grandmaR

My husband and I are very interested in doing one of these taxi tours on a TA cruise next year, but I can't find the answer to a question: when you quote the hourly rate you paid is that per person or for the cab?

 

We would be interested in sharing the cost in a large taxi (van) that would not make us feel too crowded.

 

Thanks for any info or suggestions......

 

Judith

It's per hour per vehicle. (plus tip)

Which lighthouse? (there are 2, but I assume you mean Gibbs Hill and not St. Davids). We had a private tour with a guide (Duke who is no longer able to do tours) but we had already been to Bermuda a bunch of times. We were quite late getting to Bermuda because of a storm so this was just 3.5 hours

The first thing he showed us was a wall as we left the dockyard which had the logos of all the ships that had docked there from early in the 1900s to the present. We paused briefly at the Royal Navy Cemetery (burials of the British Navy dating back to 1700). We drove thru Somerset and he asked us if we had seen the Heydon Trust Chapel, which we had not, so we stopped briefly there. This small chapel dates back to 1616. It had a partly above ground cistern.

We crossed the smallest drawbridge without stopping as we have seen a several times - our next goal was Gibbs Lighthouse because Duke said that if we waited, the parking lot would be too full to even get the taxi into. Here we got out and walked around and Bob and I both took photos. He got one of Duke which I meant to do, but forgot. We could see the ship across the sound.

We followed the South Road along the shore, past Horseshoe Bay, Warwick Long Bay, and all the famous beaches. There was a lot of surf even though we could see the surf line on the reef offshore.

Huge Banyan Tree

Then he showed us a HUGE banyan tree which had taken over a whole block and was trying to cross the road.

map of Bermuda in the Waterville lily pond

Our next stop took us by a beautiful nursery with all kinds of flowers, but our destination was Waterville, which was a private residence is now the headquarters of the Bermuda National Trust. This was originally a place where sailors could come in to shop - I think. He said it was owned by Trimminghams, which is no longer in business because the children aren't interested in running it.

What he wanted to show us was a water lily pond which had the islands of Bermuda in it. (He said if it could grow a tree, it was an island - otherwise it was a rock). There was also a little zoo which we didn't stop at.

Then we went past the Botanical Gardens, Collector's Hill and stopped briefly at Spittal Pond parking lot where there were a bunch of chickens running around.

Road, rocks and surf near John Smith Bay Park

We kept going along South Road, past John Smith Bay Park (which he assured us was a different John Smith) and drove thru Tucker's Town, which isn't really a town at all and paused by the beach of the Mid-Ocean Club which had a lot of surf. Some people that tried to go to the beach the next day said that they closed the beach and wouldn't let them go

Following a bus through Flatts Village

Then we went thru the Flats and passed by the BAMZ (Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo) which had a new statue of a sea turtle out front - Duke said they made it out of the roof tiles when they repaired the cathedral. He said the railway museum is closed now - that maybe the lady that ran it died.

Street in Hamilton

We went along the north shore - tried to get a photo of the Black Watch well, which that regiment dug during the drought of 1849, but I didn't really see it and don't think I got a photo. We went through Black Watch pass down into Hamilton, past Victoria Park and the cathedral, and circled the City Hall

Passageway in Fort Hamilton

...and headed for Fort Hamilton.

Here he let us out because the van was too heavy to go over the moat bridge. We walked around the fort and took photos.

Now we were heading back for the ship - back thru Somerset on the road next to Great Sound. I took a photo of the moon rising. He let us off at the ship

How far in advance do you usually contact a private guide?

I book as soon as I book the cruise or very shortly thereafter - basically as soon as I know I want a guide.

There are a lot of guides, but there are also a LOT of people on a cruise ship. And depending on the dates, there may be more than one there at a time.

Generally if I'm with a guide over lunch he waits and maybe has his lunch. Sometimes I eat with him/them. Depends on how they indicate they want to do it. In Rome, Naples and St. Martin, they didn't eat with us. In Santo Domingo, the guide and driver both ate with us.

If I want to go into a place (like Fort Hamilton or Gibbs Hill Lighthouse) the guide will either drop us off and wait or he will park and come in with us depending on the parking and what the site is. In St. Martin, the guide waited outside the zoo for us and waited while we shopped. But there isn't the same kind of transportation system there that there is in Bermuda so I couldn't have gotten public transportation from there.

As to when to start - sometimes that depends on the traffic. The last time, we decided to start a little later because that would be easier for the driver not having to fight the rush hour traffic and would let us have a more leisurely breakfast. We have also made arrangements to take the ferry to St. George, sightsee and have lunch there, and and then meet the driver and then have him drive us back from there to the ship, stopping at various places along the way.

