 3,601 to Dockyard while the Seven Seas Navigator will bring 450 to Hamilton on Friday."

 

 

That is a lot of people and traffic.

[Swizzle v2.0]

3600 people at once in Dockyard must be a zoo.

 

In other news the Bermuda Government is once again looking at new ways to restrict the number of cars on the island because traffic is getting worse and worse.

[smeyer418]

If all the ships coming to Bermuda get to 2000+ forget people like me coming to the Island. I refuse to go on a ship with that many---yes I have been on the Dawn but its not 3600+. I can't imagine what the dockyard is like when it arrives.

[RichNY]

Thats why I'm going in December....no ships..no crowds.

 

The way the "season" keeps expanding, soon there will be cruises year round. Bermuda just can't handle those numbers...

[erin_cruisers]

Yes, and I was one of them (well, actually there were four of us).

Via a link provided somewhere on these boards I was able to find out in advance how many cruise ship would be in Bermuda Tues and Wed.

I think it was 5 (or 6 - can't remember).

 

I don't have a reference as to how busy Hamilton, the buses, etc etc are usually but the only thing that WAS very busy and had a line-up was the Caves.

 

We spent an hour at Snorkle park and it was busy, but not quite a zoo. (That could have been due to the time - 1 1/2 hrs before sail-away).

 

Actually what got to us me more than the people was the heat! I was the only one of our group that isn't a big fan of scortching sun. Give me 70 degrees anyday, (instead of the mid-90's that it was). Phew!

 

Anyways, I now have to believe SMEYER and others that say 2 days isn't long enough. We never got to Horseshoe or any of the other beautiful beaches, nor St. George. - So...next time...

[alpal1993]

Next year Bermuda should be empty.With the Horizon gone there are only 3 ships,that I know of that will visit Bermuda on a weekly basis Celebrity-Zenith and 2 NCL ships one coming out of Philly and the other Boston.I booked on the Zenith out of Bayonne as NCL moved the Crown to Philly.

Anyone else know of any cruise lines that will visit Bermuda on a weekly basis?

[PDAA]

Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas is taking over the Voyager's itinerary out of Bayonne beginning sometime in the spring (?) of 2006. We are booked to Bermuda 5/28/06.

[marianneyaya]

Next year Bermuda should be empty.With the Horizon gone there are only 3 ships,that I know of that will visit Bermuda on a weekly basis Celebrity-Zenith and 2 NCL ships one coming out of Philly and the other Boston.I booked on the Zenith out of Bayonne as NCL moved the Crown to Philly.

The Crown has scheduled sailings out of New York for next year, at least that's what their web site says, and it docks at St. George, Hamilton, and Kings Wharf.

[smeyer418]

Yes, and I was one of them (well, actually there were four of us).

Via a link provided somewhere on these boards I was able to find out in advance how many cruise ship would be in Bermuda Tues and Wed.

I think it was 5 (or 6 - can't remember).

 

I don't have a reference as to how busy Hamilton, the buses, etc etc are usually but the only thing that WAS very busy and had a line-up was the Caves.

 

We spent an hour at Snorkle park and it was busy, but not quite a zoo. (That could have been due to the time - 1 1/2 hrs before sail-away).

 

Actually what got to us me more than the people was the heat! I was the only one of our group that isn't a big fan of scortching sun. Give me 70 degrees anyday, (instead of the mid-90's that it was). Phew!

 

Anyways, I now have to believe SMEYER and others that say 2 days isn't long enough. We never got to Horseshoe or any of the other beautiful beaches, nor St. George. - So...next time...

 

 

Thanks just out of curiosity, what is like when the Voyager first docks and everyone gets off at the same time?

[erin_cruisers]

Thanks just out of curiosity, what is like when the Voyager first docks and everyone gets off at the same time?

ummmmmmmmmm, not exactly sure, as we were still in our stateroom waking up when we first docked, and eating breakfast when Captain Speaking announced we were cleared to disembark.

By the time we made it down the gangplank, it was 9:30 AM and no crowd at all.

We noticed that some people were waiting for excursions (just along the pier), some people meandered (sp) over to the dockyards shops, and others high-tailed it to the ferry and bus stops.

[mskaufman]

I was there on the Horizon last week and the crowds were not bad either at the beach or downtown. Should be even better when folks go on less busy weeks.

[alpal1993]

Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas is taking over the Voyager's itinerary out of Bayonne beginning sometime in the spring (?) of 2006. We are booked to Bermuda 5/28/06.

 

Is that a 7 night cruise?

[alpal1993]

The Crown has scheduled sailings out of New York for next year, at least that's what their web site says, and it docks at St. George, Hamilton, and Kings Wharf.

 

I had originally planned on booking The Crown,but when I last checked Beginning of August they had moved the ship to Philly,so I booked on the Zenith.I can always look again and change if I need to.I really wanted to go out of New York and I like the fact that the cruise goes to the 3 different ports.I am going with a couple that we meet 5 years ago on a cruise and I really wanted to take them to The Frog and Onion Pub in Kings Wharf as we really had a good time there.

[alpal1993]

The Crown has scheduled sailings out of New York for next year, at least that's what their web site says, and it docks at St. George, Hamilton, and Kings Wharf.

 

I just rechecked the Ncl board and On May 28 the Crown goes out of Philly.Goes back to leaving out of New York for the June 25 cruise.So I guess I am staying with Celebrity Zenith.which is fine with me as this will make cruise # 9 on Celebrity.

[kdo711]

I cruised to Bermuda years ago on the Horizon. At that time only the smaller ships like the Horizon were going......it was not bad at all. The only really crowded spot was Tobacco Bay and we just walked by it. At the beach at St. Catherines Fort there was just my husband and I and another couple. We chose to go to John Smiths Bay for our other beach day and were the only tourists. There were two women and their preschoolers and one other couple -- who were obviously locals. It was wonderful, except for the heat. I love the heat but when it gets to the high 90's, even the beach isn't very refreshing. We struggled to spend an hour and a half on the beach and we normally would have spent all day there.

 

I do think Bermuda should control the number of mega ships hitting the island. Part of the charm of Bermuda is the charm and you lose that when 10,000 people descend on the island.

 

On another note -- The Gazette just did an article about how hotel vacancy rates have dropped and continued to drop. I don't think they get it. When you can travel to Bermuda on a cruise ship, enjoy such wonderful food and accommodation, it just doesn't make sense financially to stay on the island, pay island restaurant prices for every meal, etc.

[Votech]

Next year RCCL will be sending the Empress of Seas from Philadelphia to Bermuda on a weekly basis to replace the Horizon.

[alpal1993]

Next year RCCL will be sending the Empress of Seas from Philadelphia to Bermuda on a weekly basis to replace the Horizon.

 

We sailed on the Nordic Empress(which has been renamed) in Sept 2001 the week before 911. I wonder if I can get a better deal on her since CC can now use the sailings for both lines.I hear RCCL gives more perks for Platinum then Celebrity does for Select.I will have to call my T/A and check.The cabin size on the Empress are alot smaller then on Zenith.

[alpal1993]

The Empress of the Seas is going out of Philly as well.So I will have to stay with our original booking on Zenith.We are planning on staying in New York post cruise.

[Jeanne S]

Radisson will not be back next year - but with only 423 passengers this week not that much of a loss.

 

QE2 used to tender at Hamilton or berth at the Dockyard, however this was only twice a year and from what I could tell the Bermudians welcomed the Queen.