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Bermuda's Cruise Ship Calls in 2010

Many visits from April through October to all three of our island's ports

By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) exclusively for Bermuda Online

To refer to this file use "bermuda-online/cruises.htm" as your Subject

2010 Schedule of cruise ship calls

The Marine and Ports division of the  Bermuda Government controls every aspect of the cruise ship calls and publishes, usually by every January, a yearly schedule of all cruise ship calls.  

Most visits are scheduled from spring through summer and the early fall. For most of the 2010 calls see:

See http://vacationstogo.com/ticker.cfm?r=18&u=n&sp=y   

Beginning in 2010, Holland America Line will once again sail on regularly scheduled mid ship size cruises between New York City and Bermuda. Holland America, founded in 1873, with appreciably more than a century of experience, is the only premium cruise line that calls in both Hamilton and St. George's, Bermuda's cultural and shopping hubs. Additionally, guests of Holland America Line will have an opportunity to fully experience Bermuda's British charm and its unique island culture by day and by night with multi-day stays in each port. That passengers will sail directly to Hamilton and St. George's is a huge plus for them and surely a major positive boost for Bermuda after such a sustained huge outcry among cruise ship passengers denied access to Hamilton and St. Georges's from 2008 that some of them, experienced and frequent cruise passengers who maintain their own lists of their favourite ports based on a set of cruise-friendly criteria, have reduced Bermuda's status as a cruise ship destination from 6th overall to 24th overall. 

When the 1,350-guests, 500 crew, mid-size MS Veendam sails in late August 2010 on the first of 10 roundtrips to the island, sailing from New York on Saturdays, arriving in Bermuda on Mondays with three nights in Bermuda, it will mark Holland America Line's return to New York City as a home port and to Bermuda as a destination. Holland America Line worked closely with the Bermudian government to form the partnership that takes Holland America Line back to the island that it first visited more than 70 years ago. In 1926, Veendam II, with a guest capacity of approximately 500, left New York on the company's first Caribbean cruise. During the summers of 1930 and 1931, Veendam II sailed on five-day roundtrip cruises between New York and Bermuda.

In addition to the ten sailings between late August and October in 2010, Holland America Line will visit the island and its towns for a full season beginning in May 2011, with 20 or more sailings anticipated. To date, Holland America (owned by Carnival) is the only premium cruise line with smaller and mid-size ships to visit both Hamilton and St. George's, although it is known the government has also approached Celebrity, MSC and others.

Bermuda Cruise ship ports

Although Bermuda is very small - only 21 square miles (56 square kilometers) in total land area it has not one but three cruise ship ports. At this time, none of them are free WIFI enabled - have a WIFI Hotspot - for visitors and shoppers. 

This is unlike in established ports elsewhere such as in Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands, USVI, USA, Canada, elsewhere where this facility is well marked. There, cruise ship terminals and/or their nearby shopping centers now routinely offer free WIFI to all who bring their own WIFI-enabled laptops. They carry a sign similar to this:

It is hoped WIFI will be extended to all Bermuda's cruise ship and other visitors in the foreseeable future so they can send their emails and digital photos home directly from these Bermuda ports.

Bermuda's three cruise ship ports are shown from left to right on the map below: 

King's Wharf and now also Heritage Wharf.  Not WIFI-friendly, no free WIFI Hotspots. The new pier was originally supposed to cost $35 million but in the end it was delivered at a $65 million cost to taxpayers. Premier Ewart Brown admitted he was "not proud" of the dock rising 70 percent over budget, but blamed design changes and Government inefficiency. Dr. Brown said the initial contract was revised due to delays from "dolphin mitigation" (the birth of three calves at Dolphin Quest in May/June 2007), Planning approval, and "resultant design and construction methods" to meet the start of the 2009 cruise ship season. At the former Royal Naval Dockyard, at former islands now joined to the mainland in Somerset, Sandy's Parish. This is the westernmost and most remote (note that Bermuda is not rural but now largely urban) part of Bermuda, an interesting part of the island if you have plenty of time and opportunity to explore but somewhat limiting if you do not. This is where most cruise ships dock at the express wish of the Bermuda Government, especially when they are large vessels.  There are frequent but often full buses going west to and east from here and ferries to and from the City of Hamilton, Bermuda's capital and major port of commerce. Public-transport ferries are so much more enjoyable and can be quicker too, than the public transport buses. Shopping is limited, with only the Clocktower Mall locally - within walking distance of the cruise ships docked here - offering any good realistic options. From this port, the nearest village is sleepy Somerset, going east. Buses go there but ferries do not. Millions of dollars were spent by Bermuda taxpayers in 2009 on extending and modernizing this King's Wharf port.

