Booking Bermuda- Which Ship?

[torrestakethewakes]

Hi everyone,

 

DH and I would like to book a cruise to Bermuda. We normally cruise X, but are interested in NCL to Bermuda. I see there are a lot of different NCL ships sailing to Bermuda, any suggestions? Thanks!

[hal2008]

Everyone potentially can have different opinion on this

 

our 2 cents:

a) RCL Anthem if you want a great ship

b) Holland America if you want nearly 3 days in Bermuda

 

We have been disappointed with NCL recently and will avoid them for now.

[KateQ22003]

You didn't say where you live, but we love the Norwegian Dawn out of Boston. The ship is the perfect size, and it docks in Bermuda for 2 1/2 days so you get to come and go as you please. It's a great cruise with a great crew.

[dexddd]

Need more info - when you plan to go, from where, what you like, room type.

 

This year is Escape from NYC and Dawn from Boston and NCL once in awhile has another ship there here and there.

 

Next year Gem out of Boston.

[torrestakethewakes]

Everyone potentially can have different opinion on this

 

our 2 cents:

a) RCL Anthem if you want a great ship

b) Holland America if you want nearly 3 days in Bermuda

 

We have been disappointed with NCL recently and will avoid them for now.

 

Can you explain why you were disappointed? We were really hoping to try them out. We are actually going on Anthem in a week or so and first time on RCL!

[torrestakethewakes]

You didn't say where you live, but we love the Norwegian Dawn out of Boston. The ship is the perfect size, and it docks in Bermuda for 2 1/2 days so you get to come and go as you please. It's a great cruise with a great crew.

 

Whoops! We live on the west coast, but have family living near NYC. We do want to experience a smaller ship since we've always cruised with larger ships. What do you love about Norwegian Dawn?

[torrestakethewakes]

Need more info - when you plan to go, from where, what you like, room type.

 

This year is Escape from NYC and Dawn from Boston and NCL once in awhile has another ship there here and there.

 

Next year Gem out of Boston.

 

As it is in the early stages of planning, we're not entirely sure. Heck, we didn't even desire to go to Bermuda until we were randomly searching threads here!

 

However, we do plan to go either in late May, late Sept, or early Oct to avoid the crowds and heat. We don't mind on embarkation location. Room type- balcony.

[Mike_DeA]

I took the Breakaway last year, and the Escape this year to Bermuda. Both are great ships, as well as the Gem which I took to Canada/NE last year.

 

I would recommend any NCL ship sailing to Bermuda in the next year.

[girlcruiser]

Whoops! We live on the west coast, but have family living near NYC. We do want to experience a smaller ship since we've always cruised with larger ships. What do you love about Norwegian Dawn?

 

 

 

If you want small ship do Oceana they dock in either Hamilton or St George I did it last year as a New England, Halifax and Bermuda cruise I agree with your timing I did labour day last year and compared to previous times it was uncomfortably hot

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Barb Nahoumi]

Hi OP,

 

If you are planning a Bermuda cruise next year, The NCL Gem will be sailing from Boston.. It is a lovely ship which has outside dining in its Great Outdoors on the fantail. I was on this ship about two years ago, and we are booked on her for Bermuda next summer.

[BirdTravels]

Hi everyone, DH and I would like to book a cruise to Bermuda. We normally cruise X, but are interested in NCL to Bermuda. I see there are a lot of different NCL ships sailing to Bermuda, any suggestions? Thanks!

The Escape from NYC is a great ship to take to Bermuda.

 

We did NOT like the RCCL Anthem out of NJ.

[torrestakethewakes]

The Escape from NYC is a great ship to take to Bermuda.

 

We did NOT like the RCCL Anthem out of NJ.

 

Definitely looking at taking Norwegian Escape out of NYC. Embarking on Anthem out of NJ soon, care to share what you didn't like about it? Thanks!

[Georgie562]

Everyone potentially can have different opinion on this

 

our 2 cents:

a) RCL Anthem if you want a great ship

b) Holland America if you want nearly 3 days in Bermuda

 

We have been disappointed with NCL recently and will avoid them for now.

 

Holland pulled out of Bermuda...

[SailBadtheSinner]

Hi everyone,

 

DH and I would like to book a cruise to Bermuda. We normally cruise X, but are interested in NCL to Bermuda. I see there are a lot of different NCL ships sailing to Bermuda, any suggestions? Thanks!

 

If I were cruising to Bermuda, I would either cruise with X or the NCL Escape because the normal visit is 2 nights. This year the Escape made 24 visits to Bermuda, and the Summit, 18.

 

The reason I would not take Gem is because, if the Gem follows the Dawn schedule, it arrives in Bermuda at 12:30 pm on Sunday. On Sunday, retail stores are closed in Hamilton & St George's, there is no ferry (public or private) to St George's, the public buses and ferries run less frequently, and taxi fares have a surcharge of 25% or 50% added to the fare depending on the number of passengers. By the time you clear the ship, it could be 1:15 pm, half the day is gone, and it does not get made up.

 

In 2018, RCL only spend 1 night in Bermuda per visit.

