Best cruise to Bermuda?

[NH Cruisers]

IMO the ship is the destination and the ports are the icing on the cake.

I have been on the Explorer and other Voyager class ships. Cruise at least once on a big ship, they are great destinations in there own.

 

We are going to Bermuda on a 7 day cruise on the Explorer of the Seas 11/04/07. We can't wait. We have family there that will give us the grand tour of the island.

 

I have been to Bermuda in the past on a small ship and docked in Hamilton, that was nice too.

 

Jon,

[seafeet]

I've been on larger ships, RCI Voyager, NCL Dawn, Carnival Victory, they're fine, it's just when going to Bermuda a smaller ship is the way to go IMO.

[Got2Cruise]

If one goes to ANY of the boards here on CC you will find complaints concerning almost every line (RCI included. )I think one must experience the line him or herself before making comparisons. It all comes down to personal preference.

Let me add a few words from a well-traveled Bermuda visitor. We took 3 cruises to the Island in the past 4 years. All with RCI. First departed out of NYC on Empress, second out of Philly on Empress and third out of Bayonne on Explorer.

 

First 2 only stayed in St. Georges and Hamilton, last only stayed in King's Warf. First 2 were 7 days, last was 5.

 

I was thrilled with our last cruise. It was the best cruise I've taken on any ship. Explorer is a Voyager class vessel with tons to do and it was amazing. It could not in any sense of any word compare to a small ship. And I too was dogging everyone staying at King's Warf saying they are missing DOCKING at 2 great ports in Bermuda... but when we took Explorer, i actually realized it's not bad at all, the shopping and Meritime museum are excellent and Royal Caribbean has a festival and a market during the overnight stay which is actually better than the street market in Hamilton (Wednesday night, I think).

 

We have friends who took NCL, Song, Carnival and hated the experience on the ship (different destinations) - I have yet to speak to a person from an RCI/Celebrity cruise who hated theirs. When you compare them and RCI, there's really no comparison. Entertainment, ships, food, etc are all better on RCI. 5 day cruise out of Bayonne, when you see all NYC skyline and statue of liberty and all pass under Verazzano, is priced at $999 for Balcony.

 

Happy Crusing! Come back to this thread and post your review, i'd like to hear how it went :)

[e.durban]

Explorer is certainly a handsome ship, but with only one sea day in either direction, surely boredom at sea isn't much of an issue. Also, lumping RCI and Celebrity food together is a little misleading...Celebrity clearly offers a superior product in the main dining rooms, as it should for the money. Explorer's food struck us as no better or worse than that in the NCL main dining rooms and a cut below Carnival (Carnival isn't really for us as an overall cruise experience, but makes a mean flourless chocolate cake!)

 

Unfortunately, Explorer's short port time in Bermuda makes her a non-starter IMO. Take one of her longer cruises out of Bayonne: if you like biiiig ships she's one of the best...

 

David

[NH Cruisers]

I have a question. I have been on a few cruises in the past and to Bermuda in the past. Why is Bermuda so special that you need 3 or 4 days in port? I feel the 8 hours a ship stays at most ports is too little. It is the nature of cruising. Why not fly to Bermuda and book a hotel for 5 days? If the ship is'nt the destination.

 

Jon,

[Charles4515]

I have a question. I have been on a few cruises in the past and to Bermuda in the past. Why is Bermuda so special that you need 3 or 4 days in port? I feel the 8 hours a ship stays at most ports is too little. It is the nature of cruising. Why not fly to Bermuda and book a hotel for 5 days? If the ship is'nt the destination.

 

Jon,

 

Hotels and dining are very expensive in Bermuda. Also airfare until recently was also expensive, running about $600 a round trip when I first priced it about ten years ago. These days you can get cheaper airfare than that. So a cruise there where you use the ship as your hotel and restaurant has been the best value for visiting Bermuda.

[Writeratsea]

Hotels and dining are very expensive in Bermuda. Also airfare until recently was also expensive, running about $600 a round trip when I first priced it about ten years ago. These days you can get cheaper airfare than that. So a cruise there where you use the ship as your hotel and restaurant has been the best value for visiting Bermuda.

