Has anyone been on a Royal Caribbean Cruiseline before, what activites, etc. do u recommend?

Question

I am a 1st time cruiser. Went straight from college to work and now after 5 years I am going on my 1st vacation, a cruise with some friends. I want to know what stuff does anyone recommend, we will be docked in Bermuda for 2 days, so I'm interested in hearing what others have done.

Answer 1

I have been to Bermuda twice on cruise ships, the last time on the RC Empress that you will probably go on.  Bermuda has some of the best beaches anywhere; pink sand beaches that you can easily find a deserted spot on. In my two visit it seemed to me that the majority of the people visiting the island were those on the two or three cruise ships which docked there during my stay. There are a few hotels in the town of Hamilton and about a dozen other properties/beach hotels, but they are nice. There are NO slums and ghettos in Bermuda like you may see on other islands. All of the houses are well maintained and painted in pastel colors. All of the public beaches are great. Be sure to go to Elbow Beach and Long Beach.  When you cruise there its less expensive than flying and staying in a hotel because,you stay and eat on the ship. You will probably want to eat on ship anyway because meals (and everything else) are expensive since everything has to be imported.

A five, six, or seven day cruise to Bermuda is plenty enough time to see and enjoy everything there. There is not a lot to do in Bermuda other than water sports and golf. There are two main towns Hamilton, the largest (where most cruise ships dock for at least a day) and St George (also a port stop) which is like a small town and has just a few shops. The third place ships may dock while there is The Kings Dockyard.. The Dockyard is on the far end of the 22 mile long island and has a small mall with shops and a museum. The Crystal Cave and Fantasy Caves are worth visiting as a tour, or on your own. I also visited one of the lighthouses, for lack of anything else to do. You can visit one of the many forts on the island like Fort St Catherine if you like that type activity.

In the town of Hamilton we took a walking tour which took us to the Cathedral of the Most Holy, a maritime museum and a nice garden/park a few blocks from the port. There is shopping in Hamilton and restaurants, but not much else. The best way to get around in Bermuda is to buy a transportation pass (may be able to get it on ship) which will let you take the buses, and the ferry, all over the island. There is a big bus depot just a couple blocks from where ships dock in the town of Hamilton. You can take the buses to the beach, they are not very far away and easy to get to from the bus stop. You want to go to Elbow Beach and Long Beach, both open to the public.  If you want to snorkel, the Tobacco Bay Beach near the town of St George is great, and its walking distance (about 3/4 mile)( from town.

Answer 2

I have been on 10 cruises with Royal Caribbean and by far love to vacation with them.  I have also cruised celebrity and carnival and prefer Royal Caribbean.  I also did the Bermuda cruise, one of my favorites.  Bermuda is beautiful, nice and clean and everything is very close to the ship.  While we were there we went to a beach nearby, walking distance, but hot, and spent the day lounging there.  The night life is awesome, however they start their clubs and bars fairly late and stay open later.  You don't go out to their bars and clubs until about 11:00 pm and are out until about 4 am.  It was fun.  There are lots of little shops for souveniers right off the ship as well.  You will love it!!!

The entertainment provided on the ship, comedy, dance shows, etc are also fun and you don't want to miss them. Enjoy!