Bermuda Revisited

I have just returned from a cruise to Bermuda - - something I have been doing once or twice a year for more than 20 years. Despite having been there so many times, Bermuda remains an attractive destination.

For people like me living along the East Coast of the United States, Bermuda is a convenient destination. There are cruise ships leaving from Boston, New York City, Bayonne (N.J.), and Baltimore for Bermuda just about every week during the summer. It is only a short distance so the ships drift along at a slow speed in order to give the passengers a few sea days as well as time on the island.

Bermuda is different from the Caribbean Islands and from The Bahamas. For one thing, it is out by itself in the Atlantic on the same latitude as North Carolina. This isolation has given it a unique charm that is a blend of traditional British customs and African culture. In addition, it has a higher standard of living owing in part to the international financial business that takes place in Hamilton, the only true city on the island,

So what does Bermuda have to offer? To begin, there is the subtropical weather - - not too hot, not too cold. Then there is the natural beauty of the island. It really does have pink sand beaches lapped by unbelievable turquoise water. Add some history, visitor-friendly attractions and nice people and there is more than enough to do during a few days stay on the island. (Actually, Bermuda is more than 100 islands but everyone refers to it as the “island”).

One of the things that I like to do in Bermuda is walk along the interconnected South Shore beaches. You start at the world famous Horseshoe Bay beach and then continue along a coastal trail in the South Shore National Park to Warwick Long Bay. Not only is this good moderate exercise but you get to see some beautiful secluded beaches set amidst giant rock formations where you can swim or just relax. An account of such an excursion is at http://www.beyondships3.com/walking-bermuda-beaches.html

A quite different place to visit is the National Museum of Bermuda. This is located inside The Keep at the Royal Naval Dockyards where virtually all cruise ships dock these days. The Keep was the fortress built to defend the dockyard when it was used by the Royal Navy. It has been restored and is full of exhibits about various aspects of Bermuda's history. It is also now home to the Dolphin Quest, where you can interact with or just watch dolphins. A slideshow is at http://www.beyondships3.com/bermuda-national-museum.html

I was in Bermuda this time on the new Norwegian Breakaway, which as will be discussed in future postings, is a fabulous ship. In company with Breakaway throughout the entire trip was another good ship, Celebrity Summit. As a result, I was able to take quite a few photos of Summit. I've put the best of these together in a photo essay at http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-summit-goes-to-bermuda.html

All of this is in the context of a new and expanded section on Bermuda that includes additional photos and pages. The new Beyondships Bermuda home page is at http://www.beyondships3.com/bermuda-home-page.html