Just returned from aboard the Veendam

[schoolinmy3]

Am praying heavily for calm seas on the 3rd of July....but listening with care at all the great motion sickness advice!!

 

Any tips for other excursions or must sees for a first timer to Bermuda?

 

This was our first time to Bermuda as well. I don't think it is necessary to book any excursions through the ship. Getting around by the local bus system is interesting to say the least. The 3 day bus pass is available at the Welcome Center in St George or at the post office. It is $28 per person and $14 for kids up to 16. We went to the caves and then to the Swizzle Inn the first day when we were tendered in at St George. The Swizzle Inn had the best fish and chips. Once we were docked at Hamilton we were free to come and go as we pleased as the gangway remained open the entire stay. My daughter and I rode horses on the beach which was amazing. It was really the first time we ever saw water in those beautiful shades of blue. And the pink sand. We preferred the quiet beaches so we didn't go to Horseshoe to swim but instead took the bus to Stonehole Bay. On Thursday our boys took the Jesse James snorkel trip that I had reserved which they enjoyed. When leaving the ship you can pick up a beach towel on your way out. Also make sure you have either your passport or your driver's license as the port authorities check id's each time you return.

[sevenseasnomad]

Hi, thanks for your thorough answers. DH, DS (24 yrs old), & I are sailing July 17 and have a few questions.

When are they showing the movies on the aft deck? Do they serve popcorn too?

Is the front desk not selling bus passes? When we sailed RCCL to Bermuda 2007, bus passes were available at the front desk, so no one had to waste time in line buying them once we arrived in Hamilton. If you were buying the passes in St. George, it sort of tells me that this service isn't offered on Veendam.

When did you frequent Mix? Before dinner? After? Does the guitarist play all evening? Was it crowded? Did you have to wait "your turn" to play on the surface tables?

How many young people were aboard? I know every cruise is different. Yours could have been filled to the gills with 20 & 30 somethings, while ours might have only a few under 45. Did you ever go up to Crow's Nest after midnight? If so, how is the night life?

Where is Stonehole Beach? The one you thought was so beautiful with pink sand. I think I recall the name correctly from your post. If not, excuse me and correct my mistake. Chalk it up to a senior moment!

Thanks in advance for answering my questions. Again, glad you & your friends had a wonderful time.

[schoolinmy3]

Hi, thanks for your thorough answers. DH, DS (24 yrs old), & I are sailing July 17 and have a few questions.

 

When are they showing the movies on the aft deck? Do they serve popcorn too?

 

Is the front desk not selling bus passes? When we sailed RCCL to Bermuda 2007, bus passes were available at the front desk, so no one had to waste time in line buying them once we arrived in Hamilton. If you were buying the passes in St. George, it sort of tells me that this service isn't offered on Veendam.

 

When did you frequent Mix? Before dinner? After? Does the guitarist play all evening? Was it crowded? Did you have to wait "your turn" to play on the surface tables?

 

How many young people were aboard? I know every cruise is different. Yours could have been filled to the gills with 20 & 30 somethings, while ours might have only a few under 45. Did you ever go up to Crow's Nest after midnight? If so, how is the night life?

 

Where is Stonehole Beach? The one you thought was so beautiful with pink sand. I think I recall the name correctly from your post. If not, excuse me and correct my mistake. Chalk it up to a senior moment!

 

Thanks in advance for answering my questions. Again, glad you & your friends had a wonderful time.

 

 

According to the daily program the movies were shown on the aft (Retreat) deck at the following times. All except the Family night movies were shown also at the Wajang Theater at 6 and 9 p.m.:

The Tourist was shown in the Retreat at 9 p.m on Day 3 (Tuesday). The Nest Three Days was shown in the Retreat on Day 4 (Wednesday). True Grit was shown on Day 6 (Friday) The Family Night was Day 5 (Thursday) at 7 for Toy Story 3 and then 9 for Despicable Me.

The bus passes were only sold once you were off the ship. But it didn't take that much time to buy them as most people didn't know what they were doing :)

