Bermuda-One day-Explorer of the Seas

[disgal]

Hi all. Hoping you can help me out and give some opinions.

 

We, me, DH, DD18, DD15, DS 11, will be on the Explorer beginning of August. Didn't prefer this month but it's what we had to do with school schedules and Little League Baseball. :p

 

So, it will be hot, right? I like hot but not HOT if you know what I mean? ;) So a walking tour of 4 hours or something like that wouldn't be my idea of a great time. lol And unfortunately, we only have from 8am to 5pm that one day. I have already planned on taking a Bermuda cruise next year with some girlfriends but this trip we wanted to see different places since the only cruise we've ever done is Disney going to the Bahamas.

 

Am I crazy for wanting to spend a lot of time at a beach? I wouldn't mind seeing some of the towns but I'm not sure how to work this all in.

 

I don't want to do an expensive tour from RC. And obviously we wouldn't fit in a traditional taxi.

 

I think we dock at the Dockyard. Where should we go? I've read something about the bus lines? Do we do that?

 

Do we really have from 8am to 5pm or is reality more like 9am to 4pm?

 

What would you do if you were us?

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

[SailBadtheSinner]

I would say that the time on the island will be about 8:30 to 4:30.

 

You wrote ...Am I crazy for wanting to spend a lot of time at a beach?...., no, you're not crazy. Then you wrote ....mind seeing some of the towns... . I can see you doing one or the other but not both.

 

Plan A: I could see you taking the bus (about a 35 minute ride) to Horseshoe Bay Beach, and then returning to the Dockyard to do touring there.

Horseshoe Bay Beach YouTube video:

Dockyard: http://www.experiencebermuda.com/dockyard/

 

Plan B: Forget the beach and take a 3 hour (or longer) taxi tour starting in Hamilton. This would require taking the ferry to Hamilton and hiring a "blue flag" taxi for the tour. You could select the points of interest or let the do it. You'll see a lot more of the Bermuda this way.

 

Blue Flag taxi - For a party of four to six, engaging a suitably-sized taxi by the day or half day, with the driver acting as the tour guide, can be a good way to see Bermuda. A blue flag fluttering from the taxi's bonnet signifies the driver has qualified as a tour guide. (It seems most of the blue flag drivers prefer the City of Hamilton as their base).

Source: http://www.bermuda-online.org/getround.htm

 

Here is an ongoing thread discussing private guides:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1198339

The average air temperature for August is 80° and the average relative humidity is 80%. I would call it hot & humid.

 

 

SBtS

 

[disgal]

thank you.

 

I know Horseshoe beach is popular. Is it too popular? meaning crowded? Can you get lunch there?

 

that sounds like a good plan. Visit Dockyard when we are done with the beach.

 

Yeah, and that's the average daily temp..........86 is the average high, 77 the average low.......yeah, hot and humid. I guess I'll just have to deal with the sweat. :p

[Annefran]

thank you.

 

I know Horseshoe beach is popular. Is it too popular? meaning crowded? Can you get lunch there?

 

that sounds like a good plan. Visit Dockyard when we are done with the beach.

 

Yeah, and that's the average daily temp..........86 is the average high, 77 the average low.......yeah, hot and humid. I guess I'll just have to deal with the sweat. :p

 

Hi we were in Bermuda in July 2007 and it was HOT! We took the local bus to Horseshoe Bay Beach for the day. It was about a 30 minute drive. If you intend to rent beach chairs or an umbrella, you must have cash. They do not take credit cards. There is a small little take out restaurant with the usual burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches etc. that was pretty reasonable. We rented an umbrella and were in the water majority of the time because of the intense heat. But Horseshoe Bay Beach is gorgeous and I think you will enjoy it.

[sarahc78]

thank you.

 

I know Horseshoe beach is popular. Is it too popular? meaning crowded? Can you get lunch there?

 

that sounds like a good plan. Visit Dockyard when we are done with the beach.

 

Yeah, and that's the average daily temp..........86 is the average high, 77 the average low.......yeah, hot and humid. I guess I'll just have to deal with the sweat. :p

Disgal how come you opted to go w/ RC for only 1 day in Bermuda? NCL and Celebrity are roughly the same exact price and you will get 3 full days in Bermuda.

 

Last year we had originally booked RCL and changed our mind when we realized that it was the same exact price to cruise Celebrity. I am so glad we changed our mind. The 2 days we spent in Bermuda wasnt enough, I know we would have been so disappointed if we had gone w/ RCL.

 

JMO.

[disgal]

Hi we were in Bermuda in July 2007 and it was HOT! We took the local bus to Horseshoe Bay Beach for the day. It was about a 30 minute drive. If you intend to rent beach chairs or an umbrella, you must have cash. They do not take credit cards. There is a small little take out restaurant with the usual burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches etc. that was pretty reasonable. We rented an umbrella and were in the water majority of the time because of the intense heat. But Horseshoe Bay Beach is gorgeous and I think you will enjoy it.

