elhenry

I have to chime in with those who say you will need to make your own fun (which is actually fun in and of itself) Ten years ago, there were 14 of us traveling for my parents’ 50th, RCCL knew in advance, and RCCL gathered round the table and sang. Think about it: do you know how many people are on that cruise celebrating milestone 50 plus anniversaries? Each and every week?  I don’t blame RCCL for limiting the celebrations to singing.

On the other hand, we went crazy for decorations at the party storw, hung new ones on the cabin door every day and brought them to the table, and did arrange for the singing crew.

the one exception was my parents’ 52nd, when they were in a GS on the Grandeur. The steward learned of the anniversary and surprised them with a bottle of wine, rose petals and a handwritten card. He was the best steward *ever*, not just for that, Anthony. Wish I could remember his last name. But of course, they were paying for a suite.

i find it impossible to believe that RCCL is offering free celebration packages if you tell them far enough in advance; I think a travel agent is ensuring repeat business there.😉

I'm not sure you can see "the beach" from the Dockyard. There are sidewalks, although I can't tell you if there are curb cuts because I was not paying attention to that, sad to say. There are several shops which would probably be wheelchair accessible. There is also a fort, which some of the more seasoned travelers here may be able to tell you if it is wheelchair accessible.

There is a snorkel park, with a manmade beach, but it is not a beach with lovely sights and vistas like Horseshoe. Really just a water park with sand.

I cruised with my parents when they were alive, and with mobility issues, but never to Bermuda. Sorry I cannot be of more help.

Dang, and here I thought they were selling on the Anthem and not the 305,657 stupid passenger with pot on a cruise ship :p

The Bermuda port of call forum has a thread with this and many other stories of pax from different lines arrested in Bermuda for possession. Leave the weed at home folks, Bermuda ain't triflin'.....

You will get more replies in the Bermuda forum, but since I am here.:D

Sailed the Anthem on Aug. 4 to Bermuda. We hired Quinton Bean for a six hour tour in advance of our trip. He was wonderful, and I highly recommend him to anyone cruising to Bermuda. He will show you every site you want to see, some you never thought of, and appears to know everybody on the island. :')His email is <quianreu@logic.bm>

There are the usual cabs and vans waiting patiently for tourists. "Blue Flag" taxis are certified by the tourism authority, I believe.

We were a party of 7 and the cost was $70 an hour, which is the regulated rate. I think it is less if the party is under 5.

Sailed the Anthem on Aug. 4.One of our party got a mojito by mistake (he asked for a Manhattan) at the Schooner Bar, so my guess is you could get those pretty much anywhere :-)

I'm truly sorry, but will have to differ with you on the distance. It most certainly is not 1 or 2 city blocks from the terminal. It is right next door to the terminal.

You are right; I was thinking of the "front" door (where the porters unload) and completely forgot about the side door:o going to the garage.

Jumping off to address other posts, if you are in the handicapped section, you don't need the elevator. It is level with that side door. In fact, the luggage "waiting area" is right next to the handicapped section. If you have roll-on luggage (as I did), even a solo traveler can go straight to the car in the handicapped section without waiting.

Of course, if your mobility is impaired such that you can't walk or can't walk with luggage, this is not an option.

I parked in the handicapped section of the garage for the Aug. 4 sailing of the Anthem. No problem at all with enough spots.

I arrived at the port at 11:15 a.m., unloading luggage a half hour later because of a rain delay. IME, you need to drive right past the porters so you may as well let them unload it.

There were plenty, and I mean plenty, of handicapped spots at 11:45. It was about one third full when I arrived. Half of the entire first floor of the garage is handicapped spots.

It is about a one to two city block walk to the port doors. I did not see alternative means of transportation.

BIgHouse, we were on the same cruise and your photos are great.

But 70's Music is Great! The Silent Disco Channel was great! The GroovyTown Party was Great!

