CON
In September you may or may not get there ....it is prime hurracaine season and many ships have changed their routing if a storm is in the area.
PRO
You spend most of the week on the island so you get to see it all.
I prefer spring though
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Lyn
FORMER CRUISES:
Alexandr Pushkin, Carnival-Holiday, HAL-(old)Westerdam, Orient lines-Marco Polo, Royal Olympic-Olympic, NCL-Dream, Dawn-Princess, ACCL-Grande Caribe, Oceania-Insignia (3), Regatta(4) Marina (1) St Lawrence Cruise Lines-Canadian Empress
We criused to Bermuda out of Boston in July 2002. We caught the first tropical storm of the year and encountered 70 mph winds and 40 foot swells. Needless to say it was an extremely rough and scary ride.
Bermuda was wonderful. We had nice weather and saw quite a bit of the island. One thing we did not like was that our ship, Norwegian Majesty, stayed in St. George for the three days we were in Bermuda. Other ships moved from port to port -- this would have been much better since St. George is at the far end of the island and the transportation is quite slow.
One suggestion from the cruise line that we heeded was NOT to rent mopeds. We used the bus service and saw exactly how congested the roads are. The old rule on Bermuda was one automobile per family -- this is not the case anymore, so there are many more cars on the narrow roads of the island. Many people came back to the ship with "road rash" and broken bones from crashing their rented mopeds.
I would go in the spring and go on a ship that moves from port to port on the island. Definitely go though, it is absolutely beautiful! The Crystal Caves and Perfumery are not to be missed -- the gardens at the perfumery are fantastic. Elbow Beach is terrific, clean and a great place for a walk. We also vistited Tobacco Bay and swam with the tropical fish there.
So you were onboard with us when "Arthur" hit us back in 2002? Me 2! I was on watch "driving" when the largest wawe hit us and nearly knocked out the chief engineer who was taking a shower at hat moment . That storm was actually a surpise hit since the forecasts predicted it to move much slower and further north.
Some people enjoy the fact that the Majesty is docked at the same pier for the whole stay, since the other ports are easily accessible with buses or cars. It's definatley a good thing for the crew
We figured that storm must have taken people by surprise since all of the cruise ships came through it. We talked to people from other cruise lines once we got to Bermuda, and they seemed to have had it worse than us -- taking on water, losing power, etc.
It was not a great introduction to cruising.
Glad to hear of someone else was on that trip -- sometimes I think it was a dream. I hope the chief engineer was okay in the shower.
Well - to us it wasn't dramatic at all. And the wonderful Majesty can handle worse weather than that. But sure it was uncomfortable, and a lot of crewmembers were seasick too.
The chief engineer was ok - he came up to the bridge asking what the **** we were doing
We've been to Bermuda four times, all via cruise ship. (And especially for Svein -- two of those trips were Norwegian Majesty...three if you count her predecessor Royal Majesty.)
September is an iffy month due to Atlantic storms. And, as the month goes by, temperatures are going to drop. One of our Bermuda cruises was in early October, and it was too cool to use the beaches. Then again, there is so much to do and see in Bermuda that is indoors. Our favorites include the Aquarium (a short bus ride from St. George) and the Maritime Museum (near King's Wharf in Bermuda's West End).
Our most recent cruises to Bermuda were on Norwegian Majesty in August 2005 and August 2006. The bus and ferry service made it very easy to travel between the various parishes. It was quite a difference from our visit ten years prior. One thing I liked about staying in the same port for three-plus days was that we were not tied into specific days to see something. For example, there was one day when we were the only ship in St. George, and we had Tobacco Bay beach to ourselves. It was packed when there was a second ship in port.
Bermuda is my favorite vacation spot. The island is beautiful everywhere you go and the beaches are wonderful as well with blue/green water that is so clear - you will love it.
My favorite time of year there is November. Still in the 70's most days and little or no rain. Contrary to what the cruise lines say, I think mopeds are the only way to explore the island. They are great fun and allow you to see & visit places you would never see from a bus or taxi. There are NO rental cars. The roads are too narrow and traffic flows on the "other" side of the road.
Hope to sail there again on Celebrity Journey once she gets underway with her new owners. You will have a wonderful time no matter when you go!
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