A CRUISE is the ideal way to combine a stay at a US city such as New York or Boston with a few days on Bermuda.
The island welcomes cruise passengers, but has a strict limit on both the number of cruise lines and the size of cruise ships which can enter Bermuda.
Currently, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian CruiseLine carry out cruises to the island, using their smaller 600-passenger ships.
After sailing away from their chosen US port, passengers are given a couple of days at sea to settle into their surroundings before arriving at Bermuda for a three or four-night stay. Once at port, the ship serves as a stationary hotel, allowing passengers the freedom to come and go no matter what time of the day or night.
The main ports are Hamilton and St George’s. Some ships spend the entire duration at one port, while others reposition half way through the visit, allowing passengers to experience the island’s contrast – St George’s is a sleepy historic port, while Hamilton is a lively shopping centre.
Royal Caribbean International sales, marketing and operations director Pete Williams said: “The warm climate allows us to offer Bermuda as a cruise destination from spring to autumn.
“Our itineraries incorporate stops of more than two nights in port so our guests can spend a good deal of time on the islands. Bermuda is popular because it offers a diversity of places to see and things to do.”
Next year, Princess Cruises will enter the Bermuda market operating a nine-night cruise out of New York on the 640-passenger Pacific Princess.
Marketing manager GillHaynes said: “We believe that Bermuda and the Pacific Princess complement each other well. They are both traditional, have strong British associations and high standards. What we are offering is unmatched in the market, with overnight calls at all three ports, Hamilton, St George’s and West End.”