Hamilton. The City of Hamilton. Bermuda's highest-rated port by a huge margin, also the most central, easiest to get to and from, with biggest choice of shopping and facilities. Two Rock Passage has been the entrance to Hamilton Harbour since 1896. A huge advantage here is that passengers can walk off ships docked here and be right in the city. A port city for hundreds of years and Bermuda's single main attraction and main shopping area by a very wide margin. The city is central (15 miles from the Town of St. George) and has 2 cruise ship berths, the # 1 Passenger Terminal; and # 5 & 6 Passenger Terminal. Both can take ships of up to 750 feet in length - small and medium-size cruise ships. From here there are frequent by-day buses and ferry service going east to the Town of St. George (about 1 hour) and west to the Royal Naval Dockyard (about 1 hour). Not WIFI-friendly, no free WIFI Hotspots. In 2010, Holland America Line will more than double its Bermuda cruises from 11 in 2009 to 24. The 1,350-guest Veendam, 720 feet, will visit both Hamilton and St. George's from April to October, staying two-and-a-half days in each port. Veendam is a premium mid-sized ship, meaning it can navigate the narrow entrances to Bermuda's harbours. 

St. George's. The Town of St. George. At the East End, or most eastern part of Bermuda (15 miles from the City of Hamilton). Those bound first for St. George's enter via the narrow Town Cut channel, 220 feet wide - when wind conditions permit. It is in St. George's Harbor between Gates Fort and Higgs Island. It has been deepened and widened since 1846. But often, if the wind will present a hazard to the ship or passengers or crew, the captain of the small to mid-size cruise ship may elect to avoid St. George's and go to Hamilton instead. The town has berths at Penno's Wharf and Ordnance Island.  Both can take ships of up to 750 feet in length - small ships compared to recent giants. The town itself is within easy walking distance of the cruise ship berth for most passengers.  There are frequent buses and less frequent ferries going to and from Hamilton. There are also periodic seasonal daily ferry services all the way west to the Royal Naval Dockyard.  Not WIFI-friendly, no free WIFI Hotspots. In 2010, up to 700 visitors at a time will be ferried into St. George's from a cruise ship anchored off of the old town this summer. This and other moves to rejuvenate the former capital were discussed at a packed town hall meeting of St. George's business owners in January 2010. The tender Bermudian, a large ferry capable of carrying up to 700 passengers, will service the Veendam, a 1,400 passenger ship which will make 24 weekly calls to St. George's this summer. Due to the ship's size it is unable to dock in the town. Instead the Holland America cruise ship will anchor in Murray's Anchorage, an area off of Fort St. Catherine weather permitting. The trip should take approximately 30 minutes and ferry the passengers to Penno's Wharf.

Average size and environmental concerns of cruise ships

The new "mega ships" of some other cruise lines are too big to navigate either the Town Cut, to reach St. George's, or Two Rock Passage in Hamilton harbour. Bermuda faces a stark choice – whether to take the uncomfortable steps necessary to allow in the mega ships, or to lose the hundreds of thousands of visitors who boost the local economy to the tune of tens of millions of dollars every year. The large carrying capacities of these ships have an impact with which most locals and cruise visitors can identify, such as traffic congestion, crowded beaches and waste releases. Some locals may be happy to make these trade-offs, but they carry an environmental and island resources price tag. Bermuda has to deal with a unique set of issues that do not apply elsewhere, given Bermuda's very small size of only 21 square miles of land, lack of space, unique coral habitat and reefs, one of the three most dense populations in the world per square mile, the stresses than cruise ships place on Bermuda in recreation, homes, stores, sedimentation caused by cruise ships, the damage one could cause to the reefs; the anti-fouling paint ships have underneath, which is extremely toxic to reefs; and more.

Cruises generally

Cruises are the easiest way to see that part of the world you most want to see and often offer more value for the dollar than any other international vacation option.
Where else can you unpack once and wake up every morning in a fascinating new destination? And where else can you spend a reasonable amount per person, per day, and receive comfortable, well-maintained accommodations with twice-daily maid service, 3+ meals, a full slate of shipboard activities and nightly entertainment? This unmatched value is magnified during economic slowdowns. Weakened demand translates instantly into lower prices.  2009 has seen prices at all-time lows in cruise markets around the world. Yet the cruise passenger's bang-for-the-buck is at an all-time high.

