Is it possible to fit it all in?

[pampaul]

We'll be on the HAL Veendam in August.

 

We come in at 10:00am on a Tuesday and leave 2:00pm on that Friday.

 

So we basically have 3 1/2 days in port (Hamilton)

 

Here are a list of things that I've compiled together that we'd like to see. Now we don't have to see everything, but I just wanted to get a list of everything that looked of interest to us.

 

Here goes...

 

Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo (definately want to go)

Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (worth it?)

Bermuda Maritime Museum (worth it?)

Crystal/Fantasy Caves (depends how my knee is by this time)

Fort St. Catherine’s (what's there to do there?)

Fort Hamilton (what's there to do here?)

Horseshoe Bay Beach (definately want to go for 4-5 hrs)

Gibbs Lighthouse (just to see it & take pictures)

Rum Cake Factory (just to look around/free samples)

Botanical Gardens (definately want to go)

King’s Square in St. George’s (what's to do here?)

Clocktower Mall (just to walk around/check things out)

Spittal Pond Nature Reserve

Harbor Nights in Hamilton & Market Nights in St. George's (Probably won't do both (which one to do? I'm assuming Harbor Nights since we're docked in Hamilton) Didn't know if one was "better" than the other

Bailey’s Ice Cream Palor (snack)

Haagen Dazs Ice Cream Palor (snack)

Swizzle Inn (lunch)

 

And for those Bermuda die-hards. What would be the best plan of attack on each day to do? Any suggestions?

[flowers44]

Did the Aquarium and Zoo a few years ago. Definately not the largest attractions. Did not compare to our US zoos and aquariums. Ok to see it once.

 

Maritime Museum at the Dockyard. Interesting. Lots of reading. Self guided tour. Can spend an hour or a half a day depending on how fast you can read and see the exibits.

 

Also did the caves several years ago. Had to wait for the tide to go out to be able to get into them then. Not sure how it is now.

 

Fort Catherine's is pretty to look at from a distance. I have never paid to go inside. Just an old fort up close. Nice beach next to it. This is also near Tobacco Bay. Some of the best snorkling and swimming in Bermuda.

 

Horseshoe Bay Beach is really what Bermuda is all about. Beautiful area. The walk from Horseshoe to Warwick is a beautiful walk enjoying the Bermuda sand under your feet.

 

Gibbs Lighthouse is great. It is $2 to climb the lighthouse, 185 steps. Then you exit at the top, through a very short door, onto an iron viewing platform. Wonderful views of Bermuda shore lines. If you take the bus, it is a long walk uphill to the Lighthouse road and then uphill again to the lighthouse.

 

One thing I like to do is go to the Sea Glass Beach out by the Dockyard. A beach that is just full of sea glass and you can pick up all you want. Directions or on this websit, just put sea glass beach in the search engine.

 

We also have walked the old railroad bed. Can get on it near Somerset Bridge, the smallest draw bridge in the world. Fun to see. Beautiful views and a couple of forts you can tour for free. Take water with you.

 

I recommend the three day bus pass for get around. It is $28 for a three day pass and you can use the buses and ferries all day and evening. Get a schedule because they do not run all night.

 

Love Bermuda. Will be going back this August. That will be four years in a row that I have been there. So much better than the Caribbean Islands. The people are great and the island is clean.

 

Rum Cake Factory is at the Dockyard in the same building as the Glass Blowing Studio. Interesting. Doesn't take too long to look around and get out of there. Very High prices on all of the glass.

 

The Botanicle Gardens is like a large city park. You can just walk around and look at the plants. Some are labeled with names. Park areas are all over Bermuda all about the same as the Botanicle Garden. We own greenhouses. Were not too impressed.

 

King's Square in St. George is a lot of fun if you are there at noon when they dunk the town wench. It is a very funny skit that they do every day.

 

Clocktower Mall has most of the same stores as are in Hamilton. The prices are the same all over the island so don't think if you check out all of the stores you will find a bargin. Not happening in Bermuda.

 

Can't help with the other places on your list but this should give you a start.

[3rdGenCunarder]

That seems like a lot to squeeze into the time you'll have.

 

First, get a map of Bermuda and find each item on the map. Then you can group them.

 

For example, you can plan a loop with several attractions. Take the bus to the aquarium, then the bus to Swizzle Inn for lunch, then a short walk to Bailey's for ice cream (I think it's a walking distance), then the bus to St Georges. You'll miss the dunking, but you can walk around St Georges and enjoy the town. That would fill a day.

 

The botanical gardens are nice, but rather spread out. There is an art gallery on the grounds now.

 

A 3-day bus pass is the best bet for getting around. It gives you 3 days of unlimited use of the buses and ferries.

