Bermuda in May? Cruise? Fly?

[Capecodbeachfront]

Originally I wanted to look for a cruise to Bermuda in April or May 2017. Lack of availability tells me Bermuda must not be warm in April? What should I expect for weather on an early May visit? BTW my other choice had been October but the chance of a hurricane ( and my poor luck) caused me to reconsider.

Will the 3 day stay from a Celebrity Summit cruise out of New Jersey be long enough to see the Island. The cost to fly vs cruise is pretty much a toss-up. If I flew I could likely stay 4 or 5 nights. Although the cost per night in Bermuda is far higher than I was expecting! That was part of what pushed me back to the cruise as a "floating hotel" with at least one daily meal already included.

When it comes to touring Bermuda as a first time visitor, does either a being a cruise ship passenger or staying at a hotel offer any advantage? Kings Wharf seems to be a major starting point?

thanks

[Charles4515]

Originally I wanted to look for a cruise to Bermuda in April or May 2017. Lack of availability tells me Bermuda must not be warm in April? What should I expect for weather on an early May visit? BTW my other choice had been October but the chance of a hurricane ( and my poor luck) caused me to reconsider.

Will the 3 day stay from a Celebrity Summit cruise out of New Jersey be long enough to see the Island. The cost to fly vs cruise is pretty much a toss-up. If I flew I could likely stay 4 or 5 nights. Although the cost per night in Bermuda is far higher than I was expecting! That was part of what pushed me back to the cruise as a "floating hotel" with at least one daily meal already included.

When it comes to touring Bermuda as a first time visitor, does either a being a cruise ship passenger or staying at a hotel offer any advantage? Kings Wharf seems to be a major starting point?

thanks

 

 

 

One of the reasons cruises to Bermuda are popular is because of the high cost of hotels and food. So yes, we are using the ship as our floating hotel. For those who live in the Acela Corridor not having to fly to port is a part of it. And airfare used to be high to Bermuda. Fares are lower now. When the ships were small we were docking at Hamilton and St. George. That was great. The larger ships can't dock at either so the Dockyard has become the starting point. Not as good but doable with the bus and ferries and other transportation options. You won't see everything in three and a half days but you can see a lot.

 

Bermuda is not the Caribbean so the weather is more like the Carolinas. In April and early May the air temperature would likely be pleasant. 60 to 70 degrees. Great for Golf. Fine for seeing the island. Water temperature would be cool though. It won't be beach weather. You would have to be hardy to swim and snorkel. Personally I don't go in April or May because the beach is important to me. I love the South Shore beaches. I don't Golf.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Charles4515

[marco]

Obviously, whether you cruise or fly the weather in Bermuda is going to be the same. If you cruise, a one week cruise to Bermuda is going to afford you 3-4 days there. A one week cruise to Bermuda is probably going to cost you less than a 4 day fly/stay. We've been there many times and 3-4 days is fine for seeing/doing a lot and not being rushed. Hotels and food is pricy in Bermuda. There is not a lot of nightlife in Bermuda. We have done both (fly/stay and cruise. Only once, a fly/stay and over the past 30 yrs, maybe 20 or so cruises to Bermuda. Obviously, we prefer cruises. Being from the NE, we have no problem swimming in Bermuda in May, and we usually sail there in May or Sept. Prices are a bit lower and less children aboard.

[Capecodbeachfront]

It has been a few years since our first and only cruise, which was the 4 night 'beginners' cruise out of Miami to Key West, Bahamas, & Coco Cay. I was sold immediately but my wife not so much. The "day at sea" is her primary concern. She would spend a day "on the road" if we were driving somewhere but for some reason the day at sea intimidates her. As it does me but to a lesser extent. We had chosen the M-F Bahamas cruise to avoid the over the top celebrators the F-M cruise attracted. Bermuda seems like it might attract a less crazy crowd?

Sounds like both of you have done a similar cruise to the Celebrity Summit cruise I am considering. What did you find to do on your day(s) at sea? Any problems with the crowd? I enjoyed the dining room dining option on Majesty of the Seas. Does Celebrity still offer something similar without having to upgrade to a Speciality Restaurant? Really not ready to do my evening dining next to a couple who threw on a cover up or sweatshirt over wet bathing suits. Unfortunately I know it does happen from personal family experience... embarrassing!

Suites and balconies are probably out of my price range but at the same time an inside cabin might stress my wife. So O'View would likely be our choice. Any deck suggestions?

