Carnival Cruise Lines 2011 Bermuda

NOW EVEN MORE BERMUDA ITINERARIES!

From April to November 2011, Carnival Cruise Lines will be offering 16 departures to the island from Baltimore, Norfolk, New York - and for the first time, historic Charleston!

Carnival's 2011 Bermuda departures include:

• Baltimore (7-day cruises on the Carnival Pride) – April 10 and 17, September 18, October 2 and November 6.
• New York (7- and 8-day departures on the Carnival Miracle) – April 14 and 21, and September 11 and 27.
• Norfolk (6-day sailing on the Carnival Glory) – October 16.
• Charleston (6-day voyages on the Carnival Fantasy) – April 23, May 19, June 16, August 25, September 15 and October 6.

Reservations are currently open for these 2011 Bermuda sailings.
Cruises to Bermuda (select date)        Other Bermuda Posts

All of the Bermuda voyages will dock at King's Wharf. Guests on 6-day voyages will be able to spend two-day calls in King's Wharf; those on the 7- and 8-day cruises spend three action-packed days in Bermuda.

The people of Bermuda are very friendly and helpful.  There are plenty of activities for the entire family in Bermuda.   It is very easy to get around Bermuda by bus, taxi, and ferry.  King's Wharf is the perfect location for starting your day's exploration.   Hamilton is a short ferry ride away, so you are not limited to one area.

NCL Dawn Bermuda - Nightlife

If you have cruised before, you know that the casino and onboard shops are closed while in port. So, on most cruises, by 5 or 6 PM, the casino is open and shops are open. This is not the case while in Bermuda, since the ship docks at King's Wharf and stays there for two nights before moving to Hamilton (on this particular cruise).

So does that mean there's nothing to do at night while in Bermuda? Of course not !! Both onboard the ship and onshore, there's plenty of activities going on. Hamilton's Front Street is the hub of activity both during the day and also at night. If you decide to go to Hamilton, make sure you are aware of the transportation schedule, so you don't have difficulty getting back to the ship. For example, the last ferry from Hamilton back to Dockyard is at 11 PM. You'll not want to miss that ferry if that's your means of transportation. Check the Public Transportation Board website for schedules.

Staying closer to the ship, there are the local pubs in Dockyard. On both nights there was a beach party going on at the Dockyard. Just follow the signs or the crowd if this interests you. The party continued until the wee hours of the morning.

If you don't want to venture out at all, there are still plenty of activities onboard the ship (even with the casino being closed). On the first night the activities included South Beach Rave in the Stardust Theater. This show, featuring the Jean Ann Ryan Company, was a high energy show with music provided by the Norwegian Dawn Showband.

Starting at 10:15 PM, there was Dancing Under the Stars, at the Oasis Poolside, with dance music provided by Upryzin'. The Friendly Family Feud Game, Late Night Adult Comedy and the Music of Neil Diamond were other activities the first night in port. For those that want to be a performer, Karaoke was also going on in Dazzles Lounge.

The second night in King's Wharf featured Second City in the Stardust Theater and Adult Comedy in Spinnaker Lounge. If you've never seen The Quest Adult Game Show, you might want to check that out in Spinnaker Lounge. This was the night for the Chocoholic Buffet in the Garden Cafe. Take pictures or sample some of the fantastic chocolate treats. Unfortunately, we got back late from our Night Snorkel excursion, so we missed most of the festivities.

Since we sail from Hamilton before dinner, shops were open, the casino opened, and there were plenty of venues to attend for entertainment. As you can see, there's always something to do in the evening, despite some ship services being closed while in port. So you are free to do whatever.

NCL Dawn Bermuda - Fort Hamilton

Step back in time to the 1870s where atop a hillside overlooking Hamilton Harbour, a pentagonal fort was built to protect against a possible attack by American forces. Fort Hamilton is about three or four blocks from the BUEI so it didn't take long for us to walk there.

Entering through a narrow driveway, the first thing we saw was a well maintained garden. Along the perimeter of the garden are ramparts and cannons. When you walk to the highest point, you can see why this location was an excellent choice for guarding the harbour. There are spectacular views of the cathedral and the ships in Hamilton Harbour from this vantage point.

As we arrived at the fort, it began to drizzle a little, but it didn't last long. We weren't the only people that had come from our ship. We met two other couples that were enjoying the beautiful gardens. After taking pictures of each other, we proceeded to tour the garden moat, which is the best kept secret of the fort.

The 30 ft wide dry moat which surrounds the fort has been transformed into a woodland garden. Along the winding path you'll see many species of vegetation including soaring bamboos, palms, palmettos and allspice trees.


There are plenty of passage ways for you to explore along the way. Dimly lit corridors and stairways lead to walkways inside the fort. Ammunition was stored deep inside the fort and the shells were hoisted to the surface by ropes.

