Posted on 01/30/2019 5:56:17 AM PST by LS
When the Mott family (Body by Fisher, Detroit, and GM mogul) was there (and the old man still alive, as opposed to his now dead son, Stewart, ultra liberal guilt type)— their two places were beautiful and maintained the Brit colonial feel. Now the main Mott place was sold to some developers who subdivided it to turn it into yet another jacked up place.
To get the feel of Bermuda, one could spend maybe 2 days, and add a day for the best coral sand beach. The place has become a microcosm of Brit politics, but not quite Jamaica yet, but does have Rasta blacks and whites and intermarrieds.
Cheap to get there, even on a boat charter. Airfare the same. It is not in the Carribean. it is roughly alongside the Gulf Stream when the Gulf Stream moves off shore from the Carolinas. So, if you fish-— well, it has it’s benefits.
We rented a car in Honduras. Interesting experience. Be wary of gasoline. I didn’t realize it at the time but filled the car with 4 or 5 gallons of gas and my Amex was charged over 50 dollars.
It's pricey. Everything is shipped to that middle of nowhere from the U.S. - 12$ for a small jar of peanut butter.
It is beautiful- best way to sum it up.
We've rented the same cottage for a week this May.
Bermuda has about nothing in common with the other island nations in the region. It is a refuge for the really rich from UK nations and takes its security seriously. It is extremely expensive to live there and real estate ownership is highly restricted. The native black Bermudians are at the top of the food chain when it comes to education, employment and behavior when compared to the Caribbean dregs like Jamaica, Bahamas, Cuba etc. Drug offenses are dealt with harshly although not on the scale of Indonesia. The weather can be funky since the island lies well north of the Caribbean. I’ve been there in the early fall and it was overcast, clammy and cool in the low 60’s. Years ago in May it was overwhelmingly hot for a week with almost no breezes. The natives are not overly friendly towards tourists. In fact, most are not friendly at all. I have no desire to go back to Bermuda even if it was just a couple of hours stop on a cruise.
Good morning! I’ve been a member here for many years and I am also Bermudian and live on the island. Id be happy to let you know anything you would like to know.
Im seeing a few misguided and flat out wrong statements from some here.
There are not a “A few rich people and masses of poor people” here. Entropy12 is completely clueless and I can pretty much deduce why he would ignorantly say such a thing but thats another discussion. Bermuda has one of the highest standards of living on the planet much aligned with your own in the states.
Anyhow, If you have found a few places you are thinking of staying at let know and Id be happy to give you the details and my opinion on them. Hotel rates (as pretty much anywhere) depend on if you are planning to visit in off season or during season and other factors. Our off season is now until about April-May. Being it is Winter here the ocean waters are cold (I would not go swimming) and the weather is on the rainy/windy/cool side. High 50s to mid 60s probably is not “cold” to many of you but it is to me! Summer months (June - Aug) are dryer and sunnier and temps are average in the 80s.
Our beaches are 2nd to none (IMO) and one of only 2 places in the world that are composed of pink sand.
We are only a two to two and a half hour flight to the states from the US gateway cities (phili, boston, baltimore, JFK, etc). Bermuda is about 24sq. miles and approx. 750 miles east of South Carolina in the middle of the atlantic ocean.
No worries when you visit about currency exchange. The US dollar and Bermuda dollar is a one to one exchange. Merchants here will generally give you back US dollars if you are from away and pay in US dollars.
Bermuda IMO is really the best of both worlds between the US and British colonies. We are very close to the US in relation, travel, culture and trade and yet culturally also British in the same. We watch US television and even celebrate (unofficially) US holidays such as Thanksgiving and (officially) British holidays and our own (such as Bermuda Day every May 24th.)
As long as you bring your manners (Good morning, good afternoon, good evening followed up by ‘how are you today’) I am sure you will have a wonderful visit here and find most everyone to be pleasant and accommodating in return.
You will find Bermuda expensive from what you are used to in the states. We ship into the island pretty much everything from the US/Canada/Britain. (So on that regard the food/products will be completely familiar to you). That said, shipping and import duty and then retailer markups make our prices of the same items you see at home cost more than you would be used to seeing. That said, you are on holiday so take it for what its worth and try not to worry on it! You dont have to live with it day to day like me! :)
Twice a year I go away to the US and fill up my bag for the return trip with runs from Walmart and such places. Even paying the import duty it can be a bit of a savings. (That said I am finding in recent years your prices are not in as much discrepancy as ours as they used to be. I am finding the prices in the US over the last few years climbing quite high).