Most evenings Gary played Guitar from 5-9 in the Mix. He also played by the Lido pool one afternoon. There was never a crowd in the Mix. My son and his friends (ages 18, 22 yo twins and 13) plus my daughter (age 11) were faithful followers of his music. I honestly don't know where people went on the ship, the only place I saw that was crowded was the Lido so I am guessing most people enjoyed the food the most. :) Anyway, Gary was an interesting entertainer definitely worth listening to. I am not sure how many young people were on the cruise as we were traveling with friends that we don't get the chance to see very often so we all kind of stuck together. There were more than I had seen on our recent Mediterranean cruise so I do think the Bermuda itinerary attracts more of the younger crowd. To get to Stonehole Bay you need to get off at the stop for Warwick on the Bus 7 line. We missed it the first time and got off at the next stop and just walked back. The sign for Stonehole Bay is in between the two stops. Another beach that I heard is also less crowded is Church Bay. However, our kids were quite content to stay at Stonehole Bay! The name - according to our horse trail guide - comes from a natural stone arch that had a hole in it which made for a neat formation. However, during a hurricane the stone arch fell, it sheared off. The buses do get quite crowded. We would catch the bus at the bus terminal which is a couple blocks from where the ship is docked at Hamilton. If you walk towards the bandstage for the HarborNights and turn right, walk up the hill two blocks and look left you will see the Bus Terminal. Just make sure you have bus passes in hand. To return to Hamilton you have to cross the road and wait at a bus stop with the pink pole. (Blue poles go out of Hamilton and pink poles go towards Hamilton).

Diane

[earlbird]

We are leaving this coming Sunday on the Veendam - first time to Bermuda.

Do you suggest getting the bus passes? A friend mentioned that if you take a bus to the beach, there is still a long walk. Is this true?

We were considering taxis, but the bus sounds much cheaper. We will probably only do a beach one time, but would definitely like to see other attractions.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[schoolinmy3]

We are leaving this coming Sunday on the Veendam - first time to Bermuda.

Do you suggest getting the bus passes? A friend mentioned that if you take a bus to the beach, there is still a long walk. Is this true?

We were considering taxis, but the bus sounds much cheaper. We will probably only do a beach one time, but would definitely like to see other attractions.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

 

We were fine with walking to the beaches from the bus stops. But you are right, that is something to consider. It seemed from our experience that the taxis are just under $20 one way from Hamilton to the South Shore beaches. We ended up taking 2 taxis on our way back to the ship when we had stayed later into the evening (there were 9 of us) and the buses were no longer as frequent. The beaches we were at required you to walk down hill to the shore quite a ways (which meant an uphill walk back to the bus stop). I would say about a 10 minute walk down to Stonehole Bay, Warwick was accessible by taxi pretty close to the beach area. You can walk from Warwick to Stonehole. Stonehole is a bit hidden so not many people realize that it is there.

Diane

[sevenseasnomad]

Thanks for the information! We're sure to find our way better because of your great info.

[LadyFurn]

We were on this cruise also and we thought the bus system was very good. We got a 2 day pass and found that it was better to tell the driver when you boarded where you wanted to get off and then he/she would usually call it out because if you don't ring the stop button at the right time they will not stop. Becky, it was great meeting you and your family! I am still awed at the fabulous Captain's cocktail party we attended! I have been to a lot of them but this one had cold and hot hordoueves (sp), cheese plate, dessert plate, the good nuts, and of course any drink you desired!:) We also enjoyed the Retreat, it was almost like having a spa pass because you had your choice of 3 different hot tubs and 4 different heated(by the sun) tile loungers! And it was free! We went to one movie out there (Despicable Me) and yes, I did see people with popcorn. We even had fireworks that night, no one seemed to know why but it was a petty good display. Bonus! There were some pretty good seas rolling on the first day but none of us were affected by it and it was quite smooth on the way back. In fact, on the last sea day around noon it was like glass for a while and some dolphins swam right next to our veranda. The water was still so clear you could see them swimming under it! We also saw a little later what I think was some type of whale as they were slower but still did the "humping" action when they swam, unless they were sharks because they had the upper fin...Anyway, sorry to be so long but there were a lot of good things about this cruise, do not hesitate to go if you get the chance!

[schoolinmy3]

I agree the bus system worked well. We also had told the bus driver where we wanted to get off but the bus was so crowded we couldn't hear him. ;) I had forgotten about the fireworks display. Quite unexpected and a fabulous display. Our kids were at the Retreat watching the movie and us adults were sitting on the balcony drinking the wine my friend made and brought along for the cruise. :D We saw the dolphins while eating lunch by the Lido pool.

Diane

[Water Lilly]

I was on this cruise too! Great weather, no one in our party of 4 was sick and we were always on the bus by 9:00 or 9:30 headed to the beaches and back by 2:00 - 3:00 again on the bus with no issues and no crowding....more info to come but I was so happy with this cruise that I'm recruiting a group to go back again either last cruise this season or next June. There were a few minor areas of improvement (getting off the ferry from St. George...just say no and meet the ship in Hamilton, really uncomfortable lounge chairs - the white "wicker" ones that we kept sliding off of, and a need for some music/entertainment geared to a younger crowd), but the food and service were great and I loved the size of the Veendam and having 3 and a half days in Bermuda.

 

Oh and disembarkation? Easiest and quickest EVER in all 10 of my cruises.. :D

Hi Smart Cookie:

My husband and I were also on the same cruise and we thought it was the smoothest in our 154 cruises we have taken. That is not to say that Bermuda doesn't get rough but this time it was smooth as silk. Everything was perfection in our opinion. Glad to hear you had a great time.