We spent about an hour at the fort and that was plenty of time to explore at a leisurely pace. There are benches in several locations where you can rest and enjoy the peacefulness of the beautiful gardens. We were truly glad that we made the walk up the steep hill to the fort. For those that don't want to walk to the fort, I'd suggest taking a taxi there. There is no admission charge to Fort Hamilton. It is one of the best bargains in Bermuda.

From the fort we walked down Front Street, the main street in Hamilton. There you'll find all the shops. View my Fort Hamilton Album and then come back to read about shopping in Bermuda.

NCL Dawn Bermuda - Underwater Exploration Institute

It's day 3 in Bermuda and time for the Norwegian Dawn to make a short journey from King's Wharf to Hamilton, Bermuda. The ship tenders in Hamilton, so it was necessary to obtain tender tickets before going ashore.

We decided not to rush and had some breakfast. When we finished our breakfast, we headed to the lounge to pickup our tender tickets. Timing couldn't have been better - we were able to obtain our tender ticket and head to the gangway to disembark.

Our tender boat was actually one of the ferries, so it was able to accomodate a large number of passengers waiting to go ashore. Once ashore we began walking down Front Street, the main street of Hamilton. We weren't exactly sure where the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) was located, so we asked a women walking along the street. We were only three or four blocks away from the BUEI. If you don't want to walk, you can also get to the BUEI by bus.

We spent two hours there visiting the various exhibits such as Bermuda Revealed, Underwater Bermuda, Shell Collection, Science at Sea, The Dive, The Deep, Bioluminescence, Shark Cage, Treasure Room, and the Shipwreck Gallery. Once again our timing was excellent. By the time we walked to The Dive exhibit, the ride was about to begin. If you've been to a theme park and gone on a motion ride, this is very similar. We were actually the only people on the ride.

There is a wealth of information throughout the various exhibits. One could easily spend several hours going through the institute, especially if that was their are of interest.

Even if marine biology and underwater exploration isn't your favorite subject, I think you will enjoy the Lightbourn Shell Collection. The collection is housed in several display cases. Jack Lightbourn started with Bermuda shells and expanded it to the entire world. It is by far the most amazing collection of shells we've ever seen.

For more photos, see our BUEI Photo Album and Shell Collection Album.

When we left the BUEI, it started to sprinkle a little, but it wasn't enough to keep us from going to our next stop, Fort Hamilton. My next post will describe our visit there.

NCL Dawn Bermuda - Aquarium

Since we had gotten an earlier ferry to St. George, which saved us time getting to the Crystal & Fantasy Caves, we had some extra time in our schedule. We planned to spend the morning and early part of the afternoon in Hamilton.

The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) can easily be reached by bus #10 or #11 from the Hamilton area. We walked out the entrance way of the caves and weren't sure which way to go to catch the bus. We stopped at the entrance trying to get our bearings and a taxi driver asked where we were trying to go. We told him where we were headed and that we were looking for the bus. He said we could catch the bus right around the corner.

We walked down the street and found the bus stop. You'll recognize them pretty easily once you see them. They are cement structures with a bench. They can also be a blue metal post. A bus came within a few minutes. Our timing all day was very good (catching the ferry, then the bus to the caves, and now the bus to the aquarium).

Boarding the bus, we showed the driver our passes and asked to be told when we got to the aquarium. It only took 10 minutes or so to get there. The bus stops right in front of the building.

As you can see, it is pretty easy to get around Bermuda. What makes it even easier are the people. We've been all over the world and I don't think we've found more helpful or friendly people than we did in Bermuda. When we asked someone where some attraction was, they would stop what they were doing and give specific directions. In many cases, they practically took us to where we wanted to go. The people really made the trip to Bermuda enjoyable.

The admission to the BAMZ is $10 per adult. It is not a large facility, but it is a worthwhile attraction, especially for anyone that loves seeing fish. There's a Discovery Room where children of all ages can gently handle sea urchins, sea stars and sea cucumbers, along with conch, sponges, chitons and other marine creatures.

There are over 200 species of fish and marine life in the various displays. The angel fish, octopus, eels, and spiny lobster were our favorites.

After we completed the indoor aquarium exhibits, we went outside to the zoo portion of the facility. Since it was past lunch time, we decided to get sandwiches in the outdoor cafe. There wasn't much of a selection, but it met our needs.

We completed our lunch and continued our self-guided tour of the BAMZ. A peacock greeted us and joined us as we walked along the path. It would later spread it's feathers for the photograph above. There were several species of birds and animals including Parma wallabies, tree kangaroos, and Asian small-clawed otters. A pleasant surprise was a Galapagos turtle. Our next planned cruise is to Galapagos Islands, so this gave us a glimpse into our future.

Our goal was to catch the 2:30 ferry back to the Dockyards, so we bid farewell to the BAMZ and headed for the bus stop. We didn't have to wait long for the bus. This time the bus was pretty crowded and we had to stand. Make sure to hang on tightly if you ever stand on a bus in Bermuda so you don't end up in the driver's lap. The bus ended at the Hamilton terminal. We asked a pedestrian for directions to the ferry (it was only a couple blocks away). Once again our timing was excellent - the 2:30 ferry was about to depart fo the Dockyards.

