A Bermuda Cruise in Review: Summit (with pics!)

[ChampionCruiser]

We still had a long walk to Horseshoe Bay and the water below was teasing us.

 

 

We didn't pass a single person along the road, so apparently most people don’t walk to the beach :rolleyes:.

 

 

We were glad to finally see this!

 

 

The last leg of the trip is a pretty steep hill. There were shuttles ($1 down and $2 up) but at that point we were used to the walking.

 

 

It wasn’t long before we were strolling down Horseshoe Bay with our ($10) loungers in hand.

 

[ChampionCruiser]

I can understand why this beach is Bermuda’s most popular. It’s much larger than the others we saw and it is, of course, gorgeous. We picked a spot to put our chairs away from the crowd and cooled off before exploring the rest of the beach.

 

This is what I imagined when I thought of Bermuda.

 

 

Most of the rocks were fairly easy to scale (even barefoot) but you definitely have to be careful. If you’re willing to do it you’ll have some great views of the bay.

 

 

We grabbed a quick lunch at the grill before exploring the other side of the beach. They served basic American food at reasonable-ish prices and it was good enough for us.

[Cruise a holic]

My husband and I will be on the summit (again) and look foward to seeing the renovations. We will be in a sky suite next to the penthouse, with the large balcony Does anybody know if this cabin has been redecorated?

 

Thanks

[ChampionCruiser]

My next goal was to scale the largest rock at the beach. It wasn’t hard at all and many people made their way to the top. There is a well-worn path by now.

 

 

I felt adventurous even though tons of people were climbing along with me ;).

 

 

I wasn’t the only one enjoying myself. When I turned around from the above picture I saw this little guy resting. It’s a Bermuda Longtail, the island’s much less annoying version of a seagull.

 

 

Some people ventured down to the water but we were ready to finally relax on the beach.

 

 

That’s where we spent the rest of the day. The water was still cool but we must have been used to it because we swam for a good while. We were reluctant to leave but did so anyway at around 4:30. It had been a tiring but successful day and we were ready to meet up with our aunt and uncle for dinner.

 

[ChampionCruiser]

The evening menu was a good one and I enjoyed the curry chicken salad (good), tom ka gai soup (too spicy for me), filet mignon (my favorite dish of the cruise), and the dulce de leche cigar (amazing). My sister and I got off the ship right after dinner to make it to the shops before they closed. There were some nice stores and we got some of our souvenir shopping finished. I thought the Dockyard Glassworks was especially nice.

 

 

We made our way back to the ship in time for the night’s entertainment. The first show was a singer who was okay (just not my cup of tea, I guess) but the second show was great. It was a concert by our own cruise director, Sue. She was very talented and funny, blending great songs and humor together. I’ve never seen a cruise director with their own show, but she deserved it.

 

 

 

That wrapped up day two in Bermuda. We didn’t even consider doing anything else because we were so exhausted. Our plan was to wake up early, anyway, to catch the second ferry to Hamilton for our last day in Bermuda :(.

 

Up next: Day 6, Bermuda

[kendon]

The photo of the lighthouse with the flags is stunning! Love, love, love your review.

[Ruby71]

What a wonderful review!! Your pictures are amazing! Looking forward to reading about your last day in Bermuda.

Thanks

Sharon

[librarylady19]

My husband and I will be on the summit (again) and look foward to seeing the renovations. We will be in a sky suite next to the penthouse, with the large balcony Does anybody know if this cabin has been redecorated?

 

Thanks

 

Yes, it has - for the most part. Search 6146 and you will find recent pics someone posted. We had 6145 in 2010 and it was great, even before updating!

[Waterloomarc]

Enjoying the review very much. We'll be going to Bermuda in September, although on your stalker ship the Star, for the first time. Good luck with your future studies.

[sallywingate]

Thank you so much for this review of Bermuda. It is outstanding!

We leave in two days cruising to Bermuda on HAL. I need to get my packing done, but then found all of these pics, I had to look at all of them. Well done!!

 

Also thank you for the aft picture of the Summit. We will be cruising to Alaska after our Bermuda cruise on the Celebrity Millie. We were lucky enough to snag one of those five aft cabins on deck 11 It is always good to see what we will have since this is an area that is new on the Millie.

 

Good Luck with your studies.

[Mermen]

Excellent review and photography, thank you so much for sharing your trip with us. Congrats on your graduation too and good luck overseas! Our daughter just graduated too, so we share your excitement.

