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First time cruising to Bermuda - suggestions?


Heathermcgrath
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Hello all,

My husband and I are sailing Oct 14-21 on the Norwegian Escape to Bermuda. He has been there before when he was much younger, I have never been there. Looking for suggestions - places to see - things to do for early to mid 20s. Just from doing our own research - we have thought about visiting the pink sand beaches, Horseshoe Bay for a day, and would like to visit Hamilton..... but would love to hear what is worth it to see/what is not worth it with just 3 days docked.

Thanks in advance!

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Hello all,

My husband and I are sailing Oct 14-21 on the Norwegian Escape to Bermuda. He has been there before when he was much younger, I have never been there. Looking for suggestions - places to see - things to do for early to mid 20s. Just from doing our own research - we have thought about visiting the pink sand beaches, Horseshoe Bay for a day, and would like to visit Hamilton..... but would love to hear what is worth it to see/what is not worth it with just 3 days docked.

Thanks in advance!

 

We have been to Bermuda 10 times .We love Hamilton . I would suggest that you call the Bermuda Tourist information office . They have a NYC office and an 800 number .

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I Just returned from Norwegian Escape Bermuda Cruise. 8/19-8/26

It really all depends on your energy level.

Really a lot to do. So many gorgeous beaches.

Definetly get an early start and Horseshoe Bay beach would be my first stop.

7 dollar bus pp from the pier takes you directly to the beach in 20 minutes.

Small lagoon to the right is great for snorkeling. Then explore the small beaches to the left away from the crowds. Couple of hours tops. Then catch a taxi to Hamilton. Shop, walk, buy then I believe u can catch the ferry back to the ship for dinner. 2nd day I would take free NCL ferry to St George (40 mins) and visit Tobacco Beach which is very close. Then take taxi or bus to Swizzle Inn which is near the Crystal Caves. Then stagger out and cab back to ferry. Back to ship. 3rd day Either early bus back to Horseshoe or stay close to ship and go to a place called Calico Jacks. You can swim, walk the plank, drink. Snorkel Park is just ok, near the ship, jet skis, kayak but imo not that great. Ok. Ask away if any questions about the ship or Bermuda.

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Hello all,

My husband and I are sailing Oct 14-21 on the Norwegian Escape to Bermuda. He has been there before when he was much younger, I have never been there. Looking for suggestions - places to see - things to do for early to mid 20s. Just from doing our own research - we have thought about visiting the pink sand beaches, Horseshoe Bay for a day, and would like to visit Hamilton..... but would love to hear what is worth it to see/what is not worth it with just 3 days docked.

Thanks in advance!

 

Here are some suggestions that you should consider doing:

 

 

SBtS

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I Just returned from Norwegian Escape Bermuda Cruise. 8/19-8/26

It really all depends on your energy level.

Really a lot to do. So many gorgeous beaches.

Definetly get an early start and Horseshoe Bay beach would be my first stop.

7 dollar bus pp from the pier takes you directly to the beach in 20 minutes.

Small lagoon to the right is great for snorkeling. Then explore the small beaches to the left away from the crowds. Couple of hours tops. Then catch a taxi to Hamilton. Shop, walk, buy then I believe u can catch the ferry back to the ship for dinner. 2nd day I would take free NCL ferry to St George (40 mins) and visit Tobacco Beach which is very close. Then take taxi or bus to Swizzle Inn which is near the Crystal Caves. Then stagger out and cab back to ferry. Back to ship. 3rd day Either early bus back to Horseshoe or stay close to ship and go to a place called Calico Jacks. You can swim, walk the plank, drink. Snorkel Park is just ok, near the ship, jet skis, kayak but imo not that great. Ok. Ask away if any questions about the ship or Bermuda.

 

Thank you! I'm following this, too as we go to Bermuda end of September. We have early 20s, too. We were thinking of a spa day (not all day) at one of the resorts. Do you recommend any? Want to have time for the beach, too.

Thanks!

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Just back yesterday. we went to Horseshoe Bay the first day. there are minibuses right outside the ship that take you there for $7pp each way. Second day we took the free NCL ferry to St. George then a minibus to Clearwater Beach, again $7pp. Clearwater was much less crowded then Tobacco Bay. Last day we toured the Fort at the Dockyard and just walked around that area.

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I just got off The Summit To Bermuda. We saw the Norwegian Escape dock right behind us. You will dock at King's Wharf. There's port shopping right there, including Diamonds International and there's a Pandora store in the mall. To your right as you get off the ship is a beach called Snorkel Beach, which will cost you $5 each to get in. It's very rocky, especially if you enter the water on the fort side. Then you can also catch the Ferry to Hamilton, where they have a street festival every Wednesday.

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I just got off The Summit To Bermuda. We saw the Norwegian Escape dock right behind us. You will dock at King's Wharf. There's port shopping right there, including Diamonds International and there's a Pandora store in the mall. To your right as you get off the ship is a beach called Snorkel Beach, which will cost you $5 each to get in. It's very rocky, especially if you enter the water on the fort side. Then you can also catch the Ferry to Hamilton, where they have a street festival every Wednesday.

 

The street festival in Hamiltion is over for this year. August 29 was the last Harbour Nights of 2018.

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Skip Horseshoe on Day 1, everyone rushes to Horseshoe as soon as the they get off the ship, and it gets crowded. Go on the second day and it'll be much more peaceful... We got there at noon on Day 2 and it wasn't crowded at all.