 

 

oh, thank you. Is the restaurant by the beach or do you have to go up that steep hill?

[disgal]

Disgal how come you opted to go w/ RC for only 1 day in Bermuda? NCL and Celebrity are roughly the same exact price and you will get 3 full days in Bermuda.

 

Last year we had originally booked RCL and changed our mind when we realized that it was the same exact price to cruise Celebrity. I am so glad we changed our mind. The 2 days we spent in Bermuda wasnt enough, I know we would have been so disappointed if we had gone w/ RCL.

 

JMO.

 

 

Oh, I fully intend to go next year with some girlfriends....I just have to decide between RC, Norw. and Celebrity for the cruise. (I don't really want to do RC because you only get two days in Bermuda but if my gf's can't get away for 7 nights we'll have to do it)

 

For this cruise, since we've only seen the Bahamas, we wanted to see some places in the Carib. I'm excited to see St. Marten and St. Thomas along with Bermuda.

[glor]

Our ship will be docking at the Dockyard. How far from where the ship docks is it to take the ferry to Hamilton? And where do you get tickets for the ferry?

[shof515]

Our ship will be docking at the Dockyard. How far from where the ship docks is it to take the ferry to Hamilton? And where do you get tickets for the ferry?

 

tickets can be bought at the many visitor centers on the wharf or in the dockyard

 

ferry is not that far, here is a map that SailBadtheSinner posted before:

[glor]

Thanks for the answer and the map!!

[glor]

Do you happen to have a map of Hamilton?

[DM_KidAtHeart]

Do you happen to have a map of Hamilton?

 

This is on another thread, and I already got the package. It has a great map (including zoomed in maps of Hamilton, St. George, Dockyard, and 2 more). The map folds to a small and nicely portable size. It's FREE :) and got to us within about a week.

 

I went on Bermudatourism.com. There is a place on that site you can send away for some Bermuda information. I recieved a nice size map, ferry & bus schedules and routes, a booklet on the sights and things to do in Bermuda and a brochure of travel information. I really liked the information they sent. bermudatourism.com

[iheartbda]

Do you happen to have a map of Hamilton?

Take a look at a map here, you can zoom in. It is the one you can send away to get.

http://www.bermudatourism.com/Downloadable_Map.pdf

[johneeo]

Hi all. Hoping you can help me out and give some opinions.

 

We, me, DH, DD18, DD15, DS 11, will be on the Explorer beginning of August. Didn't prefer this month but it's what we had to do with school schedules and Little League Baseball. :p

 

So, it will be hot, right? I like hot but not HOT if you know what I mean? ;) So a walking tour of 4 hours or something like that wouldn't be my idea of a great time. lol And unfortunately, we only have from 8am to 5pm that one day. I have already planned on taking a Bermuda cruise next year with some girlfriends but this trip we wanted to see different places since the only cruise we've ever done is Disney going to the Bahamas.

 

Am I crazy for wanting to spend a lot of time at a beach? I wouldn't mind seeing some of the towns but I'm not sure how to work this all in.

 

I don't want to do an expensive tour from RC. And obviously we wouldn't fit in a traditional taxi.

 

I think we dock at the Dockyard. Where should we go? I've read something about the bus lines? Do we do that?

 

Do we really have from 8am to 5pm or is reality more like 9am to 4pm?

 

What would you do if you were us?

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

As for the taxi issue, my experience was they were small vans and could accomodate 6 comfortably.

 

In 2009 the cost of the taxi to Horseshoe Bay was about $40.

[Mom.to.2]

 

In 2009 the cost of the taxi to Horseshoe Bay was about $40.

 

SBtS...is this right? $40 each way from Dockyard to Horseshoe Bay? (for a family of 4)

[SailBadtheSinner]

Since CC member Johneeo didn't provide the details (# of people & day of week) that support the fare, it could be correct. However, last year, a CC member posted this picture of a sign of the approx. fares from the Dockyard to various destinations:

 

 

For a family of 4, the fare will be at least $28.00 to Horseshoe Bay, weekdays.

 

 

 

SBtS

 

 

[Krystilia]

Do you happen to have a map of Hamilton?

 

 

I found this interactive map which I thought was great!

 

http://bermuda.micromaps.com/index.php?map_id=1&layer=35&point=635

[Mom.to.2]

Since CC member Johneeo didn't provide the details (# of people & day of week) that support the fare, it could be correct. However, last year, a CC member posted this picture of a sign of the approx. fares from the Dockyard to various destinations:

 

 

For a family of 4, the fare will be at least $28.00 to Horseshoe Bay, weekdays.

 

 

 

SBtS

 

 

 

This is sooooo helpful! On weekends, are prices 25% higher? And I assume tips are expected?

[SailBadtheSinner]

Yes & Yes