Bermuda Cruise

[lneilan]

I have never cruised on NCL and am considerng a Bermuda cruise, either on the Escape or the Gem. Does anyone have any information about this cruise or these ships?

 

Thanks!

[Takoyaki]

No experience with ships but will be doing our second Bermuda cruise in just over 2 months. What are your questions? I'm no expert but may be able to help

[tallnthensome]

Have you used the site search function or looked at the ship reviews? 

[luv2kroooz]

Hi. This is a pretty general question. Both are great ships but for different reasons. More entertainment choices on escape. Better pool deck on gem. Escape has waterfront, gem does not. Balcony bigger on gem, smaller on escape. Escape is a crowded, megaship. Gem, smaller more intimate.

 

Bermuda is great and ships function as a floating hotel while docked with 24hr guest access. Ocean temps and air temps can be chilly through mid June.

 

Great public transit system in Bermuda with multi day passes available. No need for overpriced NCL excursions.

[Sauer-kraut]

What's easier for you to get to, Boston or NYC ??  Do you want a ship that has a lot of extra thing such as a climbing wall and climbing wall?  Gem doesn't have those.   Gem is a smaller ship  the Escape will have you cruising with 4000 of your new best friends.  One ship arrives in Bermuda on a week day, the other on a Sunday,   Sundays in Bermuda are a non-shopping day, most shops will be closed. 

These are things you will need to address before you decide on the final ship.  Also cost will be different too. 

Good luck~

[df5250]

I have been to Bermuda from both New York and Boston but on different ships. Breakaway, Dawn and Spirit. 

Bermuda is one of my favorite places because the people are friendly, the beaches are beautiful, it is clean, has good public transportation and is safe. Last summer was my 10th trip in 11 years. It is unique, which I love, because you dock overnight for two nights, where you can come and go at any time.

 The Gem is one of my favorite ships. Not a lot of bells and whistles like the larger ships, but it has the Great Outdoors, am open air (partially covered) buffet and bar seating at the back of the ship, as well as the Spinaker Lounge at the front with floor to ceiling windows and bridge wings. The views from both are phenomenal.  

I cannot speak to Escape (yet)!! If you are looking for more restaurants, bars, Broadway-esk entertainment, and orher activities then Eacape maybe the best bet based on my Breakaway experience.  I also think the NYC cruises get a few more hours in port than the Boston ones and if you have never cruised down the Hudson passed the Statue of Liberty, then under the Larazzano Bridge, those views are amazing! 

I hope this helps!! 

[roger001]

Did Bermuda out of Boston this past Sept.  Fantastic.  Loved docking for 2 1/2 days.  Loved Bermuda.  I prefer the smaller ships.   the Atlantic can be beautiful and calm, or rough.  We had it smooth as glass both ways, but return trip for Boston  was cancelled because of approaching hurricane.   

[lneilan]

Thanks for all the information. I like smaller ships, actually, but would go on either. I have never been to Bermuda and never on NCL, just Carnival and Holland America. So, I am just trying to get a feel for the trip. It sounds as though any ship would be good though.

[lneilan]

3 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Have you used the site search function or looked at the ship reviews? 

I have just srated looking and reading, so I only have a very vague idea at this time.

[hallux]

4 hours ago, df5250 said:

Larazzano Bridge

 

Not to be one of those people but it's the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge.  Yes, it's a neat experience to do that on a larger ship that barely clears, I've done it twice on Royal Caribbean from Cape Liberty but sailing down the Hudson must be pretty cool.

 

If the OP is asking about Bermuda as well as the ships - it's been pretty well covered by others but I can add my input about what I did when I was there in 2014.  The public transit is great, but be mindful of the bus and ferry schedules.  When we were there we planned our far-reaching exploration for the first day so we could avoid the ship excursion and save money but still ensure we weren't left behind.  We ferried over to Hamilton (direct from the cruise port to the city dock), then bussed to the aquarium/zoo, which came highly recommended and didn't disappoint from my recollection. 

 

The second day we stayed near the ship, shopped in the area right at the port and visited the National Museum right at the tip there.  The entry fee, at the time, was for all day, you could come and go as you wanted.  Right outside the entrance was a nice little pub (the Frog & Onion) that had some open-air seating, we had lunch there.

 

I absolutely would want to go back to Bermuda, but I don't think I'd sail out of New York at the same time of year to do it.

[lneilan]

WHy not sail out of NY middle/end of May? Would you expect Boston to be better?

[esm54687]

1 hour ago, lneilan said:

WHy not sail out of NY middle/end of May? Would you expect Boston to be better?

Well, if you cruise out of Boston and come the day before..... you could catch a ball game and see the World Champion Boston Red Sox...... 

[lneilan]

21 minutes ago, esm54687 said:

Well, if you cruise out of Boston and come the day before..... you could catch a ball game and see the World Champion Boston Red Sox...... 