Cruise lines provide outstanding value because of the efficiency with which they deliver their service. For example, the typical cruise ship has teams of room stewards, chefs and waiters working 7 days a week to clean 1,000 cabins per day and prepare and serve three or four meals a day to 2,000 passengers. When the ship sails from the port of departure, the Hotel Director knows exactly how many meals will be served for the entire cruise and the ship has been provisioned accordingly. Every cabin, table and employee is fully utilized, every day. That's much more efficient and less wasteful than the system land-based hotels and restaurants must employ to serve a much smaller group of customers who vary in number daily.

As ships have gotten larger and cruise lines have grown into billion-dollar enterprises, feeding and transporting millions of passengers every year, the cruise lines' huge buying power has reduced their costs for everything consumed on the ship. Plus, larger ships and show lounges spread the cost of entertainers, the captain, officers and cruise director over more people. And unlike airlines and hotels that accept empty seats and rooms during slow periods, cruise lines will do whatever it takes to sail full. All lines except the four 6-star cruise lines will slash prices as low as they need to in order to fill every cabin, even in a recession. They do this for two reasons. First, on most lines, a significant percentage of the crews' compensation comes from gratuities -- and there are no gratuities from empty cabins. Second, venues such as casinos, spas, boutiques, photography studios and excursion desks are completely dependent on onboard purchases, which of course are directly related to the number of people onboard. All of this has resulted in the best bargains ever for people cruising this year, and as of now, prices have not begun to rise toward normal levels.

Larger cruise ships will usually offer world-class theatrical shows of singers and dancers, in two shows timed to be after 1st and 2nd restaurant sittings.

But there are some downsides too, such as. 

• If you don't ordinarily eat your dinner at 8:30 pm but at 6:30 pm or thereabouts then when going on a cruise ship with 1st and 2nd sittings insist on a 1st sitting. If you won't be assured this in advance of your cruise on the P&O cruise ship Arcadia or any other similar-size vessel, then don't book, go with another cruise line that will tell you in advance. Don't be fobbed off with the information you've been wait-listed for the 1st sitting. On the Arcadia and other ships, 1st sittings are usually determined months in advance, but only when you arrive aboard will you find out this is not possible. Don't accept that the only way to beat this is to eat earlier at the Arcadia's self-service Belvedere cafeteria or to pay extra to eat at its Arcadia Rhodes or Orchid restaurants instead of its 1st and 2nd sittings at the Meridian restaurant. This proved profoundly irritating to some Arcadia passengers on its November 25 through December 8 cruise to the Canaries, Madeira, Spain and Portugal. What makes it even worse is when a passenger denied a 1st restaurant sitting has to wait until after the 2nd restaurant sitting to attend 
• If you want a particular shore excursion and book it, expect to be told ahead of time, instead of being disappointed. On the Arcadia,  some passengers on its November 25 through December 8 cruise to the Canaries, Madeira, Spain and Portugal, turned up for their shore excursions only to be told then, not earlier, they had already been sold out.
• If you don't smoke, don't expect to be assaulted by the stink of cigarette smoke during your cruise. But this happened on the Arcadia, on its November 25 through December 8 cruise to the Canaries, Madeira, Spain and Portugal. Non-smoking passengers en route to and from the Meridian restaurant had no choice but to endure the horrible unpleasantness of having to walk through the smoke-filled part of the Rising Sun bar. 

