Bermuda itinerary in May

[01Sweetpea]

We will be on the NCL Escape arriving in Bermuda on May 22nd and staying for 2.5 days.  I'm trying to put an itinerary together and would love any suggestions/comments.

 

Wednesday:

IF the weather is nice, do a jet ski tour right from Royal Dockyard in the morning 

afternoon - ?

take the late afternoon free ferry to Hamilton for Harbour Nights

 

Thursday:

Ferry to St. George

Crystal Caves

Tobacco Beach

explore St. George

back to ship for dinner (right now this was the ONLY day/time we could get dinner reservations for Cagney's 😞 )

 

Friday:

Horseshoe bay beach

back to ship by 2

[Charles4515]

You can do that. However I suggest doing Horseshoe on Wednesday and doing the Jet Skis on Friday morning. Friday May 24 is Bermuda Day which is a major holiday. Horseshoe Bay will be packed. That day is the date Bermudians consider the start of the beach season. Friday would be a good day to stay near the Dockyard and do the Jet Skis.

 

There is no free ferry to Hamilton. You will need to take the public ferry for Harbour Nights. $5 cash or $4.50 if you buy a token. NCL only runs a free ferry to St. George’s.

 

 

 

 

[HardyVA]

Celebrity has a excursion to Historical Forts of Bermuda on Friday May 24.  Do you think this will be an issue since its Bermuda Day?

[Charles4515]

Celebrity has a excursion to Historical Forts of Bermuda on Friday May 24.  Do you think this will be an issue since its Bermuda Day?

 I think the tour operator would not run that excursion that day if they thought there was going to be an issue. So the only issue would be they might decide to cancel it. A Celebrity excursion like that or something operating out of the Dockyard, Jet Skies, Catamaran, etc. etc. are the best options in my opinion on that holiday since falls on a departure day. I would normally go to Horseshoe on Friday before departure sailing on Summit and have done so three times, but I expect Horseshoe to be mobbed on May 24. I have seen pictures of Horseshoe and on Bermuda Day. That is why I am suggesting the OP might want to modify their plans.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

[HardyVA]

I suppose I could check with Celebrity about that excursion?  They are also running one to the Caves, etc that day but as you pointed out to me a year or so ago that a ship excursion there is not necessary.  

   Once again, thank you.

[Charles4515]

I suppose I could check with Celebrity about that excursion?  They are also running one to the Caves, etc that day but as you pointed out to me a year or so ago that a ship excursion there is not necessary.      Once again, thank you. 

 

 If they have it listed for booking online they are still planning to do it. They could change their mind later. What I said about it not being necessary to do the caves as a ships excursion is true but if you wanted to do the caves on the May 24 Bermuda Day holiday it would be prudent to do it as a ships excursion. On the Bermuda Day holiday in addition to residents going to the beach, it is the first day of their beach season and going to the beach is a tradition, there is a parade in Hamilton and there is also a road race (cycles). There are road closures. Some years the road race is between the West End and Hamilton, other years it is between St. George’s and Hamilton. There is also a marathon between St. George’s and Hamilton. I don’t know what their plans are this year for the road race but for both the Escape and Summit Friday May 24 is the last day in port. So passengers on those ships should not risk getting stuck somewhere away from the Dockyard that day with all the special holiday activities going on. So May 24 a ships excursion would be the safest or an independent water activity excursion that leaves out of and returns to the Dockyard. Or they should do activities in the Dockyard.

 

 

[01Sweetpea]

8 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

You can do that. However I suggest doing Horseshoe on Wednesday and doing the Jet Skis on Friday morning. Friday May 24 is Bermuda Day which is a major holiday. Horseshoe Bay will be packed. That day is the date Bermudians consider the start of the beach season. Friday would be a good day to stay near the Dockyard and do the Jet Skis.

 

There is no free ferry to Hamilton. You will need to take the public ferry for Harbour Nights. $5 cash or $4.50 if you buy a token. NCL only runs a free ferry to St. George’s.

 

 

 

 

Thank you!!!  I had read on previous posts to NOT go to Horseshoe Bay Beach the first day as everyone goes there and it’s very crowded, but it makes sense to avoid it on Friday. We only need to spend 2-3 hours at the beach to relax and walk the beach.  

 

Any suggestions for Wednesday afternoon  before heading to Hamilton? Or is there enough to see/do there before Harbour Nights starts? 

[PelicanBill]

You might want to compare the jetski tour at the Dockyards to the one at Somerset Watersports.  The second is a 15 minute taxi ride and has been recommended by many CC writers.  And they will pay for your taxi ride to get there.

 

[01Sweetpea]

4 hours ago, PelicanBill said:

You might want to compare the jetski tour at the Dockyards to the one at Somerset Watersports.  The second is a 15 minute taxi ride and has been recommended by many CC writers.  And they will pay for your taxi ride to get there.

 

Thanks, I'll look into them.  

[Magellan321]

On 4/2/2019 at 9:01 AM, PelicanBill said:

You might want to compare the jetski tour at the Dockyards to the one at Somerset Watersports.  The second is a 15 minute taxi ride and has been recommended by many CC writers.  And they will pay for your taxi ride to get there.

 

 

On 4/2/2019 at 1:35 PM, 01Sweetpea said:

Thanks, I'll look into them.  

We have done both. The one at the dockyard is very convenient. Yes, Somerset covers your cab to them....but the savings are wiped out by the return taxi cost you have to pay on your own. We tend to like the earliest jet ski slot in the morning as it usually has fewer riders making for less lost time teaching them how to follow along.