After cruising, ever fly back to Bermuda?

[cram33]

I've been to Bermuda a handfull of times. While I am planning a family cruise for next year I got the bug and am ready to book a quick 5 nighter out of Bayonne.

 

Wifey is now showing me flight + hotel packages for Bermuda at a comparable price. But I know buying meals alone for 5 days in Bermuda will be costly.

 

Any experiences flying to Bermuda after cruisign there?

[njhorseman]

We've done both, and concluded that cruising is the way to go. We enjoy the days at sea as a good way to unwind. As you say, the price of food in Bermuda is very high. Plus, the ship has entertainment, while the hotels do not.

 

We've done a couple of 5 day cruises to Bermuda and have concluded that they do not provide enough time there for our tastes, so now we only take the 7 day cruises.

[cram33]

I agree cruising is the way to go. RCI also got rid of 7 days from Bayonne which is why I used NCI last time.

 

How was your Bermuda trip when you flew there?

[DeltaOne]

Wifey is now showing me flight + hotel packages for Bermuda at a comparable price. But I know buying meals alone for 5 days in Bermuda will be costly. Any experiences flying to Bermuda after cruisign there?

 

Yes, wife and I cruised to Bermuda in '06, '07 and '08. This year we wanted a full week on Bermuda so we rented a small studio apartment in the Warwick parish. We were there from 6/28 to 7/05.

 

The studio apartment had a full kitchen and a market just a five minute walk away. We ate breakfasts in the studio apartment, coffee and a danish. We ate all our lunches out. We ate one or two dinners out, otherwise we cooked dinner in the apartment.

 

We rented a scooter for quick and easy transportation around the island. The studio apartment was fantastic! It was attached to the owner's house. We had full use of the owners pool, a patio and grill to use, parking for our scooter, cable TV and WiFi. The studio apartment was air conditioned too, but we never turned it on (there's always a delightful breeze). The owner had another rental unit on the property too.

 

We loved being in Bermuda for seven full days. The scooter enabled us to go where we wanted, when we wanted. We spent the better part of one day just going from beach to beach along the South Shore Road. Great stuff! All in all we drove the scooter from end to end on the island twice. We saw so much of the island that we've never seen in our three cruises.

 

After totaling up the cost we did spend just a bit more than we did on the cruises. But having seven full days on the island was well worth it! We used, and highly recommend Bermuda Accomodations for finding a rental property. We found the property we wanted, Bermuda Accomodations confirmed the dates were available, and we sent them a small deposit. We paid the balance to the homeowner when we arrived at the property. What made this work for us was having the kitchen and not having to eat all our meals out.

[iheartbda]

Paul,

We met a couple on a cruise a few years ago who had cruised to Bermuda 5 times. They now do exactly as you have done and also say the cost it about or a bit more than a cruise. They have even taken food which the owner of their cottage suggested.

 

I haven't done any cost comparison recently between cruising and flying but the cost of our cruises have gone down every year since we started and I can't imagine that we could do it for what our cruise cost this year.;)

[DeltaOne]

Paul,I haven't done any cost comparison recently between cruising and flying but the cost of our cruises have gone down every year since we started and I can't imagine that we could do it for what our cruise cost this year.;)

This year's trip would have cost the same as a cruise if we'd ate all or nearly all our meals at the apartment. But we like to eat out, and hey...it is vacation!

 

I would estimate we spent somewhere between 10% and 15% more on this years vacation than last years cruise. But we had seven full days on Bermuda compared to just three days last year. Big difference, well worth the extra money.

[AAAAmerican]

The Bermudian Islands ( Somers Isles ) are devine.

 

They are now celebrating there 400th Year too as after that 3 day storm of on/about 07/24/1609 A.D on the way to resupply my kin in Jamestowne, VA the Sea Venture wrecked but the Admiral Somers and Captain Newport helped 150 people and one dog land safely upon there and Nine Months later left leaving only two men in the name of the Crown.

 

 

Flying now is a great way of getting there and back. NJ/NY has some direct/non-stop Very Inexpensive Flights .. The Commerce Secretary who was in charge of the Chamber of Commerce there did get those contracts done well.

 

Bringing coolers and provisions is well as you have seen food costs. EG: A Dozen Local Raised White Chicken Eggs goes for $BMD $7.48 there now in a discount grocery store in Hamilton. 1 BDM $ = 1 USD $

 

:cool:

 

But as in any Democracy .. Choices choices from all the voices...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've been to Bermuda a handfull of times. While I am planning a family cruise for next year I got the bug and am ready to book a quick 5 nighter out of Bayonne.

 

Wifey is now showing me flight + hotel packages for Bermuda at a comparable price. But I know buying meals alone for 5 days in Bermuda will be costly.

 

Any experiences flying to Bermuda after cruisign there?

