Bermuda!!! Explorerof the seas

[ssa444]

so like it says we (wife me, daughter) are going to bermuda in october for my 40th birthday and i was wondering if anyone could give some helpful insights, recommendations, or share ur experience in bermuda.

 

this will be my 5th cruise and we will be going on RCCL Explorer. from what i can tell it is pretty much like the freedom class except no flowrider.. and maybe a couple other things?

 

we just got back from a 4 night to bahamas (wife and me) for anniversary. ive always wanted to rent a scooter because i thought itd be a better way to see the islands, but shes always been scared of getting robbed, kidnapped, or killed in some way (lol) but i managed to talk her into it in nassau and we had a great time!

 

im planning on renting 2 scooters for bermuda, as i hear it is a fair bit safer there than nassau. the other cool thing is we'll be in port from 0900 monday until 1700 tuesday, which should give us ample time to scoot around.

 

hope to hear from some of yall :)

[cb at sea]

Explorer is a smaller version of Freedom class....if you liked Explorer, you'll enjoy Freedom!

 

I don't think any of the Islands (Bermuda and Bahamas aren't "Caribbean"...they are in the Atlantic!) are any more dangerous than any other place....especially shopping malls at night, or big cities! Go...have fun!

[Langley Cruisers]

Here is the link to where you can find your Roll Call, which is a group of some of the people who will be sailing with you. I see there are 2 dates in October so I don't know which one you are on. You can get chatting with those whom you will meet, ask about excursions, plan get-togethers, etc.

 

Have fun! Explorer is wonderful.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/rollcalls/?cruise_line_id=32&ship_id=186&page=2

 

.

[leaveitallbehind]

Bermuda as an island is extremely friendly and safe. Renting mopeds on an island that drives on the opposite side of the road on roads with sharp turns that if wet can become quite slippery is the dangerous part.

Edited July 2, 2014 by leaveitallbehind

[t_car]

We are going to Bermuda ourselves in October. This will be our second cruise to Bermuda.

Unless you are an experienced motorcyclist, renting a scooter can be very dangerous. Narrow roads, most all are one lane each way. Tight turns and not too much regard for bikes or motorbikes.

The Ferry and bus system in Bermuda is extremely good and inexpensive. For less than $75, you can purchase a 2 day pass for all 3 of you for unlimited use of ferries and buses. Fantastic way to see the Island, and relax.

Relaxation is what Bermuda is all about.

Check out the Bermuda board for tons of information on everything Bermuda.

 

Enjoy Bermuda, and enjoy your cruise.

[ssa444]

Bermuda as an island is extremely friendly and safe. Renting mopeds on an island that drives on the opposite side of the road on roads with sharp turns that if wet can become quite slippery is the dangerous part.

 

hahaha.. yea, i got to experience driving on the left when we were in nassau last week. it was interesting and i was careful. thx for the heads up. :)

[ssa444]

We are going to Bermuda ourselves in October. This will be our second cruise to Bermuda.

Unless you are an experienced motorcyclist, renting a scooter can be very dangerous. Narrow roads, most all are one lane each way. Tight turns and not too much regard for bikes or motorbikes.

The Ferry and bus system in Bermuda is extremely good and inexpensive. For less than $75, you can purchase a 2 day pass for all 3 of you for unlimited use of ferries and buses. Fantastic way to see the Island, and relax.

Relaxation is what Bermuda is all about.

Check out the Bermuda board for tons of information on everything Bermuda.

 

Enjoy Bermuda, and enjoy your cruise.

i will take this into consideration. i own a harley davidson now, and have also owned a CBR600. my wife, on the other hand is a bit inexperienced, but i had planned renting some scooters here in savannah between now and then for her to get some practice.

 

i enjoy the freedom afforded by having our own transportation, and find it very relaxing scooting around. :)

[loubetti]

One thing that can be said about Bermuda: It ain't the Caribbean! I've been there on ships several times.

 

It's a high class island in the gulf stream, and will be quite warm / hot. It's sort of like England in the Caribbean, but it is in the Atlantic. It's class; it's not like many other Caribe islands.