Now carry on ;-)

My very first cruise we sailed into a hurricane, or at least, the edge of one. So instead of Western Caribbean, the itinerary changed while we were on board, and we got Eastern Caribbean. I didn't know enough to be scared. And I didn't care where in the Caribbean we went.

There have been instances where Bermuda cruises have been re-routed to New England, which is quite a change in itinerary. But the previous posters are right, you won't know until you know.....

Just off the Anthem in August...

Go to the Seaplex every day if you have any interest in activities like trapeze classes; they aren't listed on the Compass (or the app that I never got the hang of)

I don't know about lunch, but dinner at Jamie's Italian is worth every cent. Every cent.

Don't try to understand The Gift, you won't, but I really liked the production company, just go with the flow and enjoy the music.

It's been nine years since I cruised New England/Canada itinerary, and I have no private tour info, but Halifax is very accessible by a Hop On Hop Off type bus. And I do not like those kinds of buses normally. Of course, if they still have it. ;-)

I am loving the photos; that Monday was a great day for Horseshoe Bay, the temperature and humidity were through the roof.

On another topic brought up here, on this cruise Port Security does in fact want your seapass and a photo ID too. They stopped a 15 year old in our party who had not brought her passport and yet to have a drivers license. Much reviewing of papers and calling around, but ten minutes later, off we went.

We just returned from our cruise last Thursday. We used Quinton Bean as our tour guide last week. I would recommend him over and over again. So polite, knowledgeable, and personable too! His van seats one up front, three in the middle, and 2 in the back. It's a bit of a tight squeeze, but definitely doable. He was waiting for us with a sign with my family name. He took us a couple of places we wanted to go and then he took a couple of small detours to show us some other things as well. Definitely worth the private guide. Oh and the AC in the van was worth it LOL!

I'm so glad you liked it; I can't imagine anyone not fully enjoying a tour with Quinton, he's worth every cent.(y)

And it was sooooo hot when we there and that AC full blast was sooooo welcome:cool:

I don't know about the Boston Bermuda schedule, but I was docked overnight in Bermuda on the Anthem out of Bayonne in early August. There are activities and entertainment on board, but it tends to be later, as RCCL (rightfully) thinks many folks are going to turn around once on the ship and head back out to Bermuda. IIRC, the main show was at 10 pm, for us it was an a cappella group, and they had the silent disco at 11.

OP, I’m glad you plan on walking to Horseshoe once you get there. We overnighted in Bermuda in early August. The first day we had a private tour, and our guide stopped at several beaches (at our request, so we could see and decide for day two) on the way back to the ship. He showed us Warwick Long Beach and when we there two different parties came running up to us, asking if he was a taxi (yes) and could he take them to the Dockyard (no). He was a sweetheart and called a taxi service for both of them, but moral of the story: easy to get to, not so easy for return if no prior arrangements made.

Our party made the decision to go to Horsehoe the next day; I left early and had no problem getting a minivan and going on my way.

I’m from philly. What you see is not the worst part of North Philadelphia, it’s actually Kensington.

 

 

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I am also a native Philadelphian and lived at 46th & Springfield til love and marriage brought me to the Christmas City. #FlyEaglesFly :DWe'll just have to agree to disagree about the Amtrak scenery

But I don't want to derail the thread too much before we actually board the Anthem....

Wasn’t that the home of the Fresh Prince of Bellaire?

As @BigHouseFootball noted, Fresh Prince of Bel Air starts:

"In West Philadelphia, born and raised....."

We once got that right at RCCL family theme song trivia. Along with 200 of our closest friends who also got the answer:p Anthem's TV show trivia was harder;)

I was on this cruise with you, so I will be interested when you get to the cruising part (spoiler alert: for the most part loved the Anthem and Bermuda *is* gorgeous. And the two days that we were there, broiling!