[Charles4515]

It has been a few years since our first and only cruise, which was the 4 night 'beginners' cruise out of Miami to Key West, Bahamas, & Coco Cay. I was sold immediately but my wife not so much. The "day at sea" is her primary concern. She would spend a day "on the road" if we were driving somewhere but for some reason the day at sea intimidates her. As it does me but to a lesser extent. We had chosen the M-F Bahamas cruise to avoid the over the top celebrators the F-M cruise attracted. Bermuda seems like it might attract a less crazy crowd?

Sounds like both of you have done a similar cruise to the Celebrity Summit cruise I am considering. What did you find to do on your day(s) at sea? Any problems with the crowd? I enjoyed the dining room dining option on Majesty of the Seas. Does Celebrity still offer something similar without having to upgrade to a Speciality Restaurant? Really not ready to do my evening dining next to a couple who threw on a cover up or sweatshirt over wet bathing suits. Unfortunately I know it does happen from personal family experience... embarrassing!

Suites and balconies are probably out of my price range but at the same time an inside cabin might stress my wife. So O'View would likely be our choice. Any deck suggestions?

 

I have cruised to Bermuda many times. I have done Summit the last two years and will do it again this June. Celebrity is laid back. It won't be a party cruise. And no Belly Flop contests on the pool deck. On seas days I relax and read books.

Usually in the Solarium. There are activities like trivia and lectures. The dining room is where I usually eat. I do a one evening a specialty restaurant, but it is not necessary. You can do traditional dining, fixed times with the same tablemates or Select dining. You go when you want and different tablemates and waiters every night. Or even a table for two. Unlikely to be dining in the MDR on Celebrity next to someone who thru a coverup over a swim suit. Not that type of demographic. If you book an Ocean View I would suggest Deck 3. A Bermuda cruise is fine without booking a balcony.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Charles4515

[mcbutter]

I have been to Bermuda 7 times, all cruises. This year we are going for a 7 nt stay in Bermuda this May. We are renting a place instead of a hotel. Cost is a little under $1000.00 per person. (2 adults, air & lodging) This does not inc. food, drink, etc. But we have a kitchen, dining rm, living rm, and 2 bed rms. I have never done this before, so I'll have to see how it goes. But, there is so much to do and see in Bermuda, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 days is not nearly enough to visit, IMHO. I have been in Apr, May, June, and July. April is very nice, but water is too cold. July is too hot ( unless you just want to go to the beach). Their dew point is extremely high..... 82 feels like 90-100, and very sticky, heavy air. Middle of May to middle of June is best to me.

[jdarch]

Originally I wanted to look for a cruise to Bermuda in April or May 2017. Lack of availability tells me Bermuda must not be warm in April? What should I expect for weather on an early May visit? BTW my other choice had been October but the chance of a hurricane ( and my poor luck) caused me to reconsider.

Will the 3 day stay from a Celebrity Summit cruise out of New Jersey be long enough to see the Island. The cost to fly vs cruise is pretty much a toss-up. If I flew I could likely stay 4 or 5 nights. Although the cost per night in Bermuda is far higher than I was expecting! That was part of what pushed me back to the cruise as a "floating hotel" with at least one daily meal already included.

When it comes to touring Bermuda as a first time visitor, does either a being a cruise ship passenger or staying at a hotel offer any advantage? Kings Wharf seems to be a major starting point?

thanks

 

If you want to fly there and stay...we did that last year and are doing it again this year...don't stay at a hotel...go in to vrbo(vacation rentals by owners) they charge a lot less...plus you can see we also like to cruise there...:)

Edited April 6, 2016 by jdarch

[Capecodbeachfront]

MC,

Did you use a 'service' to find your lodging?

I was quite surprised when I discovered there really are no chain hotels or resorts in Bermuda. For me it means no using my IHG points, etc. Could be one of the first vacations in a long time I actually pay full price for.:)

My decision really has not been made... flight vs cruise. I still have some time before booking a year away trip. In my heart I really DO want to cruise again and the 3 night 'floating hotel' in Bermuda seems like a great option. Not keen on flying internationally, although I do have enough United miles banked for a future return visit to Europe. But also not keen on a cruise with hectic 11AM to 4PM port stays. The extended stay in Bermuda just seems a perfect compromise.

[jdarch]

I have been to Bermuda 7 times, all cruises. This year we are going for a 7 nt stay in Bermuda this May. We are renting a place instead of a hotel. Cost is a little under $1000.00 per person. (2 adults, air & lodging) This does not inc. food, drink, etc. But we have a kitchen, dining rm, living rm, and 2 bed rms. I have never done this before, so I'll have to see how it goes. But, there is so much to do and see in Bermuda, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 days is not nearly enough to visit, IMHO. I have been in Apr, May, June, and July. April is very nice, but water is too cold. July is too hot ( unless you just want to go to the beach). Their dew point is extremely high..... 82 feels like 90-100, and very sticky, heavy air. Middle of May to middle of June is best to me.