Bermuda costs to cruise passengers

• Bermuda promotes itself as a luxury destination to the right kind of tourist in the high-end niche market.
• Bermuda has no tax-free facilities for cruise ship or airline passengers. 
• Bermuda is more expensive in taxes to cruise passengers than any other cruise ship destination. The Wall Street Journal confirms this. The Bermuda Government has a per person Arrivals Tax - regardless of length of cruise ship stay. Plus,  there is a charge per night in Bermuda per cruise ship passenger in both the high season (May through August) and low season (from September). This is the Bermuda Government Passenger Tax - http://www.taxbermuda.gov.bm/guide_passengercabin.htm. Officials in Bermuda justify the tax, saying Bermuda has the infrastructure. Passengers pay the taxes in their tickets. However, 2009 plans to waive cabin taxes for cruise ships in the ports of City of Hamilton and Town of St. George for the next three years by Government have been welcomed by Bermuda's business community. They believe that encouraging smaller niche ships to Town of St. George and City of Hamilton will help them, because the cruising price is a lot higher for all of these ships than the gigantic 4,000-person ships coming into Dockyard. The Ministry of Tourism and Transport announced it would be surveying private sector stakeholders on a policy proposal to make the Island more attractive to potential cruise ship partners. This follows a review of the cruise industry trends, including discussions with cruise lines, which concluded that Bermuda was losing its competitive edge in bringing cruise ships to the Island, particularly the smaller, premium ships which can dock in City of Hamilton and Town of St. George. The review noted that it was a challenge to attract smaller ships to Bermuda because the industry's smaller ships that once docked in Town of St. George and City of Hamilton have been retired or sold to developing markets in Asia and South America. Government said it would introduce legislation in the upcoming term that will waive cabin taxes for three years, for the St. George's and City of Hamilton ports only, starting in 2009 in an effort to attract the shrinking availability of smaller cruise ships. Although this concession was designed to keep Bermuda competitive, the Ministry of Tourism and Transport said it would explore additional concessions through consultation with the Corporation of Hamilton, the Corporation of St. George's and the Chamber of Commerce, asking them to assess the merits of allowing cruise ships staying one or more nights to provide full entertainment, open bars and signature shops while in port, and open casinos after 10 p.m. In return for allowing such controlled on-board business, the major cruise lines providing overnight ships on the Island would be expected to agree to take part in a number of activities and events that benefit all visitors and residents, said Government. The review also revealed many competing destinations such as Aruba, US Virgin Islands and the Bahamas, already allow cruise ships to open retail shops, entertainment and casinos while in port. It is very difficult for Bermuda's businesses to compete with the billion-dollar cruise ship industry in terms of offering entertainment, on a level playing field. They had dramatically different and higher overheads and had to stick to much tougher and stringent rules compared to their competitors, who could offer bargain $399 and $499 deals, including transport, accommodation and food.

Average spend in Bermuda of cruise passengers and crew

• Per passenger - approximately $186. 

• Per crew member- between $98 and $131 every time they visit.

Introduction to Bermuda

Bermuda is certainly a lovely place to go on a cruise. Just be aware of certain things that apply only in Bermuda. Cruise ships arrive in and depart from Bermuda on a seasonal, not year-round, basis. Bermuda is not the Caribbean but 1200 miles north of it, so has a cooler climate in the winter months than the Caribbean.

Owners of shops (stores) love cruise ships for the money and business cruise ship visitors bring.

Narcotics - even small amounts - are forbidden in Bermuda. See Illegal imports. Passengers with even small amounts will be caught, have to interrupt their schedule to go to court and will be fined hugely, or imprisoned.

Cruise ships sailing from US ports to Bermuda are required by US laws have between 15 and 25 cabins and staterooms for the registered disabled/physically handicapped, more roomy than for the non-disabled. But be aware of the fact that some cruise lines and their travel agents don't play fair to the officially registered disabled. Because they don't check to see that people really are disabled - wheelchair confined, blind, deaf or ambulatory with a stick - and are registered as such with their state or provincial government agencies, they allow persons who are not disabled to occupy staterooms intended solely for the disabled and their caregivers or carers. Disabled persons, if denied a cabin specifically for the disabled, under American or British or European laws (the latter two for ships leaving from the UK or Europe) have specific legal remedies if such cabins are instead given by cruise ship operators to persons not officially registered as disabled and don't have appropriate ID documentation to prove it.

For Bermuda's only complete A-Z of facilities and services for the disabled, see the extensive notes in the Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association web file, written by a local disabled journalist. Its physical address is Base Gate, 1 South Side, St. David's Island, DD 03. Telephone Willard Fox at (441) 293 5035.

Cruise lines, including those calling at Bermuda

Unlike the airlines, travel agents are paid commissions of 10 percent to 16 percent by the cruise lines mentioned below

 Plus, they usually get get free or discounted vacations to familiarize them with ships and ports of call. 

Some are contract cruise ships, meaning they are subsidized by the Bermuda Government to come to Bermuda weekly in the season.

What the following mean:

• APC (Average Passenger Capacity). 
• CPR (Crew to Passenger Ratio). 
• EIP (Extras Included in Price). 

Tips are expected on all ships unless they indicate to the contrary. 

A-C

Reciprocal active hyperlinks will be shown gladly and immediately to their websites when they link to Bermuda Online.

