MITSUGIRLYS DAWN TO BERMUDA NOVEL (or review as some may call it)

[mitsugirly]

Brayden also made some friends that day.

 

 

 

Kendra, Billy and Brayden all decided to climb the rocks...only different rocks than what I had went up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can't take a picture of Kendra without her doing something silly.

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Ok, it's going on 3am and I'm still not feeling well. So, I'm going to have to finish this review tomorrow.

 

I'll be back to let you know how the rest of the day went and of course with more pictures.

 

I hope everyone enjoys them so far.

 

Good night. :)

[destaw7182]

I know that to no fault of your own, your plans changed for the day, but that beach is beautiful! The water, the rocks...just simply beautiful.

 

What was the water temperature? I was going to ask about concession stands but then you mentioned that you and your family did purchase food. Was there just one vendor selling food? Any place to rent a chair (from the pics it looks like ppl may have brought their own)?

 

Well, I hope that you start to feel better. On our last cruise this past January on the Gem, I caught a nasty little bug[emoji40] I was sick for almost 2 weeks.

 

Can't wait to read more!

[janpo]

Haha, I found someone else that uses that term. :)

 

 

 

 

I remember the first time I heard a lady (from a different state and don't remember which one it was) come to work at the hospital with me and she would always ask me "I'm going down to get a soda, would you like one?" I had absolutely no idea back then what that meant (I was 18 years old). It was the first time I had ever heard that before. :p

 

 

Ohio here too and its always been pop!

 

Sakari is growing up!

Edited June 19, 2015 by janpo

[lah66]

I thought maybe the Special bus had started going to Warwick now! I think that has always been a Horseshoe only beach to get tourists there quickly with no other stops. #7 goes to Hamilton but it stops wherever people need it to stop along the way! We just told the bus driver and they dropped us off where we asked. It helps to know the general vicinity of your stop so you can speak up or start getting up to signal you need to be let off. The locals helped us out too! I think they were just glad to have us off "their" bus! We had the same issue with the bus drivers...I did not think they were very nice at all! We always greeted them with a Good morning like people suggest you do but it did not seem to help. That's why we take the taxi more now when we go to Warwick. With just the two of us, it is not very expensive! I think we paid $20 to Warwick and $14 from Horseshoe to the Dockyard.

 

It appears your family really loved Horseshoe regardless of your rough start. It is amazingly beautiful there and you really captured it in your photos! Sakari will always love that you faced your fears and brought her to that little pond to see the tiny fish! The views from the hill are so amazing! You took the exact picture I was hoping to find for you before you left. Up on that hill looking back at the concession and restroom area...just so you could see the layout of the beach and services there.

 

I cannot wait to hear if you found the spot where Kendra would love to bodysurf/ Bob in the water! Lots of rock structures to discover there too! Hopefully you loved the walk as much as we do!

 

Hope you feel better!

Lauri

 

I grew up in Upper Michigan where it was always pop. Then we moved to Wisconsin and it became soda. now that we are living in lower Michigan, it's back to being pop!

Edited June 19, 2015 by lah66

[juniortrooper]

I was so excited to read your review! We are on the Breakaway in July headed to Bermuda. I was disappointed (not nearly as much as you, I'm sure) to read of your troubles with the bus system. One of the things I was going to do was get off at Warwick and make our way back to Horseshoe. Did you ever figure out which bus *should* have taken you there? (I totally thought it was bus 7 too).

 

Here is a weird question (from a new cruiser!) --you mentioned you got your steward to fill a couple of zip locks with ice. How do you request things like that--do you leave them friendly notes in advance or call a certain number? Thanks!

 

We are also looking into a boat rental, but we are trying to do a pontoon boat with a little potty on board.

 

I know you hear this a lot, but I truly appreciate the time you are putting into the detailed review. I hope you feel better!

 

Amy

[JUSRN]

Did you notice if there were lounge chairs on the promenade deck?