 

It wasn't our favorite beach though... We really preferred Tobacco Bay. The water was glass-smooth, you could see fish everywhere, it had all the amenities you'd need, including Wi-Fi if you had someone along who didn't want to be in the water. The beach itself is much smaller, but being in the water there was SUPER relaxing.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

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Skip Horseshoe on Day 1, everyone rushes to Horseshoe as soon as the they get off the ship, and it gets crowded. Go on the second day and it'll be much more peaceful... We got there at noon on Day 2 and it wasn't crowded at all.

 

It wasn't our favorite beach though... We really preferred Tobacco Bay. The water was glass-smooth, you could see fish everywhere, it had all the amenities you'd need, including Wi-Fi if you had someone along who didn't want to be in the water. The beach itself is much smaller, but being in the water there was SUPER relaxing.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

 

 

 

I don’t think the order matters that much but my strategy is to go to Horseshoe the first day and St.George's the second day so I don’t have to rush off the ship to catch and line up for the ferry. I personally prefer Horseshoe and usually only stay at Tobacco a couple of hours to snorkel because I don’t find the music and water activities there relaxing. At Horseshoe I don’t confine myself to the area near the facilities, I locate at the other end which is not crowded and I like to wonder the beaches and coves to the east. I also go to Horseshoe the third day since I am not worried about getting back on time. I go early and know when to leave Horseshoe.

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Here are some suggestions that you should consider doing:

 

 

SBtS

Thanks so much for posting all the suggestions. We have been to Bermuda several times and have done much of them and they are great options. One question for you - how far is the walk from Horseshoe Bay to Warwick Bay? Thanks again!

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Thanks so much for posting all the suggestions. We have been to Bermuda several times and have done much of them and they are great options. One question for you - how far is the walk from Horseshoe Bay to Warwick Bay? Thanks again!

 

The straight line distance from the east end of Horseshoe Bay to the west end Warwick Long Bay Beach is just under a ½ mile, but the paths are not straight and what you do at each cove you visit will add to the length of your walk. Plus you have to add the distance from the HSB parking area to the east end of HSB. That distance is about ⅓ mile added to the total length of the walk which are not just the beach paths .

 

SBtS

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Hello all,

 

My husband and I are sailing Oct 14-21 on the Norwegian Escape to Bermuda. He has been there before when he was much younger, I have never been there. Looking for suggestions - places to see - things to do for early to mid 20s. Just from doing our own research - we have thought about visiting the pink sand beaches, Horseshoe Bay for a day, and would like to visit Hamilton..... but would love to hear what is worth it to see/what is not worth it with just 3 days docked.

Thanks in advance!

 

Husband and I will be in Bermuda on board RC Anthem of the seas should arrive on Monday, Oct 15th. We have been to Bermuda's Royal Naval Dock yard 3 other times. Horseshoe Bay beach is awesome, Snorkeling (they pick you up right in the dockyard to take you out for a day of beautiful snorkeling on coral Reef, drinks and just relaxing with floaties in the water) Also,took a ferry into Hamilton for a day of shopping and lunch. There is a small beach right in the dockyard called "Snorkel Beach" it's a man-made beach not bad if you only have a few hours left before you sail and want to stay close by the ship. Also, liked the Frog & Onion restaurant right in the dockyard for some burgers and beers, as it was a nice break from all the fancy full meals onboard the ship. I think the Segway Dockyard tour is probably a waste of your time, I would venture out and see the island and enjoy the beautiful water. We are trying to decide what we want to do when we get there. Bon Voyage

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We rented a whaler (generic boat, not a real Whaler) from H2O Watersports.

 

Nice time, driving around, feeding fish at the wreck, looking for turtles, anchoring and swimming in a couple of places.

 

Larger write up in this section.

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I recommend going to Clearwater Beach. It's about an hour cab ride from the dockyard, but it's worth it. From Clearwater you can walk to Turtle Bay where yes, you can encounter sea turtles swimming around. And from there it's a short walk to the Cooper Island Nature Preserve, where there are also a bunch of beaches that are completely empty. Clearwater has a restaurant and bar and beach rentals. Both Clearwater and Turtle Bay have lifeguards.

 

Horseshoe bay gets very crowded.

 

If you like snorkeling, Jobson's Cove is great. Huge parrotfish and other varieties of fish to see there. (You must bring your own snorkeling gear).

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I recommend going to Clearwater Beach. It's about an hour cab ride from the dockyard, but it's worth it. From Clearwater you can walk to Turtle Bay where yes, you can encounter sea turtles swimming around. And from there it's a short walk to the Cooper Island Nature Preserve, where there are also a bunch of beaches that are completely empty. Clearwater has a restaurant and bar and beach rentals. Both Clearwater and Turtle Bay have lifeguards.

 

Horseshoe bay gets very crowded.

 

If you like snorkeling, Jobson's Cove is great. Huge parrotfish and other varieties of fish to see there. (You must bring your own snorkeling gear).

 

 

 

The taxi rate from the Dockyard to Clearwater is going to run about $75 plus tip to get there and another $75 plus tip to return for that hour cab. Some may not think it is worth it to spend over $150 to take a taxi to and from the Dockyard. I don’t. A less expensive option but more complicated way is to take the ferry to St. George’s and then either a taxi, a shuttle or a bus to Clearwater and back.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by Charles4515
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The taxi rate from the Dockyard to Clearwater is going to run about $75 plus tip to get there and another $75 plus tip to return for that hour cab. Some may not think it is worth it to spend over $150 to take a taxi to and from the Dockyard. I don’t. A less expensive option but more complicated way is to take the ferry to St. George’s and then either a taxi, a shuttle or a bus to Clearwater and back.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

This is really good to know. Thanks for the info. Any idea what a taxi will cost from St. George's?

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