We are on a Bermuda cruise on Day 3. It's been a great cruise so far. Late nights dancing and fun days. It's been pretty smooth though some felt that it was choppy. We had to return to port 3 1/2 hours out of Phila. for a medical emergency - turned around on the Delaware River right in the shipping lane. Today we get to Bermuda - maybe a bit late. Grat weather so far - no effects from tropical storm Gabrielle. I'll post more either later on the cruise or when we return. Got to go soon and do the line dance class at the pool.

Mary

Mary, thanks for your message. It's so nice hearing from someone actually on a cruise. I'm glad you're having fun on the Empress. What kinds of things are you doing in Bermuda?

Sandy

Thanks for taking the time to drop us a note. Please have a rum punch for me and have a great time in Bermuda. Try to get to Horseshoe Beach, it's beautiful. Wish we were with you!

Hi Everyone,

I'm in beautiful St. George's at the internet cafe - better prices than the ship. We went to see the Unfinished Church and walked around the tosn. Of course, I took a photo of my DH in the stocks. Later, when the crowds thin out, we'll head to Tobacco Bay.

We're having a great time, been up late most nights. Last night we we're just too tired to stay up for the midnight buffet. Friends said it was lovely. We took a glass bottom boat and snorkeling tour yesterday from St. Hamilton's. It was OK. We're used to more color, having lived in the Philippines and having dived. Stil, it was nice to be with family and listen to the info the captain shared about Bermuda on the way over. And we did see a sea turtle.

Then we went to Horseshoe Bay lat in the afternoon, again when the crowds left. Then we walked over to Chapin beach past several coves. Quite nice. The bus rides were wild and crowded as it was late in the day and people were heading home.

I'm keeping lots of notes and will write up a review when we get home. Oh we found out the the Explorer of the Seas and a Norwegian ship, here in Bermuda now, both had medical emergencies. The Norwegian one was a crew member. Seems like a lot. The EOS had to turn around early in their cruise also.

More Later,

Mary

Well, we’ve been back for a few days and are trying to get settled in again. It was good to go and it was good to come home. The 7 day cruise to Bermuda flew by, of course. We knew it would. so we made the most of each day. The short version is we had a great time and Bermuda is lovely! I wrote up the first day in case anyone is interested. I’ll try to write about another cruise day each day for the next week. They won’t all be as long as today’s. I’ll also be posting some photos and cruise compasses. Will let you know about those later in the week.

My husband and I flew from San Antonio, TX on Friday, the day before the cruise. We got a good deal through Priceline.com on a suite at the Sheraton Suites near the Philadelphia airport. Friends came over that evening and brought some Philly cheese steaks. A fun evening.

The taxis drivers were on strike in Phila. though some were still working. The hotel called for one and it came quickly. The 15 minute taxi ride to the port cast $25 with the tip. We arrived at the port at 10:15. The check-in opened at 10:35 and went very smoothly. We were on the ship before 11 a.m. We could get into our rooms until 1 p.m. so walked around the ship taking pictures. We took a 5 minute tour of the spa. If we had booked a treatment for the same day there would have been a $40 discount.

The Empress of the Seas is the smallest Royal Caribbean ship. She will leave the RCI fleet next spring and will be transferred to sister company Pullmantur Cruises in Spain. She’s an easy ship to find one’s way around.

Since this cruise was in Sept. there were few children on board. A week or two earlier there were 500 children on board. This cruise there were 40.

When we entered the Windjammer Cafe I was expecting the hand washing station like they had one our first (and only) cruise last January on the Legend of the Seas. They never had and such stations and I never heard of anyone getting sick, except for a little sea sickness here and there. The Windjammer wasn’t crowded when we arrived but by the time we left it was jammed.

Our whole party arrived by then. There were 8 of us ranging in age from 22 to 75. All were women except my husband. What a good sport he was. We discovered that though we asked our travel agents to link our 3 reservations it didn’t happen. We were assigned to two tables. I went to the dining room to ask to have it changed. We had nice, round tables but were then assigned to a long table for 10 right outside the kitchen door. Another couple ended up joining us and we all got along very well, though people at one end of the table couldn’t talk to someone at the other end.