You cannot rent a car here. It is a small island we simply just cannot let everyone drive. We have a strict policy of one car per residence. That said, as a visitor, you would find the taxis/busses/ferrys hopefully accommodating enough for you. You may also (if you are feeling brave enough) rent a scooter. The majority of us here (self included) ride cycles with a limitation of a 125cc motor. I, myself, dont even know how to drive a car as I have driven a cycle my whole life to date. It is not uncommon here due to the previous mentioned policy and that cycles can navigate the occasional lines of traffic from cars. Our roads are mainly two lane and quite narrow.
Anyhow! I must get on with my day but you are welcome to contact me and ask me anything you wish to further know! :) I hope you do decide to holiday here and I do not believe you would be disappointed! If you enjoy rum at all and you do visit be sure to get acquainted on your visit with my namesake on here! ;)
I have done that Boston-Bermuda-Boston trip the last four years. Three times on the Norwegian Dawn and last year on the Serenade of the Seas. Enjoyed all four trips. I am planning to go again this October 13.The weather in October is upper 70s and sometimes 80 deg.
My wife has Alzheimers so flying is out and we live close enough to the ship so we don't need to fly.
I Enjoy Bermuda, and with a little planning you can find enough things to do there.
The Island is clean and the people are friendly. -Tom
My wife and I love Bermuda. We went there on our honeymoon almost 16 years ago and we stayed at the Rosedon, a bed and breakfast across the street from the Hamilton Princess, a short walk from downtown Hamilton,and we stayed there again on our tenth anniversary.
We have been to Bermuda a total of nine times. We flew there four times, and cruised there five times, and have plans to cruise there again this year, usually on our anniversary.
It’s expensive, figure about twice you would pay in the states for most items, but mostly worth it.
There are beautiful beaches, but the surf can be a bit violent, and the snorkeling can be spectacular. We went on a power snorkeling expedition from a south shore beach out to a ship wreck, of which there are plenty, due to the reefs surrounding the island, and we have enjoyed the snorkeling at Tobacco Bay, and at Snorkel Park, at opposite ends of the island.
Public transportation - busses and shuttle boats - is very nice, and you can rent motor bikes, but I would not recommend it. They drive on the left, and our reflexes are all wrong for that if we live where we drive on the right. I’ve seen some pretty bad motor bike accidents in Bermuda.
It was very British in flavor, but that has seemed to change over the years. We used to see more of the Bermudian men going to work wearing the signature Bermuda shorts, knee socks, a tie, and a blazer, and Trimminghams, the department store in downtown Hamilton has closed and the building has been torn down and replaced replaced with a bank.
As you might expect, there is a lot of good seafood and beer, as well as British style food, and one can find afternoon tea. The Rosedon served breakfast to your room, to the swimming pool, or to the front porch, which we preferred. There are also a lot of historic buildings to tour, if that interests you.
Twice, we stayed in a south shore tourist apartment,the Paraquet, near Elbow Beach. It was a lot less luxurious than some other places, but we enjoyed the location. It’s where British and European vacationers seem to prefer to stay due to the more affordable pricing. It had a diner where the taxi drivers stopped for meals, so we could always get a taxi into Hamilton, but we preferred using the busses, which were much cheaper. There was a bus stop a short walk from where we were staying, and you can get a bus pass for as many days as you need which includes unlimited bus rides and shuttle boat rides.
For us, living in southern Pennsylvania, Bermuda is a very convenient paradise for us, a two hour flight from Baltimore, and the best times to go are spring and fall, before and after hurricane season. My wife was there once in January, and it was quite cold.
You don’t see the grinding poverty that you see in the Carribean islands, although the buses can get a bit ripe during the rush hours in afternoon. Not all the buses are air conditioned.
Also, there is no problem with money. The value of the Bermudian dollar is always equal to the US dollar, and the US dollar is accepted on all the stores, and change can be received in US currency if you prefer.
There's no comparison in terms of safety. Many of the Caribbean islands are very unsafe.
Spend a few days - and nights - in the Caribbean. Not on the cruise ship but on land at night. If you're at a resort, don't wonder why they're surrounded by 15' walls. They have heavily armed guards with night vision glasses and automatic weapons. Bermuda is a very different story.
