Dear Mizom58-
You made the right choice! My husband and I did the same cruise out of Philly on the Empress in May 2006. It is a smaller ship but still has all the amenities (minus the skating rink). The port in Philly is great, easy to get to, was well organized. There was even free lemonade and cookies in the terminal as we waited, they put you in groups to approach the check in desks. But overall it was very smooth getting on the ship. We had a lower category room, just a window and it was fine! Luckily our window faced out to the water when we were in port, (some rooms looked right into the Bermuda Port Building while we were docked, may want to check on that one!) It was wonderful to wake up and see the wonderful Bermuda sea every morning. It is a great island and I have to admit the only rude people we met on the island were the Americans!!!! There was an unforunate line cutting event while waiting for the bus and it was Americans, the Bermuda people are wonderful and very kind. Be sure to get a transport pass when you get there. Get it for the week and you can ride the buses and ferries for free (after paying for the pass). We got on the bus to go to King's Wharf and sat next to a very nice lady who told us all the sights we were going past and that was on the public bus!!! You really made a great choice!
Originally posted by mere1:
It is a great island and I have to admit the only rude people we met on the island were the Americans!!!! There was an unforunate line cutting event while waiting for the bus and it was Americans, the Bermuda people are wonderful and very kind.
How do you know they were Americans? Is there a way to tell without checking their I.D.? You know, not ALL ship passengers are just Americans. My curiosity begs the question; by any chance, are you an American?
Sorry! Did not mean to offend anyone, and YES, I am an American. Born on the west coast, raised on the east coast. I was just trying to prove a point that the people of Bermuda are warm and friendly. You expect everyone on vacation to be happy and having fun. I won't bore you all with the details, that is not the point. Sorry again.
I have a few questions I hope you can answer since you took this cruise: When we get to Bermuda, do we plan on spending a day at the beach, if so, how should we dress? Is there somewhere to change into bathing suits, do we need beach towels, how far from the ship are we traveling to get to different sites on the island? Are there any must see, must do, that you recommend?
Are there any formal nights on the ship? Do you recommend any particular restaurants on the ship? Also, is it advantageous to purchase the wine package prior to cruising? I believe there are pkgs starting at around $125 for five bottles, and up.
We're on level four, middle of ship, window no port.
Thanks again!
Mizom58
Just for the record, I wasn't offended. I was just making a point. People sometimes make innocent statements not direct at any single person, and some may take offense. I does sound like you were really upset with some rude "Americans". When I imagine people cutting in line and being rude, I think of the F----h. They kind of look like Americans.
I have a few questions I hope you can answer since you took this cruise: When we get to Bermuda, do we plan on spending a day at the beach, if so, how should we dress? Is there somewhere to change into bathing suits, do we need beach towels, how far from the ship are we traveling to get to different sites on the island? Are there any must see, must do, that you recommend?
Are there any formal nights on the ship? Do you recommend any particular restaurants on the ship? Also, is it advantageous to purchase the wine package prior to cruising? I believe there are pkgs starting at around $125 for five bottles, and up.
We're on level four, middle of ship, window no port.
Thanks again!
Mizom58
Well, let me try to answer your questions...
The day we went to the beach we went with our swimsuits on, under beach coverup. We rode the bus to Elbow Beach which had a snack bar and bathrooms, it is a popular beach spot for tourists and locals, can't remember how long the bus ride was from Hamilton but it is fun to just ride the bus and see the island. You do need to take your beach towels from the ship, you can take the ones the cruise ship gives you in your room, just remember to bring them back. You do not need to waste space in your luggage with your own towels. This cruise has 2 formal nights which is standard, I think, on 7 night cruises. You can check the RCCL website for all the details on the dress code, click on Before you Board. We are not big drinkers so we have never purchased the wine package, I guess it depend on how much wine you drink. Someone else on the site might be able to tell you how much a bottle or glass costs at dinner. We ate in the dining room all night except for one. We did the Murder Mystery Dinner on night which started in the lounge for "the murder" and then you have dinner at Portofinos and "solve" the murder (I was wrong with my suspect and did not figure it out) It was a blast and the food was AWESOME at Portofino's. If there is no mystery night I would suggest to go there at least one night. It will cost you $20 more per person to go and the Mystery Dinner was more, I think $55 a couple, but it was worth it. As for the island of Bermuda, we really did not do any tours on this trip. We took the bus around the island, walked and shopped around Hamilton. It is easy to get around. I would recommend going to the Bermuda Perfume Factory which is just a little old house/factory but I love the perfume I bought. I am running low, so I have to get my husband to take me back to Bermuda to get more (don't tell him I can buy it on the internet!)
I would get a book on Bermuda and read up, that is what I did, I was well prepared before we got there and knew the things I wanted to see. Hope that helps! I will try to answer any other questions if you have them.
I have been reading others advice on what to pack etc. I will take your advice on purchasing a book on Bermuda. I like to be prepared too! We like murder mysteries, might look into that and will definitely try Portofino's. The perfume factory sounds fabulous!
ps. we are proud americans who don't want to meet up with any rude travelers regardless of nationality, got your point, nasty people can be anywhere
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