Bermuda beach excursions

[Prewittsgal]

Anyone have experience with beach excursions in Bermuda?  I would like to go to Horseshoe Bay for the day, but doesn't seem worth to buy through the ship when it is a limit of 4 hours.  Would it better to catch a taxi on our own head to the beach and stay as long as we want.? Or is there a curfew for cruisers to be back on board? 

 

Thanks for any advice.

[Clarea]

You may also want to check out the Bermuda forum:

 

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

[MainerRN92]

Are you docked overnight? If so, there are no curfews. When my sister and I did an overnight Bermuda cruise, we got bus tickets for the 3 days we were docked there, it is a super easy system to use! Taxi would be a cost effective option if you have a larger group that could split the cost. Other advantage to a taxi, they'll drive you down the hill to Horseshoe Bay Beach. If you take the public bus, they drop at the top of the hill. Could be an issue if anyone in your party has mobility issues. 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Mini buses are readily available and are $7/person.  

[LeeW]

4 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Mini buses are readily available and are $7/person.  

These buses leave from the bus loop just outside the pier.  Also available for return, provided you don't want to stay after 5 or so.  Check with driver.  Last bus might be very full so take an earlier one.

[PIR8LUVR]

1 hour ago, Prewittsgal said:

Anyone have experience with beach excursions in Bermuda?  I would like to go to Horseshoe Bay for the day, but doesn't seem worth to buy through the ship when it is a limit of 4 hours.  Would it better to catch a taxi on our own head to the beach and stay as long as we want.? Or is there a curfew for cruisers to be back on board? 

 

Thanks for any advice.

It’s easy to do on your own. There is a desk in the port after you get through security. You can buy a bus pass. We bought the two-day bus/ferry pass and got our money’s worth. Just beyond the shops at the dock is a bus stop. It takes about 20-30 min to get to the beach stop.

[SRF]

Yeap, do it yourself.

 

Minibus is best.  They take you right down to the beach and pick you up there.  The regular buses drop you at the main road and you have to walk down to the beach, and back up if you want to take the regular bus back.

 

$7 per person, each way, cash.  US dollars gladly accepted.

 

Walk down to the end of the pier, there will be people asking what you need.  Tell them Horseshoe Bay and they will direct you to the minibuses.  They run as soon as they are about full.

 

Once you get there, an umbrella and 2 lounge chairs was $45 last time we went.

Edited July 16, 2019 by SRF

[suesnake2002]

Mini buses cheapest, most direct route. When you want to leave just walk back to where you were dropped off. Once they fill a van off it goes. 

[SRF]

Bus is cheaper than minibus.

 

 

[Charles4515]

7 hours ago, SRF said:

 

Once you get there, an umbrella and 2 lounge chairs was $45 last time we went.

 

I was there a few weeks ago. The price is now $50 for an umbrella and 2 lounge chairs. 😒

The rest of your post was spot on. 

Edited July 16, 2019 by Charles4515

[Snit13]

We took bus to Sea Glass Beach and back.  Also bought the ferry pass.  We did join with other CC members and hired a small van for a tour of the island.  Driver even waited while we enjoyed lunch.  Divided his cost among us.

[SRF]

4 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

 

I was there a few weeks ago. The price is now $50 for an umbrella and 2 lounge chairs. 😒

The rest of your post was spot on. 

It has been a while.

 

Where in MD are you?  I live in Harford Co.

[nicstress]

I have been to Bermuda once before. We did our beach day by getting bus tokens and took the Bermuda bus to Warwick Long Bay first. Just ask the driver where to get off. We then walked down to the beach and it is beautiful. It was pretty empty. We then walked along the ocean (on the beach or up on a ridge on a trail) and went to Jobson's Cove. Google it. Just beautiful! We ended our day at Horseshoe Beach and got a late lunch. We had taken drinks and snacks with us plus our own snorkeling gear. It was the perfect beach and snorkeling day. We then took the bus back to the ship. You can pay just to go up the hill if you don't want to walk. Have fun! We will be there in October. 

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, SRF said:

It has been a while.

 

Where in MD are you?  I live in Harford Co.

 

I live in Montgomery County.

[Charles4515]

38 minutes ago, nicstress said:

I have been to Bermuda once before. We did our beach day by getting bus tokens and took the Bermuda bus to Warwick Long Bay first. Just ask the driver where to get off. We then walked down to the beach and it is beautiful. It was pretty empty. We then walked along the ocean (on the beach or up on a ridge on a trail) and went to Jobson's Cove. Google it. Just beautiful! We ended our day at Horseshoe Beach and got a late lunch. We had taken drinks and snacks with us plus our own snorkeling gear. It was the perfect beach and snorkeling day. We then took the bus back to the ship. You can pay just to go up the hill if you don't want to walk. Have fun! We will be there in October. 

 

There have been changes the last couple of years. The $2 rides to the top of the hill are no longer available. So  you will have to walk up the hill to the bus stop to catch the public bus. There are now $7 each way minibus shuttles which are described in some of the posts above that go down the hill and pick up from the bottom of the hill that run between the Dockyard and Horseshoe.  A few weeks ago on one of the days I was in Bermuda I went to Warwick, Jobson's Cove and walked to Horseshoe. The minibus shuttle driver agreed to drop me off at Warwick after he did his Horseshoe drop off for an extra $1. If he had not agree, or another driver had not agreed  I would have taken the public bus. but the drivers seem to be agreeable to dropping off at Warwick.  The public bus stop by the way has moved to the Clocktower Mall. I took the $7 minibus shuttle back from Horseshoe to the Dockyard. 

Edited July 16, 2019 by Charles4515

[nicstress]

They had the minibus rides a few years ago and they were $7. It is cheaper to take the bus especially if you get a pass. Thanks for the tips.  

[cb at sea]

Absolutely NO reason for excursion in Bermuda.  Google it....very tourist friendly!

[Snit13]

When we went I spent many hours on the Bermuda forum getting information and questions answered.  Try it.

[zooma]

Bus might be cheaper, but the $7pp minibus/shuttle "assist" up and down that hill at Horseshoe Beach might be worth it to you. Someone over on the Bermuda forum said it has been referred to as "Heart Attack Hill." 😳

[cyntil8ing]

Buses also only run every 30 minutes on some routes and even longer on others. A few years ago, we spent a lot of time waiting at bus stops, which were often shadeless and seatless. We didn't get to finish our sightseeing list because I underestimated how long it would take to get around.  I felt like we wasted half of our day. The next time we went back, we limited our trips, but used taxis.

[SRF]

17 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

 

I live in Montgomery County.

 

My Dad lives in Colesville.

 

A few of us up in the sticks have met for dinner.