When we went to your cabins my sister was missing her Gold Crown and Anchor coupon book. I went to the purser’s desk and was told to go to the Loyalty Ambassador’s desk. Since I was there I decided to book a cruise that we’d been looking at – a transatlantic next March. The lady seemed a little surprised that we hadn’t even left the port and I was booking another cruise, but I was ready and so was she.

We got all our luggage by 2:15 so unpacked. We had an oceanview. Yes, the rooms are small. There was no refrigerator. Love seat or sofa, but the storage is adequate for 2. Having double hanging bars in half of the closet helped. My mom, sister and two friends shared a quad oceanview. That was a bit tight but they made do. We met our stateroom attendant, Eyner from Panama, and were off to the muster drill. Soon after was the sail away party at the pool. They had a bar-b-que and hot food buffet. While sailing down the Delaware River it’s nice to be on the pool deck as the ship goes under some bridges with little clearance.

I made some lanyards before the cruise and went to the purser’s desk to have holes punched in our sea passes. That worked well.

Dinner in the Carmen dining room was a bit hectic that first night. Our waiter, Michal from the Philippines, had a table assigned to him after we arrived. He had to get it all set up. Our assistant waiter from India introduced himself to us. A little while later another assistant waiter, Dillon from St. Vincent, introduced himself to us also. He was with us for the rest of the week. Dinner was good. I took photos of the menus most evenings and will post them sometime. I also have copies of all the Cruise Compasses and will scan them.

At 6:30 the captain came on with an announcement. We could tell it was unusual by the looks on the staff’s faces. He announced that we had a medical emergency and would be turning around and returning to port. Earlier in the day there had been an “Alpha, Alpha, Alpha” announcement indicating a medical emergency. So, there in the middle of the shipping lane of the Delaware River the ship made a U turn.

Around 8:30 we went out on deck 6 before the evening show. We saw that we were moving toward a dock. We were in the Wilmington, DE area and didn’t return all the way to Phila. The captain moved the ship right up against the dock sideways and kept it there. There were several fire and medical emergency vehicles and personnel. Once docked the medical personnel boarded the ship and after 10-15 minutes returned with the passenger and his wife to the waiting ambulance. As the ship was smoothly moving away from the dock the people on the ship clapped for the emergency personnel. Two fire trucks blew their loud horns. The ship responded with a deep blast from its horn. It was a very moving moment of people helping each other. You can read about it at the following URL. The times in the article are off but the general article is accurate. Emergency Stop in Wilmington

We went to the Welcome Aboard show. Warren Allen, the cruise director, gave us some stats about who was on the cruise. Then he introduced the comedian, Rick Starr. He was good. Unfortunately for several parts of his show you needed to be able to see him which I couldn’t do since the seating is more like a lounge than an auditorium and we were in the back of a balcony behind a pole. Still, he was funny. If you are going to see a show at the Strike Up the Band Lounge get there early to get a good seat.

After the show several of us went to the Boleros Lounge to watch the karaoke time. Some performers were quite good and some weren’t. After that a few of us went up to the Viking Crown Lounge to dance.

Earlier in the evening I had stopped at Café Latte-tudes and asked for a cookie. On the Legend of the Seas they were free. Here they were only free with a purchase of a drink. To get a cookie we had to go up to the Grab ‘n’ Go Snacks area of the Windjammer, which we did several times that week. I spent some time walking around the ship getting better oriented when it was nice and quiet in the wee hours of the morning. I went to the tiny library and checked out a book for my husband. I also picked up the trivia and Sudoku for the day. When I got back to the cabin I read the Cruise Compass and planned the next day. I went to sleep around 3a.m.
Agutaya

Would love to here more about the cruise ship...ins and outs. This is our first cruise. We are doing a repositioning cruise on The Empress Oct 27-Nov 5th. How were the rooms? No Fridge you say? We are in an inside cabin...didn't want to spend more for our first cruise. We got a steal of a deal I think at $230 + port charges and taxes and for 9 nights...good or bad?

Thanks and glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise experience and booked more!

saublewater

Saublewater, I think you will enjoy the Empress of the Seas. She's a fine ship. As I said, the room is a little small compared to other ships, but it had sufficient storage which is the important thing. You got a fabulous deal on your first cruise. For that price I'd almost be willing to sleep on deck if I had to.
I got busy today and forgot to write up day 2 but will do so tomorrow. I've been working on organizing and tweaking some of the 1400 photos I took last week. I expect to put them online before you go.

