Bermuda Holiday May 24

[blaster454]

We will be in Bermuda next Monday and Tuesday on RCL's EOS. Tuesday is a national Bermudan holiday and I wonder how it will affect our visit. Will shopping be available? If we decide to rent scooters for a day is Monday or Tuesday the best choice as far as parades and traffic? Is there anything holiday related that is worth seeing this year?

[fiftyguy]

My wife and I were in Bermuda during Bermuda Day a few years ago. I remember we were using the bus system to get to Horseshoe Bay Beach. It definitely was crowded around Hamilton and they were running a road race of some kind before the parade. I seem to remember that many of the stores were closed, but I could be wrong.

I would do the bikes on Monday so you can more easily get around the island.

We found it quite festive, similar to our Memorial Day. We saw lots of family cookouts near the varoius beaches.

Enjoy your cruise.

[sousak78]

The stores in Hamilton will be closed but the smaller shops in Dockyard (Kings Wharf) will probably be open since the ships will be in.

 

Part of the road will be closed on Tuesday due to the half-marathon taking place so if you plan on riding your mopeds then, have a very long leisurely breakfast on the ship, followed by a very long leisurely walk around Dockyard. My guess is, set out around 10:30/11am and stick to South Shore Road to avoid getting caught up in traffic delays.

 

The running is always neat to watch - loads of people like to line the streets to cheer on the runners. There is a parade in the afternoon with floats, majorette dancers and baton twirlers, bands, gombeys, etc. If you want to watch some of it, get the ferry into Hamilton - part of the parade route runs right along Front Street, where the ferry will drop you off. It will be rammed with people (people will start roping off sections of the sidewalks this weekend - that's how congested it gets) but it's always nice to see. You should be able to find a small patch of sidewalk to stand on. If not, wait until later in the afternoon and head up to City Hall - that's the terminus of the parade route and you should be able to see some performances and some of the floats on display there.

 

Enjoy your trip (and be careful on that moped, we Bermudians are crazy drivers)!