 

As to scooters, remember Bermuda is like England, they keep to the left, not the right as in the USA. If you have experience with scooters, go for it. At least with scooters you sit in the center and only have to worry about which side of the road you need to be on when making a turn.

 

On a cruise to Bermuda in 1987, a married couple on the ship rented scooters. The husband did not get back alive. Not to scare you, but something to consider.

 

Frankly, I would forget scooting around unless you are experienced on them and driving on the left!

[ssa444]

One thing that can be said about Bermuda: It ain't the Caribbean! I've been there on ships several times.

 

It's a high class island in the gulf stream, and will be quite warm / hot. It's sort of like England in the Caribbean, but it is in the Atlantic. It's class; it's not like many other Caribe islands.

 

As to scooters, remember Bermuda is like England, they keep to the left, not the right as in the USA. If you have experience with scooters, go for it. At least with scooters you sit in the center and only have to worry about which side of the road you need to be on when making a turn.

 

On a cruise to Bermuda in 1987, a married couple on the ship rented scooters. The husband did not get back alive. Not to scare you, but something to consider.

 

Frankly, I would forget scooting around unless you are experienced on them and driving on the left!

LOL. thanks for the advice. u guys sure are concerned about scooter riding! if the Lord is ready to take me He's gonna do it, scooter on the left or not.

 

it prob wont be as intense as 150+mph on I95... i think im qualified. :)

[celebrity]

LOL. thanks for the advice. u guys sure are concerned about scooter riding! if the Lord is ready to take me He's gonna do it, scooter on the left or not.

 

it prob wont be as intense as 150+mph on I95... i think im qualified. :)

 

Sounds like you are using a scooter so no convincing will tell you otherwise.

I did it on my honeymoon on a cruise to Bermuda in 1979. Never again!

There were a bunch of idiots that didn't know what they were doing speeding around us on hair pin turns.

Fast forward 10 years later and a co- worker was killed on her honeymoon in Bermuda driving a moped and hit by a bus. :(

My sons who are daredevils won't even attempt it and they have had ample opportunity (several Bermuda cruises ) after my warning and seeing the yo yo's who have never driven a moped racing around the curves at break neck speed.

Godspeed!

[ssa444]

Sounds like you are using a scooter so no convincing will tell you otherwise.

I did it on my honeymoon on a cruise to Bermuda in 1979. Never again!

There were a bunch of idiots that didn't know what they were doing speeding around us on hair pin turns.

Fast forward 10 years later and a co- worker was killed on her honeymoon in Bermuda driving a moped and hit by a bus. :(

My sons who are daredevils won't even attempt it and they have had ample opportunity (several Bermuda cruises ) after my warning and seeing the yo yo's who have never driven a moped racing around the curves at break neck speed.

Godspeed!

okay. maybe i will wait until we get there and tour using the buses and stuff the first day, which will give me better opportunity to evaluate.

 

im not so much concerned with myself, but more so my wife and daughter. pretty sure i could handle it, but i def dont want to endanger them.

 

thx for the diligence.. :)

 

since u have been on several cruises to bermuda, apart from the terrible drivers, im guessing we well have a great trip!!? :)

 

(sorry about your friend).. actually a guy we met in nassau last week while we were stopped taking a break on the scooter told us of a friend he had that got killed there as well.

[loubetti]

okay. maybe i will wait until we get there and tour using the buses and stuff the first day, which will give me better opportunity to evaluate.

 

im not so much concerned with myself, but more so my wife and daughter. pretty sure i could handle it, but i def dont want to endanger them.

 

thx for the diligence.. :)

 

since u have been on several cruises to bermuda, apart from the terrible drivers, im guessing we well have a great trip!!? :)

 

(sorry about your friend).. actually a guy we met in nassau last week while we were stopped taking a break on the scooter told us of a friend he had that got killed there as well.

 

Thus perhaps it is time to truly listen to what we are saying.

 

As good as you may be, it all comes down to: "Why take a chance"?

 

Otherwise, yes, you will LOVE Bermuda, just forget about the scooter.

Edited July 4, 2014 by loubetti

[Arzeena]

Thus perhaps it is time to truly listen to what we are saying.

 

As good as you may be, it all comes down to: "Why take a chance"?