[bermuda09]

 

The studio apartment had a full kitchen and a market just a five minute walk away. We ate breakfasts in the studio apartment, coffee and a danish. We ate all our lunches out. We ate one or two dinners out, otherwise we cooked dinner in the apartment.

 

We rented a scooter for quick and easy transportation around the island. The studio apartment was fantastic! It was attached to the owner's house. We had full use of the owners pool, a patio and grill to use, parking for our scooter, cable TV and WiFi. The studio apartment was air conditioned too, but we never turned it on (there's always a delightful breeze). The owner had another rental unit on the property too.

.

 

Hey Paul...I have also cruised to Bermuda 3 times and next year we are thinking about flying there and staying there for a week to celebrate our first anniversary. I appreciate the information you gave, and I was also wondering, was the apartment you rented near the south shore beaches, or in town?

[DeltaOne]

Hey Paul...I have also cruised to Bermuda 3 times and next year we are thinking about flying there and staying there for a week to celebrate our first anniversary. I appreciate the information you gave, and I was also wondering, was the apartment you rented near the south shore beaches, or in town?

We were in the Warwick Parish very close to the south shore beaches. Horseshoe Bay Beach was about a 5 minute scooter ride away. Too far to walk, but a short ride on the scooter.

[Dolphins]

We stayed at hotels in Bermuda before we cruised there. After cruising, we wouldn't go back to hotels. The price of a good hotel is very expensive and there are also huge taxes and service fees. Restaurant dining in Bermuda is also expensive as are flights to Bermuda. Never could understand why it costs more to fly from New York to Bermuda than to Florida or Las Vegas, a much longer distance? I find boarding a cruise ship a far more pleasurable experience than going to an airport. Finally, why prepare your own meals in a bargain rental in Bermuda when for the about the same price, you can enjoy 3 fine meals a day, dancing and entertainment on a cruise ship.

[DeltaOne]

We stayed at hotels in Bermuda before we cruised there. After cruising, we wouldn't go back to hotels. The price of a good hotel is very expensive and there are also huge taxes and service fees. Restaurant dining in Bermuda is also expensive as are flights to Bermuda. Never could understand why it costs more to fly from New York to Bermuda than to Florida or Las Vegas, a much longer distance? I find boarding a cruise ship a far more pleasurable experience than going to an airport. Finally, why prepare your own meals in a bargain rental in Bermuda when for the about the same price, you can enjoy 3 fine meals a day, dancing and entertainment on a cruise ship.

While it's true that hotels in Bermuda are very expensive, rental apartments and houses are much cheaper. And no added taxes or service fees from the Bermudian government.

 

We elected to eat some of our meals in our rental apartment to lessen our food costs and, mostly, that allowed us to spend seven full days in Bermuda. Much nicer than the three days you get on a cruise.

 

Different strokes, you know. I know we'll cruise to Bermuda again, I know we'll fly to Bermuda for a full week again. Both are great vacations.

[giantcrazy]

We're going in reverse - this will be our first cruise to Bermuda, but we've vacationed there at hotels a couple of times.

 

A few things to keep in mind:

- Food costs - yes, they're not insignificant, but you can eat reasonably on the island. Our hotel was right near a Swizzle Inn, and I think our bills were comparable to what we'd pay in your average NYC restaurant.

- Transportation - you get around Bermuda easily, so a bus pass for 7 days will do just fine

- Entertainment - this is where I think the cruise lines have the hotels beat, as both places we stayed didn't have much in terms of entertainment at night

 

Not sure what other people are paying, but we paid a pretty penny for this 7 day cruise with 3 days in Bermuda, and I'd say it's about the same as the last trip we took, including airfare, hotel and meals, with 7 full days on the island. I'm hoping that we have a good enough time to feel like we did just as well as the last trips.

[cram33]

So after all me research we are cruising to BDA again. The main difference is the meals. We were going to book Surf Side, but would have to upgrade the room to get a kitchen.

 

We looked up several apts. and cottages which ww will visit this time to plan for next.

 

Sadly RCI is losing our business AGAIN to NCI because RCI only offers 5 nights. We are driving all the way to Boston for the 7 nighter.

 

Next trip to BDA will be a flight.

[njhorseman]

 

Sadly RCI is losing our business AGAIN to NCI because RCI only offers 5 nights. We are driving all the way to Boston for the 7 nighter.

 

 

 

I'm curious why you didn't book the Norwegian Dawn and cruise from NY rather than driving to Boston.

[cram33]

I'm curious why you didn't book the Norwegian Dawn and cruise from NY rather than driving to Boston.

 

 

Timing. Plus spending a night in Boston to meet friends.

[cram33]

I'm curious why you didn't book the Norwegian Dawn and cruise from NY rather than driving to Boston.

 

And if we did book the Dawn Royal Caribbean would still be losing our business for the same reason.