bermuda question

[shout19661966]

First port day going to go from the ship to St George then down to Hamilton and then finally ended up at the night festival in Hamilton that starts at 7pm.

My question is what transportation would you take for all the legs of this trip. My plan is free ferry to St George and ferry back to port from Hamilton after the festival.

I guess in between is my major question and also what time should we start the day considering we will be back at around 10:45pm. Also what things would you have to see for sure.

Edited April 29, 2019 by shout19661966

[drvmywifecrzy]

Curious to hear about this as well

[ColinIllinois]

If you haven't done so already check out the Bermuda port of call section for things to see and do.  Many good suggestions and tips.   Here is the link for you:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/118-bermuda/

[BirdTravels]

The public ferry to Hamilton costs $4.50 each way. The ferry that arrives around 7:00 gets full, so stroll out to the dock a little early (10 min walk from Ship). They run late ferries back that night. 

[Newleno]

23 minutes ago, shout19661966 said:

First port day going to go from the ship to St George then down to Hamilton and then finally ended up at the night festival in Hamilton that starts at 7pm.

My question is what transportation would you take for all the legs of this trip. My plan is free ferry to St George and ferry back to port from Hamilton after the festival.

I guess in between is my major question and also what time should we start the day considering we will be back at around 10:45pm. Also what things would you have to see for sure.

you can take the public bus from saint george to hamilton, $5, cheapest way

[richg35]

You should check the schedule for NCL's free ferry to determine how early to start your day.

 

I would recommend the ferry for all legs of the trip, but make sure to check the ferry and bus schedules in advance.

 

Note that the return ferries from Harbor Nights (the Hamilton festival) can be VERY crowded if you wait until the end of the festival to return.

 

[shout19661966]

1 minute ago, Newleno said:

you can take the public bus from saint george to hamilton, $5, cheapest way

Thanks

[JamieLogical]

You could also consider a public transportation day pass. When I was there in October, that was $19. We used ours to take a ferry to Hamilton, bus to St. Georges, and ferry back from St. Georges to King's Wharf.

[njhorseman]

27 minutes ago, Newleno said:

you can take the public bus from saint george to hamilton, $5, cheapest way

 

26 minutes ago, shout19661966 said:

Thanks

It's $5 for cash payment of the fare, which must be in coins...no bills are accepted. It's easier and cheaper to buy transportation tokens for $4.50 each before you set out on the trip. You can buy them at the Visitors Information Centers at the Dockyard before you leave...and you can pay with bills rather needing coins.

 

One additional note on taking buses. Due to a shortage of buses in good repair the bus system has been a mess for the past couple of years with lots of cancelled bus runs. They recently tried a revised schedule which was withdrawn after 6 weeks because it caused even more problems. If you want to follow this saga for the latest updates I suggest reading the Bermuda board in Cruise Critic's Ports of Call section.

[njhorseman]

29 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

You could also consider a public transportation day pass. When I was there in October, that was $19. We used ours to take a ferry to Hamilton, bus to St. Georges, and ferry back from St. Georges to King's Wharf.

 You spent $19 for a trip that would have cost $15 if paid in cash. or $13.50 in transportation tokens. The passes are convenient but frequently they're not the best buy for your transportation dollar.

 

Also..if you were an NCL passenger...which I assume you were...the NCL ferry between St. George and Dockyard is free, so you could have spent only $10 cash or $9 in tokens rather than $19 for the pass.

Edited April 29, 2019 by njhorseman

[Newleno]

13 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

 

It's $5 for cash payment of the fare, which must be in coins...no bills are accepted. It's easier and cheaper to buy transportation tokens for $4.50 each before you set out on the trip. You can buy them at the Visitors Information Centers at the Dockyard before you leave...and you can pay with bills rather needing coins.

 

One additional note on taking buses. Due to a shortage of buses in good repair the bus system has been a mess for the past couple of years with lots of cancelled bus runs. They recently tried a revised schedule which was withdrawn after 6 weeks because it caused even more problems. If you want to follow this saga for the latest updates I suggest reading the Bermuda board in Cruise Critic's Ports of Call section.

