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THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE HAS APPEARED IN THE RECORD October 16, 2002

Back to beautiful Bermuda


As this was to be our third visit to Bermuda we decided to take our time and travel to the Boston seaport in our recreational vehicle before boarding the Norwegian Majesty. As a result, we were able to spend an additional five days in Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.

While the idea of leaving our RV for seven days in a parking lot along side the ship's berth didn't exactly thrill us, we reminded ourselves that there was little point in worrying about the risks of theft or vandalism. We contented ourselves by taking a few pictures for insurance purposes in order to prove, if need be, where we had left it. When we returned from our cruise we were relieved to discover that no one had used it as a short-term motel room.

Except for the first two days of our cruise the weather was pleasant with temperatures climbing in the 80's. Unfortunately, after consuming too many rich pastries while the sea was rough, I had to rely on our well-stocked medicine cabinet to overcome a slight bout of seasickness. As for Madeleine, who has always shown far more discretion, the 15' waves never caused her to miss a beat.

While at sea we participated in practically every tournament including Ping Pong (lost), chess (lost), golf putting (won) and even listened to a lecture on landscaping (boring). Don't get me wrong we didn't overdose in socializing. We skipped the Captain's cocktail as well as every other formal event. Neither did we play Bingo or Bridge or even take part in any of the Caribbean Line and Meringue dance classes. As for the daily tropical deck parties, most of the time we were content to just observe our fellow fun-loving passengers from a distance.

At the end of day we were far too exhausted to take advantage of all the nightly entertainment opportunities and were often in our "bunks" by 8 p.m. On two occasions we made a real effort and tried our luck at the casino. Surprise, Surprise -we lost!

Our small pastel colored cabin was located on deck 4 near the ship's aft. It included the standard miniature bathroom/shower, a TV, wall safe, seat and desk, two beds and lots of mirrors to create the illusion that it was much larger. We had no reason to complain considering the low fare of $1003. Cdn. Last year, the same cabin was a real give- away at slightly more than $700. Despite the size of our cabin, somehow Madeleine was able to find just enough space to store our clothing and all of our usual traveling paraphernalia.

Our young Philippine cabin stewardess was a real jewel thanks to her constant good humor and apparent sincerity to keep us happy. She maintained our cabin spotless and never forgot to leave the traditional chocolate exactly in the middle of our pillows .Her pleasant demeanor was all the more appreciated since freestyle cruising meant that the standard $10, a day tip was automatically withdrawn from our credit account.


Thanks to the Norwegian's freestyle policy in the main dining rooms, we dressed casually, never wore a jacket or tie and always ate with different and often, interesting passengers. So as to avoid having to ware the formal and semi- formal attire whenever it was recommended, we simply ate at the Cafe Royal buffet on deck 10.

Every afternoon at 4 p.m. we made it a point to listen to the ship's lively 3-person, Calypso band," Flex", which played near the main swimming pool.

As for the 1509 passengers (69 from Canada) they seemed to be much younger and in a far greater partying mood compared to our March cruise to the Panama on the Grand Princess.

Once again we realized how the cruise ship industry is a world of its very own. Not only are there endless quantities of food available at all hours, the amount wasted by passengers is enough to feed a nation.

What also caught our attention during this particular cruise was the high number of chain smoking, overweight passengers who were chugging away in the scorching sun at their Pina Coladas, Rum Runners and Bahama Rama Mamas. There were times when we wondered how they would survive until their next cruise.


While in Bermuda we traveled around the islands (138 at last count) thanks again to the standard 3- day $22 public ferry and bus pass. We particularly enjoyed the comfort and speed of the recently acquired catamaran ferry, "Sea Express", which travels between historical St. George and the Royal Dockyard at the Western end of the islands.

On the day of our arrival in we took the peppy bus to Hamilton and browsed through the many shops and boutiques facing the port. While strolling down the adjacent street, we observed the docking of some of the larger Celebrity Line cruise ships under the guidance of a team of tugboats.

The following day we visited the Bermuda Maritime Museum, perched high over the sea at Dockyard. Besides examining the impressive historical structures and imposing thick stonewalls we enjoyed watching the dolphins as they undertook their daily training sessions. For an extra $75, US we would have been granted the privilege of stroking their silk-like bellies.

As with our previous trips to Bermuda we spent most of our time in St. George, which is the oldest and most historic settlement on the island. One day, while meandering through the narrow cobble stone streets we came across a crowd of spectators totally engrossed by Bermuda's International Competition for Town Criers. Much to our surprise, two well-known Canadian competitors were among the eight participants, namely John Webster from Markham, Ontario and Daniel Richer Dit La Fleche of Hull, Quebec. As in the past, both of them earned top scores.


St. George is also where the historical tribunals were once located. As with so many other visitors, while in the main square we photographed the remnants of 18th century punishment for convicted criminals. They included a stock and pillory as well as a dunking stool. However this year we missed the Town Crier who, three times a week draws a crowd for his 45 minute reenactment of early justice, while dressed in his colorful English style cape and bellowing sleeves with lace cuffs. The sentencing process invariably ends with the dunking in the ocean of the "town wench " because of her "incessant and excessive gossiping".

Regarding Bermuda's many renowned pink sandy beaches, we returned to the two in St. George which were an easy 20 minutes walking distance from our cruise ship.

I know that I've said it before but this time I mean it - when we return to beautiful Bermuda we will rent a scooter if for no other reason than to visit the many sections of the islands that are inaccessible by bus or ferry. I also know I can count on Madeleine to remind me that Bermudans drive on the left side.