Agutaya,

That's great! Can't wait to see your pics. I do have a few questions if you don't mind? We wan to bring some water with us...we are light packers so thinking about checking in one luggage with water bottles and our shoes and such and put towels around to cushion the edges...Good idea or not? Also did they serve beer on tap? And if so just wondering if we should bring our Bubba Kegs (insulated drink cups) to keep the beverage cold? and last but not least...do we lock our luggage? Our last trip was to Puerto Plata in the D.R. and we did not lock our luggages at all but since we have to put our checked baggage out the night before just wondering what procedure is? Being new we are not up on the do's and don'ts...YET! lol

Thanks for any information and helpful hints.

saublewater

We took water on and a 6 pack of Diet Coke in bottles (12 oz?). the water was a gallon of distilled water my DH needs for a breathing machine at night. We carried those on in our roller carry on bag. No problems. Are you flying to the ship? I wouldn't put water in a bag I checked with an airline in case the containers broke. We had an overnight before the cruise and got the liquids in the port city (Phila.). And I wouldn't cushion it with towels as you will have towels on board. If I were to need to cushion something I'd use something I was already planning on bringing that would wrinkle easily or didn't matter if it did wrinkle (bathing suits, underwear).

I don't drink beer so don't know if it comes on tap. I would bring your insulated drink cups since it would keep any drink cold. It's nice to have around the pool and in the Windjammer Cafe.

Re locking luggage: I locked two since I had the locks and not the other. The one I didn't lock I closed with a twisty tie woven in and out of the locking rings. Someone could still get in but it would slow them down and they would likely pass it by. The two that I locked were with the old style locks, not the current TSA approved locks. I'll keep using those locks until they break or get cut off. When we went to the airport we had to take our luggage to the security area (not behind the ticket agents but another area). They asked if the bags were locked. Since they were we were asked to wait until they had gone through the screening in case they needed to be opened.

If you are putting your bags out the night before I'd lock them. And DON'T put anything valuable in them that night, just in case. We did the express departure where we carried our bags off ourselves.

More later.

Thanks...I look forward to part 2! lol. No seriously you have answered many questions... and I appreciate it very much. Thanks

saublewater

p.s. I guess that since we are flying into Philly and arriving at 6:59am this should give us enough time to hit a grocery store or somewhere to purchase water then...and you say you took it in your carry on? Maybe we could do the same then?

DAY 2
We woke around 8. We were too cold during the night. Somehow the fact that there was a thermostat in our room had escaped me. It was too cold with just the sheet and too warm with the thick comforter. We asked Eyner for blankets for the beds and an extra pillow. He took our comforters off and replaced them with a blanket sandwiched between two sheets. With the blanket and the thermostat turned down a bit more the second night we slept much better. Don’t be afraid to ask your stateroom attendant for what you need. We also asked him to take the drinks off our desk. He missed doing that but we were glad for the blankets and pillow. We just put the drinks on a high shelf since we had plenty of storage room.

Our camera was not functioning well. It kept saying the batteries were discharged, sometimes just after they were totally recharged. The irritating thing was that we had just gotten the camera replaced with a brand new one recently because the previous one did the same thing. Luckily we bought the warranty and will get another module of camera. I only missed a few shots because of this but had to remember to keep changing and charging the batteries. By the way, I took over 1400 shots. With that many you just have to have some good ones.

We had breakfast at the Windjammer. I was going to go to the Weight Detox seminar but it was cancelled for lack of interest. I think they offered it later in the week and had better success, when people were thinking about how much weight they had gained during the cruise.

DH went to Bingo with my mom and some friends. They were playing for the Owner’s Suite which had not been booked. Some lucky person got a very nice upgrade. My sister and I went to the cake decorating seminar. A sous chef, Warren the cruise director and an audience volunteer created black forest cakes. Of course, the chef’s looked the best, but we sampled the volunteer’s and it was delicious.

We walked though a watercolor class that was nearly finished in the Schooner Bar. We were surprised with the results since several people said they never painted before. Wow, if the teacher could help students produce these results I thought I had a chance. I was going to try it later in the week but something else was going on at the same time. That reminds me that the schedule of events didn’t seem to flow on this cruise like the last one. I talked to some others who had been on more cruise than me and they agreed. This was especially true in the evening. With such a small ship people could have gotten from one venue to another quickly but there were gaps of time between events or there were events happening at the same time that would likely have attracted the same people.

