Frist time in Bermuda

[islandersx4]

Writeratsea,

Thank you so much! Islanders

[robbien]

Writeratsea

I have read that the festivals are good I am going to St.George and Hamliton. What one should I go to or should I go to both? Also what do they have at them? Robbien:)

[Writeratsea]

Writeratsea

I have read that the festivals are good I am going to St.George and Hamliton. What one should I go to or should I go to both? Also what do they have at them? Robbien:)

The festival in Hamilton is the largest of them all. All of Front Street from the birdcage down past the cruise terminal is closed to traffic. The local residents set up tables and sell a variety of crafts, jewelry, CD's etc. You can buy prints of Bermuda scenes by local artists for about 1/2 what you pay in the stores. Those are the best bargins, we buy a print every year and have it framed here. Some tables have food as well. There is usually music, maybe some gombey dancers etc. It is more like a street fair like the ones in the Italian neighborhoods of Boston and New York. Hamiltion is held on Wednesday night. St. George is on Tuesday night. The Majesty arrives Tuesday morning and we usually go to the St. George festival that night. It seems to have more music as they have speakers plugged into city hall and a square to use. Around the outskirts of the square is tables of local venders similar to Hamilton. We see the same people at both. It is very low key and fun.:)

[loisann]

We will be in Bermuda Tuesday night and there is a street festival at the Dockyard. Any information on this

[cruiserssandr]

Any idea on when the last street festival is in St George this year?

[Writeratsea]

We will be in Bermuda Tuesday night and there is a street festival at the Dockyard. Any information on this

From what I heard, it is similar to the one in St. George. The vendors I talked to Wednesday night in Hamilton said they also did either the dockyard or St. George the previous night.:)

[TPKeller]

You can buy prints of Bermuda scenes by local artists for about 1/2 what you pay in the stores. Those are the best bargins, we buy a print every year and have it framed here.

Any chance you might know of some web pages with some samples of this kind of work? I like to collect water colors of islands that I have visited.

 

Theron

[geenafeena]

writeratsea-

perhaps you could help.

 

 

this will be our 1st time in bermuda, one day stop on a cruise. we will be docked in dockyard, leaving bermuda at 5 p.m. our plan so far is to go to horshoe bay, i read you can take a minibus up the hill, then go to swizzle inn, go to the caves, shopping.

 

now for the questions...how would we get to horshoe bay and take the minibus, then how would we go to the rest of the places listed above.

 

wouldn't mind taking the ferry either.

 

which caves would you recommend in the vicinity of what we would like to do (above).

 

 

also thinking of taking an island tour that would go to all the above places.

 

also would like to see the bermuda houses, etc.

 

as you can see, we are somewhat confused as to how to do these things...lol

[Bell Ringer]

Any chance you might know of some web pages with some samples of this kind of work? I like to collect water colors of islands that I have visited.

 

Theron

Check out: www.caroleholding.com

We have purchased a few of her prints. Her shops are neat. There is one in st. Georges and one in Hamilton.

[TPKeller]

Check out: www.caroleholding.com

We have purchased a few of her prints. Her shops are neat. There is one in st. Georges and one in Hamilton.

Thanks, she has some really nice work! I will look for it!

 

Theron

[Writeratsea]

writeratsea-

perhaps you could help.

 

 

this will be our 1st time in bermuda, one day stop on a cruise. we will be docked in dockyard, leaving bermuda at 5 p.m. our plan so far is to go to horshoe bay, i read you can take a minibus up the hill, then go to swizzle inn, go to the caves, shopping.

 

now for the questions...how would we get to horshoe bay and take the minibus, then how would we go to the rest of the places listed above.

 

wouldn't mind taking the ferry either.

 

which caves would you recommend in the vicinity of what we would like to do (above).

 

 

also thinking of taking an island tour that would go to all the above places.

 

also would like to see the bermuda houses, etc.

