Itinerary Critique Please - 2 days in Bermuda

My wife and I will be arriving in Bermuda on Monday May 8th via RCCL and will only be in port for two days. We would like to pack in as much as possible. We are early risers and aren't much for crowds or touristy stuff. We like doing things on our own and visiting off the beaten path places.

Day 1 - We arrive around 9:00 am and will be in port overnight. It makes no difference to us if we make it back to the ship for dinner. We like experiencing local culture and food.

We plan to rent a boat from Blue Hole Water Sports (find a place to pack up lunch/snacks since we get a cooler with boat rental). I picked this place based on the reviews, I heard that Castle Harbor was one of the best places to boat and because it's closer to St George for more exploration. I would love suggestions on places to visit on the boat too. I have found two different options to get Blue Water Sports and can't decide which is best. We plan to get two day passes for the bus and Ferry so we can hop around the island easily.

Take Blue ferry route to Hamilton (city), walk up to the bus terminal beside City Hall, no. 10 or 11 bus to Grotto Bay, the bus stops right at the hotel.

Or

Take 9:30 or 10:30 (depending on ship time) ferry to St. George's, Spend a few hours there, then take the bus to Grotto Bay Resort (routes 1,3, 10, 11 all seem to go there; it takes about 18 minutes). Rent a boat for an hour or two. Perhaps stop nearby at the Swizzle Inn for a drink and/or snack. Then take the bus to Hamilton and walk around the city. Take the 6 or 730 pm ferry back to the Dockyards.

I know I said we don't like touristy things but I am considering visiting the Swizzle Inn only because we will be so close.

My dilemma is should we spend the first part of the morning in St George, then get the boat and then head to Hamilton to explore. I love history so I definitely want to walk around St George and walk to Tobacco Bay. I like that the Ferry leaves later from Hamilton so we would have more time and not feel rushed. Or should we get the Boston Whaler first and explore St George after and leave Hamilton for day 2. I am also considering exploring the Dockyards late that evening after we get back to the boat and shower.

Day 2- Boat leaves port at 5:00 pm

Get off the boat as early as possible. Take Bus #7 asked to be dropped off at Warwick Bay and take the path to visit all of the beaches up to Horseshoe Bay Beach. I could lay on the beach all day but my wife needs activity so I don't expect to be on the beaches more than 3 or 4 hours.

We could potentially head to Hamilton City for exploring after we are finished at the beaches and take the Ferry back to the Dockyard. Or if we make time for Hamilton on Day 1 head back to the Dockyard to explore it during the day and perhaps see some other sites like the Railway Trail and Scaur Hill Fort (let me know if I am missing anything else worth seeing). I don't want to feel rushed to get back to the boat by 4:00 pm. I guess another question would be where is the best shopping for souvenirs? Dockyard vs Hamilton and/or St George.

I would appreciate any input from anyone who has done a similar itinerary.

Thank you in advance!

One thing that I noticed on both of your days is mentioning checking out Hamilton and the Dockyard late in the day. Be aware that most businesses in Bermuda close at

5 PM. Only the restaurants and bars are open in the evening. Another warning is not to depend on getting back to the ship on a late bus. The Bermudians are coming home from school and work at that time and the buses are often full, meaning you would have to wait for the next bus to see if it had room to board. DH and I always spend the last afternoon around the Dockyard with the ship in sight so we can get back aboard in time.

If your ship docks at 9 AM, it might be close to 9:30 or 10 AM before the ship is cleared for you to get off. I see that you are arriving on May 8th, which is a Monday so you will have the best chance to use the bus and ferry systems. Weekends have reduced service and routes.

There is a lot of history in St. George and many places you can walk to visit. A walk to Tobacco Bay is really nice and just beyond Tobacco Bay is St. Catherine's Fort, another historical spot. There are several historical buildings like the Unfinished Church, St. Peter's Church, the oldest active parish in the Northern Hemisphere, and government buildings to mention a few. At the Dockyard, there is a really nice Museum that you can spend several hours touring soaking up local history.

The walk along the South Shore Beaches from Warwick to Horseshoe is a wonderful walk. Have done it twice myself. Walking on the old Railroad Bed is also a nice walk with a stop at Fort Saur. The Gibbs Lighthouse is well worth the climb and near the Horseshoe Beach. Take the bus in between since the road is too dangerous to walk along.

flowers44, we were thinking of taking the walk from Warwick Beach to Horseshoe when we are there in June.

