Beautiful Bermuda
Updated: Aug 13
Now more than a month back, my reflection on a 7 night cruise to Bermuda leaves me wanting more.
I wrote extensively about our visit to NYC and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and I bring it up again due to its lasting impact on the trip.
Our sail away from Bayonne, New Jersey and a circling of the NYC Harbor in front of the Statue of Liberty is one of those moments that I’ll truly never forget.
I can almost imagine the millions of immigrants that came to our country, my ancestors included, that saw Lady Liberty as they approached Ellis Island and all of the excitement and worry about making a way of life in a new land.
It’s a STUNNING site to see. Being there on a large commercial cruise ship gave a unique, eye-level look at the National Monument. The sky and light was perfect for some of my favorite photos, including Lower Manhattan and the Freedom Tower shimmering in the sky like the torch of freedom that Lady Liberty herself holds high and proud.
The Celebrity Eclipse and our Sunset Veranda Balcony room exceeded my expectations. I have never sailed on the Aft (back) of the ship overlooking the ships wake. It was a complimentary room based on casino and loyalty offers. The benefits included a beautiful, unspoiled view of the horizon, sunsets and frankly much larger balcony size than the typical balcony. The downfall, it’s a much longer walk to the room than a typical midship cabin. I prefer other locations, but not to the point that I would pass up an aft cabin if the opportunity arose, but I also wouldn’t find myself paying additional, as is often the case for the category of room.
After we departed the NYC Harbor, we sailed for 2 days on our way to Kings Warf, Bermuda, where the ship would dock for 3 days, acting as a floating hotel in the same location with guests able to come and go throughout the day or night.
I have only stayed overnight in a port city on a handful of locations, and I really love the calmness and relaxation that I was able to enjoy, not feeling like I had to run around and try and see the highlights of the destination in a single day like a typical port. We were able to explore more and further away from the ship, and in turn, Bermuda, which had been on my bucket list for decades, has helped fill my buckets like the other 36 countries before her.
The friends we met were incredible. Diverse, from different walks of life as well as different social and economic circles and we all blended together like the perfect pina colada. Nightly LGBTQ gathering at the Martini Bar, before going to the production shows, and by the end of the week playing trivia and lounging poolside on together really made the trip enjoyable. Brian and Jonathan became our closest friends, to the point that they changed tables in the dining room and sat with us for the last several nights where they folded perfectly into the mix with table-mates Mark and Lisa who we grew to absolutely adore and look forward to our nightly catch-up at dinner.
Day One, June 19, 2024 was spent taking the water taxi and then public bus from the port to the Crystal Caves, Blue Hole and St George where we snacked on appetizers at the famous White Horse Pub, in a 1700s built building.
While the caves were beautiful, the highlight of the day was cliff jumping into the Blue Hole Park. This free attraction, surrounded by mangroves is a thrilling adventure and the perfect way to cool off from the hot and humid Bermuda air.
Day Two, June 20th, was a beach hopping day. We intended to take the public bus from the port to Horseshoe Bay, but the lines for the bus was long and I don’t love waiting in lines unnecessarily, so we hired a taxi and were dropped off well before we would have if we had stayed on the public bus, likely hours before.
Arriving at Horseshoe Bay, famous for its pink sand, was everything (and I mean everything) you want out of a beach day. The sugar soft sand, and its pink hues are a beautiful contrast against the turquoise waters.
Our early June visit meant the waters were refreshing, and not like warm bath water. Even I got in, which for those of you in the know, a Pisces at heart with a strong love of water, agua of the cool/cold varieties is better left to others, even on the warmest of days.
We walked north from Horseshoe Bay along the beach and sand trail and explored at least 6 other beaches on the 3+ hour walk along the beach. Camera in hand to capture the rugged cliffs and undeveloped shores, it was a day to remember.
Later that evening, before dinner but after the LGBTQ Happy Hour, Wyatt, Brian, Jonathan and myself walked to the nearby mini golf course named Bermuda Fun Golf inside the Royal Naval Dockyard complex where we were ported. The course scenery, perched on a rocky cliff high above the Atlantic Ocean, was likely the most beautiful I have seen. That may seem like an odd comment for a mini golf course, but the 18 holes, all designed after some of the most famous and challenging versions of holes from Bermuda, the U.S. and Scotland was totally unexpected and a really fun way to cap off the day outside of the ship.
June 21st, our final day in Bermuda was completed with a walk around the Royal Naval Dockyard, its shops and museums. We were back onboard well before our required time and lounged by the pool, content with our three day stay.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Bermuda. It was wonderful visiting after hearing about the pink sand beaches and having wanted to visit for more than two decades. It was also one of the destinations on my 2023 travel list that I created before the plan to set foot on all seven continents came to be, so it was great to finally visit the beautiful (and lonely) island way out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
As in true fashion, I will not be checking this one off my bucket list either. I definitely filled by bucket, and plan on returning again soon!
Cole from Colorado.
Spinning in a new direction.
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