Researching things to do in a cruise port.

 

As I like to say, all Caribbean Islands have beaches, shopping districts, and forts.  The island of St. Kitts was no exception to this rule.  When I was there for the first time, I avoided the shopping district and spent my morning there visiting the fort at the top of Brimstone Hill, then spending an afternoon at Turtle Bay. Nowadays, St. Kitts has more things for a cruiser to do on a shore excursion, and I'd like to help people get the best value out of any port.

Given that I usually schedule my cruises far in advance to get the best prices, this also gives me the opportunity to research things I can do at each port.  For example, Bermuda has beaches,  a shopping district in its capital, and a fort near the pier we will be docking at.  But there is more to this archipelago than the usual points of interest, as it has museums, historical architecture, and caverns, in addition to the usual water based activities that one can enjoy on a shore excursion.  Since I will be in port for 3 days, it made sense for me to research the mass transit options for Bermuda, as well as the places I'd want to visit. This way, I could avoid spending the extra money that the cruise line would charge for excursions.

But first, I had to find out - Is Bermuda Safe?  And from what I can tell, a tourist can travel anywhere in Bermuda without worry, unlike the situation in Caribbean nations such as Haiti and Jamaica.  If Bermuda wasn't safe, I'd only venture off the ship in a cruise line sponsored excursion, staying in a cruise line sponsored "bubble" for safety.

Next, on things to find out would be how to reach my points of interest without using cruise line sponsored transit.  From what I have read, buses and ferries run during daylight hours, and can get a person to any point in Bermuda without trouble.  Given that a bus/ferry day pass is relatively cheap, it makes sense to use their system to reach the outer reaches of the archipelago (and return), and save money that can be better used on souvenirs and meals.

The cruise line offered a tour to both the Crystal Caves and Bermuda's Aquarium/Zoo for $169.00, including transportation to and from the ship.  Using the following web sites, I built my own shore excursion as follows:

• https://www.investopedia.com/terms/forex/b/bmd-bermudian-dollar.asp 
• https://www.gotobermuda.com/plan/getting-around-bermuda
• https://caves.bm
• https://www.investopedia.com/terms/forex/b/bmd-bermudian-dollar.asp 
• https://bamz.org/visit/planning-your-visit

Self Constructed Excursion:

• Zoo/Aquarium - $10
• Crystal Caves - $35
• Bus/Ferry Fare ($5/segment) - $15 (or $25) based on individual fares.
  Day passes may be available for a lower price.
  

Total cost for Excursion - $60

Given that I've saved over $100 by building my own excursion, I have more money I can spend elsewhere in Bermuda.

The process I used for Bermuda can be used in most places with little effort.  However, it takes an investment of time to sort through all the available options.  Yet, my decision making process only applies when the risk for being back to the ship late is very low.  In the case of the above excursion, I would do this on the first of my 3 days in Bermuda.  The second day would likely be spend exploring Hamilton.  And the third day would be spend at the Naval Dockyard, a short walk from the pier where the ship is docked.  Each day, I am taking progressively less risk of returning to the ship late, as I don't want to risk the ship leaving Bermuda without me.

Hopefully, this will give the reader of this entry an idea of how best to plan a shore excursion.