 

as you can see, we are somewhat confused as to how to do these things...lol

When I mentioned the mini bus, it was after the bus drops you off at the top of hill to Horseshoe Bay. You then have the choice of walking down the long hill to the beach or getting on a private minibus which costs about a dollar. Same for the way back up the hill. Downhill is not too bad, but uphill is a long hike especially in the hot sun. Paying the dollar to avoid the walk uphill is an easy decision. Once at the top of the hill, you can take the number 7 bus into Hamilton, which takes about 15 minutes. This is the best place to go shopping from, jewelry, linens, duty free liquor etc. From Hamilton you have to take the #10 or #11 bus to the Swizzle Inn, which is right next to the crystal caves. There are two caves, the original one and the reopened Fantasy cave, each has a seperate admission. I would recommend these caves over the ones at Grotto Bay because of the concrete steps makes for easier access. These attractions are close to St. George. The problem for a one day stop in Bermuda is that you are docked at the dockyard, which is the furtherst end of the island. Hamilton is in the center and St. George is at the East end. Bermuda is 20 miles long and the roads are crowded, so distance can be time consuming. You also have to be back at the dockyard by 4PM or so to ensure that you do not miss your ship. Because of your short time frame, I think you have to decide between two options. One is to do Horseshoe bay by the number 7 bus and then take the number 7 bus to Hamilton. Make sure you see a Pink pole at the bus stop which will indicate the bus is going towards Hamilton. If Blue, you are going away from Hamilton. Then you can see the Bermuda houses as you are going by. In Hamilton you can shop, see Ft. Hamilton which has a botanical garden built into the former moat, stroll along the waterfront. Then take the ferry back to the dockyard. In the dockyard you can tour the clocktower mall, watch them blow glass, have a free sample in the rum cake factory. This way you can be close by so as not to miss your ship, just pay attention to the time. The other option is to take the ferry to St. George, first one is supposed to be 9AM. From the square take the mini bus(cost is $3 each way) to Tobacco Bay or St. Catherines, either beach is gorgeous. Possibly see Fort St. Catherine. Take a mini bus back to St. George, explore there for a little bit, lunch at the Swizzle Inn and or caves and the #10 or #11 bus back to Hamilton, ferry back to the dockyard. All of this presumes that you buy a transportation pass for a day ($12) which allows unlimited use of the buses and ferries. Actually there is a third option, take the ferry to Hamilton and then take a blue flagged taxi for a guided tour. For 1 to 4 passengers it is $36 an hour. You could see a lot in 3 or 4 hours. You have to prioritize what is most important for you to see before you get into the taxi. Make a list of your top 10 and the driver will tell you how many you can see in the time frame. You would be seeing things rather than experiencing them but you do have limited time and this would allow you to see a lot of different things. Read a guide book such as Frommers before you leave. It is under $20 and will give you a lot of ideas of what is important for you to see. Hope this clarifies your options a little bit.:)

[TPKeller]

Being in Bermuda for only one day would be frustrating beyond imagination!

 

Theron

[geenafeena]

thank you so much for all this information.

so, what u suggested in the beginning souns like a plan. how would we get from dockyard to horshoe bay though? ferry? how do we get to the ferry from dockyard? how far of a ride is it? so we will get on the #7 bus (after taking the private minibus back up the hill from horeshoe) to hamilton after horseshoe, go shopping, then take the

#10 or #11 bus to swizzle inn, then maybe do the caves, this would allow us to check out some scenery too, including all the nice houses. how long will it take to get back to dockyard from the caves? then get on the ferry and go back to dockyard and check out that area. is this accurate??

 

i hope the ferry schedule doesn't change. we aren't going until 9/6.

 

is it better to take a taxi tour??

gee....so much info. to absorb...lol

 

thanks again and sorry for all the questions.

 

 