 

Otherwise, yes, you will LOVE Bermuda, just forget about the scooter.

 

I very strongly agree with this. Please forget about the scooter in Bermuda. Leave the "I Am a Hero" attitude at home, seriously! CANNOT stress it more!

Edited July 4, 2014 by Arzeena

[iheartbda]

I've given up trying to discourage people from renting scooters even though the cruise lines also advise against it as well as a number of Bermudians who post on CC. On all the threads about it on the Bermuda Forum, no matter what anyone posts, it seems the majority are going to do it. It's quite rare that someone says, "ok, I see the danger, I will not rent."

[celebrity]

okay. maybe i will wait until we get there and tour using the buses and stuff the first day, which will give me better opportunity to evaluate.

 

im not so much concerned with myself, but more so my wife and daughter. pretty sure i could handle it, but i def dont want to endanger them.

 

thx for the diligence.. :)

 

since u have been on several cruises to bermuda, apart from the terrible drivers, im guessing we well have a great trip!!? :)

 

(sorry about your friend).. actually a guy we met in nassau last week while we were stopped taking a break on the scooter told us of a friend he had that got killed there as well.[/

 

I am certain you will have a great time! Bermuda is beautiful. I think what throws people off when they are on scooters other than the obvious idiots that practically side swipe you are the rotaries. Many people get confused as they aren't used to driving on the opposite side of the road and get disoriented when they circle the rotaries.

[HappyCruiser54]

No scooter talk here LOL I think you have had enough of that. Bermuda is one of my favorite vacation spots. We have done a land vacation there as well as 3 cruises to Bermuda. And the Explorer is so far my favorite ship. Granted she is also the largest one I have been on. Horseshoe Bay Beach is beautiful, if you like beaches check that one out. Take the ferry to Hamilton for some shopping. And if you decide to purchase any alcohol check the prices...the stores have much lower prices if you are having the alcohol delivered to the ship. You will receive the alcohol the last night of your cruise. Check the Bermuda tourist website on line to see if there is anything special going on while you are there. Most important relax, have fun, and enjoy!

[lah66]

Glad you have decided against the scooter. Both times we have been to Bermuda we have seen accidents and road rash from wipeouts!

Our very favorite days in Bermuda have been spent walking the trail between Warwick and Horseshoe Bay. Get dropped off at Warwick, swim for a while. Walk to your right and go up the hill to Jobson which is the first quiet little cove you will pass. The views are incredible as you walk the trail. Seeing the ocean from that perspective is amazing and many times the trail takes you at beach level so you can swim and lounge on the beach as you please. We always stop right as you see Horseshoe Bay. There is a nice cove surrounded by rocks that is good for body surfing or just bobbing in the water. Then you can walk the rest of the way to Horseshoe, rent chairs, get drinks and a bite to eat. When your day is done, if you are really tired, get a taxi to take you to the top of the hill and to the dockyard for just $7 pp. so worth it!

Enjoy your cruise. Happy 40th!

Lauri

[Doug R.]

One of the best laughs my wife and I had on our recent cruise to Bermuda was standing and watching the people picking up their scooters. They would be real shaky on take off and more often than not the person from the scooter rental place screaming "Other side of the road!" after them. I told my wife that it was time to pick up ours and her reaction was :eek: followed by :mad:. Then I said nahhh just kidding, I see nothing good happening here. I read a trip report where the cruise director told the poster that there have been injuries on every cruise.

[Bettyboop66]

If you like to snorkel, and if it's still offered we did the excursion on the Restless Native catamaran and it was EXCELLENT. One of the best excursions we've been on with any cruise line. I think it's called the Catamaran Coral Reef Snorkel, it's the one with the pink catamaran. They do a great job.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Bettyboop66

[ssa444]

One of the best laughs my wife and I had on our recent cruise to Bermuda was standing and watching the people picking up their scooters. They would be real shaky on take off and more often than not the person from the scooter rental place screaming "Other side of the road!" after them. I told my wife that it was time to pick up ours and her reaction was :eek: followed by :mad:. Then I said nahhh just kidding, I see nothing good happening here. I read a trip report where the cruise director told the poster that there have been injuries on every cruise.

