Hidden Gems in Bermuda
(30 Reviews)
100% Recommended
Lisa Carter
Fenwick, ON
Europe Travel Specialist
It all began with our family vacation to the UK. I built our 3-week itinerary from arrival in London to departure in Glasgow and everything in between. Being an “old-school” 80s girl who didn’t grow up with a smartphone, I printed it all out and s...
It all began with our family vacation to the UK. I built our 3-week itinerary from arrival in London to departure in Glasgow and everything in between. Being an “old-school” 80s girl who didn’t grow up with a smartphone, I printed it all out and stored it in a handy purple binder. Each page was organized, in order, with the confirmations, coupons, vouchers and tickets we needed for that day.
The fam may have made fun of me for having it out at the airport before we took off on our adventure but…by about day 3, they were all asking “What’s in the purple binder for today?” We found my purple binder an invaluable tool that made our trip run as smoothly as any guided tour.
Since then I have designed custom itineraries for the UK, Italy, Portugal, arranged bookings for guided and self-guided tours, and sent clients on a variety of European cruises.
Contact me to help build your next bucket list European vacation - whether it be your own custom itinerary, a guided tour or an ocean or river cruise visiting multiple countries across Europe!
Can Be Reached At
1-289-213-6566
Let's talk about cruising to Bermuda. I love this itinerary for a few reasons. They sail from New York or Boston, a short flight or an easy drive to embarkation from the Niagara Region. You can do a short 5 day cruise with a single overnight on the island, or a longer 7 day cruise with 3 full days on the island so you can really immerse yourself in the destination. Which is what we did!
Weather in Bermuda is similar to North Carolina, so if you want warm beach-swimming temperatures, best to go May-September. The Atlantic waters can be rough cruising to the island, but the roughest waters tend to be in November-March.
Royal Navy Dockyard is where NCL docks in Bermuda, and a visit to the fort is a must on one of your days in port! The visitor centre is right there, along with shops, restaurants, a beach area and mini-golf, and NCL's courtesy ferry to St. George's on the other side of the island. And we did it all...and more!
Our main excursion in Bermuda was the Hidden Gems tour, a full day exploring some of Bermuda's best kept secrets. The adventure began with a jungle hike where we discovered some amazing flora and fauna, we did some caving and found a cave hole to swim in, there was cliff jumping, a delicious lunch with a signature dark 'n stormy, a secluded beach visit, and it was all accompanied by a local guide who drove us all around the island and told us his favourite off-the-beaten path places.
This particular trip was a testament to being flexible when it comes to travel! A few issues came up during this week-long cruise. One was that we could not visit the first port of call, Norfolk Virginia, because there was a whale zone restriction in that direction. It was disappointing but completely understandable, and NCL gave us all a $50 onboard credit for the inconvenience.
And then, as the week went on, we started to hear news from back home about a storm brewing...it was hard to really think about snow when we were in the beautiful Bermudian sun! It was only mid-November, so how bad could it really be anyway? Well, by the time we disembarked in New York, the Buffalo area was recording about 40 inches of snow and it was still falling at alarming rates. When we arrived at JFK, we found out that Buffalo airport was closed, and our flight had been cancelled!
Ultimately the snowstorm was a blessing in disguise, because we discovered the TWA hotel right at terminal 5 of JFK and it is AMAZING! Resplendent in 60's vintage design and nostalgia, with a bar in a refurbished plane and boasting a rooftop pool, the TWA hotel is located in the actual TWA Flight Center terminal which was designed in 1962! If you happen to be flying into New York and need to stay overnight or have a long layover at JFK, I highly recommend a stay at the TWA hotel!
And make sure you have travel insurance! Our hotel stay and meals were covered through our Manulife non-medical inclusive plan, which provides for trip cancellation and trip interruption in situations such as a weather event like the one we experienced.
Contact me for more information on cruising with Norwegian Cruise Lines and your next cruise to Bermuda! It is a destination that is often overlooked, but you won't regret it!!!