When I mentioned the mini bus, it was after the bus drops you off at the top of hill to Horseshoe Bay. You then have the choice of walking down the long hill to the beach or getting on a private minibus which costs about a dollar. Same for the way back up the hill. Downhill is not too bad, but uphill is a long hike especially in the hot sun. Paying the dollar to avoid the walk uphill is an easy decision. Once at the top of the hill, you can take the number 7 bus into Hamilton, which takes about 15 minutes. This is the best place to go shopping from, jewelry, linens, duty free liquor etc. From Hamilton you have to take the #10 or #11 bus to the Swizzle Inn, which is right next to the crystal caves. There are two caves, the original one and the reopened Fantasy cave, each has a seperate admission. I would recommend these caves over the ones at Grotto Bay because of the concrete steps makes for easier access. These attractions are close to St. George. The problem for a one day stop in Bermuda is that you are docked at the dockyard, which is the furtherst end of the island. Hamilton is in the center and St. George is at the East end. Bermuda is 20 miles long and the roads are crowded, so distance can be time consuming. You also have to be back at the dockyard by 4PM or so to ensure that you do not miss your ship. Because of your short time frame, I think you have to decide between two options. One is to do Horseshoe bay by the number 7 bus and then take the number 7 bus to Hamilton. Make sure you see a Pink pole at the bus stop which will indicate the bus is going towards Hamilton. If Blue, you are going away from Hamilton. Then you can see the Bermuda houses as you are going by. In Hamilton you can shop, see Ft. Hamilton which has a botanical garden built into the former moat, stroll along the waterfront. Then take the ferry back to the dockyard. In the dockyard you can tour the clocktower mall, watch them blow glass, have a free sample in the rum cake factory. This way you can be close by so as not to miss your ship, just pay attention to the time. The other option is to take the ferry to St. George, first one is supposed to be 9AM. From the square take the mini bus(cost is $3 each way) to Tobacco Bay or St. Catherines, either beach is gorgeous. Possibly see Fort St. Catherine. Take a mini bus back to St. George, explore there for a little bit, lunch at the Swizzle Inn and or caves and the #10 or #11 bus back to Hamilton, ferry back to the dockyard. All of this presumes that you buy a transportation pass for a day ($12) which allows unlimited use of the buses and ferries. Actually there is a third option, take the ferry to Hamilton and then take a blue flagged taxi for a guided tour. For 1 to 4 passengers it is $36 an hour. You could see a lot in 3 or 4 hours. You have to prioritize what is most important for you to see before you get into the taxi. Make a list of your top 10 and the driver will tell you how many you can see in the time frame. You would be seeing things rather than experiencing them but you do have limited time and this would allow you to see a lot of different things. Read a guide book such as Frommers before you leave. It is under $20 and will give you a lot of ideas of what is important for you to see. Hope this clarifies your options a little bit.:)

[JoePatNJNY]

Writeratsea<

 

Thanks so much for the info. Hope to be able to return the favor some day.

[Writeratsea]

Writeratsea<

 

Thanks so much for the info. Hope to be able to return the favor some day.

I just simply love Bermuda. The color of the water, the friendlyness of the people, all the flowers, just the whole atmosphere makes it a special place. I have been visiting since 1967, when I was working for the Post Office during summer break from College and I really got bit by a dog delivering mail. LOL. With the settlement money, a whole $250, I went to Bermuda. Out of a bad experience, I turned it into a positive one and it has stopped yet. I spend the time on these boards to share my knowledge and experiences to enhance other traveler's experience in Bermuda. If I acomplish that, the satisfaction is its own reward. Once you visit Bermuda, you will have have a better understanding for the fascination I have for this very special place. Enjoy your vacation and I hope to hear from you when you come back. Tell your dad not to walk fast or worry about time schedules. Have him take his time and just savor the experience, as it will pass much too quickly. You will be so disappointed to leave that you will have to come back again and again. It is why Bermuda has so many repeat visitors. And why people (such as me) rebook the Majesty to Bermuda:) year after year.

[Writeratsea]

Writeratsea<

 

Thanks so much for the info. Hope to be able to return the favor some day.

I just simply love Bermuda. The color of the water, the friendlyness of the people, all the flowers, just the whole atmosphere makes it a special place. I have been visiting since 1967, when I was working for the Post Office during summer break from College and I really got bit by a dog delivering mail. LOL. With the settlement money, a whole $250, I went to Bermuda. Out of a bad experience, I turned it into a positive one and it has stopped yet. I spend the time on these boards to share my knowledge and experiences to enhance other traveler's experience in Bermuda. If I acomplish that, the satisfaction is its own reward. Once you visit Bermuda, you will have have a better understanding for the fascination I have for this very special place. Enjoy your vacation and I hope to hear from you when you come back. Tell your dad not to walk fast or worry about time schedules. Have him take his time and just savor the experience, as it will pass much too quickly. You will be so disappointed to leave that you will have to come back again and again. It is why Bermuda has so many repeat visitors. And why people (such as me) rebook the Majesty to Bermuda year after year.:)

[Writeratsea]

thank you so much for all this information.

so, what u suggested in the beginning souns like a plan. how would we get from dockyard to horshoe bay though? ferry? how do we get to the ferry from dockyard? how far of a ride is it? so we will get on the #7 bus (after taking the private minibus back up the hill from horeshoe) to hamilton after horseshoe, go shopping, then take the

#10 or #11 bus to swizzle inn, then maybe do the caves, this would allow us to check out some scenery too, including all the nice houses. how long will it take to get back to dockyard from the caves? then get on the ferry and go back to dockyard and check out that area. is this accurate??