LOL.. yea ive seen those people when we were in Nassau riding a scooter there. it is on the opposite side of the road too.

 

im a member on some other internet boards. typically the community collectively has positions they maintain and promote to new people. it is looking more and more like this community does the same thing with scooter riding (LOL)..

 

i realize it is more risky to ride a scooter than not, but sometimes in life risks have to be taken. im taking a risk driving up to new york from georgia to get on the boat!

 

in any event, i will evaluate the scooter thing when i get there. i dont think it should be an across the board position though like it is appearing. maybe im incorrect, but it certainly looks that way.

 

here is what i ride on a very regular basis around here, which is a lot more risky than a scooter IMO. :)

[ssa444]

If you like to snorkel, and if it's still offered we did the excursion on the Restless Native catamaran and it was EXCELLENT. One of the best excursions we've been on with any cruise line. I think it's called the Catamaran Coral Reef Snorkel, it's the one with the pink catamaran. They do a great job.

i saw that excursion and my family LOVE snorkeling. the first time i did it, we got the power snorkel excursion in Georgetown and it was a nightmare. my machine at first would not shut off, then it would not crank, then it sucked my dang draw string from my bathing suit into the motor and there i was stuck in the water with a broke power snorkeler.

 

add to that trying for the first time to learn how to use the gear and a very uncomfortable mask (gave me a throbbing headache after like 30secs) and i vowed never to snorkel again!

 

next cruise we went on of course i gave it another shot cuz the wife lovesd to snorkel and i left the power thing on shore and had a great time! now im hooked, so i def will consider that excursion. thanks :)

[Bettyboop66]

i saw that excursion and my family LOVE snorkeling. the first time i did it, we got the power snorkel excursion in Georgetown and it was a nightmare. my machine at first would not shut off, then it would not crank, then it sucked my dang draw string from my bathing suit into the motor and there i was stuck in the water with a broke power snorkeler.

 

add to that trying for the first time to learn how to use the gear and a very uncomfortable mask (gave me a throbbing headache after like 30secs) and i vowed never to snorkel again!

 

next cruise we went on of course i gave it another shot cuz the wife lovesd to snorkel and i left the power thing on shore and had a great time! now im hooked, so i def will consider that excursion. thanks :)

 

Oh my gosh, that is too funny! Have a great cruise!!

[Beachdude]

Interesting about the scootering. If you already ride a bike, the narrow roads and traffic aren't much a problem. For me the only concern was getting used to riding on the left side of the road. Bermudians are agressive drivers and the rental scooters aren't very fast, so rentals (typically red scooters with tourist who who typically wear white half shell helmets) WILL get passed, even by the buses. But once you get used to the traffic, you learn how to ride with it, not against it.

 

If it were just you and your wife or daughter, I would say rent a scooter for two and have a great vacation. The only time I saw tourists having trouble on scooters was the family of five (included two elderly women) who were causing a big traffic jam because they were riding half the speed of local traffic. Two or maybe even three confident riders might do fine if they know where they are going. But remember they will get passed by local traffic and the passing cars, scooters and buses will seperate and spread the group out. The best advice I got for riding in Bermuda is pull over when you feel stressed so you can rest and watch the traffic. That is good advice as well for getting the group back together. The family causing the traffic jam did finally pull over to let traffic pass and you could see the stress on the face of the lead rider.

 

One thing that helped us a lot was that we took a tour of Bermuda the first day to kind of get an idea of the island and how the roads are layed out. We still got lost but at least we knew which end of the island we were on. LOL

 

While I think an experienced rider will do fine, Bermuda is not the place for first time riders because their is too much to watch and learn on an island where the narrow road is the main route of local traffic using the opposite (wrong?) side of the road.

 

We also heard that someone always gets hurt (or killed?) on every cruise, but we didn't see or hear of anyone. So the cruise ships do have their good days.

 

I only give my experience because for us the scooters were part of the fun of the Bermuda vacation. But while I think they add to a great experience, I don't disagree with what all the others are saying. I ride a Harley regularly in very busy 70 mph traffic, but at least the drivers here drive on the right side of the road. :D

 

Burt