A lot of times when I'm on a cruise and have been someplace before (like the Bahamas and St. Thomas) I will get a taxi driver when I get off the ship and bargain with him for where I want to go and we set a price. But for Bermuda, I've done that in advance. I've been to Bermuda before (this next time will be my 6th time to visit there -1963, 1995, 2004, 2007, and 2011), and I know where I want to go and what I want to do there.

The Bermuda dollar is tied in value to the US dollar. So the value of the US dollar is exactly the same as the Bermuda dollar.

I pay the guides in cash unless they have said that the accept credit cards.

We tip. Bob usually figures out how much - usually 10-20% for a private guide - for a regular excursion guide about $1-2 each.

I don't know what constitutes a typical tour. I've never had one. All the private tours I have had, I tell them what I want to do. So my last Bermuda tour with a private guide, I gave him a list of places I wanted to go, and he arranged them. I wanted to go to Gibbs Lighthouse so we went there almost first thing because he said that if we waited there wouldn't be room to park. We also went to Fort Hamilton and he let us out to walk around.

It isn't a generalization. I contacted one of them and that's what he said he charged. It wasn't the one that has been talked about much or one that other people have said was charging $50.

That's why I asked about taxis that weren't guides. Because I just want someone to drive me around and wait while I go and take pictures and then go to the next place. So basically someone who knows the island and will sell me a block of time regardless of the mileage

I discussed it with him and we agreed on a price, but I don't want to say who it was because I don't want to get him in trouble. I'm just saying that some of the guides have apparently decided that booking in advance and agreeing to meet a ship on some specific schedule requires that they charge $50 an hour

The tour guides are beginning to charge $50 and hour for the service of meeting you at the ship. I've heard of one on this board and one that I contacted that was listed here.

I'm not sure whether I really need a guide - I need someone to take me to places that I know that I want to go and stay while we get out and take photos and then go on to the next place. That doesn't seem to fit in to the mileage rate schedule - there isn't going to be a lot of mileage because Bermuda isn't that big.

We did use Duke on our last trip andB were very pleased. But he's the only one I used so I have no way to compare

So an ordinary taxi is the same as a taxi with a guide?

Does anyone know how much a taxi would be per hour?

Have you been to Bermuda before? I am guessing not.

Of course it depends a little bit on your interests. Beach? Historic buildings?

Do you want to stop and go in to places, or just see where they are?

We've been to Bermuda five times - once in 1963 when my husband's ship was there and I was pregnant with my second child. The second time was for Thanksgiving in 1995, and it started us on our post-children travels. Just for variety, we came the third time (November 2004) and a fourth time (October 2007) and a fifth time (November 2011) on a cruise ship.

If the ship is docked at King's Wharf, you can do things like the Clocktower Mall, and the Royal Navy Dockyard/Maritime Museum on your own. I also usually shop at the Cooperage which is opposite the Maritime Museum and has all Bermuda made products.

The first time we visited St. George, Hamilton, Fort St. Catherine, the smallest bridge in Sandy's Parish and the Aquarium. This is a good place to start - there are interesting things to see in St. George such as St. Peters, and the Historical Society. One our second visit, we just looked at the Deliverance from the outside, but we did go to see the slide show at the Town Hall and walked around Somer's Garden This is a two part walking tour of St. George - part one http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/5d8a3/#TL and part two http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/5d8aa/#TL

The second visit we were there for several days. In addition to going to the Maritime Museum, we took the ferry to Hamilton. I walked through the historical society exhibit in the library and Bob went to the Perot post office. We went to the Aquarium again, and we also went on a tour of the Botanical Garden and also did a tour of the nature reserve at Spittal Pond.

In 2004, since we were there for three days, we got a 3 day bus pass and a Heritage Pass and went to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, the aquarium, the railroad museum (now closed), St. George, Hamilton, Somerset Bridge, the Maritime Museum, Ft. St. Catherine and Verdmont. This is a narrative I did of a walking tour of Hamilton http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/5d9e0/#TL. I don't recomment the Underwater Exploration Inst. for a first visit, but we really like the aquarium (if you could not guess that) and it is now also a museum and zoo.

In 2007 we had a day and a half and we both went to the Perot Post Office, and went to the Historical Society Museum in the library in Hamilton. We went out to the Botanical Garden (had lunch) and finally got to visit Camden House (free). Then we took a bus out to St. George and got off and took a bus that went around St. Davids where we hadn't been before.

On our last visit we had a tour with a private guide (Duke who no longer does the tours) and we went a couple of places that we had not been before. First part http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/bca4a/

Second part http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/bca59/

We also shopped in the Kings Wharf area.

