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Bermuda Cruises

All you Need to Know

by Travel Journalist Phil Davies

After I had watched Tiger Woods tee off in the Bermuda sunshine I thoughtfully produced a brochure detailing cruises in Bermuda and sold my wife on a week of balmy May weather coupled with the allure of major retail therapy in the Big Apple.

Bermuda is often mistaken for a Caribbean island when, in fact, it is many hundreds of miles north of the Bahamas in the Atlantic. It is Britain’s oldest colony and the 21 square miles of the main island includes 75 miles of the most stunning coastline I have ever seen.

With only a short flight from London to New York, a frantic evening of shopping (my wife) and a few beers in a trendy sports bar (me), we felt refreshed and relaxed as we boarded the ship the following morning.

After a relaxed day at sea on the ship, Bermuda’s capital, Hamilton, came into view, with small sugar pink houses and beaches the same colour pink. The sun seemed to dance on the twinkling turquoise sea and scatter it with tiny diamonds.

As we were right in the heart of Hamilton we wandered round the quaint town before I joined a couple of like-minded golfers and made our way to one of the island’s eight championship courses which had been pre-booked by the cruise line before we set sail. My wife, meanwhile, was relaxing on the coral sand of Elbow Beach with her book and sun cream.

As the ship was docked overnight we took advantage of this to find a seafront café barbecuing the largest and tastiest prawns I had ever eaten followed by grilled spiced wahoo, a local speciality. As we sat watching the sun set sipping a Dark n Stormy cocktail and listening to the whistling tree frogs, we mused that life couldn’t get much better. Work, bills and our daily juggling seemed a distant memory.

The next morning the ship moved round the coast to King’s Wharf, where we joined friends to visit historic Royal Naval Dockyard which was an active navy base during the War of 1812.

After picking up some contemporary painted canvases at the Arts Centre, we spent a pleasant hour looking round a couple of the 785 colonial listed homes of the Bermuda National Trust. We were struck by the very British, civilised culture and people who seemed inherently proud of their island.

The cruise certainly gave us a taste for Bermuda and we would happily return for a longer break.

DOS and DON’TS of Bermuda Cruising

DO check if there is a festival on – each year the island plays host to great names from music and films.

DO go snorkelling or diving – it’s like being in an aquarium and the colours of the fish are breath-taking.

DON’T feel obliged to stay on the ship for dinner, take advantage of the overnight call and explore the various restaurants and bars.

DON’T listen to people who tell you it rains a lot in Bermuda – from May to October heavy showers are rare and are welcomed by the residents as rainfall provides the island’s only supply of fresh water.

DON’T buy Bermuda shorts – you really won’t wear them when you get home!

Bermuda Offers

Bermuda Cruise

26 Oct 2008
7 nights
£361

Bermuda Cruise

14 May 2009
9 nights
£563

Bermuda Cruise

23 Oct 2008
9 nights
£568