Explorer to Bermuda August9TH?

[RN7997]

I booked a trip today to join a friend that is already booked. I have taken a break from cruising for about 2 years so I am a little out of the loop. We are sailing Explorer from Cape Liberty on Aug 9th to Bermuda. I have a few questions:

 

1) What is the weather typically like there in August? Significant chance of hurricane?

 

2) How smooth/rough is the ship usually? (Never sailed from the NorthEast and have been afraid of it....always from Florida and San Juan so far).

 

3) Whats the current condition of the ship?

 

4) What do you suggest seeing while in port for 2 days?

 

Thank you,

[racerxspeedy]

Hello - I recommend looking at threads under the "ports" section. Bermuda is listed.

 

The weather will be warm - 80 with humidity, but should have a nice breeze. The water should be warm enough to swim. Hurricanes - unlikely. Waves - yes - typically 10 feet. It can get rougher.

 

Bermuda is my favorite island and has a lot to offer. Grab a bus and ferry pass and get out there. Its a very historic (and expensive) island - extremely safe. Do your last minute shopping at the dockyard.

 

The Explorer should still be in good shape. You may see some wear on the furniture and carpets, but she is still impressive.

[RN7997]

Thank you for that info. I have been reading reviews and they dont seem really that great lately for the ship? So I have concerns about that bc this cruise is more expensive then some of the 7 night caribbean ones. 10ft waves!!??? How smooth is the sailing usually? In all 7 cruises I have been on I have always had really good experiences but they were all caribbean. The only time I did notice rough seas was the first night out of Miami at times, but nothing that I couldn't handle. I am so unsure what to expect with this. I will also check out the Bermuda forum. Thank you:)

[CreatedVoid]

I just returned from the Explorer on Saturday, and I can assure you she is still in great shape! The only wear I really noticed was in our stateroom (we had a Royal Promenade Room). Our desk chair was definitely warn, with visible pieces of the wood chipped off, but there was nothing that interfered with our overall experience. The rest of the ship truly was beautiful.

[Clarea]

We were on Explorer to Bermuda twice last year and thought the ship was beautiful. The public areas were in excellent shape.

[racerxspeedy]

The seas could be smooth sailing, but that is about 50/50. You will likely feel the ship move a little since you are out in the middle of the Atlantic. Bring some bonine if you are concerned. You will be sleeping a good part of the travel time.

 

Not to scare you - I have done 2 - 9 day trips on Explorer and experienced 30-40 foot waves for 24 hours heading to San Juan. Everything was shut down - If there is a major storm in the area this can happen. Part of the experience.

 

It would never keep me from booking a cruise to Bermuda. I sail later in the year since the prices drop after Labor day. The bad storm was in April - so it is hard to know.

 

Have a great trip. I recommend pompano beach resort for a reasonable priced lunch on the water. $10-15 bucks. Elbow beach and other resort prices are ridiculous. Keep in mind that is cost a fortune to live on Bermuda.

Most hotel rooms start at 300/night, so a cruise is the best value.

[Dharma517]

I have sailed to Bermuda on EXP 4 times. August is the perfect time to go. The best weather!!! Once I went mid May...never again...too cold and too many man o war. I have also cruised Celebrity summit. I actually found them very comparable. EXP is a fine ship to take for most people. If you are expecting luxury check out another line. Otherwise...I am WAY jealous!

[RN7997]

Dharma517 I am very glad to hear you say that about the weather. I sailed Adventure before a couple times and loved that ship, so I am sure I will be ok with it. After sailing the newer ships I do tend to notice the wear though.

racerxspeedy....I have been so lucky on cruises so far. I try to book during desired times. I have only sailed in late March, April and early May in the caribbean. I have had some "rough" nights but I dont believe it was anything what you are mentioning. I have a 9th floor true aft balcony too. Love that spot!! I really hope I get a super calm week though

[marci22]

I prefer cooler weather (May/June) but August will be good for swimming. It will most likely be hot and humid.

[davy jones]

The weather is always a roll of the dice. You can catch a storm with sea conditions as bad as a hurricane any time of year. The chance of a hurricane in Bermuda is probably about the same as a Caribbean hurricane in August.

 

I have sailed to Bermuda at least a dozen times on different ships. Most had decent sea conditions. I only recall 2 sailings with bad seas. One was on the Explorer cruise through Hurricane Sandy (that was a late October cruise!). The other was through a "normal" front on the old Nordic Prince. Surprisingly, I got seasick on the Nordic Prince, but not on the Explorer.

[royal girl]

I'm booked on the August 9th cruise! :D

 

We try to go to Bermuda every year on Royal. We love the Explorer and never had anything bad to say about the ship.

 

We've always had pretty good weather in August. We did have showers last August, but then it clears up and the sun comes back out. Usually in the 80's.

 

You can spend some time strolling around King's Wharf. There is a nice little mall there now and some restaraunts and bars. But you would probably want to take a bus or ferry to Hamilton since you've never been to Bermuda. If you are a beach person, you can go to Horseshoe Bay, which is where most of the cruisers go.

 

The water tends to be a little rocky at first, but the further out you get, the smoother it is. I take bonine though around lunchtime.

 

Hope you enjoy Bermuda and the Explorer as much as we do! :p

[RN7997]

Hi Royal gal!! Thats great...maybe we will see you:) I wonder if there is a M&M started already?