 

I recommend spending the last morning looking around Hamilton--it's never a good idea to be far from the ship on the day of departure. Maybe spend the morning at Fort hamilton. I don't remember a lot about the fort, but there are great views from the top, and the moat is a jungle-like garden. Very cool.

[jdarch]

We'll be on the HAL Veendam in August.

 

We come in at 10:00am on a Tuesday and leave 2:00pm on that Friday.

 

So we basically have 3 1/2 days in port (Hamilton)

 

Here are a list of things that I've compiled together that we'd like to see. Now we don't have to see everything, but I just wanted to get a list of everything that looked of interest to us.

 

Here goes...

 

Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo (definately want to go)

Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (worth it?)

Bermuda Maritime Museum (worth it?)

Crystal/Fantasy Caves (depends how my knee is by this time)

Fort St. Catherine’s (what's there to do there?)

Fort Hamilton (what's there to do here?)

Horseshoe Bay Beach (definately want to go for 4-5 hrs)

Gibbs Lighthouse (just to see it & take pictures)

Rum Cake Factory (just to look around/free samples)

Botanical Gardens (definately want to go)

King’s Square in St. George’s (what's to do here?)

Clocktower Mall (just to walk around/check things out)

Spittal Pond Nature Reserve

Harbor Nights in Hamilton & Market Nights in St. George's (Probably won't do both (which one to do? I'm assuming Harbor Nights since we're docked in Hamilton) Didn't know if one was "better" than the other

Bailey’s Ice Cream Palor (snack)

Haagen Dazs Ice Cream Palor (snack)

Swizzle Inn (lunch)

 

And for those Bermuda die-hards. What would be the best plan of attack on each day to do? Any suggestions?

 

For sightseeing and shopping I love St.George's..they have some shops there that are 1 of a kind...the rumcake factory is part of a whole craft building..so other stores..and the Frog and Onion is there, too...I've bought 1 of a kind jewelry there...on Thursday nights in the middle of the craft building outside there is a street fair...with vendors...food and entertainment..we went to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute in Hamilton..one of my favorite days...I love to take the ferry when we go to St.George's because it is a beautiful ride and you get to see lots of the island...did a carriage ride in St.George's...loved it...love Horseshoe Bay...we went to the zoo and aquarium(one price for both)..really enjoyed it...did the caves..don't need to do that again...interesting..but,...

[pampaul]

Did the Aquarium and Zoo a few years ago. Definately not the largest attractions. Did not compare to our US zoos and aquariums. Ok to see it once.

 

Maritime Museum at the Dockyard. Interesting. Lots of reading. Self guided tour. Can spend an hour or a half a day depending on how fast you can read and see the exibits.

 

Also did the caves several years ago. Had to wait for the tide to go out to be able to get into them then. Not sure how it is now.

 

Fort Catherine's is pretty to look at from a distance. I have never paid to go inside. Just an old fort up close. Nice beach next to it. This is also near Tobacco Bay. Some of the best snorkling and swimming in Bermuda.

 

Horseshoe Bay Beach is really what Bermuda is all about. Beautiful area. The walk from Horseshoe to Warwick is a beautiful walk enjoying the Bermuda sand under your feet.

 

Gibbs Lighthouse is great. It is $2 to climb the lighthouse, 185 steps. Then you exit at the top, through a very short door, onto an iron viewing platform. Wonderful views of Bermuda shore lines. If you take the bus, it is a long walk uphill to the Lighthouse road and then uphill again to the lighthouse.

 

One thing I like to do is go to the Sea Glass Beach out by the Dockyard. A beach that is just full of sea glass and you can pick up all you want. Directions or on this websit, just put sea glass beach in the search engine.

 

We also have walked the old railroad bed. Can get on it near Somerset Bridge, the smallest draw bridge in the world. Fun to see. Beautiful views and a couple of forts you can tour for free. Take water with you.

 

I recommend the three day bus pass for get around. It is $28 for a three day pass and you can use the buses and ferries all day and evening. Get a schedule because they do not run all night.

 

Love Bermuda. Will be going back this August. That will be four years in a row that I have been there. So much better than the Caribbean Islands. The people are great and the island is clean.

 

Rum Cake Factory is at the Dockyard in the same building as the Glass Blowing Studio. Interesting. Doesn't take too long to look around and get out of there. Very High prices on all of the glass.

 

The Botanicle Gardens is like a large city park. You can just walk around and look at the plants. Some are labeled with names. Park areas are all over Bermuda all about the same as the Botanicle Garden. We own greenhouses. Were not too impressed.

 

King's Square in St. George is a lot of fun if you are there at noon when they dunk the town wench. It is a very funny skit that they do every day.

