This cruise was organized by the friends with whom we traveled. They have many years more cruise experience than my wife and I, and we were not disappointed at all. From the choice of cabin level, to the incredible service, to the varied options and outstanding quality of the food choices (not to mention the beauty of our destination - Bermuda), the week was an absolute pleasure! From our room steward (Omar), to the dining room wait staff, to each and every service person on board the ship (including, but not limited to, the cruise director, the captain himself, and the entertainers), the level of sincere concern for our safety, comfort, and pleasure was unparalleled.

The embarkation and disembarkation processes were completely painless. We were onboard within minutes, and we were in our car in the parking garage at Bayonne within minutes, as well.

We did not partake in any of the excursions offered by the ship, choosing, instead, to go by minibus to Horseshoe Bay beach. It was, in my opinion, the best way to get to the beach for two reasons: it was affordable ($7 per person, each way), and it dropped you right at the entrance of Horseshoe Bay Beach. A private taxi would have dropped you there, as well, but the fare was around $40 each way. A public transportation bus would have been less expensive than the minibus, but it drops you at the top of the hill heading to the beach. The climb up a fairly long, steep hill (especially after a few hours in the hot sun) looked pretty exhausting. There are also several packages that offer discounts on public transportation, which we chose to bypass since our goal was simply to get to the beach. We loved Horseshoe Bay so much, we decided to go back a second time two days later. We happened to be in Bermuda during their two day Emancipation National Holiday, during which almost the entire island shuts down. We stayed on board the ship during day two in Bermuda (which was day one of the holiday). Read more