Bermuda questions

We have done Western, Eastern, and Southern Caribbean cruises and we are
thinking of trying a Bermuda cruise. How do these compare to the Caribbean?
Are the beaches like Caribbean beaches or are they more like North/South
Carolina beaches? Is the water as pretty as Caribbean water or is it dark
like Carolina beaches? What about the cost of food, taxis, etc? Any
information would be appreciated.
Thanks
--
Tom
Pittsburgh Pa

Tom wrote:
We have done Western, Eastern, and Southern Caribbean cruises and we are
thinking of trying a Bermuda cruise. How do these compare to the Caribbean?
Are the beaches like Caribbean beaches or are they more like North/South
Carolina beaches? Is the water as pretty as Caribbean water or is it dark
like Carolina beaches? What about the cost of food, taxis, etc? Any
information would be appreciated.
Thanks

We have cruised to Bermuda twice and loved it, when we have time we will
be going back. A Bermuda cruise is very different then a caribbean
cruise for many reasons. Bermuda is a very clean and safe island, the
people are extremly friendly and helpful. You are docked in Bermuda for
several days and when the ship sails from port to port, you don't have
to be on the ship. We enjoyed watching our ship sail and then taking the
ferry to meet it in the next port.

The beaches are very nice, we aren't beach people so I will let others
tell you more.

Eating out in Bermuda is expensive, but you can always go back to the
ship to eat or take sandwiches from room service if you are going to be
out all day. Even tho the food is expensive, you should eat out in one
of the pubs, our fav is the Frog and Onion.

As far as transportation goes, get a bus/ferry pass which is good for
three days. It isn't very expensive and is a safe and enjoyable way to
get around the island. It is very, very hard to get lost in Bermuda.

If you do go, Helmet Diving with Greg Hartly is a must. You can find
info on him at http://www.hartleybermuda.com/

Below are some links with good info:

http://www.dreamingofbermuda.bm/
http://www.dreamingofbermuda.bm/
http://www.bermudayp.com/
http://www.thisweekinbermuda.com/beaches.html

What ship are you thinking about? I wouldn't take any ship that stays at
one port.

sue

The water is blue. The beaches are Pink, ground coral. Great public bus &
water taxi system to get around. john
"Tom" wrote in message
news:n%tyc.1364$Hg2.704@attbi_s04...
We have done Western, Eastern, and Southern Caribbean cruises and we are
thinking of trying a Bermuda cruise. How do these compare to the
Caribbean?
Are the beaches like Caribbean beaches or are they more like North/South
Carolina beaches? Is the water as pretty as Caribbean water or is it dark
like Carolina beaches? What about the cost of food, taxis, etc? Any
information would be appreciated.
Thanks
--
Tom
Pittsburgh Pa

It rains a lot !
BILL

"Tom" wrote in message
news:n%tyc.1364$Hg2.704@attbi_s04...
We have done Western, Eastern, and Southern Caribbean cruises and we are
thinking of trying a Bermuda cruise. How do these compare to the
Caribbean?
Are the beaches like Caribbean beaches or are they more like North/South
Carolina beaches? Is the water as pretty as Caribbean water or is it dark
like Carolina beaches? What about the cost of food, taxis, etc? Any
information would be appreciated.
Thanks
--
Tom
Pittsburgh Pa



A few key points.

As Sue said, the ships dock in Bermuda for 4 days. This also means you're
there 3 nights, able to walk on and off the ship. Being in Bermuda is a
whole different experience. After dinner on the ship, instead of going to a
show, you are able to walk around Bermuda at night. There are stores, pubs,
horse and buggy rides, street fairs, etc., to go to (or on).

Just as in Real Estate, the most important thing in Bermuda is LOCATION.
Smaller ships can dock in Hamilton and St. Georges. Those are where you
want to be. Larger ships have to dock at Kings Wharf. One day there is OK
but you don't want to spend the whole week there. Where the ships dock in
Hamilton, you're on one side of the main street. Ships are on one side.
Stores are on the other side. You're that close to the action. What I look
for is a ship that spends 2 days in Hamilton and 2 days in St. Georges. The
entries into Hamilton and St. Georges are through narrow cuts in the coral
reefs. So only small ships like Zenith, Horizon, Norwegian Crown and Nordic
Empress fit. If you want to appreciate Bermuda, pick one of those 4 ships.
I like the Zenith's itinerary the best.