 

i hope the ferry schedule doesn't change. we aren't going until 9/6.

 

is it better to take a taxi tour??

gee....so much info. to absorb...lol

 

thanks again and sorry for all the questions.

From the dockyard you would take the number 7 bus, get off at Horseshoe Bay and negotiate the trip to the beach, either walk or use the minibus. Same as on the way back up to the top of the beach. It would take you about 20 minutes from the dockyard and now you have to decide how much time to spend at the beach. You will have to cross the road to get the bus to Hamilton, the number 7 again. It will take you about 15 minutes once you have boarded to get to Hamilton. Now you can explore Hamilton and take the ferry back to the dockyard. That trip is about 20 minutes. That is one option I mentioned available as you have a limited amount of time. The second option was to go to Hamilton by ferry or take the ferry to St George (9 AM ferry takes 35 minutes). Take the minibus to the beach, a minibus back. A number 10 or 11 bus to the Swizzle Inn and or the caves. Back on the number 10 or 11 bus to Hamilton which would take about 20 -25 minutes. Then explore Hamilton if you have time and take the ferry back to the dockyard. I think you only have enough time to do one or the other, because of your being docked at dockyard and it is so far away from everything. If you just want to see as many different things as possible, that is when I recommended a taxi tour. I suggested you take the ferry to Hamilton and start the taxi tour from there as it is the central part of the island, easy to get everywhere. I think you will enjoy Bermuda so much that you will want to come back on one of the 7 day cruises such as the Majesty. This would give you 3 and 1/2 days on the island, which would be a major difference in time available to see and experience things in depth. You haven't even gotten to Bermuda yet and already I am planning your second cruise. LOL It is like trying to see Disney World in one day. There is too much to see and do.:) Hope this clarifies things a little bit. A taxi tour would only skim the surface, allowing you to see the sights. Option one or two would allow you to see and experience Bermuda in more depth.

[AAAAmerican]

Instead of .BM it should be for a TLD::

.BEST

 

:cool:

[JoePatNJNY]

I just simply love Bermuda. The color of the water, the friendlyness of the people, all the flowers, just the whole atmosphere makes it a special place. I have been visiting since 1967, when I was working for the Post Office during summer break from College and I really got bit by a dog delivering mail. LOL. With the settlement money, a whole $250, I went to Bermuda. Out of a bad experience, I turned it into a positive one and it has stopped yet. I spend the time on these boards to share my knowledge and experiences to enhance other traveler's experience in Bermuda. If I acomplish that, the satisfaction is its own reward. Once you visit Bermuda, you will have have a better understanding for the fascination I have for this very special place. Enjoy your vacation and I hope to hear from you when you come back. Tell your dad not to walk fast or worry about time schedules. Have him take his time and just savor the experience, as it will pass much too quickly. You will be so disappointed to leave that you will have to come back again and again. It is why Bermuda has so many repeat visitors. And why people (such as me) rebook the Majesty to Bermuda year after year.:)

 

Your enthusiasm is contagious and you sound like a good egg even though you're probably a Red Sox fan! :(

[geenafeena]

thank you very much. you are so sweet.

