Bermuda HAL cruises, 2019

Is hAL doing a season in Bermuda next year and if so, which ship?

Ruth says Veendam is going to Europe in order to service Venice 's limitations on permitted ship size.

If that is accurate which HAL ship can/ will dock in Hamilton or will HAL move over to dockyard? I actually liked being docked there on NCL. I know some will vehemently disagree but I rather dock there if I go again to Bermuda.

Anyone know?

We were booked on the Veendam along with a few friends, to do Montreal, Boston, Bermuda,Boston for a14 day cruise in Late June/early July of 2019.

This was suddenly cancelled after a few weeks and we were offered a 14 day round trip Montreal , Boston, Montreal on the Zaandam instead.

Now the replacement cruise is no longer showing on the website so who knows how it will all end up.

cruisetimetables.com shows no HAL ships in Bermuda in 2019 except for T-A stops by Rotterdam and Zuiderdam.

We were booked on the Veendam along with a few friends, to do Montreal, Boston, Bermuda,Boston for a14 day cruise in Late June/early July of 2019.

This was suddenly cancelled after a few weeks and we were offered a 14 day round trip Montreal , Boston, Montreal on the Zaandam instead.

 

 

 

Boston to Montreal to Boston to Bermuda to Boston would have been 21 days, would it not? Boston to Montreal to Boston is 14 days. Bos ton to Bermuda t o Boston is 7 days.

Sorry your cruise(s) were cancelled.

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting HAL discontinued the weekly Bermuda cruise. i found that t cruise quite disappointing on Veendam last summer. Tthe ship was fine but the staffing needed work, iMO.

 

 

 

I do not recall, ever in my HAL cruising history being so dissppointed with a cruise. Management was sub-standard IMO.

 

 

 

I wonder if they got too many complaints?

cruisetimetables.com shows no HAL ships in Bermuda in 2019 except for T-A stops by Rotterdam and Zuiderdam.

Thank you... :)

I am glad I asked.

I may think about sailing Zaandam . Though I have sailed her about 7 or so times it has been years s ince.

Boston to Montreal to Boston to Bermuda to Boston would have been 21 days, would it not? Boston to Montreal to Boston is 14 days. Bos ton to Bermuda t o Boston is 7 days.

 

 

Sorry your cruise(s) were cancelled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting HAL discontinued the weekly Bermuda cruise. i found that t cruise quite disappointing on Veendam last summer. Tthe ship was fine but the staffing needed work, iMO.

 

 

 

I do not recall, ever in my HAL cruising history being so dissppointed with a cruise. Management was sub-standard IMO.

 

 

 

I wonder if they got too many complaints?

Montreal to Boston would have been seven days and then round trip from Boston to Bermuda ending back in Boston was another seven days. That would have been fourteen days total.

Instead we are now doing a fourteen day round trip from Montreal to Boston and back.

the way I read you r post, I did not understand you would have sailed from Montreal direct to Bermuda. I thought you were stopping in Boston and then continuing to Bermuda. That would have been a nice cruise. Shame they cancelled it.

I have done the Boston to Montreal to Boston b-to-b so many times, It is s nice itinerary. Hope you enjoy it (in reverse :) )

the way I read you r post, I did not understand you would have sailed from Montreal direct to Bermuda. I thought you were stopping in Boston and then continuing to Bermuda. That would have been a nice cruise. Shame they cancelled it.

 

I have done the Boston to Montreal to Boston b-to-b so many times, It is s nice itinerary. Hope you enjoy it (in reverse :) )

We would have left Montreal, stopped in Boston enroute to Bermuda and then the cruise would have ended back in Boston. Sadly it is not to be unless HAL gets its act together. If Bermuda is reinstated we will most likely switch cruises.

We have talked to staff and also read a couple of years ago that the Boston to Bermuda run is not profitable for HAL. The port charges are high and the shop/casino requirements imposed on the cruise line made it less inviting for HAL to continue the schedule. We have done this run several times and really like the combination of cruise and having a long stay in Bermuda while docking in Hamilton. Glad we are going this year as it may be the last one. :loudcry::loudcry:

I’m going on the 14 day Boston to Bermuda to Boston to Montreal next week. After reading this thread I’m glad I get to go. Bermuda’s on my bucket list.

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I’m going on the 14 day Boston to Bermuda to Boston to Montreal next week. After reading this thread I’m glad I get to go. Bermuda’s on my bucket list.

 

 

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How nice is that that you get to go. Bermuda is a lovely place to explore. You will be perfectly safe taking local busses and ferries to get around. The ferry terminal is just a short walk from the ship terminal and the bus terminal is just a five minute walk up the hill. You can buy a three day bus/ferry pass.