Do we need to take the #7 bus and get off at Warwick Beach?

I'm assuming there's a path that's visible to take towards Horseshoe?

How long do you think it would take?

When we're at Warwick, would the path towards horseshoe be to the right?

Thanks!

flowers44, Thank you for the tips! I think it is a good idea to be close to the dockyard on the second day and doing as much exploring on the first day since we have no set time we have to be back on the ship.

flowers44, we were thinking of taking the walk from Warwick Beach to Horseshoe when we are there in June.

Do we need to take the #7 bus and get off at Warwick Beach?

I'm assuming there's a path that's visible to take towards Horseshoe?

How long do you think it would take?

When we're at Warwick, would the path towards horseshoe be to the right?

Thanks!

Yes, you would take the route #7 bus. Just tell the driver as you board that you want to get off at Warwick.

The trip from Warwick to Horseshoe should take less than an hour as long as you're planning not to stop and swim at each beach.

As you walk down the entry road to Warwick the path would be to the right of the beach.

The path is easily identifiable. There is a satellite photo of the paths here.

SBtS

flowers44, Thank you for the tips! I think it is a good idea to be close to the dockyard on the second day and doing as much exploring on the first day since we have no set time we have to be back on the ship.

Just a thought; I would bet that the ship is offering a beach excursion on the departure day. It probably goes directly to Horseshoe Bay, but you can still explore some of the small beaches walking toward Warwick too (to the left). You would of course need to get back to Horseshoe Bay for the excursion pick up.

This is the onetime I think it's worth considering using the ships excursions, as they usually guarantee you will get back to the ship (the ship will wait for their excursions if needed). The extra cost gives you the peace of mind to enjoy without worrying about getting back to the ship.

Just a thought; I would bet that the ship is offering a beach excursion on the departure day. It probably goes directly to Horseshoe Bay, but you can still explore some of the small beaches walking toward Warwick too (to the left). You would of course need to get back to Horseshoe Bay for the excursion pick up.

 

This is the onetime I think it's worth considering using the ships excursions, as they usually guarantee you will get back to the ship (the ship will wait for their excursions if needed). The extra cost gives you the peace of mind to enjoy without worrying about getting back to the ship.

There is no need to take a ships excursion to Horseshoe the last day. There are plenty of minibuses and taxis available there. I have gone to Horseshoe 10 times the last day and there was never any stress getting back to the ship in time. Doing the walk from Warwick Long Bay to Horseshoe Bay is a great do it on your own the last day activity.

Yes, you would take the route #7 bus. Just tell the driver as you board that you want to get off at Warwick.

The trip from Warwick to Horseshoe should take less than an hour as long as you're planning not to stop and swim at each beach.

As you walk down the entry road to Warwick the path would be to the right of the beach.

 

The path is easily identifiable. There is a satellite photo of the paths here.

 

SBtS

Thanks so much!

Really looking forward to doing that :cool:

flowers44, we were thinking of taking the walk from Warwick Beach to Horseshoe when we are there in June.

Do we need to take the #7 bus and get off at Warwick Beach?

I'm assuming there's a path that's visible to take towards Horseshoe?

How long do you think it would take?

When we're at Warwick, would the path towards horseshoe be to the right?

Thanks!

You would take the same bus that goes to Horseshoe Bay but stay on until the next stop, I believe. All you have to do is tell the bus driver that you want to get off at Warwick and she or he will tell you when it is time to get off. There is a sign by the road that says "Warwick Beach." Walk down the hill to the beach and turn towards your right. You really can't miss the path as you walk along. At one point, there are rocks that jut out into the ocean and you have to leave the beach level and take the upper path that will lead you right back down to the ocean after you pass by the rocks. The length of the walk, of course, depends on how long you stop at each beach and your walking speed. The entire walk is about one mile so it really doesn't take too long if you are walking right along, which is very hard to do since the scenery just makes you stop and look!!!! I think it took my DH and I about 1.5 hours to make the journey but well worth the time and energy. We passed a wedding going on at one of the coves. Make sure you take along some bottled water since it is quite warm and you will get thirsty.

Just to give everyone with an update since I used these boards to plan my whole trip!

