Bermuda Escape Cruises - insights, information, and more just on Bermuda

[Azulann]

15 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

 

Not sure, as it's the first time Viking (or any cruise line) is homeporting here in Bermuda this summer. Would be nice if Viking returns to Bermuda next year to home port again.

 

We were on the Aug 3-10 cruise here (yes, we are locals, but there are and have been other locals cruising on Orion .... read Bermuda "Escape", lol), and we enjoyed being back on the ship and to see Bermuda in detail from the ship. The sail-out and sail-in of Hamilton is something we will cherish - so beautiful and also docking in Hamilton is now a rarity these days and we got to experience that! 

 

Bermuda is several degrees cooler than Florida and when you are on ship here it feels pleasant outside on deck in the evenings. Come on down to Bermuda to cruise! It's so different here from the Caribbean islands.

 

Have you been to Bermuda?

 

 

I was on Orion in a July . First time in Bermuda. If Viking does  sailings again from Bermuda I would jump at the chance . This time I would spend some time pre and post cruise on the island! 

[bluesea777]

Orion docked this morning and she docked PORT side this time. she has to face north because of the winds coming from the north. There is a tropical depression brewing up 140 miles SE of Bermuda at the moment and is moving westward along the south of Bermuda. A little blow but strong surf at the moment.

 

Will keep you posted as to what Orion will do over the next several days.

 

 

I still have iPhone XS Max so this is as far I can zoom in. My next iPhone upgrade will be next year to 13 and I'll be very happy!

 

 

[bluesea777]

1 minute ago, Azulann said:

I was on Orion in a July . First time in Bermuda. If Viking does  sailings again from Bermuda I would jump at the chance . This time I would spend some time pre and post cruise on the island! 

 

Then we must meet up and we'll take you around the island! You have been so supportive of my posts and I appreciate that.

 

Any chance of you returning to Bermuda next month - we're thinking of round 2 - Sept 17-24!!

 

 

[Azulann]

14 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

 

Then we must meet up and we'll take you around the island! You have been so supportive of my posts and I appreciate that.

 

Any chance of you returning to Bermuda next month - we're thinking of round 2 - Sept 17-24!!

 

 

It is a date next time for sure!!!!
thank you  for all the advice you have given me and others this summer in preparation for our Bermuda cruise .

I look forward to your review of the Orion , as a first time Viking passenger. 
Sorry, my sister and I are doing the Western Med from Malta to Barcelona on Oct  12.

Go for round two in Sept. is my advice 👍

Cheers,

Patti

Edited August 16, 2021 by Azulann

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

Orion docked this morning and she docked PORT side this time. she has to face north because of the winds coming from the north. There is a tropical depression brewing up 140 miles SE of Bermuda at the moment and is moving westward along the south of Bermuda. A little blow but strong surf at the moment.

 

Will keep you posted as to what Orion will do over the next several days.

 

 

I still have iPhone XS Max so this is as far I can zoom in. My next iPhone upgrade will be next year to 13 and I'll be very happy!

 

 

 

With a potential storm that is a very prudent Master, turning the ship so that if the wind picks up they only have to slip the lines and head straight out to sea.

 

However, if taking victuals, it means much more work for the crew, as I recall from our M1/I95 tour, the Inventory Mgr mentioned the ships are set up to store from the Stbd side.

[njhorseman]

43 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

With a potential storm that is a very prudent Master, turning the ship so that if the wind picks up they only have to slip the lines and head straight out to sea.

 

However, if taking victuals, it means much more work for the crew, as I recall from our M1/I95 tour, the Inventory Mgr mentioned the ships are set up to store from the Stbd side.

I'm pretty sure they reprovision in their homeport, Hamilton, because the container ships dock literally just a stone's throw from the cruise terminal so nothing has to be trucked over Bermuda's narrow, winding roads to Dockyard.

[Heidi13]

1 minute ago, njhorseman said:

I'm pretty sure they reprovision in their homeport, Hamilton, because the container ships dock literally just a stone's throw from the cruise terminal so nothing has to be trucked over Bermuda's narrow, winding roads to Dockyard.