This is so true. I tried to price out a land vacation in Bermuda, to compare with the cruise. There is no comparison. The plane tickets are $650 each as there are no charter flights. The hotels are $200 to $300 a night or more. Our Cruise on the Majesty in September is about $1500 including port fees and taxes for an outside superior room. The land package was ranging from $3000 to $5000. This did not include the cost of food, which you have to add at least $100 a day per person. That alone plus the entertainment on board is a significant feature. The only advantage to a land vacation, is that you would be there in about 2 hours flight time, if you are too impatient to wait.:)

[jwitt2]

Agree with the previous poster that land vacations are getting very expensive in Bermuda. We went on our honeymoon 40 years ago to what is now the Sonesta Beach, then some years later to the Southhampton Princess, and Hamilton Princess which were all very nice. We were thinking of going to the Elbow Beach for our upcoming 40th anniversary but have booked Azamara Journey instead.

 

Our first cruise was 30 years ago on the Cunard Princess. We sailed over and were able to disembark at the second port (Hamilton) and stay at the Elbow Beach for several days and then fly home. Unfortunately, they don't offer options like this anymore.

 

In 1993 we sailed over on the Song of America which went to Hamilton and St. Geo. It was a big ship in its day and we enjoyed it. In 1996 we sailed on the QE2 on a 5 day cruise to Kings Wharf. The ship was wonderful so docking there didn't matter since we had been to the other ports. In 2002 we sailed on the Horizon to St. Geo. and Hamilton. I still prefer to go to these ports rather than to Kings Wharf. It is worth it to me to go on any ship to get there. We have been on 40 cruises since that first cruise to Bermuda and have tried many ships to many places and prefer the smaller ships anyway. We have also always rented motorbikes or scooters. So far, knock wood, the only problem I have had was that I ran out of gas and got left behind by DH who didn't bother to look around for awhile. The last few times I gave up and rode behind him on a larger scooter. Years ago a friend of mine did scrape a coral wall on her honeymoon and got an infection. I know there are horror stories out there.

[NH Cruisers]

I guess its unanimous, cruising is the best value for staying at Bermuda.

[iheartbda]

I guess its unanimous, cruising is the best value for staying at Bermuda.

 

Add my vote to that.

 

A couple we met on a cruise to Bermuda last year have decided to fly this year as they say it's comparable to a cruise. They have cruised there 9 times. Even though they have an efficiency apt. that's running $130 a night I can't help but think it's going to cost way more than they're expecting. Last year we stopped in a grocery store to check prices just out of curiosity and a loaf of bread was just under $5.00. So even "eating in" is going to be pricey.

I'll be anxious to hear what they have to say when they get back. They may hesitate to admit it cost more than a cruise having said they think it's

comparable.

[rbfcruise]

So we are looking for a late May cruise 2008 to Bermuda and the only cruiseline that is posting cruises is NCL ... why is it that no other cruiselines are going then? Is it a bad time to go to Bermuda?

[Writeratsea]

Add my vote to that.

 

A couple we met on a cruise to Bermuda last year have decided to fly this year as they say it's comparable to a cruise. They have cruised there 9 times. Even though they have an efficiency apt. that's running $130 a night I can't help but think it's going to cost way more than they're expecting. Last year we stopped in a grocery store to check prices just out of curiosity and a loaf of bread was just under $5.00. So even "eating in" is going to be pricey.

I'll be anxious to hear what they have to say when they get back. They may hesitate to admit it cost more than a cruise having said they think it's

comparable.

Our cruise on the Majesty is costing us about $200 a night. If they are paying $130 a night for the apartment, that leaves $70 a day for food and the cost of the flight. The flight is $650 each which is almost another $200 a night. The numbers just can't compare. That does not include all the other incidentals as they are on their own, rather than usuing the cruise ship as their docked hotel with the food and entertainment included. It will be interesting to hear what they have to say.

[Dolphins]

Bermuda is our favorite island port of call. We can never get enough time there. We would never take a cruise shorter than 7 days. On the contrary, this year we were able to arrange our dream back to back. We will be taking the Azamara Journey in September for seven days to Bermuda including our favorite Bermuda dockings- St. George and Hamilton. We return on a Saturday, go home that night, do our laundry, check our mail/E-mail and return Sunday to take the Norwegian Crown back to Bermuda. We get two different ships with different menus and shows going to our favorite island. We look forward to comparing the two cruise experiences. Likely the last chance to do so since Crown will be sold soon and the Journey will be in Europe next year. Next year the only ships going to Bermuda will be docking at Kings Wharf.

We totally agree with the previous posters that hotel stays in Bermuda are very expensive including dining and flights. Cruising is the best way to enjoy Bermuda and we regret that there will be fewer smaller ships available to dock in St. George and Hamilton in the future.

We also agree with those who feel the ship is the destination that a large ship like Explorer is the way to go, much more to do on board. I wouldn't want to take a small ship on a trans-Atlantic cruise. Another advantage of cruising- something for everyone. Enjoy.

