Q. I have cruised several times, but I have never gone anywhere but the Caribbean. Is Bermuda comprible? Is it a family friendly place? This will be the first time I have ever cruised with my daughter who is 4 now. I am nervous, but excited. Any suggestions! Please help...
A. I have been to Bermuda twice on cruise ships. So I will tell you what I know based on my two trips there.
Bermuda has some of the best beaches anywhere; pink sand beaches that you can easily find a deserted spot on. In my two visit it seemed to me that the majority of the people visiting the island were those on the two or three cruise ships which docked there during my stay. There are a few hotels in the town of Hamilton and about a dozen other properties/beach hotels, but they are nice. There are NO slums and ghettos in Bermuda like you may see on other islands like the Caribbean. All of the houses are well maintained and painted in pastel colors. All of the public beaches are great. Be sure to go to Elbow Beach and Long Bay Beach. When you cruise there its less expensive than flying and staying in a hotel because, you stay and eat on the ship. We ate on ship and that was good because meals (and everything else) are expensive since everything has to be imported. In fact Bermuda is an expensive place for about everything.
There is not a lot to do in Bermuda other than water sports and golf. There are two main towns Hamilton, the largest (where most cruise ships dock for at least a day) and St George (also a port stop) which is like a small town and has just a few shops.
St George is like a small new England town with a small town square and a few shops. But it has bus service that will take you anywhere on the island, and since the island is pretty small (about 22 miles long) it only takes a few minutes to go other places. You can visit one of the many forts on the island like Fort St Catherine , its walking distance from St George also. If you want to the beach from St George you have several options within walking distance of St George and if you want to snorkel, the Tobacco Bay Beach near the town of St George is great, and its walking distance (about 3/4 mile from town).
The third place ships may dock while there is The Kings Dockyard.. The Dockyard is on the far end of the 22 mile long island and has a small mall with shops and a museum. It also has a new attraction called Snorkel Park Beach. The Crystal Cave and Fantasy Caves are worth visiting as a tour, or on your own. I also visited one of the lighthouses, for lack of anything else to do.
In the town of Hamilton we took a walking tour which took us to the Cathedral of the Most Holy, a maritime museum and a nice garden/park a few blocks from the port. There is shopping in Hamilton and restaurants, but not much else.
The best way to get around in Bermuda is to buy a transportation pass (sold in stores and the bus station) which will let you take the buses, and the ferry, all over the island. We bought our bus pass at a store in St George, near where the ship docked. There is a big bus depot just a couple blocks from where ships dock in the town of Hamilton. You can take the buses to the beach, they are not very far away and easy to get to from the bus stop. You want to go to Elbow Beach and Long Beach, both open to the public.
The thing not to miss in Bermuda is the beaches. Its not like Caribbean islands with a lot of bars and clubs, maybe a couple on main street in Hamilton and that's it. Its a safe place to go and you don't have to worry at all about riding the buses or ferry anywhere on the island. 3 to 5 days there on a cruise ship is plenty enough time to see all that you will want to see and do. Several cruise lines run cruises to Bermuda from east coast cities from Boston to Charleston, SC.
http://www.bermuda.com
http://www.bermudatourism.com/index.aspx
Bermuda has some of the best beaches anywhere; pink sand beaches that you can easily find a deserted spot on. In my two visit it seemed to me that the majority of the people visiting the island were those on the two or three cruise ships which docked there during my stay. There are a few hotels in the town of Hamilton and about a dozen other properties/beach hotels, but they are nice. There are NO slums and ghettos in Bermuda like you may see on other islands like the Caribbean. All of the houses are well maintained and painted in pastel colors. All of the public beaches are great. Be sure to go to Elbow Beach and Long Bay Beach. When you cruise there its less expensive than flying and staying in a hotel because, you stay and eat on the ship. We ate on ship and that was good because meals (and everything else) are expensive since everything has to be imported. In fact Bermuda is an expensive place for about everything.
There is not a lot to do in Bermuda other than water sports and golf. There are two main towns Hamilton, the largest (where most cruise ships dock for at least a day) and St George (also a port stop) which is like a small town and has just a few shops.
St George is like a small new England town with a small town square and a few shops. But it has bus service that will take you anywhere on the island, and since the island is pretty small (about 22 miles long) it only takes a few minutes to go other places. You can visit one of the many forts on the island like Fort St Catherine , its walking distance from St George also. If you want to the beach from St George you have several options within walking distance of St George and if you want to snorkel, the Tobacco Bay Beach near the town of St George is great, and its walking distance (about 3/4 mile from town).