 

That would be my guess, since they usually dock stbd side alongside. However, don't know if they are due to receive stores this week.

 

The main stores are shipped by container from a central warehouse, which if memory is correct, is located in Germany. Makes sense to use the closest port to the island's box boat terminal.

[njhorseman]

1 minute ago, Heidi13 said:

box boat

Is that insider lingo for "container ship" ? 😉

 

[Heidi13]

9 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Is that insider lingo for "container ship" ? 😉

 

 

Haha, yes - comes from my old days at sea. Way less syllables when describing a ship in view than "container ship"😀

[esther e]

8 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

 

Not sure, as it's the first time Viking (or any cruise line) is homeporting here in Bermuda this summer. Would be nice if Viking returns to Bermuda next year to home port again.

 

We were on the Aug 3-10 cruise here (yes, we are locals, but there are and have been other locals cruising on Orion .... read Bermuda "Escape", lol), and we enjoyed being back on the ship and to see Bermuda in detail from the ship. The sail-out and sail-in of Hamilton is something we will cherish - so beautiful and also docking in Hamilton is now a rarity these days and we got to experience that! 

 

Bermuda is several degrees cooler than Florida and when you are on ship here it feels pleasant outside on deck in the evenings. Come on down to Bermuda to cruise! It's so different here from the Caribbean islands.

 

Have you been to Bermuda?

 

 

I have, a couple of times.  Last time we were on Regent Navigator and docked right in town.  It was wonderful.  

[njhorseman]

36 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Haha, yes - comes from my old days at sea. Way less syllables when describing a ship in view than "container ship"😀

If a landlubber like me referred to a ship as a boat in your presence you'd probably keelhaul me, but for you...an old salt and master of the vessel it's OK... 🤣

[bluesea777]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

With a potential storm that is a very prudent Master, turning the ship so that if the wind picks up they only have to slip the lines and head straight out to sea.

 

 

Not quite! Ship has to go through the North Shore channel with assistance of a Bermudian pilot. Meaning ship has to go east from Dockyard to St. George's head and then round it and head east to open sea.

 

[bluesea777]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

However, if taking victuals, it means much more work for the crew, as I recall from our M1/I95 tour, the Inventory Mgr mentioned the ships are set up to store from the Stbd side.

 

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

I'm pretty sure they reprovision in their homeport, Hamilton, because the container ships dock literally just a stone's throw from the cruise terminal so nothing has to be trucked over Bermuda's narrow, winding roads to Dockyard.

 

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

That would be my guess, since they usually dock stbd side alongside. However, don't know if they are due to receive stores this week.

 

The main stores are shipped by container from a central warehouse, which if memory is correct, is located in Germany. Makes sense to use the closest port to the island's box boat terminal.

 

Yes, both of you are correct about the provisioning. We chatted with a crew member and he mentioned that. Hamilton, not Dockyard. 

 

Orion received fuel while at Dockyard.

 

When Orion was docked in Hamilton (yes, starboard side) she was next to the box boat dock. Since we're locals, we didn't bother getting off the ship, so we spent *quite* a bit of time (2 hours or so) in the aft infinity pool facing the container ship dock. We watched all the activities there ... trailer truckers come in, their container off loaded and taken to the go-out area, and new container on-loaded onto the trailer. Then they go through the light blue building that is the customs inspection and X-Ray. Then they exit and go out to main road. It was very interesting watching that from the ship.

 

 

The box boat in the picture is the Oleander - the largest one of the 3 weekly box boats Bermuda receives. The other 2 are Somers Isles and Bermuda Islander (smallest).

 

The trailer trucks are at the left of the light blue building.

 

 

[bluesea777]

Okay okay .... we just booked round 2 - Orion's Bermuda Escape Sept 17-24!!!

 

The 7 days wasn't enough as we're used to 14 days or so cruises.

 

 

[JM0115]

10 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

Okay okay .... we just booked round 2 - Orion's Bermuda Escape Sept 17-24!!!