I went shopping and bought a ring. The shops and the casino had not been open at all the first day. They were not allowed to be open until we got off the Delaware River and onto the Atlantic Ocean. That should have happened at 9:00 p.m. the night before but because of returning to Wilmington for the medical emergency they never opened that day. Imagine how much revenue that cost RCCL. I was irritated the night before by a comment from another passenger. When we were waiting for the ill passenger to be offloaded this lady said, “I think we should be compensated for this delay, don’t you?” Instead of smacking her I politely mentioned how much it was already costing the cruise line and that they were possibly saving a life.

Something I noticed on the cruise was several rude passengers. I only noticed one rude person on our first cruise. One lady on this cruise was very rude in the fine jewelry shop but was responded to patiently by the sole staff person there. I made sure I told her supervisor about that incident and wrote it up on a comment card to commend her.

We had lunch in the Carmen Dining Room. It was more relaxed and quiet than the Windjammer. The food quality was a little better. We went to the Scrapbook Workshop after lunch. It started at 1:15 so we were late but we got the packet. Don’t expect this to be a class. You receive 3-4 cut out shapes/words and some paper. There are minimal tools and paper supplied. If you scrapbook I’d suggest going to the workshop to get the packet but keep your expectations low.

The afternoon was filled with a Learn to Salsa Dance class and the Wine Tasting Seminary. Both were good. It was nice to have the wine tasting coupon in our Gold booklet. We probably wouldn’t have done it for $9.95 each otherwise. I wasn’t fond of most of the wines offered.

Dinner was good but we left before dessert as we wanted to go to the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Reception. We wanted to meet the captain but didn’t want a picture, but they took photos of everyone who met the captain. Capt. Jim Olsen, from Norway, is a quiet person. He looked uncomfortable in the photos. I think he was very glad when the whole reception was over. PR is not his forte. This isn’t a criticism but an observation. He was the opposite of the captain, from Greece, we had on the Legend of the Seas in January who was very outgoing, even walking around the ship to talk with passengers.

I skipped the evening show, a singer, to take a nap but others said he was good. I got up at 11 p.m. to go to the 70’s Disco Inferno. I ended up at the Viking Crown Lounge at 10:40. How did that happen? It turns out our clock radio kept gaining time all week. On Friday at the captain’s Q&A the reason was explained that the ship operates on a slightly different megahertz level than the typical U.S. home.

So I waited for the Village People to arrive. And danced… and waited. The Viking Crown Lounge dance floor is small. It wasn’t bad until the second evening show let out. Then it became so crowded you couldn’t even get to the dance floor. The Village People finally came at 12:20 a.m. And when they came the dance floor wasn’t cleared so people were standing 4-5 deep around the edge. All we saw was some feathers from the Indian headdress. Oh well, somehow we later got to the dance floor and at least saw them. We were “consoled” by a snack at the Windjammer Café. I dropped by the library on the way to the cabin for the daily trivia and Sudoku. I got to bed around 2 after making some notes of the days’ activities. Day 3 tomorrow.

DAY 3
We slept in until 10 and had breakfast in the Windjammer. It’s nice to have breakfast served until 11 a.m. We went to a Line Dance Class at the pool deck. At lunch we filled out excursion forms for an excursion on Day 4. I know it should have been filled out sooner but with a group it was hard to get everyone to agree and get it done.

We went to deck 11 port side to watch arriving at Bermuda. We basically circled the island since Hamilton had to be approached from the northeast. I’d definitely recommend being up on deck 11 for a few hours before scheduled arrival in Bermuda. Make sure you put on sun screen before. My DH got sunburned. We docked and got off the ship by 4:00 p.m. This was only one hour later than scheduled. Considering we lost several hours for the medical emergency on Day 1, that was very good.

Since most people went to the shops on Front Street we headed to Fort Hamilton. It’s about a 15 minute walk. It has a good view of the ship and harbor. It’s a nice little park if you have the time to visit. Remember to take water as part of the 15 minutes is uphill. On the way back we walked down Church Street and stopped at a church and the cathedral. The cathedral is worth a short visit.

At dinner the dining room staff sank “O Solo Mio” for Italian night. We went to the show called “Viva!” presented by the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers. It was well done. We walked around for awhile and ended up at the Viking Crown Lounge for the romantic dancing. Then we headed back to the Strike Up the Band Lounge for the 50’s and 60’s Name That Tune and Rock and Roll dancing. We went to the Windjammer Café for snacks.