 

Clocktower Mall has most of the same stores as are in Hamilton. The prices are the same all over the island so don't think if you check out all of the stores you will find a bargin. Not happening in Bermuda.

 

Can't help with the other places on your list but this should give you a start.

 

Thank you!!

 

That seems like a lot to squeeze into the time you'll have.

 

First, get a map of Bermuda and find each item on the map. Then you can group them. Is this something that I pick up while there?

 

For example, you can plan a loop with several attractions. Take the bus to the aquarium, then the bus to Swizzle Inn for lunch, then a short walk to Bailey's for ice cream (I think it's a walking distance), then the bus to St Georges. You'll miss the dunking, but you can walk around St Georges and enjoy the town. That would fill a day.

 

The botanical gardens are nice, but rather spread out. There is an art gallery on the grounds now.

 

A 3-day bus pass is the best bet for getting around. It gives you 3 days of unlimited use of the buses and ferries. This is probably what we're going to do.

 

I recommend spending the last morning looking around Hamilton--it's never a good idea to be far from the ship on the day of departure. Maybe spend the morning at Fort hamilton. I don't remember a lot about the fort, but there are great views from the top, and the moat is a jungle-like garden. Very cool.

So I'm assuming Fort Hamilton isn't too far from the pier then. And yeah, we usually don't venture too far from the ship on the last day. Don't need to miss that thing!!!

 

For sightseeing and shopping I love St.George's..they have some shops there that are 1 of a kind...the rumcake factory is part of a whole craft building..so other stores..and the Frog and Onion is there, too...I've bought 1 of a kind jewelry there...on Thursday nights in the middle of the craft building outside there is a street fair...with vendors...food and entertainment..we went to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute in Hamilton..one of my favorite days...I love to take the ferry when we go to St.George's because it is a beautiful ride and you get to see lots of the island...did a carriage ride in St.George's...loved it...love Horseshoe Bay...we went to the zoo and aquarium(one price for both)..really enjoyed it...did the caves..don't need to do that again...interesting..but,...

Might be a stupid question, but is the ferry an "easy" ride? Meaning, I won't get like sea sick or anything, right?

[iheartbda]

There are times when the ferry can be rockin' and a rollin'.

[3rdGenCunarder]

To answer your questions:

Map

For a map of Bermuda, google "Bermuda tourism," and you'll find lots of websites with information and maps you can download. I think one of them is visitbermuda.com, but I'm not sure if that's exactly right. On the web, you can find bus routes, maps that show major tourist attractions, and tons of info.

 

Check your local library to see if they have a travel section. I'm lucky that way. My library has lots of travel books. Or buy yourself a travel guide. I'm partial to Fodor's, but there are lots of travel series on the market.

 

You can get tourist info when you arrive, and the ship will give you a handout. But if you want to make the most of your time, do your planning now. it's really worth the effort to do your own research in advance. You might stumble on ideas that posters here have forgotten to suggest. Bermuda has a lot of small gems in addition to the larger attractions.

 

Ft Hamilton:

Yes, it's walkable, but it's a long walk. As it winds uphill toward the fort, there are no sidewalks, so it can be a bit scary. This might be a time to splurge on a taxi for the uphill trip. Downhill, you still don't have sidewalks, but it's an easier walk.

 

Ferry ride:

We've been lucky with ferry rides, but I'm sure IheartBda is right. If the water is rough, the ferry ride will be rough, too. That's the great thing about the pass. It includes both bus and ferry, so if you don't like the looks of the water conditions, you can take a bus.

[flowers44]

I would recommend the Fodor's Bermuda Guide also. I bought one and it is full of maps and attractions. It gives the hours of operation and the prices on a lot of the places. With the guide, it also gives bus routes and other transportation information too, I believe. Great resource.

 

I did not mention in my long email, but Gibbs Lighthouse grounds are on a very high point of the island. The view is great even if you decide not to climb the 185 stairs.

 

Enjoy your planning and enjoy your trip to my favorite place, Bermuda.

[jdarch]

Thank you!!

 

So I'm assuming Fort Hamilton isn't too far from the pier then. And yeah, we usually don't venture too far from the ship on the last day. Don't need to miss that thing!!!

 

Might be a stupid question, but is the ferry an "easy" ride? Meaning, I won't get like sea sick or anything, right?

 

my dh has motion sickness...that's why it took us 20 years to get to Bermuda..he never thought he'd be able to do a cruise...after the first cruise he booked the next when we weren't even home a week...we always take the ferry to St.George's because it's a beautiful ride..the ferry is pretty big and if we sit in the front facing forward he's never had a problem...so much to do there