RubySlippers102 Posted September 9, 2018 #1 Share Posted September 9, 2018 (edited) We're a group of 4 adults traveling the first week of October on the NCL Escape. We have about 2.5 days in Bermuda and will be in port at the Royal Navy Dockyard on Wed, Thurs, Fri (are there typically many ships in port those days?). Looking for recommendations on how to make the most of our time! Day 1 - We were thinking of taking the ferry to St George to see Crystal Caves and Tobbaco Bay. We'd also like to meander around St George a bit. Are there minibuses available to get from the ferry to the caves and then from caves to the beach? Is Tobacco Bay the nicest in that area or is there a better beach we should think of (we won't be snorkeling, just looking for a nice beach)? We're thinking of then hopping the bus or taxi to spend some time in Hamilton. Is this planning too much for a single day (ferry, explore St George, caves, lunch at Swizzle Inn, Tobacco or another beach, taxi to Hamilton and explore a bit, ferry back)? Day 2 - We planned to take the minibus to Horseshoe Bay and possibly venture out to Warwick Long Bay and then in the afternoon look into a snorkeling excursion. I know the best snorkeling is offshore, looking for recommendations for an excursion that will allow us to snorkel both in nice reefs (Blue Hole?) as well as a shipwreck. For those that have snorkeled in Hawaii, how does the snorkeling in Bermuda compare? Day 3 - We disembark at 1 so were thinking of jet skiing/parasailing in the morning. Recommendations for a reputable company that does both? Also general questions - this is our first overnight port, are you typically able to come and go on the ship as you please at any time? Any interesting nightlife to check out? Favorite places to grab a bite? Thanks! Aimee Edited September 9, 2018 by RubySlippers102 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailBadtheSinner Posted September 9, 2018 #2 Share Posted September 9, 2018 The only day you will have company is Wednesday when the AIDAluna will be at King's Wharf. To get from the ferry in St George;s to the caves you would either take the taxi or a public bus. JMO, but if you are not interested in snorkeling, I would not visit Tobacco Bay. You won't find any pink sand there. My suggestion for day one would be the ferry to SG where you would meander about, and then the bus or taxi to the caves and the Swizzle Inn which are in walking distance of each other. I would finish the day by taking the bus or taxi to Hamilton. Take the ferry from Hamilton to the Dockyard to return to the cruise ship. Your day two looks good. I'll let those who snorkel answer the snorkeling part of the question. Day 3, please check your departure time. The Escape usually departs at 3pm. You can check out tours at the Island Tour Center. When you overnight in port, you can go and return when you want. Favorite places to eat would be the Frog & Onion Pub at the Dockyard and the Hog Penny Pub in Hamilton. SBtS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnvh Posted September 9, 2018 #3 Share Posted September 9, 2018 BF and I just got back from Bermuda on the Escape, we went to Tobacco Bay on our first day and THOROUGHLY enjoyed it. By the time we got off the ship, the free NCL ferry to St. George's had already left and the next one wasn't for another couple hours, so we opted for the public ferry which departed at around 10:30 ($4.50pp for tokens). The ferry ride over was nice, it's a long trip but the ferry itself has comfy seating, great A/C, staff onboard to answer tourist questions, and was super clean. We meandered around St George's for an hour or so before taking a cab to Tobacco (confirm before getting in that it's $3pp, for some reason we got charged $5pp and I didn't feel like arguing). Anyway, Tobacco Bay is a small beach, but the water is absolutely phenomenal, so calm and clear, you see fish EVERYWHERE. My BF recently tore his rotator cuff and can't handle rough waves, so Tobacco was absolutely perfect. Chairs w/ canopies were (I think) $38 for 2, there's free wifi, and food and a bar within steps of the water. (Quite expensive though, as is everything in Bermuda... $12 rum swizzles and $13? for crappy cheeseburgers.). We took the free NCL ferry back, it wasn't as nice as the public ferry (very hot and stuffy, slower), but free is free. We did Horseshoe Beach on day 2, via the mini-vans from the pier, $7pp. (Better than the bus, which drops you off at the top of the hill, leaving a long walk down and then back up.) The beach was much less crowded on the second day, but the waves were definitely rougher, and there were rip-current warning signs posted, so we were a bit nervous to spend much time in the water. Plus, there was a whole lot of floating seaweed around, which would brush up on you in the water and frankly, creeped us out a bit. (I've been stung by jellyfish before, so I'm a little paranoid, lol...) Personally, I can't see where the sand at horseshoe is very "pink." Maybe at the water's edge where it's wet, but honestly I think it just looks like sand. Nice, fine, super-soft sand, but still. BF and I agreed that if we ever find ourselves back in Bermuda, we would skip Horseshoe in favor of Tobacco. Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnvh Posted September 9, 2018 #4 Share Posted September 9, 2018 Also, re: places to grab a bite... Expect everything to be crazy expensive. We had lunch in Hamilton at the Pickled Onion, we each had one beer, one appetizer, and fish and chips... Our bill was $107. Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jember Posted September 10, 2018 #5 Share Posted September 10, 2018 You could also take a minbus from the St. George ferry to Clearwater Beach. It was less crowded than Tobacco Bay. It has a beach bar, bathrooms and rental equipment. The water was calm and we saw a lot of turtles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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