My favorite spot on the Jewel class ships is reading in the shade on the promenade deck. NCL seems to be cutting down on the chairs there leaving the deck just for walking and jogging.

I really miss that deck on the Epic and Breakaway!

Thank you for doing this detailed Dawn review. I'm going in 4 weeks and hanging on your every word!

[shapatack0]

The pool towels...oh lordy lordy where do I begin. Ok, we had 4 in our room. They were used daily x6 days. I can guarantee you that out of those 24+ towels (including 4 towel each x6 days in Kendra's room) we maybe had a total of 5 towels that DID NOT have a yellow stain on them. They were nasty looking. I don't know what this yellowish stain is, but if odds are that we had them, everyone else on the ship did too. They seriously need to do away with them and start all over!!!

 

 

 

Service at the bars=excruciating painful waits. I found that most bars had 1 bar tender doing everyone's drinks. Then they would have 1 person that was making the drinks only for the runners on the floor. This is either at a pool bar or the casino bar. Every once in awhile we might see 2 people back there helping those standing in herds around the long bars, glaring at the bar tenders, and demanding their drinks saying they were skipped. I would NOT want their job. They seriously need to hire more people. But hey, I guess this is a way to slow down the drinkers with the UBP right? I just want a fricken Pepsi. Just give me a Pepsi...but I would wait, and wait and wait, and be passed up and wait some more. Some times the hubby would think I ran off on him and vice versa. But nope, you'd find me still there waiting. This is one cruise I would say that I DID NOT get my moneys worth out of the soda package.

 

Shower in the room-I have had this problem happen on several cruises...the water temp will vary and go up and down. Now normally it doesn't bother me "too much" but when you are a little red from the days water/sun activities, going from cool water to scalding hot can be a little aggravating. Just saying...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think the yellow stain is caused by sunblock.

Edited June 19, 2015 by shapatack0

[Crusin Karen]

Kim, just read from where I left off on page 21 about your day. AWESOME! Your pictures are fantastic and I have to give you credit for your bravery! I would never have climbed those rocks or gone into any "caves" either! I am so glad YOU did tho so I could see everything! Stinks about the local's attitudes. We haven't been to Bermuda in a long time, but we always encountered wonderful locals. I have read in the meantime Bermudians really don't care about having cruise ships dock there. :confused:

OT I love in NE NJ and it's always been SODA. Let's not get started on the "subs/heroes/hoagies" debate. :eek: Remember when Michael J. Fox asked for a TAB in Back to the Future? :D OOT, hope I don't bring up anything sad, but who is Kev? Hope you feel better very soon and thank you again for sharing your cruise.

[njmomof2]

Kim, have been reading and enjoying your review (and all of the others that you've written and I've managed to find). Sorry that your well planned day went to hell in a handbasket. Sad that the man at the bus station couldn't get you on the correct bus for your trip.

 

I live in NJ (grew up in NYC) and it's always been soda.

 

But because I grew up in NYC and started taking the city bus at the age of 12 to junior high school, I knew that "exact change" meant "change" and not just correct amount. Busses (at least city busses) don't take bills, so if you don't have change, you're not getting on. Some of the private busses are equipped with slots for bills but the city busses aren't (or at least the last time I rode them they didn't). With the subway, you used to get a token for the turnstile so you could purchase it at the booth (now everyone has metrocards).

 

Hopefully the day will continue to improve and things will go better for your second day's outing.

[soaringfalcon]

Love those pictures of Horseshoe and now I'm really even more sorry we missed it. We just ran out of time last week.

 

I have my own dockyard adventures - on the last day, DD wanted to change the plans and go to Sea Glass Beach. I had read the instructions on how to get there but didn't have them so went and asked the taxi "dispatcher". He said you don't need a taxi at all, it's just a 5 or 6 minute walk outside the dockyard. I didn't think that sounded right but not having instructions, off we went. You can guess the rest - his 5 or 6 minutes was a 30 minute uphill walk in the heat and humidity that we weren't prepared for LOL By the time we were done at the beach, I was a shaky mess as I'm hypoglycemic and we hadn't eaten. We tried to get a taxi back but I guess you can't wave them down so walked up to the bus stop. BUT contrary to what happened to you - he allowed us to pay with dollar bills. So confusing!!!