D-J

K-R

S-Z

Cruise Lines extras

Once, cruises included transportation, lodging, food - virtually everything expect long-distance telephone service. "All-inclusive" pricing banners were commonplace. Now,  Caribbean and Bermuda "extras" can easily cost $1,200 more than the cost of tickets. Extras such as per person, not per cabin rates; all beverages, whether water or wines or beers or cocktails or liqueurs, plus a 15% gratuity each time you order;  exclusive onboard specialty restaurants, with a 15% or minimum of $90 per person gratuity; spas; bingo; use of gyms and fitness centers; photographs taken by cruise staff; casino; art auctions; golf lessons; tuxedo rentals; flower delivery; shore excursions.

All visitors should have health and travel insurance

Always prudently take out travel insurance, spare money and have adequate hospital and medical health insurance to cope with possible unexpected problems in a foreign country, such as Bermuda. In emergencies, contact the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital - note its rate of charges for visitors - in Paget Parish. If you are hospitalized in Bermuda, you or your insurance, if valid in Bermuda, will always be responsible. Unlike Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, Bermuda has no National Health Service and no free clinics or free medical or surgical or prescription for visitors. Bermuda now no longer gives free hospital and surgical benefits to visitors from USA who claim they have no health insurance.  Sorry, but if you ignore warnings not to hire a scooter or moped unless you are thoroughly used to driving them on the left hand side of the road and don't have healthcare/major medical insurance, you won't get much sympathy, your consulate will be told and you will have to pay. The Overseas Family Help Committee of the Hospital Auxiliary organization in Bermuda, chaired by John Gilbert, is at telephone (441) 236-2488.The Committee has only two rooms available to house your family at the Nurses Residence of the hospital, from US$ 35 per person per day per room. Affordable local accommodation in Bermuda for spouses or friends or families who come to visit you in hospital, is difficult or impossible to find, especially in the cruise ship or tourist high season from April to November.

Arriving passengers

 The Revenue Amendment Act 2007 obliges ships and aircraft to provide the Collector of Customs with electronic lists of passengers and crew prior to arrival in Bermuda when required. Government anticipates that this will assist local security officers in pin-pointing high-risk individuals and cargo items. The information to be listed will include sex, date of birth, passport number and country of issue. The bill also obliges ships and aircraft to provide electronic data in advance on cargo including the marks, numbers and contents of every item of goods on board. Failure to comply with either requirement will lead to a $12,000 fine.  

Do not try to enter Bermuda if you do not have acceptable or adequate current documentation or if you are on an FBI or Interpol stop list. All arriving passengers must tell Immigration if they are visitors or salespeople or corporate representatives or residents or Bermudians and produce passports and Bermuda Government approved Work Permits for all who are not Bermudian and not strictly on vacation. Do not attempt to try to use your visit to see any client or conduct any business in Bermuda, or import any product without having the required Work Permit if you are not Bermudian, not even if you have entered Bermuda many times earlier. 

Allowed in Bermuda Customs inspection

Visitors may bring in, duty free for personal use only while they are here, their clothes and articles like cameras, golf bags, 50 cigars or 200 cigarettes or 0.454 kilos (1 pound weight) tobacco; 1 liter of liquor or wine and a $30 gift allowance. Returning residents are allowed an allowance of US$ 100 (until 1989 it was US$400 a person, reduced in 1990/91 to US$250 a person and subsequently reduced yet again to the present US$100 per person) before they pay duty on items they bring but visitors are not entitled to such an allowance. Items brought in by visitors and residents that are not within their duty free category incur a stand import duty rate of 22.25% of purchase cost. Produce receipts from a retail store satisfactory to the Customs Department of actual purchase price of the items or be prepared for the Customs Department to assess items for your payment of duty at much higher Bermuda prices. This is applied vigorously. To avoid being arrested and having goods confiscated, do not try to import goods into Bermuda without paying the duty.

Most Consumer and electronic goods can be imported if determined to be free of narcotics, but be prepared to pay a heavy import duty on them if they exceed your per-trip duty-free allowance of $100 per person if you are a Bermudian or approved resident. If with nothing illegal and with no items to declare, you may be waved through.

If you are bringing any foodstuffs with you, be sure to check yourself with Bermuda Customs to know what is legal and dutiable. Only Bermuda Customs can be the definitive source of information. Write in advance to Bermuda Customs at Hamilton Hall, 40 Front Street, Hamilton HM 11, P. O. Box HM 2084, Hamilton HM HX, Bermuda.