We have always gotten the three day pass. I just read yesterday that they are having trouble with the upkeep of the buses and canceled 92 trips the day before. I'm wondering how affected we will be in getting around. It was always the perfect way to get around and we have explored the whole island in this way.

We have talked to staff and also read a couple of years ago that the Boston to Bermuda run is not profitable for HAL. The port charges are high and the shop/casino requirements imposed on the cruise line made it less inviting for HAL to continue the schedule. We have done this run several times and really like the combination of cruise and having a long stay in Bermuda while docking in Hamilton. Glad we are going this year as it may be the last one. :loudcry::loudcry:

Casino was open at nght i in Bermuda. on our Veeendam cruise last summer.

Yes, there was an agreement signed by the Bermuda parliament in 2013 that allowed ship casinos to open at 9 p.m. and had to close at 5 a.m. This was in response to a significant change in the numbers of cruise ships coming to Bermuda. Ships with more than 2000 cruisers also pay a fee to open their casinos.

I believe this time allowance covers the ship shops as well.

I am really disappointed that the Boston to Bermuda cruises are coming to an end. We love being docked in Hamilton and with so much time in port, the Veendam was fine for us. I am thankful we managed booked it for this year. Next year we will probably fly over for a few days instead, but we will miss sailing for sure.

The World Cruise for next year in 2019 initially had Bermuda as the last stop on the return side of the 113 day cruise after crossing the Atlantic from Europe. We were excited about this as we had not been to Bermuda before, even though in my youth I worked in NYC and folks use to weekend in Bermuda - those that could afford it - but not I.

Earlier this year, we got word that they had replaced Bermuda with one more stop in Ireland before crossing Atlantic directly to Ft Lauderdale ending the cruise. No explanation was given which peeved many folks who were signed up for WC2019. Speculation was that the port charges were high and that was a reason but that was only hearsay.

harry

I just returned from a 14 day cruise on the Veendam. It started in Boston, ran out to Bermuda and spent 3 nights and 4 days (3 full, 2 half) and then went back to Boston, where all but 121 of us got off. Then it continued for another 7 days up to Bar Harbor, Halifax, Sydney, PEI, Quebec City and ended in Montreal.

I absolutely loved Bermuda. It was my first time and it was great to dock right in Hamilton. It was easy to get around - the ferry was about 2 blocks away, there were taxis and buses and I rented a Twizy for a day - it's a tiny little 2 seater tandem electric car. It was so much fun and it took us all over the island. One day we took the ferry over to the Dockyards and did some shopping. I much prefer Hamilton. One night the street out front of the ship was closed to cars and a Harbor Nights street festival took place. Food, music, dancing and crafts vendors. It was great. If we were docked someplace else, due to ferry schedules it wouldn't have been easy to partake in the street fair, IMHO.

Anyway, we were told onboard that next year the Veendam would be doing the Venice runs, something about Venice changing what ships could come in and dock there. They said no Bermuda runs except for TA stops in 2019, and they hoped that they would be able to go back in 2020. That's all I know.

I just returned from a 14 day cruise on the Veendam. It started in Boston, ran out to Bermuda and spent 3 nights and 4 days (3 full, 2 half) and then went back to Boston, where all but 121 of us got off. Then it continued for another 7 days up to Bar Harbor, Halifax, Sydney, PEI, Quebec City and ended in Montreal.

 

 

 

I absolutely loved Bermuda. It was my first time and it was great to dock right in Hamilton. It was easy to get around - the ferry was about 2 blocks away, there were taxis and buses and I rented a Twizy for a day - it's a tiny little 2 seater tandem electric car. It was so much fun and it took us all over the island. One day we took the ferry over to the Dockyards and did some shopping. I much prefer Hamilton. One night the street out front of the ship was closed to cars and a Harbor Nights street festival took place. Food, music, dancing and crafts vendors. It was great. If we were docked someplace else, due to ferry schedules it wouldn't have been easy to partake in the street fair, IMHO.

 

 

 

Anyway, we were told onboard that next year the Veendam would be doing the Venice runs, something about Venice changing what ships could come in and dock there. They said no Bermuda runs except for TA stops in 2019, and they hoped that they would be able to go back in 2020. That's all I know.

We were on the 05/19 Bermuda cruise, Boston/Bermuda/Boston. We’ve done it 3 times and hope to do it again. I heard the same info you did. Venice next year and then back to Bermuda in ‘20. I hope so!

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We were on the 05/19 Bermuda cruise, Boston/Bermuda/Boston. We’ve done it 3 times and hope to do it again. I heard the same info you did. Venice next year and then back to Bermuda in ‘20. I hope so!

 

 

 

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I was disappointed with the street fair last July . We had looked forward to it and though it was a beatiful evening, the fair was a let down, IMO