 

I did find that out past the dockyard, everyone is MUCH more friendly. When we were riding the bus back from the caves, another tourist was feeling car sick. A local explained that she could get off at the next stop and take a walking shortcut. She even got off the bus and walked part of the way with them.

[cadien]

But because I grew up in NYC and started taking the city bus at the age of 12 to junior high school, I knew that "exact change" meant "change" and not just correct amount. Busses (at least city busses) don't take bills, so if you don't have change, you're not getting on. Some of the private busses are equipped with slots for bills but the city busses aren't (or at least the last time I rode them they didn't). With the subway, you used to get a token for the turnstile so you could purchase it at the booth (now everyone has metrocards).

 

Even that depends though. I've lived in three states and the city buses in every one could take dollar bills. Same mechanism as a soda machine. You didn't get change, of course, but it was better than not being able to get on at all. Especially in the rain.

[flowers44]

Loving this review. I have been in Bermuda once a year for the last seven years. I am not going this year. Your review is giving me my "Bermuda Fix" for this summer. I love the island. Sorry you had such a hard time with the first bus ride. Sometimes, people just don't think that the "tourist" knows what she is talking about. I hope the rest of your experience with the transportation system was more positive. I will be waiting for your next installments.

[SenatorsFan]

Grew up all over, USAF brat, but now live in Canada and it's POP to us too!

 

That's funny, because I grew up in Montreal and we all drank soft drinks, not pop! :) That's what my family calls them, too. I prefer 7-Up, but will accept a Sprite. But none of that American Sierra Mist, please. It's just not the same! :eek::D:)

 

Feel better soon, Kim.

Heather

Edited June 19, 2015 by SenatorsFan

[4774Papa]

We have not been to Bermuda, but were planning at some point to go there on a cruise.

 

We live on coastal Georgia next to the beach and don't do the beach when on a cruise or trip.

What is there to do in Bermuda if you don't do beaches?

[kba1988]

Awesome beach shots!

[BigEasyCC]

I am enjoying reading the "Cruising Adventures of Mitsugirly"!

[camz]

I promised to continue my review today and I'm sorry it's taking so long. I have not been feeling up to par recently. I developed a super nasty hacking cough while I was on the ship and have a sinus infection. It has just really been dragging me down lately and it got to the point where it was a little hard to breathe today. I feel like I have asthma (and I don't). Ugh! I took a long nap after work and now I'm back for the next segment. My apologies for taking so long.

 

Aww, we too brought home that nasty cough from Bermuda last month. It took about 10 -12 days to get rid of. I used the Robittuson Cough Gels which helped a lot. I too felt like it was asthma like at times. Feel better soon!!

[snorkelmom19]

Hey Audigirly or OCDgirly!

 

I'm that crazy lady who sent you looking for superman at Maya Key in Roatan. Well I hope you feel better soon--it does stink to pick something up on vacation. It used to seem as if we alternated cruises, but I haven't sailed in two years now, but my last was on the Dawn to Bermuda, and reading all of Kev's posts was such a help--miss his posts too.

 

My youngest is glad to know that "her" parrotfish are still in the cove. She chased two huge suckers all day, and it was very difficult to make her come explore the other areas on the other side of the horseshoe. We did not use the public transportation, due to my husband's disability, but we had some friendly taxi drivers and some not so great and had some pleasant restaurant waiters and some that attempted to overcharge us. It just didn't seem at much different than anywhere else to me, but we did enjoy talking to people and the island is beautiful. I am curious to see if you attempted to snorkel at Church Bay. We had our taxi take us there, but it was just too steep for us all to make it down, and then up after spending time in the water.