[Water Lilly]

I was on this cruise too! Great weather, no one in our party of 4 was sick and we were always on the bus by 9:00 or 9:30 headed to the beaches and back by 2:00 - 3:00 again on the bus with no issues and no crowding....more info to come but I was so happy with this cruise that I'm recruiting a group to go back again either last cruise this season or next June. There were a few minor areas of improvement (getting off the ferry from St. George...just say no and meet the ship in Hamilton, really uncomfortable lounge chairs - the white "wicker" ones that we kept sliding off of, and a need for some music/entertainment geared to a younger crowd), but the food and service were great and I loved the size of the Veendam and having 3 and a half days in Bermuda.

 

Oh and disembarkation? Easiest and quickest EVER in all 10 of my cruises.. :D

Hi Smart Cookie:

My husband and I were also on the same cruise and we thought it was the smoothest in our 15 cruises we have taken. That is not to say that Bermuda doesn't get rough but this time it was smooth as silk. Everything was perfection in our opinion. Glad to hear you had a great time.

[schoolinmy3]

Hi Smart Cookie:

My husband and I were also on the same cruise and we thought it was the smoothest in our 15 cruises we have taken. That is not to say that Bermuda doesn't get rough but this time it was smooth as silk. Everything was perfection in our opinion. Glad to hear you had a great time.

 

We were on the same cruise weren't we?;) Our ride out to Bermuda was rough for half our party. DH and DS didn't mind the rolling. Maybe we're just a particularly sensitive group to motion. We were getting spray from the waves on our 9th deck balcony. The way back was definitely smooth.:)

Diane

[gkny]

I'm glad that everyone had a great time in Bermuda. That is our favorite island. Has anyone ever been on a trans atlantic cruise. Do you know if the waters were smooth or rough. We'll be doing a ta from Rome to FLL in November. Thanks, George

[maranelloboy05]

Do you have your daily programs that you could scan and upload? Going the first week in August and would love to see what entertainment they have.

 

Thanks

[schoolinmy3]

Do you have your daily programs that you could scan and upload? Going the first week in August and would love to see what entertainment they have.

 

Thanks

 

I do have the daily programs. Not sure if I have time to scan them all in at the moment. I will try and get them uploaded soon.

Diane

[Charles4515]

I'm glad that everyone had a great time in Bermuda. That is our favorite island. Has anyone ever been on a trans atlantic cruise. Do you know if the waters were smooth or rough. We'll be doing a ta from Rome to FLL in November. Thanks, George

 

The waters were rough on my transatlantic. They can be. Did not feel a thing though since I was on a ship built for crossings, the QM2.

[maranelloboy05]

I do have the daily programs. Not sure if I have time to scan them all in at the moment. I will try and get them uploaded soon.

Diane

 

That'd be fantastic, thanks.

[booklady26]

Anyone have MDR dinner menus for this cruise?

[slny]

Thank you for all the info you've given so far!! My famiy is going on June 26th and can't wait! I have a few questions though.

 

1. I know how to dress for formal and casual night in the MDR. The question is, if we decide to eat in the lido, are jeans and a nice shirt frowned upon? Are kids (8, 12, and 13) not supposed to wear shorts in the evening? No one will look sloppy, but my kids like to dress casual.

 

2. Did you have a problem with jellyfish at the beaches?

 

3. Did you feel that Crystal Caves was worth a visit? What do you actually do there?

 

Thanks again!!

[schoolinmy3]

Thank you for all the info you've given so far!! My famiy is going on June 26th and can't wait! I have a few questions though.

 

1. I know how to dress for formal and casual night in the MDR. The question is, if we decide to eat in the lido, are jeans and a nice shirt frowned upon? Are kids (8, 12, and 13) not supposed to wear shorts in the evening? No one will look sloppy, but my kids like to dress casual.

 

2. Did you have a problem with jellyfish at the beaches?

 

3. Did you feel that Crystal Caves was worth a visit? What do you actually do there?

 

Thanks again!!

1. There were enough people dressed casually onboard that it would not be an issue. I saw plenty casual wear in the evenings especially in the Lido and many never changed for the evening hours. I wore capris in the evening, I changed even if I had dressed up for dinner, and my son (18) forgot his dockers so he wore shorts with a polo shirt. He even wore them to the MDR (gasp) and Canaletto. It was not on purpose. We had to pack light as we decided to fly and not check bags plus I had just returned from Rome on Tuesday so his clothes kind of got overlooked. His friends (age 22) wore dress shirts with ties, no jacket. They didn't realize they needed a jacket for formal night so we ate at Canaletto where that was fine. For formal night everyone I saw in the dining room looked very nice. I even saw a family with two adorable little girls, everyone matching with mom and dad in bright fuschia to match the girls' dresses. So cute. My daughter and I packed casual skirts for smart casual evenings and I had a long black skirt and she had a black dress for the formal we attended.

