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Bermuda Cruises Review
What makes top Bermuda cruise deals
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Planning a cruise to Bermuda? More than 50% of the visitors take Bermuda cruises to travel to the island every year. We have done it many times too.
While cost is a major factor for choosing a cruise rather than an air travel to Bermuda, there are many other compelling reasons to go for a cruise to Bermuda.
I'll share all our experience and findings about the Bermuda cruise ships and what it takes to select the right Bermuda cruise deals.
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We have taken many Bermuda cruises over the years for our family vacations. And we have tried several Bermuda cruise lines. There are few things that come out very clearly.
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The most important of that is, in a 7-day round trip cruise to Bermuda leaving from US East Coast, you will barely get some two and half days to enjoy in Bermuda.
You will need to spend the remaining days on board the cruise ship itself. Well, if you are visiting few other Caribbean islands as part of a combined cruise deal, then the number of days in Bermuda may vary, and will be much shorter.
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Some cruises barely give you just a day's time in Bermuda before it departs on the same day in the evening.
So, what do you do on board as you keep cruising for days? For us, a key consideration is how we can best enjoy the time even while we are on the ship. Because that's where you will end up spending most of your time anyway. So while selecting a Bermuda cruise, we closely look into the onboard facilities and services.
Let me also put in a word of caution here - these days the cruise lines do not make money (may be very little) out of the cruise package deals they sell you. They make money out of the on-board facilities and services they offer. And there are plenty of them to pamper you. For example, Spa classes or specialty restaurants are almost always chargeable, so are things like laundry and internet services.
Some of those charges can be exorbitantly high. Therefore, facilities of your interest and its cost, type of food, accommodation, on-board entertainment and activities are all very important factors in deciding what is the right Bermuda cruise deal for you. Well, I shall discuss all these from all our experience and findings. But why should you cruise to Bermuda in the first place and not fly? If you are still undecided, check out: Why take a cruise to Bermuda?
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Now that you know the advantages of Bermuda cruises, find out which are the main cruise lines operating to Bermuda and making regular calls.
The table below will give you the main cruise ships for the current year. Check them out to get details including capacity, accommodation, facilities, dining options, on-board entertainment and activities, our experience, reviews and charges for some of the main onboard facilities, and more.
You can then easily choose the one that is best for you.
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You will also find the schedule of the Bermuda Cruises below and after the table.
2012 Main Cruises to Bermuda
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Cruise Ship
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Cruise Line
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Departs
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Docks At
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Royal Caribbean
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Baltimore
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Kings Wharf
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Royal Caribbean
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Cape Liberty, NJ
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Kings Wharf
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NCL
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Boston
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Kings Wharf
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NCL
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New York
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Kings Wharf
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Holland America
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New York
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St. George's
Hamilton City
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Celebrity Cruises
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Cape Liberty, NJ
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Kings Wharf
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Pride
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Carnival Cruises
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Baltimore
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Kings Wharf
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Regent
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Seven Seas
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Fort Lauderdale
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St. George's
Hamilton City
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Princess Cruises
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New York
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Kings Wharf
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2012 Bermuda Cruise Schedule
Bermuda Ports where the ships dock
There are three ports where the cruise ships can dock in Bermuda depending on their size and schedule. The largest berths are Kings Wharf & Heritage Wharf in Royal Naval Dockyard. Other two port are in Hamilton City and St. George's. Check out Bermuda Ports to know about the ports in Bermuda and what you can expect there.
Shore Excursions at Bermuda
The cruise lines generally offer you a number of options for Bermuda shore excursions. While those are quite convenient, but we always had two questions. Are the rates reasonable and do they really cover the best of Bermuda for the short time we would be there? Over the years we learned that the answers to both is a big NO. These days we organize our own tours and excursions. With the right information, you can also do it very easily. It would be far cheaper and satisfying. Here is how we do it: Bermuda Tours and Excursions
How to reduce cost of cruise to Bermuda?
If you have gone through the above links on the individual cruises to Bermuda, you can well understand that there are many hidden and other costs that eventually get added to your over all cruise spend. But there are many ways you can reduce them. We have learned much of those in a hard way. Check out How to save Bermuda cruise cost to know about our findings.
Bermuda Cruise Wedding
Well, if you are planning a beautiful romantic cruise wedding on your way to Bermuda or helping someone to do so, check out Bermuda Cruise Wedding for a complete guide.
Other Bermuda Travel Essentials
Travel Documents - Bermuda Passports, Visas
So all set to take a Bermuda cruise vacation? Here are some handy information about all the travel documents required to enter Bermuda: Bermuda Travel Documents
Bermuda Customs Duty:
Bermuda Customs can be a very painful experience unless you are well prepared and aware of what to bring in and what not to. Check out Bermuda Customs to know about the duties applicable on the goods that you bring in and limits to the duty free allowances.
Bermuda Health & Safety tips
While Bermuda is generally quite safe, like any other place there do exist some health and safety risks in the island. And some of these risks are quite unique to Bermuda. I recommend that you check Bermuda Health & Safety to know all about it and the safety measures.
While your stay in Bermuda may be a short one, it's important for you to get covered under health or medical insurance while traveling to Bermuda. Medical expenses in Bermuda can be very high. And there is virtually no free medical service available. Find out the details here: Bermuda Travel and Health Insurance
Also check out Bermuda Tourism for some more useful Bermuda travel and tourism information.
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Visitors' Reviews & Comments
John G
It was the last ship visit of the season but the two guys playing to a very small crowd were fantastic. The barmaid was lovely, didn't catch her name but she was working 11/14/11 and the beer is of course fantastic. If you're from the US, don't be a pansy, try a real beer for once.. it's an offense to ask for a light beer.. really, why bother?
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