We'll look at other Bermuda attractions in my next posts, so be sure to check back for updates.
Here's a link to some pictures from the Aquarium visit.

NCL Dawn Bermuda - Crystal & Fantasy Caves

The Crystal & Fantasy Caves of Bermuda topped our "must see" list as we left for our 7 Night Bermuda Cruise on the Norwegian Dawn. This attraction is accessible from either Hamilton or St. George, Bermuda.

After arriving in King's Wharf (Dockyards), we disembarked the ship and stopped at the Tourist Information booth at the pier. We purchased 3 day passes for the Sea Express Ferry and Public Buses. The cost for the 3 day pass was $28 each. We weren't sure if we'd need the pass for all 3 days, but decided that if we didn't want to walk in Hamilton, we'd be glad we purchased it ahead of time.

The attendant told us where to board the ferry (across from the Bone Fish Bar & Grill) and we headed that direction. Upon our arrival there were two ferries boarding. One ferry was headed to Hamilton and the other to St. George. Originally we had planned to take the ferry to Hamilton, but after talking to the attendant at the ferry, we decided to take the St. George ferry instead. It would be a shorter bus ride to the caves from there (only about 10 minutes instead of 45 minutes to an hour from Hamilton).

Arriving in St. Geroge about 30 minutes later, we discovered that there were two other NCL ships in Bermuda. Due to the large number of tourists in town, the bus company had put extra buses into service. We walked from the ferry dock down the street about a block and boarded one of the special buses to the caves.

Upon arrival at the caves, we purchased the combo ticket for both Crystal and Fantasy caves. Each cave takes approximately 30 minutes to tour. It is worth seeing both of the caves.

Let's turn back the clock to 1884 when the Wilkinson family, owners of the property, learned about the cave. They immediately set about exploring the cave (which is known as Crystal Cave today). Their fourteen year old son, Bernard, crawled through a small hole with only a bicycle lamp. He had 140 feet of rope tied to a tree as his only life line. It was dark, damp, and cold. He could only see a few feet in front of him as he carefully crawled through the cave.

(Resetting the clock to today) You enter the same cave, but today you enter through a doorway. A cement stairway with a guardrail replaces the dirt path that Bernard used. Electrical lights light the path instead of relying on a bicycle lamp. It's a little damp and cool, but you are quite comfortable in your t-shirt and shorts. You walk along the pathway and are surrounded by stalactites hanging down from the ceiling of the cave.

The tour guide turns off the lights for a few minutes (after warning us).
We can now imagine what Bernard saw when he crawled into the cave.

Taking pictures with your flash in the total darkness produces fantastic photos. (click this link for our Crystal Caves photos and this link for our Fantasy Caves photos).

We retrace our steps and exit the Crystal Cave. Our new guide greets us and directs us to the entrance of the Fantasy Caves. There is a steep staircase that descends to the floor of the cave. For safety reasons, our guide asks us not to take any pictures until we are all safely at the bottom of the staircase.

Fantasy Cave is very similar to Crystal Cave, however it's the interesting shapes that makes it unique. One can use their imagination to "see" various shapes in the stalactites and stalagmites. If you've seen Pirates of the Caribbean, you might notice a familiar shape in the second collage above.

Another thing that makes Fantasy Cave different is the various colored lighting that accentuates the various shapes in the cave. We made our way to the rear of the cave. Since there isn't a lot of room in some spots, only a few people continue at a time. The guide repeats his narrative as often as needed to be sure everyone hears about the various fantasy shapes. Once again the lights are turned off for the full dramatic experience of the cave.

We were certainly glad that this was our first stop in Bermuda. We would not have wanted to attempt this on the Hamilton port day. There was still plenty of time for other sightseeing following our visit to the caves. In my next post, I'll continue with some other attractions.

Greetings from NCL Dawn

I am writing this from the Internet Cafe onboard NCL Dawn. We sailed last Sunday from Manhattan Cruise Terminal (New York City) for a 7 night cruise to Bermuda. The weather was great and the cruise was terrific.

We had two sea days before arriving at King's Wharf, Bermuda where we docked for two nights. On the third day in Bermuda, the ship relocated to Hamilton, Bermuda where we tendered.

Some of the highlights were Crystal and Fantasy Caves, Helmet Diving, Fort Hamilton, Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, and the Aquarium. Come back in a couple days to start reading all about our trip. Each post, we'll take a closer look at the ship and the various attractions we saw.

If you've not done a cruise to Bermuda yet, I'd suggest that as an alternative to the Caribbean as I've mentioned before.

I'll have plenty of pictures to share with you and provide our impressions of the NCL Dawn.

So, come back to read the entire story.