Horseshoe Bay Beach transfer: NCL "Excursion" shuttle or local minibus?

[cfarrow2112]

So, we (4 people total) are visiting Bermuda next week on the Prima.  We have been to Bermuda before and took the local minibus to get to Horseshoe Bay beach.  I think I paid $15/each roundtrip, but gave $5 tip each.. so about $80 total.  The NCL Excursion shuttle is $50/pp, but we have two $50 credits... so it would be $100 total for the 4 of us. 

 

Obviously, I can save a few bucks taking the local minibus, but is there any advantage to the NCL excursion shuttle?

Edited April 17, 2023 by cfarrow2112

[latebloomer56]

16 minutes ago, cfarrow2112 said:

So, we (4 people total) are visiting Bermuda next week on the Prima.  We have been to Bermuda before and took the local minibus to get to Horseshoe Bay beach.  I think I paid $15/each roundtrip, but gave $5 tip each.. so about $80 total.  The NCL Excursion shuttle is $50/pp, but we have two $50 credits... so it would be $100 total for the 4 of us. 

 

Obviously, I can save a few bucks taking the local minibus, but is there any advantage to the NCL excursion shuttle?

With the mini bus you can go to and come back from on your own time table.

[vacation44]

I would take a taxi instead.  It will be cheaper than $100 and you can be on your own timetable.   While the mini bus is the cheapest option, they will not leave until they are full.

[cfarrow2112]

4 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

I would take a taxi instead.  It will be cheaper than $100 and you can be on your own timetable.   While the mini bus is the cheapest option, they will not leave until they are full.

Good idea!

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, cfarrow2112 said:

Good idea!

A taxi will cost you about $32 each way. So $64. Plus a tip. A 15% tip is good in Bermuda. You really overtipped the minibus drivers. The minibus is $7 per person. They are ride share vans so a $1 tip for each minibus person would have been more appropriate. 

[Lreeves316]

4 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

A taxi will cost you about $32 each way. So $64. Plus a tip. A 15% tip is good in Bermuda. You really overtipped the minibus drivers. The minibus is $7 per person. They are ride share vans so a $1 tip for each minibus person would have been more appropriate. 

I was going to do the minibus but maybe I’ll switch to the taxi if it’s less. Is that $32 each way a flat rate regardless of how many in your group? There’s 3 of us. 

[BostonGal35]

the public bus is 3 Zone, $7 round trip (2, $3.50 tokens).

 

[Laszlo]

Taxis are great! And unless you need to buy food, or rent umbrellas or chairs I would skip I would skip the main area of Horseshoe. If its a nice day it will be jammed. Their are better area to go to. Warwick Long Bay, Jobson's Cove, Elsbeth Beach, Hidden Beach will all be less crowded and just as nice

[Charles4515]

6 hours ago, Lreeves316 said:

I was going to do the minibus but maybe I’ll switch to the taxi if it’s less. Is that $32 each way a flat rate regardless of how many in your group? There’s 3 of us. 

That $32 fare is for the whole vehicle not per person. Taxis can hold 7, so 1-4 passengers would pay approximately $32 for the vehicle and 5-7 passengers will pay approximately $42 for the vehicle. There are surcharges for Sunday and for holidays. The fares are regulated by the government. 

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, BostonGal35 said:

the public bus is 3 Zone, $7 round trip (2, $3.50 tokens).

 

The public bus from Dockyard to Horseshoe requires a 14 Zone fare not a 3 Zone fare. The 14 Zone fare would be $9 round trip for 2 $4.50 tokens. You would be dropped off at the public bus stop at the top of the cliff and have to catch the bus back at the top of the cliff. The minibuses and taxis can go down to the beach for drop off and pick up. 

[dbdb]

13 hours ago, vacation44 said:

I would take a taxi instead.  It will be cheaper than $100 and you can be on your own timetable. 

 

Maybe 5 years ago we took a taxi to either Horseshoe or Elbow beach but it was difficult to get one back. The guy gave us "his number" which never picked up or responded to a text. Luckily after waiting a bit someone got dropped off and we were able to take that back. Is it different now?