 

you will love staying there...we did that last year and are staying a week this year..renting a place is an option we had never thought about...it worked out great...and renting private homes is a great and less expensive way to go...staying there locally for that long let's you become a bit of a local...which we loved...we stayed in St. George's...where are you staying?

Edited April 6, 2016 by jdarch

[DeltaOne]

I have been to Bermuda 7 times, all cruises. This year we are going for a 7 nt stay in Bermuda this May. We are renting a place instead of a hotel. Cost is a little under $1000.00 per person. (2 adults, air & lodging) This does not inc. food, drink, etc. But we have a kitchen, dining rm, living rm, and 2 bed rms.

 

My wife and I did this a few years ago. Rented a small condo from a Bermuda resident using a VRBO like service. Price was $120 per night for the condo, including use of the owner's private swimming pool.

 

For food we'd have coffee and a danish for breakfast (there was a grocery store close by). We'd eat lunch or dinner out on the island, the other meal we'd cook ourselves back at the condo (easy stuff, quick and fast clean up).

 

We rented a scooter and saw so many beautiful sights! Most memorable day was starting out at the dockyard and traveling along the South road -- stopping at each and every beach. Sometimes we'd stop and swim, other times stop and take pictures.

 

Overall I figured we spent 15 to 20% more than a cruise, but we had seven full days on the island.

[Capecodbeachfront]

I have used HomeAway (partner with VRBO) before on stays in Florida. Worked out quite well but it was always a gamble to see what your neighbors might be like. For those of you familiar with Florida you know what I mean. On a single street you might have 3 wonderful properties, but next to each one might be an uninhabited foreclosure! We even had friends who are year rounders do a drive by that eliminated a couple of properties. I also have used Google Street view and usually shy away from owners that will not give actual address. Last 2 years we have used AirB&B with decent results in Stuart FL. Had private room & bath but we were sharing common space with the owner which had its odd moments.

A different thread mentioned a couple of services that listed just Bermuda properties. Can anyone refresh my memory of which they were?

If I did go with a Fly & stay should I shoot for St George's or Hamilton? South Beaches? Thanks...

[mcbutter]

We are staying in St. George. Similar to Paul, we plan on renting scooters, and doing some of our own cooking. We are going with another couple, we each have our own place. Each place has 2 bed rms, full kitchen, living and dining rm, and balcony or patio. $150 nt total per couple. I used bermudarentals.

[Capecodbeachfront]

Thanks for the extra info. A quick check leads me to believe some properties have dual listings on BermudaRentals and the vacation rentals part of Tripadvisor. St George seems to have the historic vibe of Bermuda plus close to the airport going for it. I am thinking we might want to be more centrally located... maybe along the south coast? Pagent(sp) seems to pop up frequently? Time for some additional research but all the assistance has given me a great base to work from. Now I will have to study flights. Not many are direct... seems strange to leave Newark, fly to PHL for a 3-4 hour layover, before traveling to Bermuda. Then repeating the legs on the way back... Even looked into Boston... again most flights had hours of layover time. Guess Bermuda is not a 'profitable' route???

BTW I did a quick re-check on the cruise option... had forgotten there were no cruises in October(?) and only one at the end of April. Must have been why I had been researching May dates.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Capecodbeachfront

[Charles4515]

Thanks for the extra info. A quick check leads me to believe some properties have dual listings on BermudaRentals and the vacation rentals part of Tripadvisor. St George seems to have the historic vibe of Bermuda plus close to the airport going for it. I am thinking we might want to be more centrally located... maybe along the south coast? Pagent(sp) seems to pop up frequently? Time for some additional research but all the assistance has given me a great base to work from. Now I will have to study flights. Not many are direct... seems strange to leave Newark, fly to PHL for a 3-4 hour layover, before traveling to Bermuda. Then repeating the legs on the way back... Even looked into Boston... again most flights had hours of layover time. Guess Bermuda is not a 'profitable' route???

BTW I did a quick re-check on the cruise option... had forgotten there were no cruises in October(?) and only one at the end of April. Must have been why I had been researching May dates.

 

Jet Blue flys direct to Bermuda from JFK. Did you check United? They used to fly from Newark to Bermuda. Where do you live? I live in Maryland and have flown out of Philadelphia. Real easy airport to get to. There are cruises in October. Not on the Summit though.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Charles4515

[Capecodbeachfront]

Even though my login is Capecodbeachfront we actually live near Saratoga NY. Vacation home is in Chatham on The Cape thus the login name.