[SAYHEYRENEE]

Dophins, you'll be happy to know I found out on the crown via there advertised channel that NCL has a few cruise ships going to Bermuda. The Majesty is moving from Boston to all along the east coast (Phila, Charleston, and Baltimore) to go to St George only.

The dawn will be doing 7 nights from NYC to Kings Warf.

The Dream ( I hope this is the right name) will be sailing from Boston to St George the whole time.

Someone said the Majesty and Dream were too long to do the turn to dock in Hamilton.

 

 

Jon, I felt even the 3.5 days were not enough. There is still so much I want to do and see but I love cruising and I will not give that up (along with the fact that I couldn't afford Bermuda andy other way).

 

Personally I always book a ship for ports, then pricing, then brand.

The Mariner this year is the first time I ever choose ship first.

[Host Kewlguy]

We pick Azamara Journey. Second choice would be NCL Dawn although we dislike being stuck out at Kings Wharf.

[Got2Cruise]

Can you tell us why you would choose Azamara Journey? What is special about it? It is double of price of NCL, so they have to be doing something special, no?

 

We pick Azamara Journey. Second choice would be NCL Dawn although we dislike being stuck out at Kings Wharf.

[Charles4515]

Can you tell us why you would choose Azamara Journey? What is special about it? It is double of price of NCL, so they have to be doing something special, no?

 

The Journey is supposed to be a deluxe ship, better than premium, but less than luxury. NCL is a budget cruise line. That is why the pricing is different. I don't know yet if Journey lives up to it's billing and is worth double the price. I tend to doubt it. I don't care much for NCL, so I have booked Journey. But not at double the price. I would not have at double. Just a few hundred more than NCL.

[Got2Cruise]

The Journey is supposed to be a deluxe ship, better than premium, but less than luxury. NCL is a budget cruise line. That is why the pricing is different. I don't know yet if Journey lives up to it's billing and is worth double the price. I tend to doubt it. I don't care much for NCL, so I have booked Journey. But not at double the price. I would not have at double. Just a few hundred more than NCL.

 

Did you book it while it was still Celebrity? Because I recently checked for the date I was interested in July 7th and the cheapest cabin was $1999 per person. My mother said that she read that everyone has their own butler? Or is she misinformed? I am just curious, because I wanted to try Celebrity which everyone raved about to Bermuda, and then when I looked poof it was gone. p.s. Charles, I don't think NCL is considered a "budget" cruiseline. Every cruiseline has different style ships and the amenities of the ship matches the cruisefare.

[Charles4515]

Did you book it while it was still Celebrity? Because I recently checked for the date I was interested in July 7th and the cheapest cabin was $1999 per person. My mother said that she read that everyone has their own butler? Or is she misinformed? I am just curious, because I wanted to try Celebrity which everyone raved about to Bermuda, and then when I looked poof it was gone. p.s. Charles, I don't think NCL is considered a "budget" cruiseline. Every cruiseline has different style ships and the amenities of the ship matches the cruisefare.

 

I booked it while it was still Celebrity. My booking is in the off season, September, which brings the price down. Approx. $1000 per person, I got an outside cabin, not the cheapest. July has always been the peak season with high prices for Bermuda. I have read the butler is only a butler by the classical sense if you are in a suite. Otherwise it may be a glorified cabin attendent in a tux.

 

I went on a bunch of Celebrity sailings to Bermuda, but I would not rave about them. I thought they were very good. My favorite Bermuda sailing was on the old Pacific Princess, the Love Boat.

 

As far as NCL is concerned I have heard a lot of people call it a budget cruise line. Budget doesn't mean bad, but I did didn't care for NCL.

[Host Kewlguy]

Can you tell us why you would choose Azamara Journey? What is special about it? It is double of price of NCL, so they have to be doing something special, no?

 

I wouldn't pay double to cruise on Journey verses the Dawn. I would wait until about a month before the sailing date and hope for a last minute deal.

[Got2Cruise]

I wouldn't pay double to cruise on Journey verses the Dawn. I would wait until about a month before the sailing date and hope for a last minute deal.

 

I think the Dawn is going to be an awesome cruise to Bermuda. You will be at the Dockyards yes, but at least you will be in Bermuda for at least three days as opposed to the Explorer where you are in Bermuda for one day. It is easy to get to the pink beaches from the Dockyards. The Dawn attracts more "high roller" types. . .and probably a younger demographic --definitely a party crowd. :D The Crown crowd is very laid-back in my experience.