Is anyone interested in my continuing this travelogue? I don't mind either way. It's been fun for me to write it down and remember a great week. But I don't want to use up space or people's time. I'll still work on putting the photos of the trip online.

Yes! Please continue. I am enjoying revisiting Bermuda through your words.

We loved Fort Hamilton. It was pretty much the same for us when we visited Hamilton our first time -- most people went to the beach or shopping, and we walked to Fort Hamilton. Our son was about a year-and-a-half old and in a stroller, making the walk a real workout.

Do they still have the beautiful gardens within the Fort complex?

You can't stop now...I've yet to take my first cruise and I am enjoying your experience. Please do continue...can't wait for day 4!

Thanks

saublewater

Well, back by popular demand - or at least two of you - I bring you Day 4. Another day in paradise. I'm glad I wrote notes on the cruise or I would have forgotten some of the little details already.

DAY 4
This was our first full day in Bermuda and it was going to be fun! But first, there was a mix up with the excursion tickets due to miscommunication and mistakes within our group. However, the excursion desk personnel were patient when we double booked the excursion for some in our party returned the tickets and then ran back at the last minute to get two of the tickets back. (The morning of departure we found some of the tickets didn’t get refunded. I can believe it. We really messed up but the staff fixed it all.) We made it just in time to walk to the pier and board the glass bottom boat.

The captain of the Fantasea tour gave a running narration which was humorous and very informative as we crossed Great Sound. We were on the top deck so had a good view. We went passed the Royal Naval Dockyards to an area where sea turtles are sometimes seen. We saw one or two pop their heads up. We went below to the glass bottom part of the boat. It’s a good way for those who can’t snorkel to look underwater. Then we went to a lovely cove which was a great place for children. Most people snorkeled outside the cove near the rocky shore. The water was very calm. We saw some nice purple fan coral and fish but being divers it wasn’t especially impressive. DH and I went on this excursion to be with family and friends who wanted to go on a glass bottom boat. But they weren’t overly impressed with the amount of sea life either. (They did better on a Day 6 excursion. More about that later.)

DH and I went down the shore line a bit, just out of sight of the boat and found a cave with shallow water and a large opening. We went back a ways and had a look around. It was quiet in there except for softly lapping waves and when some started birds flew out. The cave went back further and got dark. We didn’t have a light and didn’t want to make people on the boat worry so we went back to the boat. I was getting cold by then anyway. On the way back to the ship they served Rum Swizzles. Refills cost $3, which was less than the ship. Though the quality and quantity of sea life wasn’t the best it was still a good excursion.

After lunch at the Windjammer we all split up. DH and I walked around Hamilton and then took a #7 bus to Horseshoe Bay. We had purchased a one day pass at the purser’s desk which must be punched by the bus driver before its first use. Though it was only around 3 p.m. it was standing room only. Many were passengers returning to the Explorer of the Seas docked at the Royal Naval Dockyard who had been in Hamilton shopping. It was a good time to go to the beach since there weren’t as many people. It’s a lovely bay with light pink sand. Think pinkish beige, not Barbie doll pink. We just walked on the beach and headed east (left) and went to other nice beaches. I took lots of nice photos. The colors of the water are calming and restorative. We walked to Chapin Bay and campground and headed up the hill to catch the bus back to Hamilton. It was again standing room only.

We got a snack at the Windjammer before taking the 6:50 p.m. ferry across the Great Sound to the Royal Naval Dockyard for the street festival. We docked beside the Explorer O.S. She sure is a lot bigger than our little Empress. There was a tram to take us to the shopping area. It is walkable but it is a bit long for older people. Since we were with my mom we rode. There was a local gentleman on the tram. I asked if there was a charge and he said it was free. I thanked him for the ride since his taxes paid for it. He got a chuckle out of that and said we were very welcome.

There weren’t as many vendors there as I thought but it was a nice selection. Apparently the street festival at Hamilton is bigger but it was the next night and we would be in St. George’s by then. They had a live band and lots of chairs to sit and watch the show. The local shops were stocked with typical tourist items and the prices were reasonable. Some items were of quite good quality. We weren’t sure of the ferry schedules but asked local people who were happy to help us. We always greeted them first by saying Good Morning (afternoon, evening). We had read that it is considered impolite to start a conversation before greeting someone first. We walked back to the pier and caught the next ferry back to Hamilton.

