Cruise ship entertainment in Bermuda?
Nov 7th, 2004, 04:31 AM
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Cruise ship entertainment in Bermuda?
We're firrt-time cruisers heading to Bermuda on Celebrity, and wondering if the lack of entertainment on board while in port is a big negative. Is it just live entertainment at night that is stopped while in port, or is it all entertainment, including movies, casino, etc?
Nov 7th, 2004, 04:37 AM
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The casinos are closed and there is some entertainment (can't talk about Celebrity), but most passengers are off the ship having a great time.. Please don't pass Bermuda by.. it's our favorite place to be.
Nov 10th, 2004, 08:13 AM
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Interesting ParrotMom. I too have avoided Bermuda, in part, because these cruises seem like they turn the ship into nothing more than a hotel for you to return to at night.
When cruising we always look forward to dinner and the ship board entertainment each evening. We don't ever depend on the Casinos at any port since they all close when in port.
Secondly, what is there to do off the ship at night other than bars and dance clubs? (We're just not into them). That's where my concern comes in, since if there's nothing to do on shore at night that we like, our only option is to return to the ship where nothing is going on.
Thanks for any advice!
When cruising we always look forward to dinner and the ship board entertainment each evening. We don't ever depend on the Casinos at any port since they all close when in port.
Secondly, what is there to do off the ship at night other than bars and dance clubs? (We're just not into them). That's where my concern comes in, since if there's nothing to do on shore at night that we like, our only option is to return to the ship where nothing is going on.
Thanks for any advice!
Nov 10th, 2004, 09:02 AM
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Depends on what you want from your vacation - for us the fact that the ship WAS our hotel was just the point. Unlike other itineraries I have seen, the idea of staying in one place for 3-4 nights was appealing to us - but can understand how it would be boring to others.
What we did, since it was summer, was spend a full and tiring day seeing things in Bermuda, going to beach, water sports, etc. Returned to ship very late afternoon, changed, had a leisurely drink, then dinner. After dinner sat on deck, usually exhausted, there was usually some music, and enjoyed the air and view.
On another day, we went out to dinner on land - picked the night when shops were open a bit later and window shopped and walked around Hamilton.
Since we had teenagers with us, bars were also not the attraction. We are not big gamblers, so casino being closed was no loss to us.
What we did, since it was summer, was spend a full and tiring day seeing things in Bermuda, going to beach, water sports, etc. Returned to ship very late afternoon, changed, had a leisurely drink, then dinner. After dinner sat on deck, usually exhausted, there was usually some music, and enjoyed the air and view.
On another day, we went out to dinner on land - picked the night when shops were open a bit later and window shopped and walked around Hamilton.
Since we had teenagers with us, bars were also not the attraction. We are not big gamblers, so casino being closed was no loss to us.
Nov 10th, 2004, 02:16 PM
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We took a Bermuda cruise several years ago, and it was the same as any other cruise we took. We did our shore thingy, 2nd seating for dinner, show afterwards. All the same activities at sea as in port with the exception of the casino, and that certainly didn't bother me. 
Nov 10th, 2004, 03:10 PM
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Thanks, everyone! We're not put off Bermuda at all. Now I've got a picture in my head of us sitting on the deck with the sun going down, watching the stars pop out. Who needs entertainment?
Nov 11th, 2004, 04:02 AM
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Since we aren't the pub types...Tuesday night in St. George in the suare is I think they call it Heritage Night..with crafts and music...Wednesday night in Hamilton it's a big street fair where they close off Front Street.. If your lucky you might be able to see the "Calling of the Guard", we've only seen it once. After that was over we took a carriage ride around Hamilton. We wanted to take a carriage ride through the side streets of St George but waited too long.. There is a huge( read that as booze cruise) excursion for the evening but the name escapes me.. I must take back my comment about pubs though...the only place we go for lunch and listen to the Bermuda symphony (ambulances) is the Swizzle Inn which everybody will tell you is a MUST... and that is reachable by the bus. They have great fish sandwiches (so big they should be shared), chicken wings, chowder and onion rings.. We've also gone there at night to listen to the entertainment and do karioke with friends...Oh yes.. we are over 65..lol It;s sort of a tradition...to have a Dark and Stormy there... This year for the first time I went off to explore the side streets near the water of St George and was able to capture some beautiful pictures of gardens and home...things we had never noticed before.. A favorite memory that will always stay with us is our walking hand in hand up the cobblestoned streets of St. George..
