Booking SHORE excursions on my own . . . ?

We're taking NCL's Breakaway and docking at Royal Naval Dockyard for a few days in June. Has anyone booked shore excursions on their own outside of the cruise ship's offerings? I found quite a few same/similar tours on Viator.com (who I have used before with success) offered for less than the cruise ship, but wondering if anyone can recommend another third party or your company I can book directly with. Thanks in advance and happy cruising to all . . .

We're taking NCL's Breakaway and docking at Royal Naval Dockyard for a few days in June. Has anyone booked shore excursions on their own outside of the cruise ship's offerings? I found quite a few same/similar tours on Viator.com (who I have used before with success) offered for less than the cruise ship, but wondering if anyone can recommend another third party or your company I can book directly with. Thanks in advance and happy cruising to all . . .

There is no need to book shore excursions in Bermuda with the cruise line or with Viator either. Viator uses companies you can book on your own. Most everything can be done direct or DIY. You don't say what you are interested in doing, so it's hard to make recommendations without that information. At the Dockyard there are a lot of excursions you can book at the Island Tour Centre. They aggregate excursions from the local companies. https://www.islandtourcentre.com

Thanks for this link.

I love Bermuda! There are lots of things you can do completely on your own, including beaches, snorkeling, and self-guided walking tours. I also agree with the previous poster that there are great resources right at the port. For about $30.00 per adult you can purchase an unlimited pass for the buses and water taxis, which can easily move you around the whole island. If you tell us more about your interests while in Bermuda I'm sure you'll get lots of help. Laurie

Laurie, We are going in Mid May, but will be gone before Bermuda Day. We'd love to see as much of the island as we can. We like to hike, bike, kayak (sounds like water temp may be too cool for snorkel - what is the water temp? Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

thanks

First, I've found this site to be very helpful: https://www.bermuda-attractions.com/ It usually has up to date info as the season progresses about events on the island. As Charles pointed out there is a tour booking location at the dockyard and they are using many of the same tour vendors as the ships are. Here you can access kayak tours, snorkel or sailing trips, Segway tours or historical tours. There is a bike path on the island that one can hike and bike on; I didn't look for bikes when we were there but it would surprise me if you can't arrange for a bike tour. If you want to book a tour in a taxi there are drivers who are certified by the Bermudian government as trained tour guides and I recall a marker of some kind, maybe a blue flag on the taxi announcing them recognized guides. Our trip was in May 2 years ago. It was definitely too cold for me to go in the water to swim, but I did wade pretty deeply and was not uncomfortable. We were using the bus system and we were on the South beaches (Warwick Long Bay and Jobson's Cove https://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda_00000c.htm) and from there it is about a 30 minute bus trip back to port. I didn't want to be in a wet bathing suit for the ride back, so that played into my decision not to go swimming. Had I known what I know now, I would have taken a change of clothes and just changed on the beach because we had the area to ourselves!

When you get off the ship the ticket booth for the busses and ferries is a short walk. Once purchased you can use them for unlimited travel while on the island; at the time of our last trip it was about $30.00 per adult for a 2 day pass. These passes are a little weird in that they expire at midnight on the second day, so if you are arriving on a Wednesday your 2 day pass purchased Wednesday morning will expire on Thursday at midnight not the middle of Friday morning. So if you really want to leave the dockyard area on Friday, the day the Breakaway leaves and all aboard is around 4 PM, then purchase a one day pass or single trip tokens, depending on where you're going. The ferries are a beautiful ride where you can get a sense of the whole island from the boat. One ferry goes to Hamilton and the other to St George. From each location you can walk locally to shop, visit historical sites, or get to lighthouses and beaches. You can also access the buses from these locations to go to places like the caves, the Swizzle Inn, or the aquarium. You are all making me very excited about our trip to Bermuda in September! Laurie

Fabulous info! Thanks Laurie

I don't think we can do it all in 1 trip. We may have to make this an annual thing!

Thank you Laurie. You answered many of my questions too. I hope all is well. I'm not sure if you remember me, but we were on Royal Freedom of the Seas for the NP conference cruise and shared the taxi in St. Thomas. We just booked a cruise to Bermuda for May last minute.

First, I've found this site to be very helpful: https://www.bermuda-attractions.co/ It usually has up to date info as the season progresses about events on the island.

That web site often has errors. The owner is in India, not Bermuda, and likely is reading TripAdvisor reviews and Cruise Critic for his info.

Every year stuff changes, and it is best to read this board as the season progresses. Until the cruises season starts at the very end of April, beginning of May no telling what curveballs will be thrown. Like last year when they originally planned not to sell transportation passes at the Dockyard , then backtracked because of complaints. They also discontinued the extra buses to Horseshoe Bay, which made it less desirable to use the public buses to Horseshoe, and more desirable to use the private Minibus Shuttles and taxis last year.

That web site often has errors. The owner is in India, not Bermuda, and likely is reading TripAdvisor reviews and Cruise Critic for his info.

 

Every year stuff changes, and it is best to read this board as the season progresses. Until the cruises season starts at the very end of April, beginning of May no telling what curveballs will be thrown. Like last year when they originally planned not to sell transportation passes at the Dockyard , then backtracked because of complaints. They also discontinued the extra buses to Horseshoe Bay, which made it less desirable to use the public buses to Horseshoe, and more desirable to use the private Minibus Shuttles and taxis last year.

Thanks for your input. So far I haven't found any major problems with his info and have used it a good bit. I'm reading his e-books currently. I also read at multiple locations such as here and Trip Advisor, and much of what I've written in this thread has been from my own experience. Thank you for your additions and suggestions. Laurie

Thank you Laurie. You answered many of my questions too. I hope all is well. I'm not sure if you remember me, but we were on Royal Freedom of the Seas for the NP conference cruise and shared the taxi in St. Thomas. We just booked a cruise to Bermuda for May last minute.

Well hi again! That explains why your on-line ID seemed vaguely familiar. I hope you LOVE Bermuda and have a wonderful time. Laurie