Bermuda info anyone??

[dlm1017]

I am trying to hold on to summer a bit longer till the weather gets cold here in the Northeast so I have booked a last minute cruise to Bermuda on October 9th out of NJ. I am hoping that with all the hurricanes lately we have good weather. We are cruising on Royal Caribbean (first time on RCL) on the Explorer of the seas. We will be docked at Kings Wharf for 2 days one of which we will be golfing. The next day I am unsure what we will do? If the weather is nice we may hit a beach or someone told my dh that we should rent a scooter and tour the island. I know that they drive on the left side so that could be a little nerve wracking so I am not sure that we will do that. If you have been to Bermuda can you offer any suggestions? Also, if you have cruised on the Explorer what can you tell me about this boat? Any suggestions would be most helpful!!

 

[liamsaunt]

I am supposed to be in Bermuda right now. We had to rebook because of the hurricane. I've been there about 15 times, never on a cruise, but I can give you some general information about the island.

People's opinions on this vary, but I personally never rent a scooter anymore. The roads are congested, hilly, and there are lots of rotaries. It can be confusing. I prefer to engage a taxi or make use of the wonderful Bermuda bus system.

If you like to snorkel my favorite beach for that is Church Bay. If you like to walk, one of my favorite things to do is walk the South Shore along the water line, from Warwick Long Bay to Horseshoe Bay. This is about a mile. There are many quiet coves along the way to explore, and you can grab a taxi back to the ship at Horseshoe. You will have to walk in the water and around some (easy to navigate) rocks from time to time so some type of water shoe or waterproof hiking sandal is best for this.

 

[golfgal]

There is one Cat 4/5 hurricane on the path for a direct hit to Bermuda right now so don't be surprised if your itinerary changes. There is another Cat 4/5 right behind it too.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

There is another storm forming behind Julia too.

 

[liamsaunt]

Golfgal, she's not going until October 9th. Those particular storms won't be a problem.

I had to go and look at a map to see where your ship is docking, as I am not familiar with the cruise ports. You are going to dock at the Royal Naval Dockyard. There is a very interesting maritime museum right there. Ther's a very old fort that you can explore, and the various buildings contain exhibits related to Bermuda's maritime history. They have items that were recovered from shipwrecks on display, old boats, etc.--it's pretty neat.

Also, FYI, at the dockyard there's a swimming attraction called "snorkel park." It's really touristy and gets crowded. If you want to swim and/or snorkel I strongly recommend heading over to one of the beaches rather than going to the snorkel park.

 

[golfgal]

Golfgal, she's not going until October 9th. Those particular storms won't be a problem.

I had to go and look at a map to see where your ship is docking, as I am not familiar with the cruise ports. You are going to dock at the Royal Naval Dockyard. There is a very interesting maritime museum right there. Ther's a very old fort that you can explore, and the various buildings contain exhibits related to Bermuda's maritime history. They have items that were recovered from shipwrecks on display, old boats, etc.--it's pretty neat.

Also, FYI, at the dockyard there's a swimming attraction called "snorkel park." It's really touristy and gets crowded. If you want to swim and/or snorkel I strongly recommend heading over to one of the beaches rather than going to the snorkel park.

They will if the island takes a direct hit and causes a bunch of damage.

 

[liamsaunt]

They will if the island takes a direct hit and causes a bunch of damage.

I am really hoping that doesn't happen (fingers crossed). Igor is tracking to hit as a cat 2 and Julia is not tracking to come near to Bermuda. After Fabian, which was a direct hit as a cat 3, they had the airport opened back up and the power restored in two days. The damage was horrible--we ended up cancelling our planned October trip that year because of it--but Bermuda is very well equipped to deal with hurricanes.

 

[Calrissian13]

Jealous! I used to live in Bermuda, and loved it so much that I went back to get married. It's one of my favourite places in the world.

I second the reccommendation to walk the trails between Warwick Long Bay and Horseshoe Bay beaches. It's a gorgeous walk, and the smaller beaches along the way are some of my favourites on the island. Especially Stonehole Bay and Chaplin Bay.

I also reccommend taking a ferry or the bus to the other end of the island and wandering around St. George's. There are some nice stores if you need to pick up any souvenirs, and the town itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It can take about an hour (possibly more) to get to the town, so be aware of that.

Have a great trip!