Nov 11th, 2004, 04:24 AM
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We'll definitely make the Swizzle Inn a lunchtime destination! And as my better half is into photography, we'll look for that sidestreet walk, too. Have you ever driven scooters while you were there, or did the "symphony" scare you away?
Nov 11th, 2004, 09:49 AM
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Please don't ride the mopeds...sadly there have been several deaths this y ear...the last only being a month ago of tourists.. Between the buses and the ferries you can get around.. If you'd like to see the side streets... please contact me to see my this years pictures...
[email protected]
[email protected]
Nov 11th, 2004, 09:59 AM
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Actually, when you pull into St George, you can buy a 3-day pass to take the busses and boats all around the island. Don't forget to go to the pubs & fort at the Dock Yards. Take the boat from Hamilton.
Nov 12th, 2004, 04:17 AM
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A high speed ferry goes directly from St. George......There are now four high speed ferries in Bermuda..and of course another one from St. George goes to Hamilton... The Frog and Onion is a popular spot for lunch at the Dockyard.
Nov 12th, 2004, 05:36 AM
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Hi Budman: I've never been to Bermuda (see my earlier post) in part because I thought there was no evening entertainment / activities while in port at night.
The few friends I have who were there stated that this was one thing they did not like about this cruise .... but I'm learning a lot in this string of posts that's changing my mind.
The friends I'm speaking of were on Carnival and I have known Carnival to simply not have entertainment on nights with no explaination as to why
Anyway, thanks for all the info everyone.
The few friends I have who were there stated that this was one thing they did not like about this cruise .... but I'm learning a lot in this string of posts that's changing my mind.
The friends I'm speaking of were on Carnival and I have known Carnival to simply not have entertainment on nights with no explaination as to why
Anyway, thanks for all the info everyone.
Nov 21st, 2004, 06:28 AM
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hi there, has anyone ever sailed from Boston to Bermuda on the Norwegian Majesty? Can someone tell me if there is gambling in Bermuda itself? How was the cruise ship and also are the high speed ferries expensive?
Nov 21st, 2004, 07:45 AM
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Sadly (LOL) we have cruised on the Majesty ten times to Bermuda from Boston. There is absolutely no gambling on the ship while it's in Bermuda or casinos in Bermuda. I think the three day day ferry/bus pass is or was about $23.00, it maybe a little more. As for the Majesty...we have been on it when it was the Royal and now NCL and it is on it's last year of two of cruising from Boston. NCL and several other lines are cooperating with Goverment of Bermuda to expand and to fund it's facilities for cruise ships..Right now ALL cruise ship going to Bermuda are limited in their passenger capacity. In the future there will be larger cruise ships and sadly larger and deeper facilities for docking. Commerical ships will probably be relegated to other parts of the island. The Majesty is the most re-booked ship in the NCL line.. In January one year I tried to book a specific area and category....no luck..Many people like ourselves like the convenience of driving into Boston, unloading our trunks by FRIENDLY longshoremen (compared to Florida), parking our car across the road and the quick and efficient boarding. There are others who do not want to or do not like to fly to other areas, there are also others that just love Bermuda like we do and the fact that we embark on a Sunday and Tuesday we are in Bermuda until Friday at 1:00 p.m. means we have a chance to explore instead of running on and off the ship at various ports and being exhausted by the time we arrive home. Is the Majesty glamourous, do they have an ice skating rink, a rock climbing wall...NO, what they have is a great caring staff. Several years ago we cruised on a magnicent ship....another line.. and from day one I couldn't wait to go back to my Majesty.. Depending on the Head Chef...I have found the food okay to great.. Buffets are not their strong point except for their barbecue on deck where they have the greatest ribs.. This June we were not thrilled with the food (but we found an incredible waitress) but a friend was on in October and said it was the best she has had on the ship.. If you want more info on the Majesty write [email protected]