My wife and I made our way off the ship at 9:00 am on May 8th, purchased the two-day bus and ferry pass at a table right outside the gift shop at the Kings Warf dockyard (no line at all), grabbed some maps and schedules and made our way to Grotto Bay resort via the Hamilton Ferry and the 10:15 #10 Bus. We cut it close trying to get to Grotto Bay by 11:00 am but we made it just in time. Make sure you tell the bus driver where you are getting off. Even with all my research and maps, I had no idea where we were. I didn't see a sign at any of the bus stops that gave any indication of our location. The bus drivers have no problem telling you the stop and where you are as long as you are polite.

It would have been closer to take the Ferry to St George but it runs later in the morning than the Hamilton Ferry so that didn't work for us. I thought about purchasing the Ferry pass and getting the ticket book at Hamilton but when I did the calculations it was only about a $10 difference total for two people. It wasn't worth the hassle to find both places for purchasing as well as keeping track of tickets and how many to use. The pass was perfect for jumping on and off the bus and using the Ferry as many times as we wanted with no hassle.

We explored Castle Harbor, secluded beaches, a shipwreck at Nonsuch Island and St George on our Boston Whaler we rented from Blue Hole Watersports for three hours. The rental place is located on the grounds of Grotto Bay Beach Resort. On our way back to the bus stop we snuck into the cave to swim, which was absolutely amazing.

Afterward, we took the bus to St George, had lunch on the water and Wahoos Bistro. After lunch, we walked around historic downtown, went souvenir shopping and looked for the Ferry loading area to head back to the Dockyard. We ended up waiting quite some time so we would have had time to explore a little more but since the last Ferry left at 5:30 I wanted to make sure we were on it. We got on it with plenty of time to spare.

We made it back to the ship to freshen up, eat dinner and get back off the ship for some nightlife. I was really disappointed by the options at the dockyard but maybe it was too early in the season for live music and activities. I wish we would have done a sunset cruise (saw some people doing that and looked amazing) or taken a late bus into Hamilton instead of staying at the Dockyard. The Dockyard is much more interesting during the day.

Our second day we got off the ship fairly early and found the #7 bus towards Horseshoe Bay Beach. There was no real line when we arrived but there was a long line by the time the bus showed up. We mentioned to the bus driver we planned to get off at Warwick Long Bay Beach. Everyone else got off at Horeshoe. The bus driver stopped for us at Warwick. You have to cross the street and walk about a block to get to the path. Warwick was beautiful and practically empty. We laid out and swam in the ocean for about 2 hours and then explored Jobson's Cove..just wow! We decided to start taking the path towards Horseshoe and stopped at every beach and cove along the way. I did print and use the map that was included in this thread so thank you for that. The views were incredible we got some amazing pictures that I can't wait to print. Nearly every single one was empty minus a wedding that was being set up near StoneHole Beach...gorgeous location. We only had one problem following the path when we got to South Shore Park but we just walked up the hill and found it again. I did ask one couple going in the opposite direction if they came from Horseshoe just in case and they had. We made it to the overcrowded Horseshoe beach but it was beautiful. I am glad we started at Warwick then headed to Horseshoe so we could get lunch and drinks at the grill located on Horseshoe since there are no food or drink services at any of the other beaches on the path. There were bathrooms along the way though. We found a nice little empty spot inside the cove where we could eat and drink. I got some good snorkeling for a bit in the cove. We left the beach to catch the 3:00 pm bus back to the dockyard. We were one of the first ones in line but it was packed and I think some people had to wait for the next one. There are plenty of shuttles and taxis there if you end up leaving a little later than planned and are worried about getting back to the ship. We made it back to the dockyard in time to do a little more shopping and walk around before having to get back on the ship for departure.

Overall, we had an amazing time and I was glad I did so much research to make the most of it. I think one more day would have been amazing and I would have planned to just take the bus and hop on off to explore Elbow Beach, Scaur Hill Fort, Gibbs Lighthouse and a few other things we didn't have time for. We will leave those for next time.

We took a Camelbak full of ice and water with us both days. That really helped keep us hydrated, especially on the path.

Hope this was helpful to anyone planning their trip.

