Future Cruise to Bermuda
 

Hi.

I need some advice on a future cruise to Bermuda. It hasn't been offical yet. My dad and I are researching possibilities for a cruise in 2010. I've only been on Carnival but they don't go to Bermuda. So we are trying for a different cruiseline. However, we need a few basic needs:

1. Cruiseport: Out of NYC, Bayonne, or Philly (We don't want to fly to a cruiseport).
2. Port in Kings Wharf, Bermuda.
3. A cabin that has a sofa bed as well(I know balcony cabins have them but I don't know if we'll plan that this time).
4. The price for staterooms and excursions.

From research on Travelocity I did, three cruises fit.
NCL Dawn-NYC.
Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas-Bayonne.
Celebrity Summit-Bayonne.

Any advice to plan and get ideas would really help us plan when the time comes to select our cruise. Thanks.

We went from NYC on Celebrity Zenith a few years ago. Except for a storm at sea it was fine. It is a small ship and was able to fit into Hamilton and St. George which was great. The bigger port is pretty much out of the way. From the other ports, a bus pass gets you everywhere.

GO for the Celebrity.. I hear that it is going to be rehabbed before heading to Bermuda. next year. There are few excursions that you have to buy.. Bermuda can be done by ferry or bus ..remember it's only 19 miles long. As for a balcony...well, I'm a balcony p erson but if I were trying to save $$ i'd do without because your sitting in Bermuda for at least three days. We use the sofa bed for holding extra clothes..lol Hope to book our cruise for June 4th 2004 before it gets too hot and too many school age kids. but go for Celebrity...

I took a Caribbean cruise on Explorer of the Seas in 2004. We had a balcony cabin portside at the very back of the ship, which we loved. I had been afraid of cruising after a 1983 trip to Bermuda on the old Holland America Veendam, when I got very seasick. So twenty years later, and in calmer waters, I found the Explorer of the Seas to give a very smooth sail in the Caribbean. Know that the Atlantic waters to Bermuda are a lot rougher seas than the Caribbean. Royal Caribbean did a very good job of offering onboard activities including lots of bingo, one of my favorites. We liked the age mix of young and old cruisers, and families. The hairdresser (Jerry?), was very capable and made it a pleasure to treat ourselves to salon services. The food and selections were very good, although not quite as elegant as Holland America's Westerdam which I took in 2008. The dining room windows have a wonderful panoramic view. I can't comment on NCL Dawn or Celebrity, but I had a good experience on Explorer of the Seas, and wouldn't hesitate to sail on her again.

I did see the RC VR Tours and I fell in love with the ship. My parents did go on NCL Dawn for their Bermuda trip years ago. They enjoyed it. I even was recommended for Celebrity from someone who went on it. I did see all of the VR Tours and they are all great ships. The reason why we need a sofa bed is because there will be 3 people in one cabin. I do hope we go out of Bayonne because we got good recommendations from friends who went out of it. When we went out of NYC, it was a difficult time making the right turns to the port.
Thank you for your advices. All three ships sounds exciting.

Beginning 4/25/10, Holland-America's Veendam will cruise out of NYC to Hamilton & St. George. Sorry no King's Wharf - just an FYI on another NYC cruise port.

to piggy-back on sunny515's questions - we reserved a cruise out of Bayonne on the Explore of the Seas sailing to Fisherman's Wharf in September - what are the best beaches in that area or will we have to travel away from that area for a good beach?

sunny515, I've sailed on Royal Caribbean a few times and have enjoyed each sailing - I will let you know what we think of this one.....

sunny515 - Don't let the port deter you from choosing a particular cruise - the island is small and all three ports are well-served by public transportation. There is a dedicated ferry to and from King's Wharf and St. George's in to Hamilton, as well. You could easily do your own exploring, too. If you click my screen name, I gave lots of options for exploring to several cruisers last summer.

dbindc - Did you mean King's Wharf? Other than the tiny and very commercial beach at Snorkel Park, you'll have to travel to get to the beaches along South Shore. A 20-25 minute bus ride on the #7 will get you to the tourist-favorite Horseshoe Bay, but another bus stop further will get you over a mile of beaches and National Park trails along Warwick Long Bay, and it will be much less crowded. No amenities other than basic toilets along that stretch, though.

txgirlinbda-Thanks for the information on transportation ideas and locations of Bermuda. It still isn't official but we've been discussing this destination and we all agree on it. Hopefully we'll know soon.

Rhea58-Thanks for another cruise pick. I'll check it out.

Hi.
From talking with my parents, we believe our cruiseline is going to be NCL-Dawn for Berumda. It's still not official but my dad had good experience on it from his and mom's trip to Bermuda years ago. They have a reasonable price and there aren't extra fees. We still have time but it's sounds like this is the one.