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

Photo Guide to Bermuda; Review of Portofino Restaurant; Inside Shore Excursions

The Bermuda cruising season has begun and is actually well underway. Although Bermuda is sometimes grouped together with the Caribbean islands, it is actually much further north - - about on the same latitude as North Carolina. Consequently, it is not a winter cruise destination. But, during the Spring and Summer months, it does not get as hot as the islands further south. This is one reason why it is a great summer cruise destination.

Another reason is the beauty of the island. It has a bevy of world class beaches - - many with pink sand and artistic looking rock formations. In addition, the landscape is charming with brightly painted houses nestled in amongst the sub-tropical foliage.

A Bermuda cruise is a short cruise from the US East Coast - - there are ships that leave regularly from Boston, New York and Baltimore. The first day is a lazy sail as the ships have to travel at a slow speed to avoid arriving too quickly. Then, most ships spend at least a couple of days in Bermuda. Not only does this allow guests to see the sights during the day but one can sample the island’s culture in the evening.

The culture of the islands - - Bermuda is actually a chain of small islands linked together by bridges and causeways - - is a unique mix. For example, there is the traditional business attire of a suit jacket, tie and shorts. One can see British influences and African influences.

Bermuda is an international business center. As a result, although the island is tourist friendly it is not as commercialized as some of the Caribbean ports. Most shops have a Bermuda flavor and the chain stores that one sees in every Caribbean port are conspicuous by their absence.

Bermuda is home to a sizeable number of billionaires and film stars. Their mansions are sometimes visible perched along the shore. Similarly, there are resorts such as the Elbow Beach Club that cater to the rich and famous. Perhaps it is the romance of the islands combined with its scenic beauty and easy lifestyle that attract them. In any case, it is a good recommendation for Bermuda that people who could spend their time anywhere in the world choose to spend time in Bermuda.

Beyondships’ new photo guide to Bermuda is at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Bermuda-1.html

One ship that is a regular visitor to Bermuda is Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas. The specialty restaurant onboard her is the elegant Italian-style Portofino. My review of this specialty restaurant is at http://www.beyondships.com/Explorer-Review-Portofino.html

Finally, most people who cruise take a shore excursion purchased through the ship’s shore excursion office. Accordingly, I spoke with Beatrix Bense, the Tour Office Manager on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 about how a tour office works and how shore excursions are arranged. That interview is at http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-art-Bense.html

Profile and Photo Tour of Holland America's Veendam

Holland America’s Veendam is one of the first ships that was profiled on Beyondships. She is a relatively small ship in comparison to today’s mega-cruise ships but she has elegance and sophistication.

In 2009, Veendam underwent a major refit. The focus of the work was on the stern area where the aft pool was turned into a resort-style shallow pool and the surrounding area transformed into a retreat. In addition, a series of balcony cabins were added along the stern.

What I had not expected when I went onboard recently were the changes to the ship’s interior. The area that was the casino bar has been re-done into “The Mix”, which encompasses three different bars - - spirits and ale, champagne and martinis. In some ways, the concept is similar to the “Bar Central” area on the larger NCL ships. However, here the three bars are physically separate.

The Ruebens Show Lounge is now the Showroom at Sea. In addition to changing the name, HAL has changed the concept. Instead, of being a theater, there are nightclub like tables in front of the stage.

All of the changes to Veendam necessitated essentially redoing the Beyondships’s profile and photo tour. The profile page is at http://www.beyondships.com/Veedam-Profile.html and the new photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Veendam-Tour1.html

In addition, Veendam now spends her summers cruising from New York to Bermuda. This has produced several opportunities to photograph her in one port or the other. Accordingly, I have added a new page of exterior photos of Veendam to the profile at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Veendam-photo-1.html

Photo Tour of Bermuda; Cunard President Part II; and cruising with Charles Darwin

This time, we have three new items.

First, there is Part II of my interview with Peter Shanks, President and Managing Director of Cunard Line. We began this part of the conversation by talking about the new Cunard ship Queen Elizabeth, which is now in the last phases of construction in Italy. Mr. Shanks talked about the design of the ship, its interior décor and features as well as answered the question whether the ship is actually an ocean liner. The topic then moved to what type of ships Cunard might build after the Queen Elizabeth. Finally, Mr. Shanks talked about Cunard Line’s position in the Carnival Corporation family of companies.

Part II of the interview with Mr. Shanks is posted at: http://www.beyondships.com/Cunard-Shanks-2.html

Second, I had lunch recently with Jorge Rodriguez, the North American representative of Cruceros Australis, which is an expedition cruise line operating at the extreme southern tip of South America. With him was author John Worman, who has written a number of books about Charles Darwin. The topic of the luncheon was two cruises that Cruceros Australis will be offering this fall, which will explore some of the places in Patagonia and Tierra Del Fuego that were visited by Darwin. According to Mr. Worman, Darwin largely formulated his ideas about the origin of species will visiting this still largely pristine area. My article about these cruises is at: http://www.beyondships.com/Cruise-articles-CA-Darwin.html

Third, once again going beyond the ships and onto the shore, I have posted a photo essay on Bermuda from a cruise passenger’s perspective. This little chain of islands in the Atlantic is a frequent cruise destination from a number of North American ports. It was once a tourist destination just for the rich and famous and while there still are quite a few mansions and yachts to be seen around the islands, now the pink sand beaches are enjoyed by the general public. Still the islands have not been ruined by commercialization and maintain a charming lifestyle. The multi-page photo essay begins at: http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Bermuda-1.html