Owners of arriving animals, plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables must have proper documentation approved earlier by the Bermuda Government's Department of the Environment. Only prepared fresh, frozen or cooked fish or shellfish can be brought in providing the packaging is free of algae or seaweed. 

Illegal imports

Cruise ship passengers are strongly recommended to read, learn, inwardly digest and pay strict heed to the webfile above. It applies to those who arrive by air or cruise ship or yacht. The full list of  the hundreds of banned narcotics are in the Bermuda Government's Misuse of Drugs Act 1972 and Misuse of Drugs (Controlled Drugs) Order 2001 enacted on August 1, 2001. It is not an excuse if you fail to make yourself familiar with the contents of the full list. Penalties are very severe for those who ignore this warning. Locals, tourists and visitors are not given any breaks. It is wrong and misleading for cruise ship passengers caught with drugs and fined very heavily to claim they are not given any warning. The claims they invariably offer that they do not have the money to pay the fines are routinely ignored. They are remanded in custody or are put on bail with their transportation tickets impounded until they do. Also, there are many other repercussions.

Beaches and shore excursions

For tourists arriving by cruise ship from March through May and September through February, please note only you and possibly a few hardy local souls will want to use the beaches. Most Bermudians won't use them then, consider the water too cold until late May and after Labour Day.

The Bermuda Government policy is that cruise lines must use local agents for cruise-ship organized shore excursions and activities. 

This is not a policy imposed by most other cruise destinations. Also, cruise lines are banned from lending their passengers equipment - such as snorkels - that can be hired in Bermuda. This too is not a policy of other cruise destinations. But don't be deterred, there are so many options. Instead of taking a local agent organized, cruise-ship type tour, arrange your own.

One is Go fishing, on a licensed commercial fishing boat operating a whole day or half-day service. Some fishing boats, by prior arrangement with you and your cruise line, will meet you where your cruise ship docks.

The adventurous cruise ship visitor who seeks other diversions will find a nice variety of places to go, alone or with a spouse or friend or group, as mentioned below. 

If beaches are your idea of heaven, or combining them with sightseeing, this travel author has some suggestions, followed faithfully by visiting friends and relatives. They include taking a picnic lunch, drinks, camera, swimsuit and towels - whether by land or sea. And if by sea, renting a boat - a Boston whaler or personal watercraft- for a day or half day. 

By land from the Town of St. George. For those whose cruise ship docks here. By bus or minibus or taxi or moped/scooter. Ferries don't go to any of the places in this paragraph. See Getting Around for Visitors. Arrange with the cruise ship to supply you with a packed lunch and towels. Wear your swimsuit under your clothes. Bring a camera and sun tan lotion. Go by mini-bus - as buses don't go this far. Instead of going to public Tobacco Bay - it is lovely indeed but there is a sewage pipeline only 1,000 yards away emptying out into the sea from shore - you might prefer a beach such as public and also lovely - but private - Achilles Bay half a mile away or public Fort St. Catherine Beach nearby. This author's personal preference is for John Smith's Bay in Smith's Parish which is a 25-30 minute bus ride on the # 1 route from the Town of St. George (do not take the # 3 or 10/11), with a bus stop near the beach. Ask the bus driver to stop at John Smith's Beach.

By sea from the Town of St. George. For those whose cruise ship docks here. 

• Ferries don't go to Paget Island. Residents can do the following, hopefully visitors can too, but always check in advance from where you rent a Boston whaler or a local member of the Personal Watercraft Association of Bermuda. If so, be sure to ask for a map and directions. Then go, keeping to the 5 knot limit in the harbor until you get to the Paget Island beach. Take photographs with no problem but be sure not to litter the beach in any way. Find a little-known-to-tourists island beach, such as those on Paget Island, 10 minutes away by water from the Old Town. It is owned by the Bermuda Government but is accessible by water (only) up to the high tide mark. (Only when you trespass beyond the high water mark will you see the sign telling you not to access without permission). The author recommends it as a lovely romantic getaway, but pick a day when the water is calm. 
• Ferries don't go Castle Harbour. Residents can do the following, hopefully visitors can too, but always check in advance from where you rent a Boston whaler or a local member of the Personal Watercraft Association of Bermuda. If so, be sure to ask for a map and directions. Then go, keeping to the 5 knot limit in the harbor. Go west from the Town of St. George's via Ferry Reach and under Swing Bridge and then east again under Longbird Bridge into Castle Harbour, for sightseeing or beaching. For best results, go when the tide is low. In Castle Harbour, stop first on the sea side of the small beach exposed at low tide at Cable End, then moor off Castle Island. 