Bermuda is not Caribbean geographically or culturally. I have been there multiple times and love it. It’s not as warm as the Caribbean (check the weather, you don’t go there for Spring Break on the beach), but it’s friendly, clean, and safe. It’s also expensive - there’s almost no poverty, but you don’t go there for a cheap vacation. I love the restaurants and nightlife in Hamilton. I love the beaches in Southampton. I love the people. You can read up on their parks, which can make for a nice day hike if that’s your thing, or just lie on the beach. It’s not quite true but a good first approximation that Bermuda is jolly old England transported to a beautiful, warmer island.
The Atlantis resort is the the Bahamas, not Bermuda, is it not?
My wife and I spent a week at a fancy resort in the Dominican Republic. As we were checking out, we were accused of stealing booze that was supposed to be in our room for our use, that we were never informed about, so it was probably stolen before we checked in. We were, with great difficulty, able to convince the management that we had never seen the booze, and were never made aware that it was supposed to be there. We will never return to that place.
Why, we're thinking about Southern Caribbean Islands for either a direct stay of a cruise stop. Haven't been to any of the Southern Islands.
Key Mariah, if it existed.
Went there on a cruise in ‘17. Absolutely loved the scenery. The people were very nice. Our first beach experience was a giant mistake. It was called Snorkel Bay and it completely sucked. The snorkeling was okay, but you could not walk on the beach because of the rocks, and to get an umbrella and a couple of chairs was outrageously expensive. My son wanted to rent a kayak, but he could only paddle it around a very small area because if people ventured to far out the staff had to go retrieve them. We were not happy with that at all. We abandoned that beach and took a bus to Horseshoe Bay. Best decision we made on the trip. Just a gorgeous beach and the sand was the finest I have ever trod upon. Found out when we got back on the ship it was considered one of the top ten beaches in the world. Beautiful place. And the water was perfect. (This was in June) We were there at the tail end of the Americas Cup and the boats were still there so that was kind of cool.
BTW, the cruise was on Royal Caribbean and we were on the Sovereign of the Sea, which was a beautiful vessel. We had a wonderful time on it.
I spent a week in Bermuda on business in early spring 10 years ago. I stayed at the Rosedon. I recommend the Rosedon. Easy walk into town or the ferry. Did not get to see the beaches although I am sure they have a shuttle. Not the same level of amenities as, say, the Hamilton Princess but very quaint and friendly. They served tea in the afternoon and had an unmanned “honor bar” where you helped yourself and recorded what you consumed.
Sailed to Bermuda with Freeper Kenny Bunk.
One of the most interesting things (to me)on one visit was being in a bar and drinking Rum,
I noticed that the fellow next to me was being charged much lower prices.
I politely inquired about this.
The bartender said:
“yes, we have different prices if you’re Bermudan.”
He was very plain about it and I thought that was fascinating.
Most of us who are not eskimos would consider highs and lows in the 60s as hot. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda
It's roughly the same latitude as Monahans, Texas, which has more sand.
Mmm,, mmmm! Love that Goslings Black Seal rum! Swagger in, stagger out!
Way back in the mid-late-’80s I made 3 or 4 Navy deployments there with P-3 squadrons on NAS Bermuda. It’s a wonderful place and the very best people I’d ever met on deployments. Always bought a turn-over moped to get around and explored the entire chain of islands. Spectacular is the only word I can use for it. Of course even then Bermuda had some problems similar to the rest of the developed world, but I would love to go back even now. That said, Mrs Afterguard and I have discovered the British Virgin Islands on our sailboat. Sooo, that’s what we do instead. Maybe someday we’ll get around to a cruise ship trip to Bermuda.
You are a lucky person!
I remember that they for a while were using a cruise ship that was determined through a design flaw to be highly unstable at sea making it unusable for regular Caribbean cruise service.
It had a nickname like the barf barge or something like that, plus the upkeep was poor, rust and leaks everywhere.
Was that the N. Dawn?
The new ship is supposed to be good, The Serenade of the Seas makes regular trips?
We located an Airbnb on the water across from Hamilton last June. Beautiful place, and reasonable. Rented scooters. Very good conch fritters. Beautiful water. But hey, don’t tell anyone.
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