Bermuda

I am so excited a bunch of us are going to plan a cruise to Bermuda in the spring.

Has anyone ever been there?

Do you need a passport to travel there?

Re: Bermuda

FH & I cruised there in August 2001...We had an amazing time! It is such a beautiful island. The only thing, one of the stops was the Royal Naval Shipyard...There really wasnt much to do there but shop in the tiny mall...People are so friendly too!

You do need a passport to travel.

Re: Bermuda

I've been there. It's absolutely gorgeous! You do need a passport, yes.

There are two main towns -- Hamilton and St. George. Neither town is very large -- Hamilton has more bars and nightlife, stores, and restaurants. From what I've seen, while everyday dress is fairly formal in Bermuda, the people who live there tend to be laid-back and friendly.

The snorkeling is amazing! There are also companies that do parasailing, scuba, and such.

The beaches cannot be missed. Many of them have pink (well, pinkish) sand!

BE CAREFUL of the mopeds! A lot of Americans rent them and get hurt, because in Bermuda folks drive on the left side of the road.

Have fun!

Re: Bermuda

My husband and I went there for our 1st anniversary (over 10 1/2 years ago). We LOVED it there. We have always talked about going back. My husband used to ride the moped into town and I would take the ferry!!
Have Fun!

Re: Bermuda

Yes I went there on a cruise in 02 for my HM - it is beautiful there. I dont think you need a passport but I used mine and I think it is the preferred doc - but I think a drivers license and birth cert are ok.

There is lots to do for a small island - def check out the city of Hamilton, and St George... the shopping is great, the beaches (I went to Tobacco bay and Horseshoe Bay are beautiful)...we also did several shore excursions - one to Crystal underground Caves and another night time cruise. We also ate at a restaurant in Hamilton - called Barracuda Grill - it was pricey but awesome! The locals are really nice. Also, you can take ferries all over the island - you can buy a pass on the cruise. Oh and dont forget to try the Island signature drinks - Dark N Stormy and Rum Swizzles!!!

Other places we went to:

Elbow Beach outdoor restaurant
Rum Swizzle Inn
Trimminghams Dept Store
King Henry the 8th restaurant

We spent alot of $ eating on the iskland rather than the cruise because it was our HM and the food I have to say was excellent.

Have fun!

Re: Bermuda

You don't need your passport. A license and birth certificate (with a raised seal) will get you in. You will only have to present it when you are boarding the ship.

I went with Celebrity in August 2003 and it was fantastic. Celebrity's Zenith makes that trip and the ship was great. It is definitely a smaller ship than most of what the other cruiselines offer to Bermuda, but that smaller ship got you closer to the action. You did not have to take a taxi to get into Hamilton from the Royal Naval Yard (where the bigger ships have to dock). A plus, when you consider how expensive Bermuda can be.

I loved it there. Have fun!!!

Re: Bermuda

My hubby and I just went 3 weeks ago on a cruise to Bermuda for our 1st Anniversary. One word: FABULOUS!!! Bermuda is beautiful and very clean. The people are very friendly & civilized, unlike many islands it is quite wealthy and their isn't a very poor population. We had a great time. The ship isn't one of the largest on the seas, but it was a good size. We were on a Celebrity cruise, excellent food, great service, and well kept.

We were docked in Hamilton Bermuda for two days. We took a bus to Horseshoe Bay and went swimming all day. We just relaxed reading on the beach. The view was gorgeous. Horseshoe Bay is probably one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been too. The water was perfect temp and we just bopped around in the water together. Afterwards we took the bus to the Royal Naval Academy to shop. Here there were pottery and glass blowing studios, as well as a market. You don't really go to Bermuda for shopping. In fact, the prices are probably more expensive then here in NY. So we just walked around and window shopped. Since we missed lunch on the ship, we got ice cream, before taking the ferry back to Hamilton (where the ship was docked). Our second day in Hamilton, we walked around the town in the morning & went shopping. The only thing we bought was a watercolor of Horseshoe Bay and 2 Christmas oranments (glass balls filled with Bermuda's 'pink sand'). We also went sailing & snorkeling in Hamilton. We saw some amazing coral reef and fish.

Next we docked in St. George for another two days. Our first day we went on a 'Helmet Dive' excursion the first day. We took a boat out to go diving, we were going down about 12 feet. You put these heavy helmets on that are attached to an oxygen air hose. You are able to walk along the bottom of the water with this helmet on and breath normally. No swimming is involved. So you climb down this ladder into the water to your shoulders, when they put this 90lb helmet on you. In the water, you can't feel the weight. You are supposed to go down the later quickly to the bottom, where a guide is waiting to help you and make sure you are ok. There were sooo many fish, I took a ton of pics and we got to feed them. It was pretty cool. I heard the tour in Hamilton is alot better and more sophisticated, but I definately recommend the excursion (try the Hamilton trip). We also went to Tobacco Bay for more swimming and sun. The rocks and water is awesome here, great for snorkeling. But the beach is small and I didn't like the fact that we were now at a bay. We walked around St. George and found some cute shops and a great coffee cafe' where we were able to email home. Our last day in Bermuda we went to St. Catherine's, here the water was much rougher and lot more waves. It was a good time.

I loved how relaxing Bermuda was and how nice it was to sit on the beach and read. The snorkeling was good. I had never been so close to so many different fish. It was a fantastic vacation and I would highly recommend Bermuda.


Here are some of my favorite pictures of Bermuda. FM if you have additional questions.

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Re: Bermuda

Oh I forgot, you can buy a bus pass for a whole day or for the days you are docked. It is pretty cheap and very convenient. It also allows you to take the ferry. We only took a taxi once, to the beach on St. George (but we walked back).

You don't have to have a passport, you can use a birth certificate.

Enjoy!

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Re: Bermuda

I have some of those same pictures - the first one has to be Horseshoe Bay!!