 

There has been a lot of talk on this thread about the soda vs Pop etc. Check out the link below to an old NY times test which tells what part of the country you are from based on the words you use. I hope my link works, but it picked out where I grew up perfectly. Who knew there were so many different words for things like traffic circles?

 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/20/sunday-review/dialect-quiz-map.html?_r=0

 

 

Well have fun with the quiz and feel better soon!

Edited June 19, 2015 by snorkelmom19

[flowers44]

We have not been to Bermuda, but were planning at some point to go there on a cruise.

 

We live on coastal Georgia next to the beach and don't do the beach when on a cruise or trip.

What is there to do in Bermuda if you don't do beaches?

 

We have done several cruises to Bermuda and my DH is not a beach person either. Just to name a few things other that beaches- Caves, Aquarium, Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI), renting a motorboat, exploring St. George and it's historical places like the unfinished Church and St. Peter's Church, Fort St. Catherine outside of St. George, walking the beach path between Warwick Beach and Horseshoe Beach, climb Gibb's Lighthouse, take rides on the ferries to see the island from the water, going through the Maritime Museum at the Dockyard, shopping in Hamilton, playing miniature golf at the Dockyard - this is just a short list of things to do on Bermuda that don't involve Beach time. Don't miss Bermuda because you think it is only about beaches. There are days of activities to keep you busy on Bermuda.

[fiftyguy]

Thank you for the great review. We're heading back to Bermuda in September for the first time in five years. Your review has been a great refresher since at my age the memory isn't what it used to be. I've had a few "I remember that" moments.

Again thanks for the time you've spent putting this together.

[mitsugirly]

I know that to no fault of your own, your plans changed for the day, but that beach is beautiful! The water, the rocks...just simply beautiful.

 

What was the water temperature? I was going to ask about concession stands but then you mentioned that you and your family did purchase food. Was there just one vendor selling food? Any place to rent a chair (from the pics it looks like ppl may have brought their own)?

 

Well, I hope that you start to feel better. On our last cruise this past January on the Gem, I caught a nasty little bug[emoji40] I was sick for almost 2 weeks.

 

Can't wait to read more!

 

It was a beautiful beach, however, I found that I actually enjoyed the other beaches we went while in Bermuda even more for some reason. Maybe just because we did not get the full experience of Horseshoe Bay or something. I'm really not sure.

 

I'm no really sure what the water temperature was while we were there but the temp outside was 79 degrees (or at least that's what the dailies said). I know it was perfect and that's all that mattered to us. :D

 

I wouldn't really call it a vendor there. I think it was more of Horseshoe Bay concession stand at the place. (Of course with all the this talk of what people consider "pop" or "correct changed", my version of "vendor" may be different than yours lol). They were located up at the building and there was an ice cream place (window) at the building as well right beside the bathrooms.

 

Yes, you can rent chairs there. We didn't, but I did research it prior to going and the pricing that I came up with was: Chair=$11.00 + $5 deposit

Umbrella=$11 + $5 deposit

 

The area that we were in, I didn't see anyone with chairs except a huge family behind us that we assumed were locals because they not only had chairs and umbrellas, but they brought the grills and coolers with everything possible and a boom box. They were only missing the couch. ;)

 

Ohio here too and its always been pop!

 

Sakari is growing up!

 

YES! for pop. :D

[SuiteTraveler]

Kim, the little train thing is called the Bermuda Train Trolley Tours.

http://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda2_00009c.htm

The inflatable thing - I believe it may be a Soap Water Football (as in Soccer) field. Here's a video of some people playing:

These are popular in countries where soccer is a popular sport.

 

I'm sorry to hear you are sick. Get well soon!

