Bermuda Cruises & Reviews

Planning a cruise to Bermuda? More than 50% of the visitors take cruises to travel to the island every year. We have done it many times too.

While cost is a major factor for deciding on 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 cruise ships calling the ports of Bermuda and what it takes to select the right Bermuda cruise deals.

Over the years we have taken many Bermuda cruises for our family vacations, and tried several Bermuda cruise lines. There are few things that come out very clearly. The most important of that is, in a 7-day round trip cruise to Bermuda leaving U.S. 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. 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 they sell you. They make money out of the on-board facilities, services and entertainment 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, food, type of cabin or staterooms, 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? Cost may be just one reason. There are plenty others. If you are still undecided, then check out: Why take a cruise to Bermuda?

Now that you know the advantages of cruising to Bermuda, first 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, charges for some of the main onboard facilities, hidden costs and more. You can then easily choose the one that is best for you.

You will also find the current schedule of the Bermuda Cruises below the table.

2013 Main Cruises to Bermuda & Our Reviews

Cruise Ship	Cruise Line	Departs	Docks At

Explorer of the Seas	Royal Caribbean	New York	Kings Wharf
Grandeur of the Seas	Royal Caribbean	Baltimore	Kings Wharf
Norwegian Dawn	NCL	Boston	Kings Wharf
Norwegian Breakaway	NCL	New York	Kings Wharf
Celebrity Summit	Celebrity Cruises	New York	Kings Wharf

2013 Bermuda Cruise Schedule

Here is the 2012 schedule for the Bermuda cruises: Bermuda Cruise Schedule 2013

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 ports 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 in Bermuda

The cruise lines generally offer you a number of shore excursions in Bermuda. While those are quite convenient, but we always asked ourselves two questions: Are the rates reasonable and do they really cover the best of Bermuda for the precious short time we would be there? Over the years we learned that the answer 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 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 basic information.

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 on the earth, there do exist some health and safety risks in this island too. And some of the risks are quite unique to Bermuda. Knowing about them and preparing in advance will only help ensuring a smooth vacation. I suggest that you check out Bermuda Health & Safety to know about all such factors and the recommended 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 on the island. Find out the details here: Bermuda Travel & Health Insurance. Also check out Bermuda Travel info & Tips for some more useful travel information.

Cruises that made calls to Bermuda in earlier years

The following cruises are not scheduled currently although they had regularly called the ports of Bermuda in the earlier years.

1) Norwegian Gem (NCL)

2) Norwegian Spirit (NCL)

3) Norwegian Majesty (NCL)

4) Norwegian Star (NCL)

5) Enchantment of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

6) Caribbean Princess (Princess Cruises)

7) Veendam (Holland America Line)

Related Articles

1) Kings Wharf (Royal Naval Dockyard): This is the major port in Bermuda at the western end where the large cruise ships dock.

2) Bermuda Ports: Information about all the ports in Bermuda

Viewers' Reviews & Comments

Kirti

Hi Raj, I found your website accidentally and find it very helpful. We are planning to take cruise to Bermuda, and find two of them, one goes to kings wharf and other to Hamilton. I heard that Hamilton is right at the center, however there is good public transportation. We will be there for three days. Which cruise should we consider? (price difference vs. convenience). We will be there on July 4, the beaches and caves etc will be open or not? Please give me your suggestion to use our time most efficiently to see all possible attractions. Is there any website where I can have the list of admission fees to different attractions and beaches? Is there any vegetarian food/restaurant available? Will it be possible to go back and forth to ship if it is at kings wharf ? Thanks a lot for your help..

Raj (bermuda-attractions.com)

Hi Kirti, Since you will be in Bermuda for 3 days, you can go for the cheaper cruise. I don't know which cruises you are considering. While Veendam and Regent both dock at Hamilton, they also dock at St. George. These days due to shallow waters, the ships dock offshore at St. George and ferry the passengers between the ship and the shore, which becomes quite inconvenient. I am not aware of any cruise ship that docks only at Hamilton City for 3 days.

One prefers Hamilton City because you are right at the heart of the island. This gives you an opportunity to enjoy the restaurants, shopping and nightlife which otherwise is quite sedate elsewhere in the island including in the Dockyard (Kings Wharf) area.

However having said that, Hamilton City is far more crowded than the rest of the island and is essentially a commercial area. In any case a direct ferry from the dockyard ferry-stop takes only 20 minutes to reach the Front Street (of Hamilton City). So you can easily reach out to the various places in the island from the dockyard. In fact a direct ferry from here to St. George (the world heritage town which you should visit) takes only 35 minutes, whereas from Hamilton City a bus (which is the only direct transport) takes more than an hour.

Moreover, Bermuda's most lovely south shore beaches are easily accessible from Kings Wharf by bus no. #7. If you are docking at the Kings Wharf, then buy a 3-day transport pass from the dockyard visitors information center. You can hop on and off the buses as well as the ferries any number of times for 3 days. Read Bermuda Tours to plan out your days.

July is in high tourist season and all attractions will be open in the island. There are no admission fees to the public beaches in Bermuda. Check out Must See Places and scan through the tourist places to know about admission fees and open hours.

It won't be easy to find veg only restaurant in Bermuda, but there are several restaurants serving nice vegetarian dishes. I have no idea of what kind of food you take, so I'm unable to comment much here. Take a look at the restaurant House of India ... one of our favorites and a budget Indian restaurant located in Hamilton city. Hope this helps!!

Kirti

Hi Raj, thanks a lot for your answer. Specially for info regarding Indian restaurant. Sorry about not mentioning specific detail regarding the cruise, Holland America Veendam going to Hamilton and staying there for three night arrive on July 3 at 10 am and leaving on July 6 at 2pm and Norwegian Star going to kings wharf arrive on July 4 at 8am and leaving on July 6 at 5pm, but $50 less per person ($200 for our family). According to travel agent Veendam wound be better choice as we get more time in Bermuda and it is right in center but I would like to have your expert opinion. Thanks again

Raj (www.bermuda-attractions.com)

Hi Kirti, If I were you I would spend that additional $200 in Bermuda and enjoy, rather than spending it on the cruise line. As I mentioned earlier, you can reach the center of Bermuda (Hamilton City) in just 20 minutes by a direct ferry from the dockyard. In a 21 square mile tiny island, you are never too far away from anything. Secondly, the dockyard complex at Kings Wharf itself has several great tourist attractions which you would like to visit anyway. So even if you are docked in Hamilton, you will still come to the dockyard area to take a look around for at least half a day.

Desiree Hall

I just cant wait to get on the Norwegian Cruise from New York City! I'm here reading all the great reviews about some to Bermuda'a Beaches. I happen to be a beach person. If, I enjoy this cruise, I may end up coming back just to relax and have fun. I'm an adventurous person in general, but when I find something that I enjoy, I tend to go back until there's no tomorrow. So, I'm looking forward getting my body in the water and sitting on that lovely pink sand!

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