Norwegian Dawn Boston to Bermuda Please share your favorite thing to do
 

Taking my twin 17-year old nieces on cruise. Please share what you liked best. Both on ship and in Bermuda. No need to leave negative commentary
, although honest facts are appreciated. Thanks so much!
Sail date 7/20/12

Can't speak for the cruise, but once you get to Bermuda, I can help.

What are the girls interested in? What would YOU like to do with them? Shopping? Beach? Sightseeing?
Where are you docking?

If it's just you and the girls, DO NOT forget to carry a notarized letter of permission from both parents (if applicable) giving you permission to travel outside the country with them, and permission to seek medical care on their behalf.

On the ship - sleep and eat - really. Usually not the type to park myself in one place for the 2 day sailing - but when we did this cruise my life was such that I cherished the inactivity and break from life.

Once in Bermuda, take a day and ride the public bus (they are scenic and good) and do the usual Swizzle Inn, Perfume Factory, Caves trip. The ride itself is nice. Spend another day at the beach - you can also get there by public bus so do not need to pay for ship excursion.

Love Bermuda - it is safe, clean, people are polite and helpful, and they speak English - making it even easier to find your way around.

One word of huge caution for 17 year olds - they are likely tied to internet/email/cell phones. On cruise ship this is very, very expensive. Their cell phones will work for calls, data, texts for much of the trip - and then the bill could cause heart failure upon return home. Check with cell carrier for plans and charges - and check out with NCL what internet will cost on-board.

Thank you for the suggestion on notarizing the letter I had not considered that.
We wil definitely sight see. One of the girls is a history buff while both are very athletic also although work outs will remain on ship. Lol
We want to snorkel. I have my advanced license to dive however they don't. Someone mentioned kayaking. Shopping definitely. We love to browse shops and I definitely love the beach. I also like finding beach coves and quiet places but love adventurous things also. Thank you for your willingness to share. Lisa

Not sure where your ship docks in Bermuda, but either in town or at The old British dockyard, get a bus/ ferry pass for $12 / day. You can go all over the Island and have fun doing it. There are 2 and 3 day passes available also. It is fun to use a combo of bus and ferry to go from one end to the other. Safe and MUCH cheaper way to get to the beach than the ship offers.

Gail. Thanks for suggestions many idea on where I purchase bus passes? I heard somewhere they include ferry. Is it worth it? The girls (thankfully) do not ave any interest I'm bringing their cells with them. I'd offered to bring my laptop so they could post updates to FB and bon said it was the last thig they wanted to do while on a ship.
Thank you for sharing it is very helpful to learn from those who have " been there. Done that.". My best! Lisa

Thank for tips on multi day pass with ferry. We will definitely buy combo multi day pass. I'd love to buy them online prior to departure. Will have to look further into that one. Thanks so much, Lisa

That helps me make some suggestions.

I am going to assume you're docking at Dockyard (King's Wharf).
There is an excellent museum there, as well as a little mall, art gallery and craft gallery. Skip 'Snorkel Beach'.
Bus 7 from Dockyard to the South Shore beaches. My personal fave is Jobson's Cove, near Warwick Long Bay, but those have no services/amenities. Horseshoe Bay if you want rentals/toilets/snacks.

Ferry to Hamilton for shopping, stores are concentrated along Front St and Reid St one block up.

Ferry to St George - Unesco World Heritage site, great for your history buff, see the Unfinished Church, then walk past that to Tobacco Bay for snorkelling. Most shops in St George's are branches of the same ones in Hamilton and Dockyard, so you don't have to worry that you've missed out if you skip shopping here.
I kayaked with the watersports center at Grotto Bay hotel - you get to explore the bays around the causeway without being in open water. There are probably some options closer to the ship, though.
Let me know if you want some help narrowing this down.

