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Voyager to Bermuda in 2005
14/5/2004
Royal Caribbean International's Voyager of the Seas, which debuted today at Bayonne, N.J.'s Cape Liberty Cruise Port, will return in May 2005 with a new destination: Bermuda.
The 3,844-passenger ship is scheduled to sail five-night Bermuda itineraries calling at King's Wharf from May 15 to Nov. 13, 2005.

The new program will alternate with Voyager's nine-night Caribbean cruises from Cape Liberty Cruise Port, which call at Labadee, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Freeport.

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WOW! I dont even know bermuda could fit a ship of this size in their ports!

This must be the largest ship to enter Bermuda waters!

What do you all think of this?

Not only am I a Caribbean Virgin, I'm a Bermuda one too!

[ 05-15-2004: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

I did Bermuda a number of years ago aboard Celebrity's Horizon and have to say it is still one of my most memorable cruises. Bermuda is the perfect marriage of a tropical Caribbean Island and a less touristy experience...until I heard this news...

What I have always liked is that Bermuda has always been a little more "exclusive" than other islands as it has limited which ships and lines call there...heck...they must be the only place on the planet without a MacDonald's unless that has changed too..

Kings Wharf has some wonderful artisan shops - pottery etc..there are also some wonderful restauramts, pubs, vantage points on the (Gibb's Lighthouse), a great cave system and of course the beaches...

This is definitely an Island for the "more civilized traveller".

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Originally posted by Jekyll:
Get there while it is still idyllic.

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Their are 3 ship docks in Bermuda; Hamilton,Kings Wharf and the Naval Shipyard!

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Originally posted by gpcruisedude:

Their are 3 ship docks in Bermuda; Hamilton,Kings Wharf and the Naval Shipyard!

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Carnival Pride scheduled to berth for 7 calls at King's Wharf with 4 stops for Carnival Legend.

QE2 also visited at King's Wharf on May 6/7, 2003

[ 05-16-2004: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

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Originally posted by moodus2:
the royal dockyard/kings warf is
the only port in bermuda that can handle ships up to 35 ft. draft. that is where the qe2 docked.

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So I suppose that all the four ships in the Statendam class, with a draft of 24.6 ft. are able to dock at Hamilton and St. Georges'.
If this is possible I don't understand why Hal hasn't ever tried to firm a contract to perform regular 7 days cruises to Bermuda.

Statendam, Maasdam, Ryndam and Veendam are very nice ships, now quite old and small to compete well in the overcrowded market of cruises to Aleska.
The older two will be perfect for Bermuda.

Veendam was purchased by Bermuda Cruise Line and renamed Bermuda Star in 1984.
*Bermuda Star Line advertised only three calls at Bermuda on Queen of Bermuda itinerary in 1990.
*R.V. Star begun to sail 7-day St. George's and Hamilton cruises on Apr 28, 1990.

HAL expanded the New destination or the New departure ports.

In Winter 1983/4, Nieuw Amsterdam begun to sail 14 night Mexican Riviera cruises out of San Francisco.
In Winter 1984/5 Noordam to sail above cruises, beside Nieuw Amsterdam to sail out of Tampa.

Statendam(New) scheduled to call at Hamilton on May 9, 1993 on her Inaugural 35 day Grand Europe Cruise.

[ 05-17-2004: Message edited by: Ocean Liners ]

As anyone who knows the quaint, ultra-British isle can tell you, Bermuda has always been a bit standoffish about welcoming mega-ships, preventing "overcrowding" by allowing only a limited number of mostly smaller, older ships to make calls. Why the change now? The Bermuda Department of Tourism is remaining mum, but this could be a last-ditch damage-control effort after some lines -- such as Carnival -- actually scaled back their Bermuda sailings in 2004, no doubt frustrated with Bermuda's haughty "no big boys" stance.

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Who cares if Carnival cuts back. I don't like big fat corporations run by big fat men bullying little country governments. Ships like Voyager etc, don't belong in Bermuda.

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true, but it is those big time corperations that mainly own the little ones 9or used to be the little ones)
And if they dont like it, Carnival Corp couldpull out all together....

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Originally posted by lebelty:

true, but it is those big time corperations that mainly own the little ones 9or used to be the little ones)
And if they dont like it, Carnival Corp couldpull out all together....

tyler

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Bermuda, never mind King's Wharf, is just not geared to cope with 3844 visitors.

It's one of the most beautiful islands I've ever visited, we've visited many times, mostly on land vacations, a few cruises too, and feel privileged to have 'house/dog sat' for weeks at a time in beautiful Bermudian homes.

Culturally, temperature-wise, Bermuda it is not the Caribbean. Always an up-scale destination, hotel rates, restaurants, etc. have never been anywhere close to 'budget category'.

Bermuda, never mind King's Wharf, is just not geared to cope with 3844 visitors.

It's one of the most beautiful islands I've ever visited, we've visited many times, mostly on land vacations, a few cruises too, and feel privileged to have 'house/dog sat' for weeks at a time in beautiful Bermudian homes.

Culturally, temperature-wise, Bermuda it is not the Caribbean. Always an up-scale destination, hotel rates, restaurants, etc. have never been anywhere close to 'budget category'.

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Originally posted by gpcruisedude:
Their are 3 ship docks in Bermuda; Hamilton,Kings Wharf and the Naval Shipyard!

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Actually don't forget that St. George's also has a dock (which I believe can take up to two ships if I remember correctly) - so there are actually 4

[ 05-19-2004: Message edited by: Jekyll ]

The Gulf Stream is pretty rough all times of the year, and a good seaboat is needed.

I personally think the ROC speedsters or the 30k ton Reniassance ships are a better bet for the Bermuda run.