By land from the City of Hamilton. For those whose cruise ship docks here. By bus or taxi or moped/scooter. Ferries don't go to any of the places in this paragraph. John Smith's Bay in Smith's Parish is a lovely public beach about 30 minutes by the # 1 bus every half hour during the day. Other public beaches are ( the public section of) Elbow Beach in Paget Parish, on the # 7 bus route; Warwick Long Bay (another personal favorite) in Warwick Parish, on the # 7 bus route; Horseshoe Bay in Southampton Parish, on the # 7 bus route; Church Bay, also in Southampton Parish, also # 7 bus route.

By sea from the City of Hamilton. 

• Going by ferry to Dockyard and/or Town of St. George is a gorgeous way - and the least expensive of all trips by boat - to see the western and eastern parishes.
• Rent a Boston whaler or ask the local member of the Personal Watercraft Association of Bermuda to help you, with a map and directions. Go west to Paradise Lake - not served by ferry - passing a number of islands.

By land from Dockyard. In Sandys Parish. A really nice beach - the best in this Parish - is Somerset Long Bay in Sandys Parish, but it is a fair walk from where the nearest public bus stop at Mangrove Bay.

By sea from Dockyard. In Sandys Parish. For those whose cruise ship docks here. 

• Ferries stop at several of the Parish's areas. Well worth seeing. Also, going by ferry to City of Hamilton and/or Town of St. George is a gorgeous way - and the least expensive of all trips by boat - to see the western and eastern parishes.
• Ferries don't stop at Ely's Harbour. Rent a Boston whaler or ask the local member of the Personal Watercraft Association of Bermuda to help you, with a map and directions. Then go, keeping to the 5 knot limit in the harbour. Take a day or half day exploration of Ely's Harbour and then a relaxing swim after the harbour to the small beaches of the (presently closed) Daniel's Head Village hotel. To stay legal, go on any beach up to but not beyond the high water mark.  Go at high tide to give you the best chance of evading reefs and shoals.

Bermuda shopping

Bermuda stores must by law be at least 60% owned by Bermudians. All Bermudians, tourists and business visitors would love to see Bermuda become duty-free, with bargains galore. But it is not yet possible. Retailers have long - most recently in July 2008 - been requesting Government to make shopping in Bermuda more competitive with duty-free ports in the Caribbean and Mexico, by introducing duty-free goods for visitors, to significantly help restore Bermuda as the prime shopping destination it was once. But the Bermuda Government administering the world's wealthiest nation according to the World Bank - far more so than the USA, UK, Canada, etc - will not give up its principal way of making money, a customs duty rate on all imports (98% of all goods) far higher than in USA, UK or Canada. This is what forced Bermuda's two finest stores by far, Trimingham's and Smith's first to merge in 2004 and then to close down completely in July 2005. It explains why the overall cost of living is nearly four times more than overall in USA and nearly three times more than in UK and Canada.

There are more than 375 retail shops in Bermuda, employing 4,800 people in total - about 13 persons per outlet on average.  This gives a good indication of the average size per store.

But some nice products from Bermuda and around the world can certainly be obtained locally. Prices in the City of Hamilton, Town of St. George and Dockyard are the same for outlets with branches in all three local ports.

Duty Free Liquor

No off-the-shelf duty-free liquor such as in the Caribbean.  For liquor consumed in Bermuda, prices are appreciably more than most Caribbean ports. A single liter of Gosling's Black Seal Rum or the cheapest Scotch bought in Bermuda at regular retail prices is at least US$23. But duty-free, for consumption beyond Bermuda, is available in a carton of bottles of the liquor of your choice, for delivery to your cruise ship.  Be aware that they may be confiscated by your cruise ship for the duration of the voyage and returned to you at the end of the voyage.  This is standard procedure among cruise ship companies. Letting passengers drink their own duty-free liquor on board is like letting passengers drink off-licence purchases in a pub or bar. Some cruise ships - like those on Regal Cruises - have a duty-free shop.

Entertainment on board

The Bermuda Government policy is to require the shutting down of on-board entertainment for cruise passengers unless the entertainment is provided on board by Bermudians. This is not a policy imposed by other cruise destinations.

