Bermuda and Home Port are a Winning Combo
By Joyce Fohl
AAA Central Penn

The sand in Bermuda really is pink! We came to this startling conclusion while standing in a warm, gentle surf of crystal blue water, not a cloud in the sky, and looking at the shoreline of Horseshoe Bay. We had been here some 40-something years ago, but that day was overcast and dreary and the sand did not look pink! In spite of the weather on our first visit, we vowed to return to picturesque Bermuda "some day." It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the island was just as lovely as we remembered. At any rate, here we were, enjoying a stellar day at Horseshoe Bay - and admiring the pink sand.

Our return trip to Bermuda was via cruise ship - just like the first time. We boarded Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas in Philadelphia. This was our first attempt at home port cruising and we were thrilled with the experience. After a one-and-half-hour ride to Philadelphia from Harrisburg, we parked in the assigned parking lot, hopped on a shuttle bus with our luggage (didn’t see our luggage again until we got to our cabin) and took a quick ride to the ship where we boarded without a hitch. Of course the first order of the day was lunch!

The Empress is Royal Caribbean’s smallest ship, but we had adequate closet and drawer space in our cabin. This ship has very few verandas, but the large window in our outside cabin was nice. Smaller vessels have pros and cons. We enjoyed meeting many of the passengers and were very impressed with the crew and cleanliness of the ship. The food was plentiful and well presented. The entertainment was family-oriented and well-attended. Lots of activities kept us occupied and we found plenty of hideouts for reading and relaxing. Shopping on board was just so-so.

We visited two ports in Bermuda. The first was St. George for one day. We explored this historic, charming town and perused the shops near the harbor. Helmet diving, walking, glass bottom boat and bus tours were a few activities available. We chose the Ultimate Bermuda Triangle Tour and highly recommend this two-hour informative and entertaining experience. The captain of the Argo II, a powerful motor trimaran built for comfort and safety, is very knowledgeable and has a wonderful sense of humor making the trip a true delight. We cruised by Bermuda’s most exclusive neighborhood. "Tuckers Town" has real estate beginning around $10 million and "Billionaires Row" is home to some of the world’s wealthiest people. On the final leg of this adventure, the captain explained some of the secrets of the infamous Bermuda Triangle. This is a tour to remember.

We spent two days in Hamilton. One of the big pluses of a smaller ship is its ability to dock right at the port; we conveniently stepped off the ship and right onto the main street of Hamilton. Lots of tours for Hamilton offered something for everyone. We opted to leisurely shop and have lunch on the island our first day and spend the second day at the beach. We thoroughly enjoyed our Horseshoe Beach day. We took a taxi while others took the bus. The beach is much lower than the road, so be prepared to walk if you take the bus. The taxi dropped us right at the beach and plenty were waiting to take us back to the ship. The bus will take you everywhere on the island and the bus pass is very reasonable. We found the taxi reasonable and our driver was very friendly and informative - I vote for the taxi!

Every Wednesday night, the main street of Hamilton is closed for a street party. Local dancers and accompanying music entertained us. Local artists offered their wares for sale and face painting for the children. Many of the stores remained open for shoppers. It was wonderful to be able to use the ship as our very convenient hotel and restaurant. We opted to have dinner on shore the last night we were in Bermuda, but most people went back to the ship to dine. Hog Penny was delightful, and a short block from the main street in Hamilton and our ship. The food had a British flavor, but the menu offered a variety of choices.

On the final leg of our cruise, we chose to dine in the Portofino Fine Dining Restaurant onboard. Diners are charged $20 and children over 13 are welcome; reservations recommended. This is an experience not to be missed. The atmosphere was delightful, the service exceptional and the food was a four-course adventure in dining. I would suggest trying all four courses, but in moderation. I started with eggplant roulades filled with ricotta and spinach, Parmesan style and continued with a salad of mescaline greens, crumbled Gorgonzola, slices of crisp pears and roasted candied walnuts, served with house dressing. For the pasta course I chose ribbon pasta with roasted mushrooms and fresh thyme, lightly tossed in a marscapone cream sauce. The main course, magnificent and beautifully presented, was Skewer of Maine lobster, gamberoni, scallops and salmon grilled and served with Ligurian potatoes and sun-dried tomato buerre blanc. Dessert was decadent - Dolcetti Alla Portofino - a mini sampling of several sweet delights. We agreed this experience deserved a repeat performance.

When we docked in Philadelphia, after an early breakfast, we disembarked the ship in an orderly and expeditious manner. We were taken back to the parking lot where our bags were quickly placed in our car and we were on our way home. This was the smoothest disembarkation we have ever experienced. We noted we were home 1½ hours after leaving the parking lot.

Home port cruising was a hit with us and Bermuda was just as we remembered it. We both agreed we would be revisiting this little spot of heaven very soon.