We still have to visit the perfumery, we have never gone into the caves (too many steps for me), and we have not gone into the Town Hall or the Cathedral in Hamilton.

Can we get off the ship and get a blue flag guide to hire by the hour? Or do we have to book in advance.

from reading through this thread I picked out 3 companies/individuals and emailed them yesterday with a request for a private tour for 3 in August

...

 

Today I got a reply from Kreativeresponse who suggested 3 possible tours of 4 hour duration.The normal rate is $55 per hour but offered a discounted pre arranged rate for 4 people at total $175.However with 4 that would still be more than David fox and with 3 considerably more. They also required a credit card to reserve and wanted to speak on the phone to confirm details-as we live in the UK that would be expensive!

 

...

 

I will report back after our tour but thought would share my experience so far with 3 recommended tour guides on this thread

It sounds like Kreative has had a bad experience with cruisers in the past, with them booking and then changing their minds and not coming or not paying. They are probably more accustomed to working with people from the US where it would be less expensive to call.

Also the prices are generally a flat rate per car, and not per person.

I think I read that Duke is ill and isn't doing tours anymore

A Transportation Pass gives you an unlimited number of journeys for all Zones, and are honored on all buses and ferries. A one day pass is $12 per adult.

No wet clothing, no bathing suits, proper attire only.

http://www.bermuda-online.org/getround.htm

And my husband reminds me about Hayden Chapel that I did not know was there.

for those of you who had a private guide...what were the highlights you still dream about that you had the chance to visit??

 

Thanks!!

For me it was Gibbs Hill lighthouse and Waterville gardens because those were two places we couldn't have gotten to very easily on the bus and we missed them on previous visits.

That's not necessarily the highlights of Bermuda as a whole because we have visited Bermuda a total of five times. So there are things I would recommend in addition to the things that were the highlights of this fifth visit and things I would like to do that I am no longer physically capable of doing.

SOP they will have a sign with your name.

I think they will drop you wherever you want. Back at the ship or not. My original plan (before the storm changed our arrival time) was to take a ferry to St. George and be picked up there, but we had to change to being picked up at the ship.

Hi I emailed duke in feb for a tour in June and he confirmed yes but I can't seem to get an answer now that it is a few weeks away. Not sure if he will show up. Would you have any suggestions? It was for June 27th. Thanks

Duke isn't really on the internet himself. He gets his email through his wife. The same happened to us and it took him several days to respond. But he did come just as arranged.

Most taxi rates are per mile which is expensive.

Some of the taxi drivers in Bermuda are government certified tour guides. They usually charge by hour and their taxis would have a blue flag fluttering from the bonnet.

There may or may not be enough of these to go around.

A cheaper option is the bus and ferry pass

Since September 1 is a Saturday, the ferry to St. George's will probably not be operating. When we were there last week, it was only M-F. The Hamilton Ferry was operating, though, and they had extra runs for the cruise ship. Quite a few people bought a bus pass for the day, which got them to Horseshoe. One person said it took a long time for the bus to come by, though, so check the schedule. While we were on our taxi tour, we met up with a couple that had come by bus all the way to St. George's, so it can be done, too. The advantage of the taxi tour was all the neighborhoods we went through that you won't see on your own.

It is perfectly possible to get to St. George by bus and the buses are frequent. The Bus pass includes the ferries and you can get it on the dock or sometimes the Concierge desk of the ship sells them.

Get on the ferry to Hamilton, and then walk up to the bus terminal which is by the City Hall. Take one of the buses to St. George or wherever you want to go. You can also get another ferry in Hamilton and get to Somerset Bridge. Or you can get off in the Flatts and go to the Aquarium there. Just be sure to check the frequency of the buses and remember to stand on the wrong side of the road to get the bus.

You can get around on the buses and ferries if you know where you want to go but we had already seen quite a bit of Bermuda on previous visits

Hello, I am interested in booking a taxi tour and I am curious as to what was on everyone's itinerary for a 5 hour tour. We have been to Bermuda several times and don't need to see the popular beaches so I am afraid 5 hours will be too long? Did any guide give you a walking tour of St. George or just drop you off an let you roam. Any help will be appreciated.

In 2011, I booked a tour, but unfortunately our time in Bermuda was cut short by a tropical storm (we got in late and left early) so I had to alter the plans, but what I had intended to do was take the ferry from the Dockyard to St. George early in the a.m. and then walk around St. George on our own (and try to get to the Printery which we've never been there when it was open), have lunch and then get picked up by the guide for the trip back to the ship visiting the places I hadn't been able to get to.