 

Just my 2¢.

 

SBtS

[KateQ22003]

Whoops! We live on the west coast, but have family living near NYC. We do want to experience a smaller ship since we've always cruised with larger ships. What do you love about Norwegian Dawn?

 

For me, the size of the ship is perfect. I have no desire to cruise one of the larger ships; I prefer the more intimate feel of the Dawn-class. Having sailed her many times, I know many of the staff. It's like going home to me! I don't need go-carts, water slides, etc. I just need relaxation. The Dawn is my perfect ship.

[vacation44]

;):')

If I were cruising to Bermuda, I would either cruise with X or the NCL Escape because the normal visit is 2 nights. This year the Escape made 24 visits to Bermuda, and the Summit, 18.

 

The reason I would not take Gem is because, if the Gem follows the Dawn schedule, it arrives in Bermuda at 12:30 pm on Sunday. On Sunday, retail stores are closed in Hamilton & St George's, there is no ferry (public or private) to St George's, the public buses and ferries run less frequently, and taxi fares have a surcharge of 25% or 50% added to the fare depending on the number of passengers. By the time you clear the ship, it could be 1:15 pm, half the day is gone, and it does not get made up.

 

In 2018, RCL only spend 1 night in Bermuda per visit.

 

Just my 2¢.

 

SBtS

 

Very good points.

[spdwain]

I have done both the Celebrity Summit and NCL Breakaway (sister ship to Escape) to Bermuda. We sailed in June both times and enjoyed both cruises. There is a lot more to do on NCL in the way of slides, ropes course etc. It is great if that appeals to you. We didn't use it. NCL also has many more options for nightly entertainment. This we did enjoy. I will say the ship felt crowded compared to Summit although a fall sailing may eliminate the younger crowd and be quieter. One thing I loved about Summit was the adults only Solarium. It was a relatively quiet pool area indoors. It would be perfect for cool fall days or rainy weather if you enjoy pools. The Escape does not have an indoor pool unless you have a spa room or pay for the weekly pass to the spa (limited number). The Haven may also have its own indoor pool area, but someone else would have to speak to that as we have not sailed in The Haven. Also The Summit sails out of Cape Liberty, NJ which seemed a bit easier than driving into Manhattan for NCL. Overall, the Summit is a bit smaller and quieter. I would just compare prices and freebies.

[BirdTravels]

Definitely looking at taking Norwegian Escape out of NYC. Embarking on Anthem out of NJ soon, care to share what you didn't like about it? Thanks!

The Anthem last year ended up being a bad trip for us (we cruise a lot). Menus and other info from our live post can be found at https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2546799

 

1) Crew competence. RCCL has staff help with reservations on embarkation day. Basically anyone who wants some extra money gets to sit in Bolleros and take reservations. The person that helped us totally destroyed all of our reservations for NorthStar, iFly, and dining. Almost daily, we stumbled across something where we were turned away because the reservation was screwed up.

 

2) unpleasant crew. The crew was generally unhappy and unpleasant. We were on the Allure a few months ago and found the same. We’re on the Symphony at the end of this year, so we'll see if the trend continues. It is literally the difference between night and day between our experience with the crew on NCL vs RCCL.

 

3) dependence on automation. Our Spectra and Two70 shows kept getting cancelled because of robot failures or the inability to run them in light choppy seas. At one point, the cast ran from the stage when two robot screens collided. After multiple attempts, we never got to see either of the shows we wanted in Two70

 

And the robot bar (which is more of a gimic) was down about 90% of the time due to robot failures.

 

4) hate hate hate the announcements in windjammer buffet “if you are done eating, get the hell out because we have others to feed”. Welcome to RCCL!

 

I know these are mostly petty issues, but having sailed on Anthem, Allure, Escape, Bliss, and Getaway over the past 10 months, we would gladly take the NCL Escape to Bermuda (we sailed on the Breakaway, the Escspe’s sister ship, to Bermuda last year and had a great time).

 

Note: Our sailing on the Anthem was changed from a Bermuda cruise to a New England cruise due to the hurricanes last year. RCCL did a outstanding job with communicating the changes then giving everyone onboard a 50% refund as an OBC to spend. So, while people were not happy about trading in their swimsuits for fall coats, the bars, restaurants and shops were full of people spending their OBC. This is much more than NCL would ever consider doing.

Edited August 25, 2018 by BirdTravels

[Beachiekeen]

We absolutely loved our cruise to Bermuda on the Dawn out of Boston, however next time I would do the itinerary that gets you to Bermuda mid-week and allows you to go to Harbour Nights as a PP pointed out. But we did enjoy the Dawn and seeing some of Boston.

[barb65]

Sailed to Bermuda on the Escape out of NYC the first week of June (this year) and loved it so much that we booked it again next year for the last week of May. Weather was perfect and enjoyed the almost three days in port. The Escape staff is superb. Love the NCL family!

[Sauer-kraut]

May and June -- Atlantic water temps are low. If you're used to swimming in cold water not an issue. October the water has warmed up, but then its hurricane season......