 

Sailed on the Summit a couple of years ago, before the refurb and loved it. It was nice to see your pictures and be reminded of the very cool cruise we were fortunate to enjoy.

 

Best of luck to you!!

[DPurcell58]

Thanks for the pic of the back of the ship. We have an FV on deck 7, I can really see it in your picture.

[ChampionCruiser]

I’m sorry for the delay! Work was a bit more hectic today. I’m glad you are enjoying and finding my review helpful, though. I’m actually a little sad that there are only two days left to write about!

 

 

Day 6 – Bermuda

 

The cruise had (of course) flown by so far and our last day in Bermuda came way too fast. My sister and I had a brilliant plan to make a quick trip to Hamilton by ferry and then take a bus to Church Bay for a final day of sun and sand.

 

Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t like that plan… at all…

 

 

We woke up to a complete downpour. We were glad that we had saved the shopping day for last and we decided to go ahead to Hamilton. We really couldn’t complain much after two days of perfect weather. Our room steward gave us Celebrity umbrellas and a “good luck” but unfortunately neither helped. We were drenched by the time we made it to the ferry stop and the wind laughed at the umbrella before turning it inside out. Unsurprisingly, most people seemed to be staying on the ships and we were one of only a handful on the ferry.

 

The rain slacked off a little during our 20 minute ferry ride to the capital city, but only a little. The ferry terminal was close to the cruise ship pier and we met the Veendam on her last day in port. She is the only ship making regular calls to Hamilton (for now) and spends an extra half day in Bermuda.

 

 

Once off the ferry, our first stop was to the first souvenir shop we could find, where we bought overly priced trash bag ponchos. They probably would have been $1.00 on a sunny day but we were desperate.

 

With our fashionable ponchos and X umbrella, we managed to stay (mostly) dry for the rest of the day :).

 

[ChampionCruiser]

Since we were no longer in a rush to get to the beach, we took our time walking around Hamilton and actually enjoyed ourselves. Hamilton doesn’t quite have the charm of St. George’s but it’s still a great place and the shopping (I think) is much better.

 

 

The city is definitely a mix of old…

 

 

...and new!

 

 

Shopping in Bermuda isn’t like the Caribbean at all. There are quite a few souvenir type shops, but they are all spread far apart. It’s basically like shopping in a touristy U.S. city. We did manage to find everything we were looking for and had time to wander before the next ferry back to Dockyard.

 

[ChampionCruiser]

As we boarded the ferry, the Veendam sounded her horn and soon after began pulling away from the pier. We weren’t the only ones heading back to New York and she got a head start on the Summit and Star.

 

 

It wasn’t an ideal day in Hamilton, but we still enjoyed our time there. Hopefully the weather will be better next time I swing by :).

 

 

We followed the Veendam out of the city and to the West End. This was the slow ferry, though, so it took much longer than before.

 

 

We did pass some nice houses along the way.

 

 

For a brief moment the three NY-Bermuda cruise ships were together.

 

[ChampionCruiser]

The rain had almost stopped by the time we reached the Dockyard but it was still gloomy. We officially decided to abort any beach plans and head back to the ship for the last time.

 

 

It wasn’t a beach, but the solarium was a nice way to spend our last two hours in port. It was nice swimming in the T-pool without its usual crowd.

 

At about 4:00 we made our way up to deck 12 to get ready for our 4:30 sail away. The open helipad sail away was cancelled due to strong winds so we had to make do. We watched for last minute pier runners but I guess everyone was on board already. I hope so, anyway!

 

 

It was a pleasant afternoon compared to the morning, for sure.

 

 

We started pulling away from the dock right on schedule and I had already started planning my next trip to Bermuda. I wasn’t ready to go!

 

 

The Star pulled out soon after we did.

 

 

We said our final goodbyes to Kings Wharf and Bermuda before heading down to the cabin to get ready for our second formal night.

 

 

Like always, there weren’t any major complaints about the food that night. The blue cheese soufflé, wild berry soup, and beef wellington were all really good. My only disappointment was that we weren’t given a dessert menu. Instead, we were all served baked Alaska, which I just don’t like. I’m sure it was good, but hating chocolate makes me a bit biased so I didn’t even taste it.

 

The entertainment lineup for the evening was packed, with concerts, the final production show, the not-so-newlywed game, and karaoke. We made an appearance at each and enjoyed them all, especially the production show. We ended the night back on our balcony, reading and praying for better weather for our last day of the cruise!