I wanted to see Gates Fort, St. David's Lighthouse, Spittal Pond, Victoria Park, the Anglican Cathedral, Fort Hamilton, and Gibbs Lighthouse. We did not have time to get all the way out to St. George to see Gates Fort and St. David's Lighthouse, but we did drive by Spittal Pond, the Cathedral and Victoria Park, and stopped at Fort Hamilton and Gibbs Lighthouse and Duke took us to some places that we hadn't known were there.

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/bca4a/

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/bca59/

Just for reference this is what we did on previous four visits

In 1963 when my husband's ship was there and I was pregnant with my second child I flew to Bermuda to meet him. We stayed in a hotel in St. George that no longer exists. As a pregnant person I found riding the bus very uncomfortable. They were sprung quite stiff and it was a jouncy ride. I preferred the ferries. Of course I couldn't ride a moped in my condition. We visited St. George, Hamilton, Fort St Catherine, the smallest bridge in Sandy's Parish and the Aquarium

The second time, we flew in on the Tuesday November 21, 1995 (before Thanksgiving). We stayed in the Hamilton Princess. Because I had waited so late to get tickets, we had to fly in on Tuesday and back out on Saturday as there were no tickets for Sunday or Monday. We did a little shopping Tuesday afternoon.

1995 - Bob through a Moon Gate Moon gates are round limestone gates through which honeymooners walk to ensure a lifetime of good luck.

Wednesday was a little overcast, so we took the bus out to the Old Royal Navy Dockyard in Sandy's Parish (and to the Bermuda Maritime Museum), ate lunch and shopped Then we took the ferry back to Hamilton. I walked through the historical society exhibit in the library and Bob went to the Perot post office. Then we did some more shopping. After dinner we went to a slide presentation at the hotel on Bermudan architecture

On Thursday, we stopped at the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) in Flatt's Village, Smith Parish on the way to St. George. After lunch in St. George (and I found out that I hated the Ploughman's lunch), we visited St. Peters, the Carriage Museum and the Historical Society. We just looked at the Deliverance from the outside, but we did go to see the free slide show at the Town Hall and walked around Somer's Garden. I took a swim in the hotel pool in the evening (it was outdoors but heated). I had wanted to snorkel, but the windy weather Wednesday had stirred things up, and the Bermudians thought it was too cold to swim. The hotel had a lavish Thanksgiving buffet. Afterwards there was another slide presentation on the flora and fauna of Bermuda.

The Botanical Gardens was our first stop on Friday, November 24th and then after lunch at the cafeteria we hopped the bus to take the Friday tour of Spittal Pond

We left Saturday afternoon November 25th after stopping off at the horse show (jumping) at the Botanical Garden.

Cruise ship visits

Dockyard marina from the ship 2011

2004-NCL Crown: Docked first in Hamilton. On Tuesday from the Visitor's Center near the docks we purchased two 3-day bus passes ($28 @) which are also good on the ferries. At the same time, we got a Bermuda Heritage Pass at $25 @.

Tuesday we went to Somerset Bridge and King's Wharf.

Wednesday we walked around Hamilton, visited the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, Verdmont and the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.

Thursday, November 18, 2004, the ship motored around to St. George and docked there.

Friday November 19, 2004, the ship left at noon.

In 2007, we did a repositioning cruise on Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas. We got a bus/ferry pass from the ship($20 @ for two days), and took the ferry in to Hamilton where we visited Perot Post Office, and went to the Historical Society Museum. We went out to the Botanical Garden (had lunch) and finally got to visit Camden House (free). Then we took a bus out to St. George and got off and took a bus that went around St. Davids where we had not been before. We got back to the ship late.

The following day we took a ferry in to Hamilton and shopped a bit and then came back and had lunch at the Frog and Onion.

Someone recently posted about using this source: http://www.access.bm/

 

Click on the link for Transportation.

I tried emailing them but could get no answer. Maybe you will have better luck

Currently on the Carnival Pride!

 

We did a tour with Colin on our first day in Bermuda. He was just as all the reviews said. Very informative and friendly!! We would definitely recommend him!

 

 

Just a note ...I broke my foot visiting the smallest drawbridge. I was coming off the bottom step and the ground is somewhat uneven and the step a little off. I turned my foot and snap! I'm sporting a hideous cast, crutches, and a wheelchair (which Carnival charges $125 to rent)

 

Nothing to do with Colin, but I imagine anyone reading this thread will be making a stop at the smallest drawbridge! Watch your step!

Carnival told me that I couldn't rent a wheelchair - that they didn't have one. Which is obviously not true. RCI let me have one for free.

My tour is on a Friday, not Sunday. Duke was booked. How much did Duke charge?

I think there is a mandatory charge set by the Bermuda authorities.