I just got back from bermuda yesterday,  yes you can get tokens (true saves you money and i am cheap but you must find and walk to a place that sells them) or you wrap up a $5 tight and drop it in, the bus driver has no problem with that, you dont have to use coins if you dont have a token.  Once I used a $10 dollar bill (for two of us)

[JamieLogical]

54 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

 You spent $19 for a trip that would have cost $15 if paid in cash. or $13.50 in transportation tokens. The passes are convenient but frequently they're not the best buy for your transportation dollar.

 

Also..if you were an NCL passenger...which I assume you were...the NCL ferry between St. George and Dockyard is free, so you could have spent only $10 cash or $9 in tokens rather than $19 for the pass.

 

I know we could have saved a little by paying per trip, but we liked the flexibility of the day pass. Also, we were on the Escape and at that time at least, the NCL free ferry's were overrun and had loooong lines one a very limited schedule. Again, the flexibility of the public ferries made it worth the extra cash to us. On a cruise that costs thousands of dollars, $5 in a single day isn't going to break the budget. 😋

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I know we could have saved a little by paying per trip, but we liked the flexibility of the day pass. Also, we were on the Escape and at that time at least, the NCL free ferry's were overrun and had loooong lines one a very limited schedule. Again, the flexibility of the public ferries made it worth the extra cash to us. On a cruise that costs thousands of dollars, $5 in a single day isn't going to break the budget. 😋

Obviously you're free to spend your money as you wish. My point was to inform those who are not familiar with the public transportation system in Bermuda about what their options are...and in particular it's pretty common for people to ask about the least expensive options. 

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, Newleno said:

I just got back from bermuda yesterday,  yes you can get tokens (true saves you money and i am cheap but you must find and walk to a place that sells them) or you wrap up a $5 tight and drop it in, the bus driver has no problem with that, you dont have to use coins if you dont have a token.  Once I used a $10 dollar bill (for two of us)

There's no issue with finding where to buy tokens or transportation passes. If you're docked at Heritage Wharf they're usually sold in the  Customs Building you pass through upon exiting the ship. At Kings Wharf they also used to be sold in the building that you pass when exiting the ship, but with the dock's rebuilding underway and what appears to be a temporary structure in place that may not be the case at present. However they're also sold at the Visitor's Information Center located adjacent to the public ferry dock and it's not out of your way whether going to catch a bus or ferry. 

 

The bus drivers who took your bills were being nice...it's technically against the rules and they would have the right to refuse them, so I always advise people who want to pay cash that it must be in coins. 

 

Interestingly, bills are permitted for payment of ferry fares. Not that many years ago neither form of public transportation accepted bills.

[Budget Queen]

5 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

You could also consider a public transportation day pass. When I was there in October, that was $19. We used ours to take a ferry to Hamilton, bus to St. Georges, and ferry back from St. Georges to King's Wharf.

 

If you only used your pass 3 times as you list,   you over paid.    It is only $4.50/token  per ride,  and possible for the free NCL ferrry.       You would need to make 5 trips to get a positive value.      I never get the passes.   I simply have a supply of tokens.   From the Hamilton station-  there are also cheaper coupon books.   

[I want to cruise]

Anyone know if the ferry is easy to get in and out of? My mom has a bad back and knees. She can step out of her wheel chair to access the ferry if its not too difficult.

[tempus137]

An advantage of the day pass is you can use it on any number of trips. So you can take the bus from St. George to Hamilton & make stops along the way to see various attractions, almost like a Ho-Ho. Try the Aquarium/Zoo. or the Botanical Garden.

[cruiser1955a]

17 hours ago, I want to cruise said:

Anyone know if the ferry is easy to get in and out of? My mom has a bad back and knees. She can step out of her wheel chair to access the ferry if its not too difficult.

I’ve only taken the Bermuda Ferries, not NCL’s. The Bermuda ferry is a flat walk (or roll) right on. The NCL ferry may load from the dock beside the ship, so I’m not sure if it’s trickier.

[mking8288]

19 hours ago, I want to cruise said:

Anyone know if the ferry is easy to get in and out of? My mom has a bad back and knees. She can step out of her wheel chair to access the ferry if its not too difficult.

 

Very easy, wheelchair friendly, directly across the berth.

 

via Xiaomi Mi A2L dual-sim global on Google Fi & AT&T, Pie 9.0 w Tapatalk
 

Edited April 30, 2019 by mking8288