Albany (ALB) would be our nearest 'International' airport. Unfortunately ALB is not very 'international' even when you take into account connecting flights. EWR to Bermuda does have reasonable fares $300 to $400 range on United but direct flights are not plentiful? I only found 1 per day? Add a connecting flight from ALB and the fare jumps to $700. Other flights back track to PHL then have a 3,4, or 5 hour layover before connecting to Bermuda. I looked at flights from Boston where our son lives and found the same back tracking flights with long layovers. I had not looked into JFK but will do some research for flights out of there. I wrongly expected Bermuda to be a popular flight destination from EWR (2 hours +) with many direct flights.

I could use some United miles I have stockpiled but have decided cashing in 30k in miles for a $300 flight is foolish. The same 30K in miles could get me a $1000 flight to London or Paris. Although my wife has nixed any European travel for awhile.

I often fall back to the cruise idea. Easier but it does offer only limited time in Bermuda. The cruise pricing also is always misleading since some port fees and taxes are never included in the quoted price. Now that I have gained some knowledge thru suggestions on this thread I can see where there are reasonably priced options for housing and meals in Bermuda if you step away from the advertised resorts. Expedia did offer some bundled deals but they often had the worst flights... some with crazy long layovers!

[BratDet]

We went to Bermuda on our honeymoom in 1981 and stayed at Newstead/Paget Pairsh. Had a 2 meal a day meal plan.

 

We have done 3 Carib cruises that docked one day in Bermuda and we had a great day each time.

 

We did a one week cruise out of Baltimore one spring break time...on Carnival...with three days in Bermuda...

 

So- knowing how to get around....I chose a cruise....no airport wait, no luggage restrictions. No transpo needed to and from airports....I was looking at flights from EWR.....but the lure of a cruise...won!

 

 

It was just so much easier to be able to get dropped off to port,and vacation begins!

 

So I booked a suite and got free gratuities, free internet, premium drink package and an extra 300$ OBC.

 

EVERYTHING in Bermuda food wise is quite expensive- so we do make sure to eat a well balanced meal before getting off the ship. We take pre packaged snacks that are allowed off the ship- no fruits...

We get the all day transportation pass and use ferries and buses to get around- I am considering taking our bikes this trip...We will not rent mo-peds- too many accidents in Bermuda with those...

Bernadette

[jdarch]

Thanks for the extra info. A quick check leads me to believe some properties have dual listings on BermudaRentals and the vacation rentals part of Tripadvisor. St George seems to have the historic vibe of Bermuda plus close to the airport going for it. I am thinking we might want to be more centrally located... maybe along the south coast? Pagent(sp) seems to pop up frequently? Time for some additional research but all the assistance has given me a great base to work from. Now I will have to study flights. Not many are direct... seems strange to leave Newark, fly to PHL for a 3-4 hour layover, before traveling to Bermuda. Then repeating the legs on the way back... Even looked into Boston... again most flights had hours of layover time. Guess Bermuda is not a 'profitable' route???

BTW I did a quick re-check on the cruise option... had forgotten there were no cruises in October(?) and only one at the end of April. Must have been why I had been researching May dates.

 

Last year we stayed in St. George for 5 days..just up on one of the hills...this year we are staying 7 days right near the square in town....we fly direct from Ronald Reagan airport..I think there's like 1 flight a day that is direct...some of the layovers were just silly....staying in town we can walk to eat and to the grocery store and ferry and use the shuttle...

Edited April 7, 2016 by jdarch

[ComfyOne]

Two years ago, we rented a home in Bermuda in May, and used that popular website. It worked perfectly, and the home was oceanfront and beautiful! The owners were very friendly and kind. They even gave us a bus pass for the week, and baked us a rum cake (couldn't have been nicer!) We met SO many lovely people.

 

We enjoyed living 'local', shopping at the Marketplace for groceries (the one near the bus depot in Hamilton is the best -- the huge buffet of ready-made foods changes daily). We took our time and explored the island from one end to another.

 

This year, in May, we are cruising to Bermuda on the Breakaway. Totally different vacation. The cruise will cost more -- but no cooking for me, and probably more relaxing with the sea days.

 

Whatever you decide, you're going to love Bermuda!!

[elaine5]

stayed in Aug, for a week in a St G condo. Loved the town, nice restuarants and not any more $ than at home. $120 for very nice dinner for 2. Got groceries and ate break/lunch in condo. Explored all around and took the bus to HB, Elbow beaches and ferry to KingsW. Even though it's at the East end, I would stay there again. Bermuda was actually much more reasonable on the waller than I thought. Maybe it was b/c we were based out of StG.