A lot of people have been asking me recently my opinions on the Boston to Bermuda cruise on Norwegian Cruise lines. I decided to post a blog about it but keep in mind most of this is from memory as we went on the cruise in July 2017 for our babymoon. The ship has since changed so I can’t really speak to that but can tell you about our overall experience
First of all travelling in and out of the cruiseport in Boston was super convienent and everything flowed nicely. We did not have a long wait at all to check in and get on the ship. We spent the first full day at sea and had decent weather so we were able to hang out by the pool and I believe we arrived in Bermuda around 10 or 11 am the following day. Once in Bermuda we were docked at the naval port and our ship stayed docked for 3 days and we were able to come and go as we pleased. The naval port had some shops and restaurants that were walking distance or you could take trolley that went around the port. There was a small public beach as well but it wasn’t one of the nicest beaches I would say. There was also a variety of excursions you could do from the port and access to public transportation.
The public transportation in Bermuda was very user friendly and we utilized both the ferry and the bus system. You can buy day passes and the transportation is very clean. A couple guidelines it is public transportation so most of the people on the bus are locals (very friendly) but you are expected to follow their rules. That being said, no wet bathing suits, and you have to be covered. The bus makes a lot of stops so it can take awhile to get from point A to point B. We only took the ferry once to Hamilton and that was a quick and easy ride. You can also take the ferry to St. George’s but we did not end up having time to do that as you almost have to set aside a full day for that.
Hamilton was very city like with lots of shops, bars and restaurants and we got a lot of walking in. I would say it was more big name stores and less touristy shops. There were some historic sites to see as well but we did not venture into that. Our favorite part of the trip was going to Turtle Bay Beach. It was very secluded and beautiful. We rented lounge chairs from the resort on the beach and we had access to the showers and bathrooms there as well as a shuttle back to our boat. It was definitely worth the 50 dollars we spent to rent the chairs and umbrella. We also visited Horseshoe Bay beach, home of the pink sand. This was more of a tourist destination and was packed with people. The water was a lot more choppy but it did have a nice wading area with rocks that you could hang out in.
Since the ship will not be the same as the one I was on I will give you some general tips. Norwegian cruise lines no longer has straws on the ship so drinking frozen drinks can be a challenge. I would suggest bringing a tumbler that you can reuse for all your drinks. I would also bring a water bottle, definitely comes in handy at the pool and when you get off the ship and are walking around. A good pair of swim shoes as there is a lot of walking at the beach and some areas are rocky. If you have your own snorkel gear it will save you in the long run from renting as you can just use it at the beach.
I really enjoyed our trip to Bermuda and going on a cruise was the most affordable way to enjoy it as we weren’t spending money on food and hotels. Bermuda is very expensive so keep that in mind. Great golf courses and those are available by excursions from the cruise but it tends to be a full day activity. Public transportation is clean, safe and the cheapest method to get from anywhere on the island. The people are very friendly and helpful and we always felt safe no matter where we were. The temperature stayed around the 80’s consistently. I would definitely recommend to anyone who has never been. If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask and if you need help booking your cruise I would love to help!
TravelbyBreanne 