Review of "Lighthouses, Pink Sand, and Shopping" Excursion

[moposh]

I booked the excursion through Royal Caribbean.  I was on Vision of the Seas in August 2023.

 

I was a little worried about booking this tour because I wasn't quite sure what the transportation would be, but I worried for nothing.  Transportation was a taxi van.  There were 6 people per van plus driver.  My daughter and I were with a family of four.  It was comfortable.  I found out there aren't any buses on the island because of the roads.

 

As we drove, our driver provided information about the island and answered questions.  Our first stop was at Heydon Trust Chapel, the smallest church on the island--only 3 small pews!  We were able to go inside and our driver spoke to us about the church.  She showed us the cistern where the water is saved.  When the church was built, the cistern was built outside of the building.  Cisterns are now internal.  We had some time to walk around and enjoy the view.  (Pictures I took as portrait are not showing up properly.  Sorry!)

 

 

The cistern.

Look at that view!

 

Our next stop was at Gibbs Hill Lighthouse.

 

 

 

We had time to walk around and visit the gift shop.  I could have gone up the lighthouse for a small fee, but I didn't feel like tackling 185 steps.

 

Gorgeous view.

I can see our ship!

 

We drove into Hamilton.  We had about 20 minutes here.  It was Sunday so a lot of things are closed, but we did find one store open.🛍️

 

 

 

We were supposed to visit Horseshoe Bay Beach, but our driver took us to Warwick Beach instead.  I was glad of the change because I've already been to Horseshoe Bay Beach.  Warwick Beach was beautiful.  There were a lot fewer people than at Horseshoe Bay.  I could have stayed there all day.  It was tranquil and peaceful.

 

 

Then we headed back to the ship.  The tour was at least 3 hours.  We also saw some other sights while driving.  Our driver was excellent.  I heartily recommend this tour.  My daughter and I had a great time.  It enhanced our visit to Bermuda.  Lighthouses ✔️ Pink Sand ✔️ and Shopping ✔️

[Charles4515]

20 hours ago, moposh said:

 I was a little worried about booking this tour because I wasn't quite sure what the transportation would be, but I worried for nothing.  Transportation was a taxi van.  There were 6 people per van plus driver.  My daughter and I were with a family of four.  It was comfortable.  I found out there aren't any buses on the island because of the roads.

You are misinformed. There are plenty of buses on the island both private and public. You can also do taxi tours on your own in taxi vans at a lower cost than an excursion booked through Royal Caribbean. 

[moposh]

That's what I was told.  Yes, there are a lot of options.  This is my review of the shore excursion I did and I thought it might be helpful for others.  I personally prefer to do shore excursions through the ship.

[Charles4515]

7 minutes ago, moposh said:

That's what I was told.  Yes, there are a lot of options.  This is my review of the shore excursion I did and I thought it might be helpful for others.  I personally prefer to do shore excursions through the ship.

You were told wrong. I would not have commented had you not posted that misinformation. You didn’t mention how much the excursion cost. Personally I prefer not to do spend more for excursions through the ship when the same excursion can be done for less independently but to each their own, 

[1025cruise]

Assuming you are in Bermuda for more than one day, doing DIY excursions is very easy and cost effective.

[calicakes]

Thanks for the review.  We're ( fingers crossed) on an Oceania cruise next week.  I haven't booked any excursions since nothing appealed to me.  We want to visit the beach on our own. 

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, calicakes said:

Thanks for the review.  We're ( fingers crossed) on an Oceania cruise next week.  I haven't booked any excursions since nothing appealed to me.  We want to visit the beach on our own. 

You don’t need any excursions on your itinerary. St. George/Hamilton is the best Bermuda itinerary.  For beaches while you are docked in St. George you can taxi to Tobacco Bay or Clearwater Beach/Coopers Island. While docked in Hamilton you can take a taxi or a Bus to Horseshoe Bay. 

Edited September 15, 2023 by Charles4515