Although it's at the same latitude as Georgia, Bermuda has Caribbean style
water. The Gulf Stream runs along Bermuda in the summer (according to one
of my diving books). It has some absolutely magnificent coral reefs. And
even a huge variety of parrot fish that are responsible for nibbling a lot
of the coral and correspondingly making the pink sand beaches over the
centuries.

The water is the blue color of the Caribbean. Though it can be a bit
cooler. But it doesn't get cold enough to destroy the reefs. The north
shore is calm and protected by huge off shore reefs. The south shore has
the best beaches and is rougher. Many of Bermuda's beaches like Horseshoe
Bay, Church Bay, and Elbow Beach are world famous.

Hurricanes. Key point. There is nothing near Bermuda. If a hurricane is
going toward Bermuda... you have no place else to go, like in the Caribbean.
You may go to either Halifax or Nassau instead, but neither is Bermuda.

It's by far the must upscale island out there. It's more like Beverly Hills
than Jamaica. It's a banking center (the major banking center for the
British empire). It's a tax advantage location for many corporations. With
banking the major part of the economy, they are not dependent on tourism.
As such, they limit the number of tourists that visit, particularly by ship.

Tourists cannot rent cars. Most households are limited to 1 car. Tourists
can take busses, taxis or rent mopeds.

As an island, everything must be either shipped in or flown in. Costs are
high. Food is high. Taxis are high. The cost of living is high.
Unemployment is essentially non existent.

Entertainment on the ships is generally scaled back while docked in Bermuda.
Casinos are closed while there. They want you off the ship, not on the ship
while there. Bermuda is your playground. A very special playground.

--Tom

wrote in message
...
It rains a lot !
BILL


No it doesn't.

We've had 1/2 day of rain out of 3 trips (12 days) there.

--Tom

If you have done the Caribbean you must do a Bermuda cruise. The island
is a bit different than what you expect from Caribbean ports. Much
cleaner, friendlier, totally different that is hard to explain. Yes the
beaches are beautiful, clean, clear water like you would expect in the
Caribbean. Prices to eat and shop on the island can be a bit expensive,
but you can budget yourselves. Also with a cruise you can't go wrong
since most of your meals will be on board the ship.

Len...

I will answer just one question: the MOST beautiful beach I've ever been
to is Horseshoe Bay in Bermuda. I've never seen anything like it
anywhere else, and I've been to (and loved) a great many beaches.

Eileen

Tom wrote:

We have done Western, Eastern, and Southern Caribbean cruises and we are
thinking of trying a Bermuda cruise. How do these compare to the Caribbean?
Are the beaches like Caribbean beaches or are they more like North/South
Carolina beaches? Is the water as pretty as Caribbean water or is it dark
like Carolina beaches? What about the cost of food, taxis, etc? Any
information would be appreciated.
Thanks

In article , Eileen Garland
wrote:

I will answer just one question: the MOST beautiful beach I've ever been
to is Horseshoe Bay in Bermuda. I've never seen anything like it
anywhere else, and I've been to (and loved) a great many beaches.

I have the same opinion. So much so that I wanted to take a cruise to
Bermuda this year with that wonderfull beach at Horseshoe Bay as a
major reason. It is not to be this year, but maybe next year!!!

Poor me, I have two other cruises booked

--
Charles

Tom & Linda wrote:

Hurricanes. Key point. There is nothing near Bermuda. If a hurricane is
going toward Bermuda... you have no place else to go, like in the Caribbean.
You may go to either Halifax or Nassau instead, but neither is Bermuda.

Last summer on the sgc2003,end of august, the Zenith to Bermuda, we
lucked out and had fantastic weather. The people who cruised the week
after us had their time in Bermuda cut short because of a hurricane. For
a number of weeks after that no cruise ships were allowed to go to
Bermuda. So if you do sail during hurricane season, you shoule be aware
of the fact that if there is a hurricane or bad storm, the cruise lines
have the right to change the itin without telling you. This is why when
we go to Bermuda by ourselves, I would go in June or July, less chance
of bad weather.

sue