Do not rent mopeds

Txgirlinbda, how can I thank you! This is exactly what I need to know. Out of curiosity, how many times have you been to Bermuda and is it your favorite ?
13days and counting!
Lisa

Lisa, we lived there for 5 years, just left a little over a year ago. DH dragged me to cold, wet, grey England!!! Love the island, love the vibe, and love helping people get off the guided-tour mass-tourism track. There are places you can go where you won't run in to another tourist and when you get back on the ship, everyone else will have fought the crowds all day!! Used to drive me nuts when people left the cruise ships en masse and just followed each other around town, doing the tour-book thing.

(And I am a self-professed planning freak - I'd map out your entire trip if you let me!!)

Oh, and a nod to Gail's wise advice - NO moped rentals. Seriously. Not worth the risk.

Hi, yes, pease narrow down to your herts content. We need all the help we can get. Thank ou.

Bermuda is just a fun place. We were there seeveral years ago and docked two nights in Hamilton and two in St George. There was plenty to do and see. You can do it all with a bus pass. You do not need any ships excursions. The dockyard is OK and the bigger ships need to dock there as the entrance to the other harbors is too narrow. But nothing is very far from anything else. The beaches are great. On the trip over and back, just do your own thing.

I should add that we had most of our meals on the ship. Food in bermuda restaurants was very expensive, and not too good - at least what we had.

Lisa, can you tell me how much time you have in Bermuda, and whether you are ok with being off the ship the whole day, or if you'll want to be returning to the ship during the day? And can you verify that you are docked at King's Wharf?

Hi Lisa,

Checked the itinerary for your cruise. These are just MY thoughts on how to spend your time.

Sundays are quiet in Bermuda. Shops that are open, close early. Get a bus pass and head for the South Shore beaches. (Take water, towels, sunscreen, shoes that can handle rocks and sand). I like bypassing the ever-popular Horseshoe Bay and heading to Warwick Long Bay - there's a huge stretch of beaches, coves and national park for hiking, snorkelling and exploring. If you aske the bus driver to let you out at the WLB playground, walk through the playground and find a little path down to the beach, then walk back to the right. Beach parking lots have primitive toilets, and driveways back to the road. Catch the bus (#7 - blue poles head away from the main terminal in Hamilton, pink poles head towards Hamilton, no matter where you are on the island.) No wet clothes on the bus.

A little walk around Dockyard in the evening.

In the morning, up early and catch ferry to St George's. Take a towel and snorkel gear. Explore town. Lunch. Check out Unfinished Church, then walk over the hill towards Tobacco Bay. There's a huge fort to explore if you're interested. I personally like to snorkel from the little beach between Blackbeard's Restaurant and the fort, avoiding the hordes at TObacco Bay. Walk back to town, bus #1 or #11 to Hamilton. (#10 is more residential, less appealing route). Explore Hamilton, shopping? Ferry back to the ship.

Last day, up early, do the Maritime Museum in Dockyard first. Time permitting, ferry to Hamilton. Save time, be lazy, catch a cab to Ft Hamilton. Be sure to walk the moat. Pop in to a little place called Tribe Road Kitchen just below the fire station. Grab a sandwich or a pastry and a coffee, say hi to Karsten. Walk back to the ferry terminal, catch the 3pm or 4pm ferry back to the ship. (Be sure to NOT get on a ferry that connects to the Green Route - it's a multi-stop, commuter ferry - much slower.)

There's a cheaper option than bus passes, if you are interested. You can get sheets of 14-zone tickets instead of individual passes. Each bus journey that covers more than 3 zones, and each one way ferry trip, will require one 14-zone ticket. You can share a sheet of tickets, rather than each paying for a pass. Not as stress-free as a pass, but cheaper.

Just my ideas, let me know if I can suggest something different.

One of the favorite things we did in Bermuda was walking to sea glass beach from King's Wharf. You can get directions to this beach on Cruise Critic. Take some zip loc bags for the sea glass. We then crossed the highway to the military cemetery. Emjoy your visit to Bermuda.

we loved taking the water transportation boats around the island

txgirlinbda, as a former resident I would welcome your suggestions! sailing to Bermuda from Boston in October. Will be docked in King's Wharf Sunday through Tuesday. Traveling with a friend we are both 50 and very active. Personally I'm interested in exploring Bermuda but also parasailing.
thanks!!