One note: Amtrak goes through the absolutely worst section of North Philly. Not garden scenery : )

I have not been on a luxury cruise, but I feel like I have been because my brother in law last month on Anthem kept saying “Well on Regent we would get all the Grey Goose we wanted” “Well on Regent the staff knew what you wanted before you even asked” “Well on Regent .....”

You get the idea. It is simply a different experience than a mass market cruise line, and one you are paying for.

But even BIL admitted there was nothing, but nothing, but nothing to do after 9 p.m. and he and my sis, late 50s, were by far the youngest cruisers.

I admit that I have gotten spoiled by mega ships and all the activities, and if I had the money, I would just pay for the most expensive suite on RCCL or some other line rather than Regent. But it certainly sounds like it has its charms.....

Full suite?

 

On Grandeur, the weekend before last, at all ports, if you are in a full suite, you go to the CL around docking, and as soon as the disembarkation is allowed, the Concierge takes everyone down in an elevator he/she has held and right off the ship, no line.

Yes, I get the classes mixed up, but a full suite. Used to be called an RFS. No butler, though;)

Maybe I just missed it, I was a little surprised. I remembered feeling special on suites on earlier cruises, clutching those tender tickets and getting off first;p But I get the feeling for Bermuda it would be a five minute difference, so need to feel special.

Had Voom Internet as a suite perk on 8/4 sailing of the Anthem to Bermuda.

Pleasantly surprised by speed, even in middle of the Atlantic. Used only for email and surfing the web, no heavy use.

On 8/4 Anthem to Bermuda, was scheduled to dock at 9.

Everyone was allowed off ship by 9:30 at latest. I was in a suite, and I don’t think they cared.:p

We had a private tour reserved for 10 a.m. and made with absolutely no problem.

On the 8/4 sailing of the Anthem in a 2 bedroom suite.

Seapasses were in the cabin. Setsail docs before then. Concierge lounge shut up tight and no access without seapass.

Had relaxing lunch in CK before access to cabins granted, no need for CL. With a view of the charming and unforgettable Bayonne.

I am a convert to WOW bands, and I didn’t even know what they were.

But we were in a suite on the Anthem and there they were, so I thought “what the heck”.

Turns out not having to take the seapass everywhere (except to get off the ship) is a great idea. No fishing around for the seapass. If you’re a woman (and I am) no wondering if your shorts or pants have pockets or pockets deep enough for a seapass. Pool friendly (I still remember the time 20 years ago when my father took a flying leap into a pool with his seapass. Luckily a nice young man went diving to look for it).

I could give a rat’s patootie about tan lines or outfits, so there is that.:p

One thing I would note is that I have very small wrists and even the tightest grip was a little loose.

Would I pay for it? Don’t know. But at least now I would not dismiss the thought out of hand:D

Can someone help me get a better picture as to the sites and benefits of maybe ya doing a private tour one of the days there. We have done Bermuda in the past for three days and did st. George and the fort, the lighthouse, elbow and horseshoe. My son still speak of the time at the fort to this day. I wonder if all the construction by fort Catherine finished by now with I think new homes or hotel they were building. It was back in July 2017. Where would a private tour take us outside of the above that people have done and would highly recommend?

Appreciate it

This would be a question that the guide you want to hire should be able the answer.

I would have no idea, because I have been to Bermuda exactly twice, (well two days, so three days total this last cruise) and I don't know what I don't know. But if you look at the different reviews and recommendations, the guides all have email and you should email them exactly that: what are you going to show me that I haven't seen.

For example, Quinton showed us a cemetery and told us how they work and took us to a house where we could see how Bermudians build roofs and cisterns to collect drinking water. You may already know this or not care; I found it fascinating.

So my best advice would be write and ask:)

Thank you so much!!! We have Quinton booked fro our visit in November !!!!!

You’re welcome; I’m sure you’ll have a great time.

One word to the wise: everything in Bermuda is expensive including local fish joints. Budget more for lunch than you might for a similar meal in the states. The view is worth it:D