Bermuda Shore Excursions

[mober]

Hi everyone,

 

Need help with Bermuda Shore Excursions --

 

Are they worth paying for? Is it easier just to walk off the ship and "do your own thing," i.e. taxi to a beach.

 

Are there any Shore Excursions there that are "must - do's?"

 

Thanks for your help!

[spookwife]

public transportation is very easy to navigate and the locals are quite happy and willing to give you directions to the hubs. since the roads are freaking narrow and they all drive like New Yorkers, I would never attempt it on my own.

 

we took the bus to the Zoo and and had a wonderful time.

 

they used to have passes that covered you for the entire time you were in port( the overnight stops) but I am not sure if that is still the case.

[Varavfan]

I went to Bermuda in August, going back in April. If you are on Facebook, like the page Bermuda Bound. They have a lot of tips and great excursions you can book with the excursion of your choice. You have a ton of options, you do not need to book through the ship. When are you going? What ship? How long will you be there? We've done the Hartley's Helmet Dive and Horseshoe Bay Beach, we took the ferry, walked through Hamilton to get the bus, LONG walk. Then another LONG walk down hill to the beach. We will take a minibus from the dockyard to the beach next time. $7 per person each way. So worth it!

 

 

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[cyntil8ing]

I have cruised to Bermuda four times. I would never do a ship's excursion. It's just too easy to do it yourself. Transportation is good and the people are so friendly and helpful.

 

Check out the Bermuda forum for lots of info, including 3-day plans, 2-day plans and individual suggestions.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=196

 

Our favorite thing to do is to rent a boat and just tool around.

[mober]

Thanks everyone!

 

Actually sailing Saturday on Anthem -- docked for two days straight.

 

Cruised RC to Bermuda 25+ years ago on my honeymoon - we were both sick as dogs (first time sailing)....now we know to wear the patches.

 

Have sailed many times with RC -- sounds like there are opportunities to do things on our own without paying the high excursion fees.

 

I love these message boards! Everyone is so helpful:)

[cruiselover48]

We just used Ricky's Island tours two weeks ago. He did a great job

[champagne123]

I have been there 4 times also. The great thing about Bermuda is you cannot get lost and you do not need excursions. Do everything on your own. All the buses and shuttles are lined up in the parking lot...OR....take the ferry into Hamilton or St. George. I think Bermuda is one of the most beautiful Islands...and so much to do. Google a Bermuda Map and print it out so you have an idea of where everything is. Please stop by Horseshoe Bay. Even if you are not a beach person. BREATH-TAKING

[Varavfan]

I want to do his tour when we go in April too, sounds like a great one!

 

 

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[reallyitsmema]

Thanks everyone!

 

Actually sailing Saturday on Anthem -- docked for two days straight.

 

Cruised RC to Bermuda 25+ years ago on my honeymoon - we were both sick as dogs (first time sailing)....now we know to wear the patches.

 

Have sailed many times with RC -- sounds like there are opportunities to do things on our own without paying the high excursion fees.

 

I love these message boards! Everyone is so helpful:)

 

We just got off Anthem on Thursday. We took a shuttle to Horseshoe Bay Beach the first day there, $7 per person each way, cheaper than a cab. Just walk off the ship and you will see the vans just as you turn right to walk towards the ferry and the shops. There is a few men standing there who will point you to the vans. No need to reserve in advance and many were waiting at the beach when we were ready to leave, just walk up and they fill a van and leave. We wait only 5 minutes to leave the Dockyard and that was only because two vans were pulling out as we walked up.

 

Day 2 we planned on taking the ferry to St George's but it rained all morning. If you plan on going to St George's, I would suggest your first day since there are more ferries that run there on Mondays than there are on Tuesdays. Our original plan had been to go on Monday but we arrived in Bermuda late because of Hermine. Look up the ferry schedule and you will see what I mean.

[majesty2008]

Was just in Bermuda in May. After reading about all the things to see, I decided going on an all-day tour our first day was the best bet then go somewhere we discovered on the tour the second day.

 

We went on the longer, more expensive tour (there's a few options through RCC. This was in a mini-bus) and it was interesting for the first couple hours but then it went on and on and on and more and more boring as time went on. We got to walk on a gorgeous beach for three minutes and the rest of the time I was just pining for that beach. The tour guide hit all the spots you want to go to and a dozen more you didn't want to see.

 

We didn't get to go back to the gorgeous beach because the weather necessitated we leave port several hours early. There's only one beach within walking distance of port and it's lacking. You can rent snorkel gear and stuff there. It's a neat (manmade) beach but pales in comparison to the ones we saw on the tour.

 

So my recommendation is get a taxi to St. John's Bay (near horseshoe, but smaller, quieter) like we wanted to or get a taxi or excursion to Horseshoe. Unless you want to spend your time in a very typical-looking city, skip Hamilton. There's not much to see or do in St. George, especially since it's an hour drive away. (although they had Bermuda sand jewelry that I really regret not purchasing) The beaches are unreal. I am not a big beach person but I think Bermuda turned me into one.

[maryjaden]

We just used Ricky's Island tours two weeks ago. He did a great job

 

We did Ricky's Island Tours also on our cruise last October. He was great! Air conditioned passenger van. There were 12 of us. We made multiple stops up one side of the island and down the other. I think it was $60 for the entire day (about 5-6 hours). I would definitely recommend this!

 

We were in Bermuda for 2 days. We did the tour the first day to get an overview of the island. Then we arranged on our own to go back the second day to the places we really liked.

[Emfagan]

I would like to reiterate what the others have said about Horseshoe Bay. It is wonderful and do take the $7 shuttle vs public transportation. The line will be shorter and will take you down the hill.

 

We also had a great snorkel trip by Restless Native Catamaran. Zander is a native of Bermuda and gives an excellent trip with fantastic rum swizzles.

[nerak11]

We were there on Anthem in July. The first day we did the Hiddens Gems tour and it was amazing (you can book it through the ship or direct with the company). Basically is was an 8 hour tour that included a short hike in a jungle, some cave exploring, swimming in a lagoon, a lighthouse tour, lunch at a beach bar and snorkeling at a gorgeous beach. Along the way island the guide talked about island history and scenic points. Amazing and totally worth it!

 

The second day we took the $7 shuttle to Horsehshoe bay for some relaxation on the beach.

[sellwingri]

We normally avoid ship tours but on our recent Bermuda cruise, we took the nighttime boat trip to the Bermuda Triangle/glass bottom boat. I highly recommend it.