LIVE: 🇧🇲 Visions of Pink Sands 8/31 - 9/5 🇧🇲

[SteelCityCruiser10]

It’s THAT time again everyone!!  I accidentally booked this 5 nighter to Bermuda out of Baltimore a couple months ago.   Oops! I did it again 🤣 

 

I always have my eye out (since I am a known & admitted cruise-a-holic) for certain cruises especially when I can drive to port.  I saw a decent rate on a JS GTY combined with the Labor Day weekend and was sold.  

 

Some of you may remember at almost this exact time last year we were planning to go to Bermuda on Liberty out of NJ but the hurricane had a different plan for us.  We ended up being diverted to a CA/NE itinerary instead… which btw we ended up LOVING!  So yeah, we weren’t mad but were left with the itch to get back to Bermuda… and here we are!

[SteelCityCruiser10]

I like to be heavy on pictures and light on words in my LIVES whenever possible.

 

Feel free to join in and ask questions etc.  I’ll do my best to find answers if I don’t already know.

 

Here is the itinerary:

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Emma says.. hmm something is up.  She will require several treats for the inconvenience of going to doggie daycare.  

 

 

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Plan for today:

Work - partial day

Lunch- drop Emma at doggie daycare

Pack last minute items 

3-4pm ish - hopefully on the road to Baltimore.  Expecting approx.  4 hr drive.

Checkin to hotel - hopefully by 8

Having beverages (plural!) 😃- hopefully by 8:05

 

We have 11am boarding time tomorrow.  

 

Cheers🍻

[Another_Critic]

44 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

 

"ADVENTURE IS HERE"

 

That's Vision, not Adventure.  😉  😄

 

Edited August 30 by Another_Critic

[SteelCityCruiser10]

13 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

"ADVENTURE IS HERE"

 

That's Vision, not Adventure.  😉  😄

I thought the exact same thing when I saw that in my email!  

[SteelCityCruiser10]

The hotel I chose is Courtyard Marriott.  Looked to be very close to the port.  I believe they even mention walking distance to port somewhere.  🤔  
 

I chose park & cruise option.  It was another $20 ish added to the hotel rate but will save $20/day from port parking.  Will I regret this decision?  We shall see.

 

[h20skibum]

Safe travels and have a great cruise.  

[clochette]

looking forward to following you and hear how the Marriott works out for you

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Emma “working” from home today.  The word “work “ is being used very loosely!

 

Edited August 30 by SteelCityCruiser10

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Emma is dropped off and hopefully playing nicely with her friends at doggie daycare.  

 

She loves to lay directly in front of the AC vents in the truck.  She even tries to come up front and invade my space.  

 

 

Current Status- mostly packed and one last work item to take care of then packing up and hitting the road.  

 

 

[Ukigirl]

Awww, Emma is a cutie but she was definitely giving you the stink eye. Looking forward to your review, never been to Bermuda but hope to do so in the near future. Happy sailing!

[Sunshine3601]

I'll be living vicariously through your review.   We love Bermuda and still sad we had to cancel our Sept 19th sailing due to a work conflict.

 

Does this Mariott offer shuttle to the cruise port?  

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I'll be living vicariously through your review.   We love Bermuda and still sad we had to cancel our Sept 19th sailing due to a work conflict.

 

Does this Mariott offer shuttle to the cruise port?  

 

Hey there!  Thanks for stopping by!  No they do not have an in house shuttle but offered me a business card for a shuttle service.  I will probably just call a lyft/uber in the morning when we’re ready.  

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Here’s the shuttle service recommendation I got from the front desk

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Hotel is nice.  Lots of stuff within walking distance.  Harris Teeter is right next door with a cellar (wine & beer) connected to it.

 

Parking lot is a multi level covered garage.  Hotel parking is level 1.

 

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

King room with view on the port side of the building.  Desk attendant said we should be able to see the ship in the morning.

 

She said technically it’s walkable but it’s a complicated walk.  Whatever that means.  I won’t we attempting the walk lol 🤣 

 

 

 

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

I mentioned earlier I had booked a JS GTY.  We received our room assignment around the 30 day mark.  8572 which is starboard aft, non connecting.  Seems fine to me.  

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

There are a few firsts for us on this sailing.

 

 1.  Vision will be the smallest ship we have ever sailed on.  Jewel & Radiance being the smallest prior to this which we really like.  We are interested to see if this ship will seem too small for us.

 

2.  First time departing from Baltimore.  Being so close to Pittsburgh I can’t believe it has taken this long.  I would have preferred a longer itinerary but his one fit our schedules.

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Some facts on Vision:

 

 

Vision of the Seas was built in 1998. It was renovated in 2013. Coming in at 915 ft long and 106 ft wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor trailers, and the same height as a 11-story building.

 

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

I may have packed my own bourbon and ginger ale ( don’t judge lol 🤣) to enjoy in the room knowing we would likely arrive somewhat later in the evening.  Chose Heaven Hill 7 yr.  & watching some college football.  🥃🥃

 

Kentucky Bourbon Festival is coming up in mid September and I missed out on tickets. 😭  Maybe next year.

[Hoopster95]

51 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

 8572 which is starboard aft, non connecting.  Seems fine to me.  

 

Great spot! You're directly across the "secret staircase" up to the entry of the Vitality Spa and then into the Solarium... super convenient route vs. heading down the corridor to the elevator/stair lobby. Also being underneath one of the spa rooms, you won't have scraping chairs and noise from the deck above like seemingly 80% of the other JS's reported on Vision Class.

[SteelCityCruiser10]

13 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

Great spot! You're directly across the "secret staircase" up to the entry of the Vitality Spa and then into the Solarium... super convenient route vs. heading down the corridor to the elevator/stair lobby. Also being underneath one of the spa rooms, you won't have scraping chairs and noise from the deck above like seemingly 80% of the other JS's reported on Vision Class.

Perfect I was hoping to be under the spa rather than pool deck. I wasn’t aware of this secret staircase!!

Edited August 31 by SteelCityCruiser10

[Another_Critic]

51 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

There are a few firsts for us on this sailing.

 

 1.  Vision will be the smallest ship we have ever sailed on.  Jewel & Radiance being the smallest prior to this which we really like.  We are interested to see if this ship will seem too small for us.

 

2.  First time departing from Baltimore.  Being so close to Pittsburgh I can’t believe it has taken this long.  I would have preferred a longer itinerary but his one fit our schedules.

 

My smallest ship was Nordic Prince (23,149 GT).  Sailed on Vision on a 16 nt. Arctic Crossing (Copenhagen to Cape Liberty in 2017), and will be sailing on her again in December.  Also sailed on other Vision class (Grandeur 7 times, Enchantment 1 time).  My largest ship will be Symphony on Sunday.

 

Sailed from Baltimore 13 times.

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Looks like there should be no issues with  our chariot arriving on time in the morning.