We had missed the magic and comedy show on the ship, which was OK by me. I don’t especially enjoy magic shows. Of course the Windjammer Café Grab & Go snack area called our names so we went there for pizza. There wasn’t anything tempting for dessert and we were too tired to wait up for the poolside buffet and dancing under the stars so we went to our cabin and ordered room service. One can get really spoiled on a cruise.

Here's a picture to whet your appetite for a cruise to Bermuda.

I'm waiting! lol

Please tell what happened on Day 5

saublewater

Please let me know when you will post your pics too!

saublewater

Well, things have been very busy here which is why I didn't get to write up Day 5 sooner. I will let you know when I post the photos. Tomorrow should be a slow day so I should get Day 6 written up. Did you know that you can use the Notify feature so that the new postings are sent to your e-mail. That way you don't have to keep checking the board for a posting. Anyway, enjoy.

DAY 5
We didn’t set our alarm clocks and should have. We missed leaving Hamilton and going over to St. George’s. I was doubly glad we had been on deck 11 on Day 3 when we were arriving in Hamilton. But we did wake up in time to look out the window of our oceanview room and see the land passing by very, very closely. We were in the Town Cut, a narrow passage into St. George’s Harbor. It’s amazing how close the ship comes to the land and is the reason bigger ships don’t dock there. We got ready quickly and ate breakfast, of course, in the Windjammer Café.

We walked around town and did a little shopping. Davidson’s was a nice shop and had good prices. St. George’s is a lovely, old town and small enough to navigate easily. It was nice to have the tourist map we had gotten at the purser’s desk. There is an internet café on Water St. with better prices than on the ship. It was $4 for 15 min., $7 for 30 min. and $10 for 60 min. The same shop also has tourist information, maps and brochures. We walked to the customs house on Ordnance Island to get a Bermuda stamp in our passports. Of course, I took a picture of DH in the stocks at the town square.

The people in St. George’s were much more pleasant to talk to than in Hamilton. One of their concerns is what will happen to business when ships no longer dock there because they are too big. We talked with a lady and asked her if people on the island get what we used to call “cabin fever” in Alaska. She said they do but they call it “rock fever.” People in Bermuda often travel outside the country just to get away for awhile. She usually flies to the U.S. since it’s only a 1 ½ hour flight to New York.

We walked up to the Unfinished Church. If you are walking to Tobacco Bay it is on the way. It’s an interesting place, though a little sad. One can imagine what a beautiful building it would have been if things had been different.

In the afternoon four people in our group took a snorkel tour excursion booked through the ship. My sister, who had also done the glass bottom boat and snorkel in Hamilton, said the sea life was much better on this excursion. She saw a variety of colorful fish, which we didn’t see on the excursion out of Hamilton. So, if you are only going to do one excursion tour in Bermuda do the one at St. George’s. My 75 year old mom even snorkeled for the first time. It was a big deal for her since she doesn’t like to get her face in the water and has health problems, but she loved it once she got used to it.

I took a minibus to a little beach to collect sea glass. The other ladies on the minibus were going to Tobacco Bay or St. Catherine’s Beach. We all paid the required $3.00. Later we heard that some people paid $3 and some paid $2 for the minibus rides. Either way, it was worth it so I knew where to go. I walked back along a nice road that went beside the Town Cut and Gate’s Fort. It was a pleasant 25 minute afternoon stroll and had lots of nice photo opportunities.

After dinner DH and I walked into town. There were a few shops open though most were closed. We returned for the nightly show. It was comedian Joey Van and was very good. Then we went to the Viking Crown Lounge to listen to some Rat Pack music. We talked with D.J. Alan for awhile. We then headed back downstairs for the Quest which was fun to watch. Amazing what people will do for a key chain (plus bragging rights). Then it was back to Boleros for Karaoke. Got to bed at 2 a.m. Another fun-filled day came to an end.

Thank you for another great instalment!

In all my visits to Bermuda, I never got my passport stamped. I think that calls for a return visit!

Town Cut is really something, isn't it? I felt as if I was right back there when reading your narrative.

And, thank you for the great information on Bermuda... it will be very helpful to our readers.