Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
United Airlines
(
&
800/538-
2929;
www.united.com) offers daily
service from Chicago.
Air Canada
(
&
888/247-2262;
www.aircanada.ca) offers daily non-
stop flights from Toronto, with fre-
quent connections into Toronto from
virtually every other city in Canada.
The flight departs around 9am, permitting convenient connections from Montreal
and Quebec City. The airline also offers a nonstop flight from Halifax on Saturday at
noon.
The airline of choice from the United Kingdom is
British Airways
(
&
0844/493-
0787;
www.britishairways.com). It flies from London's Gatwick Airport from five to
seven times a week, year-round. No other airline flies nonstop between Britain and
Bermuda.
Most airlines offer the best deals on tickets booked at least 14 days in advance,
with a stopover in Bermuda of at least 3 days. You might need to stay over on a Sat-
urday night to keep fares down. Airfares fluctuate according to the season, but tend
to remain competitive among the companies vying for a piece of the lucrative Ber-
muda run.
Peak season (summer) is the most expensive time to go; low season (usually from
mid-Sept to mid-Mar) sees less expensive fares. The airlines that fly to Bermuda
seldom observe a shoulder (intermediate) season.
By Cruise Ship
Cruise ships tie up at three harbors in Bermuda: St. George in the East End, the
Royal Naval Dockyard in the West End, and Hamilton Harbour at the City of Ham-
ilton. However, ships coming into the harbor at Hamilton may be on the wane.
While the cruise experience isn't for everyone, it's very appealing to some people
and is certainly a carefree, all-inclusive vacation. Ships from the East Coast of the
United States reach Bermuda in a little over a day. You'll spend a few full days (usually
3) moored at the island, exploring during the day and returning to the ship at night.
It's convenient and comfortable—like having a luxury hotel and restaurant that travels
with you.
Of course, that's also its major disadvantage. Most cruisers don't get to know the
real Bermuda as well as those who stay in hotels ashore. For instance, cruise-ship
passengers generally eat all their meals aboard the ship—mainly because they've
already paid for the meals as part of their cruise price—and so they miss out on
sampling Bermuda's cuisine. They also rarely get to meet and interact with Bermudi-
ans the way land-based visitors do.
Seven-day cruises out of New York usually include 4 days at sea, with 3 days in
port. Cruise lines currently offering regularly scheduled trips to Bermuda include
Celebrity Cruises
(
&
800/647-2251;
www.celebrity.com);
Norwegian Cruise
Line
(
&
866/234-7350;
www.ncl.com);
Princess Cruises
(
&
800/774-6237;
www.princess.com); and
Royal Caribbean International
(
&
866/562-7625;
www.royalcaribbean.com).
HOW TO GET THE BEST DEAL ON YOUR CRUISE
Cruise lines operate like airlines, setting rates for their cruises and then selling them
in a rapid-fire series of discounts, offering almost whatever it takes to fill their ships.
Packing Tip
Bermuda is more formal than most
resort destinations, so men planning to
dine at upscale restaurants should be
sure to pack a jacket and tie.
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