2.I only saw 1 jellyfish when I took a walk along the beach. My kids didn't see any.

3. Crystal Caves is cool if you like caves. I didn't know there are no bats in Bermuda. Not native to the island and they prefer we don't bring them in :)

Apparently the island is too far from land for them to fly there anyway. There are two caves, the newer one is Fantasy Caves. The kids liked the caves but liked the beach better :) You have to walk down 80 some steps to visit each cave (and then back up). They have water in them that is absolutely crystal clear. We took nice pictures. Hope that helps

Diane

[SHERGIB]

I'm glad that everyone had a great time in Bermuda. That is our favorite island. Has anyone ever been on a trans atlantic cruise. Do you know if the waters were smooth or rough. We'll be doing a ta from Rome to FLL in November. Thanks, George

 

We did a TA on the Queen Mary a few years ago and had Force 10 gales both over and back. No one allowed on deck. This was a 26 day from NY to the Med and back. This was Oct. 11, 2004 sailing , so yes, it can be rough.

[bubbletoes]

First of all apologies to our wonderful roll call group. I did not make it to the M&G. :o Mostly due to our little group of new cruisers. They had gotten seasick from the somewhat rocky conditions our first day out to sea. By the time I had finished doctoring our little group the time for the M&G had passed. Even my husband couldn't believe I had missed it. But we had a wonderful cruise and despite the less than glamorous start due to rough seas, our newbies would all cruise again. If anyone has any questions I would be happy to answer them for you.

Diane

 

Hi Diane, I'm not new to cruising and was totally shocked to return from breakfast Monday and realize I did NOT feel well! Not usually bothered by less than 20 ft seas, but I took a meclizine, laid around until mid-afternoon and felt better. DH, Writeratsea, said the M&G was not very well attended, so your guys and I weren't the only ones missing it! I looked for your bunch all week, and I see we were all on the 9:30 ferry, but never saw a group matching genders and ages.

 

I'm glad you made the most of the trip and it sounds like you sure did get around! The bus schedules make sense after a while, there is a pattern. We had one full bus go by after our visit to Church Bay Thursday, (where the guy renting snorkel equip, pulled a big Man-o-War out of the surf with a rake) but another bus came along in 8-10 minutes.

 

Only having previously cruised NCL, we were very happy with the Veendam's decor, cleanliness, awesome service and truly delicious food...so maybe we'll have the opportunity to meet on a future trip to Bermuda!

[schoolinmy3]

Hi Diane, I'm not new to cruising and was totally shocked to return from breakfast Monday and realize I did NOT feel well! Not usually bothered by less than 20 ft seas, but I took a meclizine, laid around until mid-afternoon and felt better. DH, Writeratsea, said the M&G was not very well attended, so your guys and I weren't the only ones missing it! I looked for your bunch all week, and I see we were all on the 9:30 ferry, but never saw a group matching genders and ages.

 

I'm glad you made the most of the trip and it sounds like you sure did get around! The bus schedules make sense after a while, there is a pattern. We had one full bus go by after our visit to Church Bay Thursday, (where the guy renting snorkel equip, pulled a big Man-o-War out of the surf with a rake) but another bus came along in 8-10 minutes.

 

Only having previously cruised NCL, we were very happy with the Veendam's decor, cleanliness, awesome service and truly delicious food...so maybe we'll have the opportunity to meet on a future trip to Bermuda!

 

Yes, I felt bad as I always have attended the M&G and love meeting our CC friends. But at 11 a.m. I was helping our friends get some breakfast as they were not feeling well. At the same time I was getting meds for the younger crew. I took pictures of the twins (age 22) sprawled across their beds. They were pretty sorry looking for a while. :o A couple of times I wondered who was with the cc group but just couldn't get up the nerve to ask around. Oh, well, I will have to make sure I don't miss another M&G. Our group was probably hard to pick out as we were hardly ever all together. Usually my daughter (age 11) was hanging around her brother and his friends - which suited her fine. She didn't even care for Club HAL this time. She went once and it didn't go well with the other girls who attended so she said never again. The girls asked her what grade she was in and she said 8th and they asked her if she was held back.:confused: Last year she was in Club HAL every evening. Go figure.:confused: It does seem everyone is in agreement that a repeat trip to Bermuda is in order so perhaps we will meet again! :) I tried to go to Church Bay Thursday but our crew loved Stonehole so much I couldn't drag them away. I heard it was very nice though.We did get my son to try a Rum Swizzle in St. George. He's 18 so in Bermuda he was legal to drink. :)Diane