I did that once - Roger Clemons as a rookie against the Blue Jays -  long time ago

 

[Turtles06]

9 hours ago, df5250 said:

then under the Larazzano Bridge

4 hours ago, hallux said:

Not to be one of those people but it's the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge. 

 

 

Thanks for doing that so I didn’t have to be one of those people.  

[roger001]

15 hours ago, lneilan said:

I have just srated looking and reading, so I only have a very vague idea at this time.

If you haven't been before, I recommend this tour.  We docked at about 1pm and took a 5 hr mini bus tour.  Fantastic way to capture it all initially so you know what you want to follow up with.  Bermuda is so small that the tour covers the island from end to end and side to side, with frequent brief stops.  The tour guide/driver talked continuously for the 5 hours.  She was great.  This was on a Sunday so many stores and shops were closed.  If you do the tour, do the mini bus, not the full size bus tour.  The very few roads are narrow and lots of curves.  The mini bus can pull over for stops that the full size bus can't.  

[lneilan]

Thanks so  much - I love that kind of get to know the island drive. The name of the tour did not show up in the post.

[dznymom]

I don't have anything specific to add, but we have cruised to Bermuda several summers in a row.  We absolutely love it there, and we love cruising so it is perfect for us.  We are booked on the Gem this June.  We have been away from NCL for a few years, but really enjoyed the Gem when we sailed her.  Sailing out of NY is always a treat as well, so you can't really go wrong on wither of these options.

 

FYI, HAL is not sailing there this summer, so I expect all the Bermuda cruises to book up a little bit faster this year.

[dcruiser50]

Ive also been to Bermuda several times on the Dawn, Spirit, and Breakaway , df5250 and roger001 are spot on for ship comparison and excursion choice for first timer. I have booked the Gem in May this year great cruise Enjoy! 

[bambiying]

You may also want to take a look at the Celebrity Summit.  It goes to Bermuda from Bayonne.  I know some people here will argue with me because they say that the Summit is a little past it's prime, but I love it so much more than the Escape.  The Escape is too big, too noisy, and has way too many people.  I find the Summit to be a perfect sized ship and way more enjoyable.

[roger001]

1 hour ago, lneilan said:

Thanks so  much - I love that kind of get to know the island drive. The name of the tour did not show up in the post.

 

This is the one we did.   

https://www.ncl.com/shore-excursions/WRF_21/Bermuda-Island-Drive-by-Mini-Bus ?destination=Bermuda+Cruises&sort=searchWeight&sortOrder=asc&perPage=12&startingRecord=36

[AL3XCruise]

5 hours ago, bambiying said:

You may also want to take a look at the Celebrity Summit.  It goes to Bermuda from Bayonne.  I know some people here will argue with me because they say that the Summit is a little past it's prime, but I love it so much more than the Escape.  The Escape is too big, too noisy, and has way too many people.  I find the Summit to be a perfect sized ship and way more enjoyable.

 

I've been on both, and would take either again.  To be fair, my Summit experience is a few years old but at that time there were no age issues.  It just wasn't as flashy as the new megaships.  I'd probably lean towards the Summit on summer sailings; the BA-class ships get really crowded with a lot of third and forth guests (mainly kids) and the experience is impacted for people who don't enjoy that.  Summit has plenty of families too, but its not to the same extent.   In the winter I'd probably lean towards the Escape or another BA/BA+ ship.  Escape and the other BA/BA+ ships offer a lot of amenities you won't find on Summit, but not all of these will be important to everyone.  

 

6 hours ago, lneilan said:

Thanks so  much - I love that kind of get to know the island drive. The name of the tour did not show up in the post.

 

I wouldn't discourage a tour if you enjoy that kind of overview, but I'll second (third?) the folks here who mention the excellent public transit.  A robust bus and ferry service that is convenient for visitors.  One of the things I love about Bermuda is that between the multi-night itinerary and the public transit you can see a lot relatively affordably.  But if a tour helps you get your bearings, go for it!

[NH Cruisers]

On ‎1‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 12:57 AM, esm54687 said:

Well, if you cruise out of Boston and come the day before..... you could catch a ball game and see the World Champion Boston Red Sox...... 

I have been lucky on two cruises, once out of Seattle we caught Mainers and Redsox night prior.  Once in New York we saw Yankees and Red Sox.  Icing on the cake.

 

I prefer Gem, but I am getting to be an old fart my son says...  Don't really know why he says that, he and his wife prerferred the Dawn over the Breakaway.  Dawn is like the Gem, just not as good as Gem IMO.

[NH Cruisers]

NCL was doing a high speed ferry to St. George a year or so ago.  Sitll doing it?

[roger001]

45 minutes ago, NH Cruisers said:

NCL was doing a high speed ferry to St. George a year or so ago.  Sitll doing it?

They were in Sept.   

[NH Cruisers]

Thanks, Hope they do in May.