 

 

 

From the dockyard you would take the number 7 bus, get off at Horseshoe Bay and negotiate the trip to the beach, either walk or use the minibus. Same as on the way back up to the top of the beach. It would take you about 20 minutes from the dockyard and now you have to decide how much time to spend at the beach. You will have to cross the road to get the bus to Hamilton, the number 7 again. It will take you about 15 minutes once you have boarded to get to Hamilton. Now you can explore Hamilton and take the ferry back to the dockyard. That trip is about 20 minutes. That is one option I mentioned available as you have a limited amount of time. The second option was to go to Hamilton by ferry or take the ferry to St George (9 AM ferry takes 35 minutes). Take the minibus to the beach, a minibus back. A number 10 or 11 bus to the Swizzle Inn and or the caves. Back on the number 10 or 11 bus to Hamilton which would take about 20 -25 minutes. Then explore Hamilton if you have time and take the ferry back to the dockyard. I think you only have enough time to do one or the other, because of your being docked at dockyard and it is so far away from everything. If you just want to see as many different things as possible, that is when I recommended a taxi tour. I suggested you take the ferry to Hamilton and start the taxi tour from there as it is the central part of the island, easy to get everywhere. I think you will enjoy Bermuda so much that you will want to come back on one of the 7 day cruises such as the Majesty. This would give you 3 and 1/2 days on the island, which would be a major difference in time available to see and experience things in depth. You haven't even gotten to Bermuda yet and already I am planning your second cruise. LOL It is like trying to see Disney World in one day. There is too much to see and do.:) Hope this clarifies things a little bit. A taxi tour would only skim the surface, allowing you to see the sights. Option one or two would allow you to see and experience Bermuda in more depth.

[robbien]

writeratsea

what is the best beach to us if I want to snorkle?:)

[Writeratsea]

Your enthusiasm is contagious and you sound like a good egg even though you're probably a Red Sox fan! :(

Yes I am a Red Sox Fan. I didn't know my intelligence was so obvious.:) LOL In 2004 I went to Bermuda; the Red Sox beat the Yankees and won the World Series. How can life get any better than that? I only had to wait 50 odd years for that moment but that's okay. It is really one of the last traditional rivalries. In basketball, Celtics-Lakers no big deal, hockey Bruins-Canadians no big deal. Too bad the Dodgers and Giants left New York, that was an excellent rivalry. With all the injuries the Yankees have had, how can anyone fairly blame Joe Torre who is a real class act that I have so much respect for. And he was an excellent player in his time for the Braves. I also loved Mickey Mantle. How much do you think the Yankees would have to pay him if he played now. I would have no problem paying him A-Rod money. I hope the Yankees get healthy so that they can compete with the Red Sox and I can tease you fairly before your trip. :)

[Writeratsea]

writeratsea

what is the best beach to us if I want to snorkle?:)

First of all bring your own gear. That way you know that it works, doesn't leak and you save money. The best beach for snorkling is Church Bay on the far South Shore. But the water there tends to get rough, especially if a storm has come by. That is why I am a little hesitant to recommend it. I checked your itinerary and you are going to be in St. George starting Wednesday morning. Tobacco Bay is a short minibus ride away and is excellent for snorkling as the beach is ringed by reefs and the water is only chest high at the edge of the reef. Plenty of brightly colored fish to see. While you are in Hamilton, you can take the Jesse James snorkling tour which I have heard is very good and you can purchase right at the docks. In St George you can purchase the Rising Sun Catamaran tour right at the bridge where the cruise ship docks. Either one would be a quality experience. I also checked out your roll call. NCL last year offered an unlimited beer card to college kids on spring break for $250 each as a group special. Well you can imagine what that trip was like. By the second day at sea, they had run out of some brands of beer.LOL These kids were from Florida, and I went to UMASS so I know what that trip was like. I am glad I missed that trip. Experiences like that are why the major cruise lines are leery of the alcaholic card, leaving only the soda card. You might want to redirect some of the roll call questions to this thread as there are a lot of experienced Bermuda travelers who could answer their questions.:)

[robbien]

Thanks for your replay I am getting my own gear. Thanks for all of your great info. it is helping me out a lot. In one of your posting about the festivals I am in different port on the nights you said can I get a bus from St George to Hamliton and how long of a ride is it. I will probable will have more questions for your before I go.:)

[Charles4515]

Tobacco Bay is a short minibus ride away and is excellent for snorkling as the beach is ringed by reefs and the water is only chest high at the edge of the reef. Plenty of brightly colored fish to see.

 

Or take a taxi from the dock. Taxi fare is $6.75 for the cab from dock to Tobacco Bay. It has been costing me from $1.15 to $2 by sharing the taxi. Also walking is an option if you are able to. Not a long walk.