Navigating Bermuda cruise port on your own very easy

 I always enjoy royal dockyard Bermuda as a cruise port, as it’s easy and safe on your own. You can take the ferry or buses everywhere. Note the day pass is 19 usd good for buses and ferries or two tokens are 9 usd at the tourist kiosk after you get off the ship. Note they don’t take cash anymore. Tips are below

- get a pass or tokens

- if going to Hamilton take the ferry one way and bus the return or vice versa as both are scenic

- visit the small historic museum in Hamilton.. interesting

- visit horseshoe bay via the bus to Hamilton 

- St. George is my favourite, but takes over an hour to get there by bus , two buses with a change in Hamilton. Has a great beach and historical church and buildings

- I have not been to the caves

- royal dockyard has a small beach and has a fee but gives you lounge chairs 

- the shops have the same prices as Hamilton

- love the roaming chickens and roosters at the dockyard 

- look up as there are white Bermuda long tail birds only found on the island

Overall a great island to visit on your own

Hope this helps 

Marcia 

Recommendations if taking cruise ship’s shore excursions - mostly don’t

 I have taken over 40 cruises so have taken more than my share of  ship’s shore excursions.  I mostly don’t recommend taking ship shore excursions but below are my reasons for when to take them and when not to

When to take a shore excursion via the cruise line

- when it’s to difficult to get to the key sites from the port. For example Mont Michel is far away from port and there is no easy public train or bus access or taxis are more expensive than the shore excursion 

- when what you want to see is far away from port and you want to to be guaranteed the ship will wait if your tour comes back late

- the port is known to be dangerous. There are several places where there are muggers etc. and it’s well reported on the internet. I personally found Martinique to be intimidating.

- when you are using up your on board credits. After I use up credits to pay for gratuities and the internet, I sometimes have enough to pay for a shore excursion.

When not to book

- you have done your research pre cruise and found there is easy public transport . It will always be cheaper and more interesting. Just print out the schedules and buy open return passes for trains so you have maximum flexibility 

- when you can share a cab with other passengers. In Japan I did this in several ports and had great experiences

- when the port is walkable. There are lots of printable maps on the internet

-you have read the online reviews of the shore excursions and they are universally bad

Overall, doing it on your own will be cheaper and more adventurous. 

Hope this helps 

Marcia

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Rotterdam cruise ship on a transatlantic cruise ..bland, packed and seniors galore

 I am on a 14 day transatlantic cruise on Rotterdam a newer Holland America ship. It’s about four years old. I am not impressed and don’t know exactly why, but below are the good and bad impressions .  an update …  7 days  in. They kindly changed my cabin to the back of the ship. It has clean windows, and is quiet and no smells. Hallelujah!  I have added more below

Good

- newer ship, so no worn out carpeting, chairs etc

- food has been good in the dining room and buffet.. really good

- new cabin at the back of the ship lovely and clean and quiet. I am very comfortable 

- some staff pleasant and others just miserable .. still true particularly some of the staff in the lido buffet

- tai chi class is led by a real person, not a video 

- entertainment has been great in the theatre but they have the performers on twice

- cruise director speaking shows in the theatre also good

- easy to get off ship in port…probably because of so many old people

- Dutch cafe has good free limited food selection but again no seats available ever and I have been there all times of the day

Bad

- cabin 1039 smells like an old ship, as do the pillows on the bed  cabin 1039 is to be avoided at all costs

- they haven’t cleaned the outside windows in my ocean view cabin so it’s hard to see out cabin 1039

- the ship feels crowded especially in the elevator and dining areas still true

- full of really old people meaning 80 plus years

- some of the Americans on board are nice to Canadians but the trump supporters are rude to us.., yuck 

- all activities are packed so they turn passengers away, and no change or additions to the scheduled daily 

- very few activities so I guess it’s why they are packed

- my guaranteed cabin  1039 was below

the rock venue so 3 times a night until 11:30 the music is so loud my cabin seems to shake with the bass. While I saved enough money on a guaranteed cabin to pay for the internet, I suffered nightly until they changed my cabin

Music at night is packed in every venue so no place to sit to enjoy the music. I was told passengers camp out after dinner in seats and don’t leave even for the theater show

Only have one guest speaker in day time, talking about war ships. Your better off taking a nap in your cabin 

Hope this helps

Marcia