 

The 7 days wasn't enough as we're used to 14 days or so cruises.

 

 

Agree!

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

 

Not quite! Ship has to go through the North Shore channel with assistance of a Bermudian pilot. Meaning ship has to go east from Dockyard to St. George's head and then round it and head east to open sea.

 

 

Affirmative, should have said the navigable channel, the "Head straight out to sea" is a figure of speech, as opposed to having to turn the ship in strong winds, while it is being blown onto a lee shore, before heading for sea.

[CruiserDoc]

Greetings!

 

We have just booked the Bermuda cruise embarking on 8/27th (late-comers to the party!!!), after canceling the 8/31st Iceland trip.

 

My question may have been answered earlier in this thread, so please excuse me if it's a repeat...I've only browsed the last few pages so far.

 

We've booked our own air on JetBlue....has anyone done their own transfers between the airport & the ship? If so, cost?  We're arriving around noon on embarkation day and departing at 12:25pm on debarkation day. Are those time frames legit?

 

Thanks!!

[WanderingBrit]

8 minutes ago, CruiserDoc said:

Greetings!

 

We have just booked the Bermuda cruise embarking on 8/27th (late-comers to the party!!!), after canceling the 8/31st Iceland trip.

 

My question may have been answered earlier in this thread, so please excuse me if it's a repeat...I've only browsed the last few pages so far.

 

We've booked our own air on JetBlue....has anyone done their own transfers between the airport & the ship? If so, cost?  We're arriving around noon on embarkation day and departing at 12:25pm on debarkation day. Are those time frames legit?

 

Thanks!!

The airport is about 25 minutes from the Dock, and you can grab a taxi I'm sure - or I think you can just pay Viking for the transfer.

[bluesea777]

1 hour ago, CruiserDoc said:

Greetings!

 

We have just booked the Bermuda cruise embarking on 8/27th (late-comers to the party!!!), after canceling the 8/31st Iceland trip.

 

My question may have been answered earlier in this thread, so please excuse me if it's a repeat...I've only browsed the last few pages so far.

 

We've booked our own air on JetBlue....has anyone done their own transfers between the airport & the ship? If so, cost?  We're arriving around noon on embarkation day and departing at 12:25pm on debarkation day. Are those time frames legit?

 

Thanks!!

 

As WanderingBrit says, you'll need to contact Viking and see if you can do Viking Transfers - it'll be easier for you to have them, rather than do your own. One good thing is you get to stay on ship later to wait for the bus transfer to airport for your flight out. 

 

There are Viking personnel (in red shirts) at the airport to greet passengers as they exit, and direct them to the buses that takes them directly to the ship where you can board immediately after check in and wait on board for the test results from Bermuda Government. The red shirts at the airport will take your bags off you and transport them to the ship and cabin. 

 

 

[Jazmyn49]

Hey Andy!  Box Boat makes perfect sense.  But what do you call a car carrier?

[WanderingBrit]

It's easy to remember: ships tie up in port on the starboard side 😆

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, Jazmyn49 said:

Hey Andy!  Box Boat makes perfect sense.  But what do you call a car carrier?

 

My last command, Ro/Pax, or that dang big ferry😁What we actually called them probably shouldn't be mentioned, considering where most of the cars originate.

 

You still signed up for the 21/22 WC?

[Jazmyn49]

I can almost imagine what you called them.  Big Ugly would be kind.  We plan to be on the Star in 129 days, itinerary TBD.  It could be another Magical Mystery Cruise.

[Heidi13]

1 minute ago, Jazmyn49 said:

I can almost imagine what you called them.  Big Ugly would be kind.  We plan to be on the Star in 129 days, itinerary TBD.  It could be another Magical Mystery Cruise.

 

Enjoy, did you book 22/23 or 23/24 as well?

 

Will miss the early morning chats as I was heading for a walk, while you went to the laundry.😀

[Jazmyn49]

Only booked the one for this year but never say never for next time.  We still have voucher money left.