The third place ships may dock while there is The Kings Dockyard.. The Dockyard is on the far end of the 22 mile long island and has a small mall with shops and a museum. It also has a new attraction called Snorkel Park Beach. The Crystal Cave and Fantasy Caves are worth visiting as a tour, or on your own. I also visited one of the lighthouses, for lack of anything else to do.
In the town of Hamilton we took a walking tour which took us to the Cathedral of the Most Holy, a maritime museum and a nice garden/park a few blocks from the port. There is shopping in Hamilton and restaurants, but not much else.
The best way to get around in Bermuda is to buy a transportation pass (sold in stores and the bus station) which will let you take the buses, and the ferry, all over the island. We bought our bus pass at a store in St George, near where the ship docked. There is a big bus depot just a couple blocks from where ships dock in the town of Hamilton. You can take the buses to the beach, they are not very far away and easy to get to from the bus stop. You want to go to Elbow Beach and Long Beach, both open to the public.
The thing not to miss in Bermuda is the beaches. Its not like Caribbean islands with a lot of bars and clubs, maybe a couple on main street in Hamilton and that's it. Its a safe place to go and you don't have to worry at all about riding the buses or ferry anywhere on the island. 3 to 5 days there on a cruise ship is plenty enough time to see all that you will want to see and do. Several cruise lines run cruises to Bermuda from east coast cities from Boston to Charleston, SC.
http://www.bermuda.com
http://www.bermudatourism.com/index.aspx
Does anybody know of any Charleston, SC hotels that have a shuttle from the airport and also to the port?
Q. I am taking a cruise out of the there in March, and am getting into town the night before it departs. It would be really convenient to find a hotel that will pick me up from the airport, and also take me to the port.
A. There are lots of hotels that offer packages that allow people to leave their car at the hotel while they go on a cruise so I assume they shuttle these guests to the port. I doubt any hotel is going to offer a shuttle from the airport so if I were you I'd just grab a cab. That's not to say a hotel won't come get you though. It doesn't hurt to ask so I'd speak up when making a reservation. Especially if you're going to stay at a ritzy place. That may be a perk they offer but don't advertise.
Here is a link to a search I did. It will show you lots of hotels that offer the park & cruise packages. I'm sure many of these will be happy to get you to the port even if you don't leave a car there. Just call some of them and see if they could possibly pick you up at the airport as well. You may get lucky! http://www.charlestoncvb.com/visitors/special_offers/packages/stay/
Good luck and I hope this helps!
Here is a link to a search I did. It will show you lots of hotels that offer the park & cruise packages. I'm sure many of these will be happy to get you to the port even if you don't leave a car there. Just call some of them and see if they could possibly pick you up at the airport as well. You may get lucky! http://www.charlestoncvb.com/visitors/special_offers/packages/stay/
Good luck and I hope this helps!
How do you find good honeymoon spots in Charleston South Carolina?
Q. I'm having a hard time to find a good spot for my honeymoon next May and I don't want to stay in a hotel either. Does anyone know of any places or websites etc that could help with this. I also need something that isn't crazy expensive.
A. I lived in Mt. Pleasant, across the Cooper River, from Charleston in a previous life.
My recommendations:
If you want to be real close to Charleston, then the Isle of Palms may be what you want.
http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/Isle-of-Palms-South-Carolina.html
My personal view is that both Seabrook Island and Kiawah Island are nicer than either Edisto Beach or Isle of Palms. Myrtle Beach is much too far from Charleston.
http://www.kiawahresort.com/accommodations/
http://www.resortquestseabrook.com/
And, needless to say, the price ranges vary widely. The least expensive will be the Isle of Palms.
Next: Seabrook
Most expensive: Kiawah
NOTE: Both Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island are next to each other. The same road will take you to both. As Yogi Berra said, "When you come to the fork in the road, take it."
My recommendations:
If you want to be real close to Charleston, then the Isle of Palms may be what you want.
http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/Isle-of-Palms-South-Carolina.html
My personal view is that both Seabrook Island and Kiawah Island are nicer than either Edisto Beach or Isle of Palms. Myrtle Beach is much too far from Charleston.
http://www.kiawahresort.com/accommodations/
http://www.resortquestseabrook.com/
And, needless to say, the price ranges vary widely. The least expensive will be the Isle of Palms.
Next: Seabrook
Most expensive: Kiawah
NOTE: Both Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island are next to each other. The same road will take you to both. As Yogi Berra said, "When you come to the fork in the road, take it."
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