You would take the same bus that goes to Horseshoe Bay but stay on until the next stop, I believe. All you have to do is tell the bus driver that you want to get off at Warwick and she or he will tell you when it is time to get off. There is a sign by the road that says "Warwick Beach." Walk down the hill to the beach and turn towards your right. You really can't miss the path as you walk along. At one point, there are rocks that jut out into the ocean and you have to leave the beach level and take the upper path that will lead you right back down to the ocean after you pass by the rocks. The length of the walk, of course, depends on how long you stop at each beach and your walking speed. The entire walk is about one mile so it really doesn't take too long if you are walking right along, which is very hard to do since the scenery just makes you stop and look!!!! I think it took my DH and I about 1.5 hours to make the journey but well worth the time and energy. We passed a wedding going on at one of the coves. Make sure you take along some bottled water since it is quite warm and you will get thirsty.

Wow, thanks so much for the update. I think we will do what you did on our beach day, get off at Warwick and make our way to Horseshoe (I had thought about doing the opposite so we could enjoy a chair and umbrella before it got crowded, but the uncrowded beaches sound very appealing!) Glad you enjoyed your trip and we can't wait for ours.

You are welcome. I found so many of these threads helpful for my planning so I wanted to provide the same help. I highly recommend starting at Warwick. I think you will love finding a spot on a nearly empty beach to explore even if you don't have a chair and umbrella. Being able to eat and grab a drink after walking the path was perfect.

Wow, thanks so much for the update. I think we will do what you did on our beach day, get off at Warwick and make our way to Horseshoe (I had thought about doing the opposite so we could enjoy a chair and umbrella before it got crowded, but the uncrowded beaches sound very appealing!) Glad you enjoyed your trip and we can't wait for ours.

Glad you enjoyed your trip to Bermuda and reported back here.

Just so someone unfamiliar with Bermuda doesn't end up chasing their tail looking for something that isn't there, the place where you bought the transportation passes (table outside the gift shop) was inside the customs building at Heritage Wharf, where the Anthem docks, not Kings Wharf. At Kings Wharf the place to buy transportation passes and tokens is at a window outside on the pier after you disembark, not inside a building.

Interesting, all of my documentation says we were at Kings Warf not Heritage Warf.

Glad you enjoyed your trip to Bermuda and reported back here.

 

Just so someone unfamiliar with Bermuda doesn't end up chasing their tail looking for something that isn't there, the place where you bought the transportation passes (table outside the gift shop) was inside the customs building at Heritage Wharf, where the Anthem docks, not Kings Wharf. At Kings Wharf the place to buy transportation passes and tokens is at a window outside on the pier after you disembark, not inside a building.

Was the water warm enough for swimming?

Interesting, all of my documentation says we were at Kings Warf not Heritage Warf.

It's a common mistake made by travel agents and cruise lines. Originally the only quay at Royal Naval Dockyard was Kings Wharf and the two names were used interchangeably,. A second berth, Heritage Wharf, was built and opened in about 2009, but for some reason some cruise lines still call everything there Kings Wharf. The largest ships such as the Anthem and Breakaway have to dock at Heritage Wharf, which was modified to be able to accommodate those behemoths. Those giant ships can't dock at Kings Wharf.

You would think by now cruise lines would have been able to figure out which berth was which and use the right name, but I guess the management of some cruise lines either isn't smart enough or they don't care.

Jettsetter,

Thank you for the detailed report. We are on our way right now. If you see this in time, you mentioned that the Georgetown Ferry runs later than the Hamilton Ferry. My 2017 summer schedule says that there is a 9:30 ferry to Georgetown on Mondays. Was this not the case, or were you too late to catch it?

Thanks!

Jettsetter,

 

Thank you for the detailed report. We are on our way right now. If you see this in time, you mentioned that the Georgetown Ferry runs later than the Hamilton Ferry. My 2017 summer schedule says that there is a 9:30 ferry to Georgetown on Mondays. Was this not the case, or were you too late to catch it?

There have been no announced changes to the summer ferry schedule unless the ferry is cancelled because of a bad storm.

Both the Orange & Blue route ferries have a ferry departing from the Dockyard at 9:30 am on Monday.

BTW, it is St George's not Georgetown.

SBtS

Jettsetter,

 

 

 

Thank you for the detailed report. We are on our way right now. If you see this in time, you mentioned that the Georgetown Ferry runs later than the Hamilton Ferry. My 2017 summer schedule says that there is a 9:30 ferry to Georgetown on Mondays. Was this not the case, or were you too late to catch it?

 

 

 

Thanks!

I believe that the OP meant they had to take the 9:30 ferry to Hamilton to make it to their Spa appointment on time. They could not have made it on time if they took the 9:30 ferry to St. George. But it isn't clear so maybe not.