[Charles4515]

Just now, dbdb said:

 

Maybe 5 years ago we took a taxi to either Horseshoe or Elbow beach but it was difficult to get one back. The guy gave us "his number" which never picked up or responded to a text. Luckily after waiting a bit someone got dropped off and we were able to take that back. Is it different now?

You must have went to Elbow or elsewhere. There are always taxis at Horseshoe because there are facilities and a lot of people at Horseshoe so the taxis hang out there. Going to beaches without facilities like Elbow and Warwick it can be difficult to get a taxi back. There are also the minibuses that shuttle back and forth at Horseshoe. They are not at other beaches. So getting transportation at Horseshoe is not difficult. There is a taxi dispatch app now called Hitch. Some have had success with the app at beaches like Elbow and Warwick. The app takes credit cards and charges about a 15% fee over the standard taxi fare to any location. 

[amygutman]

Former Bermuda resident here... Go for the taxi every time.

The taxi drivers are awesome and generally throw in some very cool stuff to see in Bermuda. You meet some great local people and they're also fantastic for local tours.

There is no "bad beach" in Bermuda. It has some of the prettiest water you'll ever see in your entire life. Our favorite is John Smith Bay. It's small, pristine, has a little park right next to it and aside from holidays is never busy. There are clean bathrooms and a local BBQ place that is not the quickest but it's incredibly fresh. It's also right on a bus route if you prefer to do a bus. Horseshoe is wonderful, Elbow is wonderful, any place on the South Shore (or...honestly, the North as well) is wonderful, but we will take John Smith any day of the week.

Have a wonderful time! We miss our Bermuda home and cannot wait to go back. 

Warmest, AMY

[itsnotjustme]

One advantage of the excursion is the assurance the ship will not leave if you return late.  But if you are spending days on Bermuda, unless it is your last day, that is not a factor.

[Charles4515]

25 minutes ago, itsnotjustme said:

One advantage of the excursion is the assurance the ship will not leave if you return late.  But if you are spending days on Bermuda, unless it is your last day, that is not a factor.

It is not assured that the ship will not leave if you are on the NCL excursion shuttle if you return late. That is a myth that the cruise line might like passengers to believe. The port decides how late a ship can stay in port and since ships can not navigate the channel out of Bermuda at night it is 100% for sure they will leave whether all passengers have returned whether they are on ships excursions or other excursions to leave before Bermuda before sunset. 

Edited April 20, 2023 by Charles4515

[OUTinMinnesota]

Back in 2018, we took public bus route #7  to reach the beaches along Bermuda's South Shore.  The trip took about 35 minutes and it immersed us briefly into island life.

 

The bus stop was a short walk from the ship (docked at Royal Navy Dockyard).

 

It was a highlight of our Bermuda trip to explore South Shore Park and its amazing coves & beaches.

Edited April 20, 2023 by OUTinMinnesota

[Maleficent's Dad]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

It is not assured that the ship will not leave if you are on the NCL excursion shuttle if you return late. That is a myth that the cruise line might like passengers to believe. The port decides how late a ship can stay in port and since ships can not navigate the channel out of Bermuda at night it is 100% for sure they will leave whether all passengers have returned whether they are on ships excursions or other excursions to leave before Bermuda before sunset. 

While you’re probably right, NCL’s web page claims otherwise:

[Charles4515]

27 minutes ago, Maleficent's Dad said:

While you’re probably right, NCL’s web page claims otherwise:

I am sure they will hold the ship as long as they can but that does not mean they won’t leave. There have been several threads on Cruise Critic posted by passengers on cruise ship excursions that were left behind who thought they were not supposed to be left behind. I don’t know how NCL times their Horseshoe Bay transfer but it says four hours so probably it is impossible for it to return late. 
 

I know that NCL has some shore excursion credits. I can see that would be a reason to use the NCL transfer even though it is way overpriced. It says beach bus. Are they using Pink buses or just contracting the minibuses? A minibus would cost $7 each way, so $14 round trip. Nice profit for NCL. 

Edited April 20, 2023 by Charles4515

[BostonGal35]

the $50 transfer is a huge money maker for NCL.  sure, you get one free with the $50 credit, but they bank on people needing at least 2 tickets which means they still get $25/pp for the transfer.