 

We snagged a last minute spa balcony on Carnival Magic next Saturday! Looking forward to trying that ship. I guess where you are trying to cruise all NCL ships, we try to get on each new ship from whatever line at least once. Magic is one I've been planning on for 2 years, but just so happened to have the opportunity this next week. Since Carnival doesn't really do much of anything special for suites like NCL does, we tend to just get a balcony in order to save money on that line. I'm trying to pick out the best thing to do in Cozumel for 2 adults. We like the beach, if we can have shade (husband tends to burn easily, so I usually book a cabana if I can find one.) Does Nachi Cocum have plenty of shade?

[mitsugirly]

I thought maybe the Special bus had started going to Warwick now! I only wish this was true. :( I think that has always been a Horseshoe only beach to get tourists there quickly with no other stops. #7 goes to Hamilton but it stops wherever people need it to stop along the way! That's exactly what I said and the guy at the bus stop told me it was going straight to Hamilton and I wouldn't be able to take it. I just knew he was lying to us about it. I did my research!! We just told the bus driver and they dropped us off where we asked. It helps to know the general vicinity of your stop so you can speak up or start getting up to signal you need to be let off. The locals helped us out too! I think they were just glad to have us off "their" bus! We had the same issue with the bus drivers...I did not think they were very nice at all! I'm glad I'm not the only one that experienced their rudeness. I was just very taken back and disappointed after reading that they are so friendly in Bermuda and laid back. They were anything but that. We always greeted them with a Good morning like people suggest you do but it did not seem to help. That's why we take the taxi more now when we go to Warwick. With just the two of us, it is not very expensive! I think we paid $20 to Warwick and $14 from Horseshoe to the Dockyard.

 

That's not a bad price at all. I will definitely consider this option the next time I am there and weigh my options.

 

It appears your family really loved Horseshoe regardless of your rough start. It is amazingly beautiful there and you really captured it in your photos! Sakari will always love that you faced your fears and brought her to that little pond to see the tiny fish! The views from the hill are so amazing! You took the exact picture I was hoping to find for you before you left. Up on that hill looking back at the concession and restroom area...just so you could see the layout of the beach and services there.

 

It was nice and we enjoyed our day there, but I really wanted more out of the day. :(

 

I cannot wait to hear if you found the spot where Kendra would love to bodysurf/ Bob in the water! Lots of rock structures to discover there too! Hopefully you loved the walk as much as we do!

 

Hope you feel better!

Lauri

 

I grew up in Upper Michigan where it was always pop. Then we moved to Wisconsin and it became soda. now that we are living in lower Michigan, it's back to being pop!

 

I'm not sure what "spot" you are referring to for Kendra to bodysurf/bob in the water. I was referring to Horseshoe in general because the waves were really going up and down and she was enjoying it.

 

I was so excited to read your review! We are on the Breakaway in July headed to Bermuda. I was disappointed (not nearly as much as you, I'm sure) to read of your troubles with the bus system. One of the things I was going to do was get off at Warwick and make our way back to Horseshoe. Did you ever figure out which bus *should* have taken you there? (I totally thought it was bus 7 too).

 

I'm still 100% sure that it's the #7 bus but the guy was just being a jerk and not helpful and trying to direct most of the people to Horseshoe instead. Next time I will be more persistent and insist on getting on the #7 bus.

 

Here is a weird question (from a new cruiser!) --you mentioned you got your steward to fill a couple of zip locks with ice. How do you request things like that--do you leave them friendly notes in advance or call a certain number? Thanks!

 

Our room steward (on every cruise we have ever been on) is already in the halls when we wake up. You will find their carts there (and usually them there too) and cleaning the rooms. I always simply just go up to them and ask if they'll fill my bag up 1/2 way with ice and we've never had a problem. If they are not around their cart, I'll do it myself. No issues. :D

 

We are also looking into a boat rental, but we are trying to do a pontoon boat with a little potty on board.

 

I know you hear this a lot, but I truly appreciate the time you are putting into the detailed review. I hope you feel better!

 

Amy

 

Thank you so much for the comments. I'm glad you are enjoying it.