Gambling

Ever since cruising to Bermuda began, gambling has not been allowed in cruise ships while in Bermuda waters. It was hoped by cruise passengers this would change from 2009 with an amendment to the long-term prohibition. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) had stated the Prohibition of Gaming Machines Amendment Act 2009 was important in maintaining Bermuda's competitiveness as a cruise destination. The Prohibition of Gaming Machines Amendment Act 2009 would have allowed ships to open casinos in port between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. This would not have had any meaningful impact on the local economy as a 2008 survey revealed 95 percent of passengers were back on board by 10 p.m. Having sailed to the Island for more than 18 years, bringing thousands of guests each year, NCL has a strong commitment to Bermuda as one of its key seasonal destinations. In 2009 alone it has three ships making a total of 65 calls to Bermuda, carrying approximately 130,000 guests. NCL believes that the proposed legislation allowing cruise ships to open casinos while in port in Bermuda is a vital step in Bermuda's efforts to remain a competitive destination for cruise tourism. Bermuda is the only destination where NCL spends multiple nights in port. It spends one overnight in St. Petersburg, Russia, and occasionally overnight in the Bahamas, and both destinations permit NCL to operate its on-board casinos. The ability to gamble was also an "important entertainment option" for potential passengers when booking tickets. Only NCL guests will be able to use its casinos. The only way for Bermudians to enjoy the casinos is if they buy a cruise ticket and join the ship at its US departure port.  Debate on the Act has been postponed. When the legislation was first introduced it was withdrawn half-way through a debate amid Government concerns that not enough of its MPs were going to support it. Many passengers on cruise ships have complained of chronic boredom in Hamilton at night with its lack of readily available nightlife and the fact that Bermuda is no longer the safe destination it was once. They believe they should be allowed to gamble away the night hours in the same way they can do in other foreign ports. Some passengers have said, rightly: "Besides, Bermuda allows some gambling already and not letting cruise passengers visitors do it is discrimination."

Getting around

This website deals in detail with all the forms of public transport available to visitors and what they can and cannot carry. If your cruise line advises you not to use a moped or scooter, heed the advice. It is to help protect passengers from problems.

Golf Courses in Bermuda

Note how each course is shown with nearest Bermuda port for cruise ship passengers, how best to get there, how close public transportation will go of you do not have your own clubs; and whether public or private. Always check yourself with the course what the rates are as they can vary significantly by time of day and time of year.

Internet access on cruise ships

Prospective cruise ship passengers who are internet savvy should make a point of checking this out thoroughly well in advance. It can be hugely important that their cruise ships have good, fast wireless Internet as a standard or an optional extra throughout the ship, not just on public rooms, giving passengers the ability to send and receive entirely at their convenience not only emails but ftp files and attachments including digital photographs. Many cruise passengers assume wrongly that when they go on an expensive holiday or vacation they will have at least the same, if not better, abilities and Internet facilities on their ships, via their laptops or the ship's, as they do ashore in their homes and places of employment, and at the same price. But this is rarely the case. Some cruise lines don't have ship-wide wireless Internet access but limit their service to Internet rooms for passengers to send and receive text emails only, no attachments such as photographs, with no ftp facilities as are now common in most good hotels worldwide for those who have or want to send ftp files. Passengers who travel to wonderful places want to be able to email photos back home to their families, friends and colleagues. If they cannot, it's a significant opportunity wasted for both passengers and the cruise line in terms of publicity and more clientele.

Orient Lines Cruise Ship package: http://www.orientlines.com/more/internet_cafe.html 

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) Cruise Ship package: http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=InternetCafe 

Pacific and Orient (P&0) Cruise Ship Package. Via mtndsi. Pricing: Time Plan 1, 250 minutes for £ sterling 62.50. £0.25 a minute. Time Plan 2: 100 minutes for £35, $0.35 per minute. Pay as you go £0.50 per minute Plus account activation charge of £2.50  Users on the Arcadia have complained repeatedly how slow and awful this service is and how it reflects poorly on the ship's and P&O's reputation and the Arcadia's Port of Registry, Hamilton, Bermuda.

Why are Internet Access packages on cruise ships so expensive, slow and poor? Because no one yet has complained in the right places about it. But this is about to change......

Because of the extremely poor quality and huge expense of Internet access on board many cruise ships, don't depend at all on them for this service. Instead, if you possibly can, bring your own laptop and wait until you reach a port or a port's shopping centre with free WIFI access, such as is now common in Lisbon, Cadiz and some Canary Islands. 

Does Bermuda currently offer free WIFI access to its cruise ship passengers? No. 

Road Traffic density

Huge, to visitors. See Getting around for Visitors. Also Transport Options for Residents.