Nyc To Bermuda - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

Sirdar · 06-11-2008, 10:30 AM

I asked a variant of this question elsewhere but received no response. I'm hoping a professional might offer some insight. In years past we cruised 7 days NYC to Bermuda where the ship spent 4 days at Bermuda moving from Hamilton to St Georges and West End. Celebrity, Princess and Norwegian offered this.This offering seems to have disappeared and I don't see ships going into St. Georges or Hamilton all that much.

What has happened? Are the ships now too big to fit into Hamilton and St. Georges? HaS Bermuda imposed restrictions> Why does Norwegian and RCL seem to nearly monopolize this route?

Cruise Planner · 06-11-2008, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirdar

I asked a variant of this question elsewhere but received no response. I'm hoping a professional might offer some insight. In years past we cruised 7 days NYC to Bermuda where the ship spent 4 days at Bermuda moving from Hamilton to St Georges and West End. Celebrity, Princess and Norwegian offered this.This offering seems to have disappeared and I don't see ships going into St. Georges or Hamilton all that much.

What has happened? Are the ships now too big to fit into Hamilton and St. Georges? HaS Bermuda imposed restrictions> Why does Norwegian and RCL seem to nearly monopolize this route?

I was just on a Seminar-at-Sea on Royal Caribbean three weeks ago to Bermuda - wished you'd asked that question earlier, I could have gotten a better answer for you.

But you are correct; except for the occasional one-time sailing on Carnival, MSC, or Regent, Royal Caribbean and NCL currently have the market on Bermuda cruises. NCL is now only visiting St. George and RCCL visiting King's Warf.

Don't have an answer as to why, I can only speculate. Perhaps it has to do with the demand - less demand dictates changes in supply. Maybe it has to do with the costs versus the ports; i.e. if you do a 7-night cruise out of Florida, you can visit several ports, whereas going to Bermuda only provides one port.

As for the 7-night NCL cruise where they visited two ports on Bermuda and now they don't, this may have something to do with port charges or overall costs. They have to hire a pilot, move the ship, etc. All related to money, so I'm sure that may have something to do with it since money usually dictates what they do and don't do.

Perhaps someone else has more definitive answers for you, since as I said, my answers are soley speculative.

Pete

Sirdar · 06-11-2008, 02:09 PM

Pete:

Thanks. Oddly enough there is an article today on just this point on another cruise site. Apparently Bermuda is reducing port charges and allowing ship casinos to remain open while in port in an effort to increase sailings that stay in Bermuda and visit various ports. Having done 5 all Bermuda cruises in the past (4 on the old Pacific Princess and 1 on Norwegian Crown) I can say that these were great experiences. Bermuda is a terrific destination and having several days there is a real opportunity to know and enjoy the place while using the ship as your hotel. I find the current trend to a new port every day to be a disapppintment.