Boston (or New York) to Bermuda this summer with 2 teenagers
 

Have only been on one very short cruise but while attempting to find family trip for summer this idea has surfaced. Couple with 18 year old son (last family trip before he heads to college) and 13 year old daughter.

Would welcome any suggestions about line, ship, etc. Seems that Norwegian line has several 7-day trips this summer from Boston, so any specifics on this would also be appreciated. Thanks.

I've done the Majesty out of Boston twice in the last 6 years and enjoyed it both times. (Be aware than Atlantic waters can be rough when you are 600 miles off shore) The first time we had to change routes slightly in order to avoid a tropical depression. It still got pretty rough.

Bermuda is my favorite cruise destination (so far) and I've done the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Alaska, and the western coast of Mexico. Bermuda is clean, pastel, nice beaches, friendly, and I (as a teacher) have noticed how very polite the children are. They also seem very proud of their island.

I rather like that the Majesty docks at St Georges and stays there the whole time. You buy a 3-day bus pass and you can travel all over the island and see everything and not forget where you left the ship! LOL Some (most) ships will move during the daytime from one spot to another. Granted, you don't have to be on board for the move, but you just might go to the wrong dock to get back on! (LOL again)

I see that the Majesty is now offering some sort of on shore dining options. I never ate off the ship, as the food on board was really great and I (we) didn't want to miss any of it.

You won't go wrong with a trip to Bermuda, regardless of which line and departure point you select.

Thanks for your response. Husband and I went to Bermuda over 20 years ago and would love to return. We prefer the idea of a cruise that docks somewhere for multiple days to doing the island-a-day thing. Since kids are experienced travelers, both with us and with various youth groups, we think we can easily find enough to occupy us in Bermuda for 3-4 days - and with what hotels and food cost in Bermuda, the idea of having the equivalent of a floating hotel while there makes it economically practical.
I remember the bus service in Bermuda as being a wonderful way to see the island.

Am I correct in assuming ship docks in St. George in such a way that you walk off - no tenders necessary?

You are correct. No tenders. You can walk on and off the ship at anytime, day or night, for the 3 1/2 days you are docked.

What I was saying about the other cruise lines stopping at several ports was ALL in Bermuda (not other islands elsewhere). Bermuda isn't very close to any other group of islands. Some ships dock in St Georges, plus the Royal Dock Yards plus Hamilton (all within just a very short distance from each other). I happen to like staying docked at St Georges the whole time. It is a quaint smaller town, and YES the bus is a wonderful way to explore the entire island!

Bermuda is a lovely island.. and I agree it would be quite expensive to fly there and pay for a hotel for a few days. Cruising is a great option! (but please remember that the seas CAN get a little rough)

I think you'll find the price on the Majesty a little cheaper than other ships. It is smaller... like 1600 passengers max. That's my favorite size ship. I really don't like the huge mega-liners.

The Majesty had (hopefully still has) the most awesome chocoholic buffet one night at midnight!

Enjoy!

Carol

my husband and i are taking a cruise to st.george's, bermuda this june. we've never been there before, so we'd like suggestions for the best beaches to visit and places to snorkel. we have our own gear (won't need rentals). i've heard that elbow beach is great-but thought i'd read it had been affected by a past hurricane?? are there any bar/restaurants that we should avoid? is their tap water safe to drink? how difficult is it to use the public busing-are the routes confusing? are there any personal safety tips we should heed? any suggestions or information that anyone may share would be greatly appreciated!

The bus system is very easy to use. You can get your 3-day pass at the Vistitor's Center when you get off the ship. We went snorkeling at Tobacco Bay, Horeshoe and Elbow beaches while we were there 2 years ago. I have also heard Ft. St. Catherine's has a nice beach too. Make sure you visit the Swizzle Inn! I can't comment on the water as I always drink bottled water.

I am wondering if this is the same Gail that gave very wonderful ideas about what to do in Baltimore....

We have been to Bermuda many times via the cruise from NY. The thing that I like about Bermuda is the people, Hardworking and virtually no poverty that you can notice and very friendly. (Bermuda has one of the highest standards of living)

We concur that you should go to the Swizzle Inn for Rum Swillizes. It is right near the Bermuda Perfumery and Bemurda Caves.

We prefer the cruises that go to Georgetown and Hamilton (but I do see that Royal Carribbean has a an 8 day cruise that stops at St George, Hamilton and the Dockyard).

Georgetown beaches are Tobacco Bay or St Catherines. These can be walked to but it is hilly. They are about a 20-30 minute walk from St Georges. You get to see a lot of Bermuda along the way/ Georgetown is also great. Historical Capital of Bermunda.

Hamilton is more cosmopolitan and again the ship docks in right downtown. A lot off shopping. If you are into SCUBA there is a museum dedicated to the man who invented SCUBA with in walking distance of the ship in Hamilton (although I can't remember the name of it). Horshoe Bay and Elbow beach are the nearest beaches but I would recommend taking a bus (which are excellent or cab) to get to them.

Dockyard..this is the most recently developed area and is very touristy. The only thing to do out there (as far as I know) is the Dockyard Museum and A shopping mall. My personal recommendation would be to take the Water Ferry from Hamiliton to Dockyard for a day. You really get to see the beauty and some of the rich and famous homes. This is really nice ride....

We also enjoyed the Bermuda Zoo..Its very small and you are very close to the animals. There is also the Railway Trail which is a hiking trail that takes you inside the Island and a lot of people do the Hartleys Helmet dive (weve never done this but I understand that its very good)..

There also horse back riding, golf and othe scooters and a bunch of other things that you can do. Please note that under Bermuda law Cruise ships cannot offer "Professional Entertainment" while in Port. While in Port you may have stuff like Passenger talent show and the such... and I do not think that the casinos are allowed to be open but I ma not sure about that.

But all in all I think that you will have a wonderful time there.....

We are going to Bermuda on the Majesty for the 10th time in June from Boston. Last year we attempted to go on the NCL Sea from NYC because it docked in St. George AND Hamilton.but the storm had other ideas and we ended up in what Icall Bermuda North..Halifax, St. John, etc. It depends on where you live...if you live closer to NYC I would definetely take the ship...if your outside of Boston, it's a no brainer... The NCL Majesty is their most rebooked ship..we booked early January and there were only two cabins left in the category we wanted. My husband didn;t like the hassle of taking a bus to NYC, almost as bad a flyng to Florida.

Thanks for all your help - we are booked on NCL out of Boston early August (hope for no hurricaines this year as a trip to Canada would not be our wish!)

Now will happily spend the next months researching things to do in Bermuda - we were there 20 years ago. Picked Bermuda partially because we can leave from Boston, and also because the nature of the island lends to independent exploration rather than being locked into cruise "excursions"

Gail if you write to me I'll fill you in
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ttt

Can anyone tell me what type of seas I might expect while cruising out of NY to Bermuda the first week of August?

Thank you.

It just depends upon weather and storms at that time. The days at sea can be smooth as glass, but then again, if there is a storm somewhere it can get choppy. I don't know if there is a web site that gives weather patterns for the Atlantic during the summer months or not. Maybe someone on this forum knows of a good weather site. I'm not all that impressed w/weather.com... IMO... their site is hard to navigate.

Try..http://www.weather.bm/ Have been following weather for a friend who is on her way there right now.. will find out how accurate it is when she gets back Sunday.