Reminiscing: Bermuda

Now that my excursion planning for our European Crossing on Insignia is complete, I thought I would reminisce a bit about some of the familiar ports on our itinerary. As I find time, that is, since my “travel platter” still has other trips for which plans need to be made.

We’ve been on several cruises that have called on Bermuda … most recently during our 2017 world cruise on Oceania’s Insignia.

The visit that is the most memorable, however, was our first cruise to Bermuda … in October 2001 … a 7-day cruise with a Bermuda-specific itinerary … meaning that it was the only country that we called on.

After 9/11, President Bush encouraged us all to get on with our lives … to not let fear of the attacks on the US stop us from living our lives … doing the things we love. He said to go out and travel. So, we listened to him.

In the aftermath of 9/11, Celebrity Cruises had changed the home port for one of its ships, Zenith, from New York City to Baltimore … only an hour’s drive from where we lived on the outskirts of Washington, DC. Too good an opportunity to not take advantage of. So, we booked a last minute cruise when the ship recommenced sailing.

Two days at sea to get out to Bermuda; two days at sea to return to the US; three days exploring Bermuda in between.

Zenith was small enough to dock in the heart of Hamilton, making it a simple matter of stepping off the gangway to wander around the city. And wander we did. For two days we walked our feet off visiting the attractions in the city … taking the local ‘pink buses’ when our explorations took us further afield. Fort Hamilton … Happy Valley Road with its colorful houses, white-washed terraced roofs, and mystical moongates … the pink-sand beaches of Horseshoe Bay and Warwick Long Bay … Gibbs Hill Lighthouse … Royal Naval Dockyards … and more.

Zenith had been scheduled to sail through The Cut on our last day in Bermuda to overnight in St George’s. But it didn’t happen … a storm brewing in the Atlantic made the passage through The Cut too dangerous to attempt. So, we remained in Hamilton … moving to a nearby dock to make room for the original Love Boat, which had the right of way since we weren’t supposed to be in Hamilton.

No matter. We still got to explore St George’s … we just had to take public transportation to get there. We left no stone unturned in our exploration of Bermuda’s first capital … the Town Square with its ducking stool … Somers Park where an admiral by the same name literally left his heart … the Unfinished Church … Tobacco Bay … Fort Saint Catherine … and more. It was a very full day.

(By the way, we watched as Insignia threaded its way through The Cut in 2017. So, now we know that the captain of Zenith was right in not making the attempt in 2001.)

Remember the storm that was brewing in the Atlantic? That was Subtropical Storm Karen, which hit Bermuda on 11 October, with damaging winds as high as 100 mph. By then, we were back at sea, heading to Baltimore. We didn’t quite escape unscathed, however, as waves exceeding 15 feet welcomed us with open arms as soon as we rounded Fort Saint Catherine as we left Bermuda behind. We rock and rolled our way back to Baltimore … our first real encounter with stormy seas in our then-limited cruising experience.

What a wonderful cruise it was. And what sweet memories by which to remember our time in Bermuda — the dark days of 9/11 and the storm notwithstanding.Read more