 

Next up: Day 7, at sea

[ChampionCruiser]

I'll be back tomorrow to hopefully finish! I'm actually still not done with cruise ship adventures yet because I'm going to tour and have lunch on the Oasis of the Seas tomorrow :). I should be able to finish the review in the afternoon, though.

[cocobakerchica]

Looking at your final day at King's Wharf reminds me of my last day there 2 years ago. Rain and fog...a washout; it looks like some things never change<lol>.

 

I'm still enjoying your review and look forward to your wrap up(and a photo of your sister's 2nd dress :D), even though you hurt my heart a little when you said you don't like chocolate(I'm a professional baker, I love all my ingredients). Then again, I'm not a fan of Baked Alaska either, so I also mourn the waste of good chocolate on a dessert that is often not done right(Baked Alaska is probably the worst dessert to mass produce!).

[Spf12]

An excellent review and photos.Bermuda is my favorite destination.I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[DPurcell58]

You said you wanted to go to Church Bay - is that a beach near Hamilton ? How far is that whole trip (ferry, bus?).

 

I'm so jealous you're touring the Oasis today - loved that trip!

[quicklabs]

My sister and I are on the Summit, heading for Bermuda on 1 July. Did you find any need for a sweater or "heavier" clothing during sea days (or in the evenings in port?)

Thanks for helping to increase our excitement even more with your terrific posts.

[cocobakerchica]

My sister and I are on the Summit, heading for Bermuda on 1 July. Did you find any need for a sweater or "heavier" clothing during sea days (or in the evenings in port?)

Thanks for helping to increase our excitement even more with your terrific posts.

 

I've been on both the Summit and to Bermuda. In my own experiences, you'll probably not need a jacket or sweater for the island, but if you're air conditioning sensitive(like me) or get cold easily(still me ;)), it's not a bad idea to have a sweater, wrap or light jacket for the ship. Depending on where you sit, it can be a bit chilly in the dining rooms. There is a breeze outside on deck during sea days, but it's usually very sunny, and the wind can be refreshing.

[ChampionCruiser]

My sister and I are on the Summit, heading for Bermuda on 1 July. Did you find any need for a sweater or "heavier" clothing during sea days (or in the evenings in port?)

Thanks for helping to increase our excitement even more with your terrific posts.

 

I agree with cocobakerchica. I would bring one along just in case. The only times we needed it were in the theater and on the evening of the last sea day.

[ChampionCruiser]

You said you wanted to go to Church Bay - is that a beach near Hamilton ? How far is that whole trip (ferry, bus?).

 

I'm so jealous you're touring the Oasis today - loved that trip!

 

Church Bay is next to Horseshoe Bay. There are closer beaches to Hamilton, though. Elbow beach is a 14 minute bus ride from the city, for example (on the Route 7 bus). We were going to go to Church's because it was closer to the Dockyard.

 

And I LOVED the Oasis! It's a different kind of amazing!

[ChampionCruiser]

Day 7 – At Sea

 

Like with the other two sea days, I won’t give you a timeline of every single thing we did. Most of the day was spent distracting ourselves so we wouldn’t think about disembarking the next day. It was really easy to do because there were a lot of activities that we were interested in! I think they pack as much as possible into the last day of the cruise to give a really good final impression.

 

The first thing that’s not to be missed is the brunch in the Cosmopolitan Restaurant! It wasn’t advertised (besides a listing in the Daily under the dining section) but it was terrific. Our waiter said that it was the replacement for the midnight buffet and there were a lot of similarities (bread, fruit, and ice sculptures, etc.).

 

The food was amazing, too. There was WAY too much to choose from but luckily we came hungry. My favorite? The white chocolate waterfall :). I guess I make up for my hatred of chocolate with my love of white chocolate.

 

 

I would plan on going even if you aren’t starving because the different stations are neat to see. It was open from 10 to 1.

 

 

Other daytime activities included the cooking challenge (Celebrity’s take on Iron Chef), the crew talent show, dance classes, an educational lecture by the captain, and a cake decorating demonstration. We also (of course) left enough time open to enjoy a final afternoon of sunshine on deck 12.

 

The cooking challenge was fun to watch. I love iron chef (and top chef and chopped, etc.) and it was a fun spoof. The head chef, Pascal, was again hysterical.

 

 

The challenge was at 11 and the crew talent show followed at noon. I’ve never seen one on a cruise before but it was one of my favorite memories from Semester at Sea. The Summit crew IS talented! They entertained us with everything from singing to dancing to juggling.

 

The best (and saddest) part, though, is at the end, where a lot of crew and officers come together to wave goodbye.