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Horseshoe Bay ???


rjac

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@rjac, just to add some rental pricing info to what @coneyraven noted...

They have both chairs and loungers. IIRC, loungers were going for $18 each when my wife and I were there last week, while chairs were either $12 or $15. I know they had a bundle that would get you two loungers and an umbrella for $45, which did save you a few bucks. Another bundle that was a smidge over $100 got you four chairs, two umbrellas, and a bucket of bottled waters with ice in the bucket to keep it all cold.

They haul whatever you've rented to where you want to sit, and if you got an umbrella they bring a shovel or augur drill to really plant the stake deep in the sand for you; so be sure to also have some cash (or give the change) for tips.

If you have more than one day in Bermuda, I do recommend going to Horseshoe Bay on day 2, or day 3 if you have it; our waiter in CK told us everyone rushes there the first day so they can see the place, and it becomes a really crowded madhouse. We went our second day, and while it was still fairly crowded we had no problem getting into the water or wandering around to the grottoes on either side of the main beach.

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39 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

We went our second day,

Same. I was pretty close up to the water, got there around 10:15. I noticed a lot of people leave after a few hours.

There's also a little bar next to the food area. I didn't enter but bought a wrap and diet coke for $14.00. I did see a few people walking around with drinks in plastic containers.

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1 hour ago, JLMoran said:

@rjac, just to add some rental pricing info to what @coneyraven noted...

They have both chairs and loungers. IIRC, loungers were going for $18 each when my wife and I were there last week, while chairs were either $12 or $15. I know they had a bundle that would get you two loungers and an umbrella for $45, which did save you a few bucks. Another bundle that was a smidge over $100 got you four chairs, two umbrellas, and a bucket of bottled waters with ice in the bucket to keep it all cold.

They haul whatever you've rented to where you want to sit, and if you got an umbrella they bring a shovel or augur drill to really plant the stake deep in the sand for you; so be sure to also have some cash (or give the change) for tips.

If you have more than one day in Bermuda, I do recommend going to Horseshoe Bay on day 2, or day 3 if you have it; our waiter in CK told us everyone rushes there the first day so they can see the place, and it becomes a really crowded madhouse. We went our second day, and while it was still fairly crowded we had no problem getting into the water or wandering around to the grottoes on either side of the main beach.

Good info, thanks Joe. Did you go to Horseshoe Bay on a Royal excursion or did you taxi on your own there? We're doing the 5 day cruise out of NJ on the Anthem and will spend two full days there, so doing the beach on day 2 sounds good. :27_sunglasses:

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35 minutes ago, ellcee said:

For $9 I took the bus from the Dockyard. Took maybe a half an hour. Even though I paid for me way back I paid $7 to take the shuttle back, it was way more convenient.

Thanks ellcee. Where did the shuttle drop you off? I assume you got on it at the beach.:27_sunglasses:

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2 hours ago, rjac said:

Good info, thanks Joe. Did you go to Horseshoe Bay on a Royal excursion or did you taxi on your own there? We're doing the 5 day cruise out of NJ on the Anthem and will spend two full days there, so doing the beach on day 2 sounds good. :27_sunglasses:

We just did it on our own. For those two days in Bermuda there's zero reason to book an excursion with Royal as long as you keep an eye on your watch and make sure it's lined up with ship time. More details to come when I update my post-cruise blog, but that's still at least a couple of days away. As usual, I took a ton of pics and I'm still culling them down and getting them cropped and cleaned up.

58 minutes ago, rjac said:

Thanks ellcee. Where did the shuttle drop you off? I assume you got on it at the beach.:27_sunglasses:

If you take the bus, you'll be dropped off at the bus stop, from which you have a decent walk down a relatively steep hill to get to the beach. If you take the private shuttle (what @ellcee said she used for the return trip, and what my wife and used for both there and back), you'll be taken from the dock right to the beach and back. The shuttles run back and forth all day, $7 per person, just have to wait for the one you're on to fill up. Pay when you arrive, not when you board.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 10/23/2018 at 1:02 PM, JLMoran said:

They have both chairs and loungers. IIRC, loungers were going for $18 each when my wife and I were there last week, while chairs were either $12 or $15. I know they had a bundle that would get you two loungers and an umbrella for $45, which did save you a few bucks. Another bundle that was a smidge over $100 got you four chairs, two umbrellas, and a bucket of bottled waters with ice in the bucket to keep it all cold. 

Taking the whole family to Bermuda on the same cruise @rjac. With little grandkids was wondering if we could arrange for rentals ahead of time so as not to wait in a line or for setup. Rum Bum Beach Bar has the "bundle" @JLMoran mentions for $150. Looks like I can contact them through their website. Is there a better option?

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1 hour ago, KJ1231 said:

Taking the whole family to Bermuda a couple weeks before rjac. With little grandkids was wondering if we could arrange for rentals ahead of time so as not to wait in a line or for setup. Rum Bum Beach Bar has the "bundle" you JLMoran mentions for $150. Looks like I can contact them through their website. Is there a better option?

I took a look at their web site, not sure that you can arrange a rental ahead of time over the phone or through their site but no harm in trying. From the pictures this is definitely the same outfit that we saw, including the rental booth on the beach. And they are the only outfit. Horseshoe Bay isn't so large a beach that they could set up more than one bar or rental booth, and the guy who set up our equipment showed us a rope line set up about halfway down the beach that he said they weren't allowed to cross with any of the rental stuff. And I believe they set up purely on a first-come, first-served basis wherever they have space. That's how it was operating for all the folks waiting in line while we were there. Again, might not be the case but they will likely confirm once you give them a call.

If you have concerns about the grandkids getting bored while waiting, there is a small grotto / tidepool like area just to the right as you enter the beach. The water there is very shallow and calm, no waves at all as it's totally sheltered by large volcanic outcroppings. The grandkids and one or two of the adults could go there and have something to do while the rentals were squared away, and you wouldn't have to worry about the grandkids being at risk from a big wave or anything. My wife and I saw lots of little kids there with their parents, so I imagine they'd have no problems finding some other kids to play and have fun with. Then once the rental gear is all set up, you can go get them and bring them all over to enjoy the full ocean.

Last comment is that people there all respected chairs or loungers with no one in them, with no stealing of unoccupied rentals; my wife and I left our one lounger for around an hour while she swam and I explored the beach and grottoes, with just our sneakers and water shoes left there, and it was untouched and unmoved when we came back. We offered it to a couple of other visitors when we left, since the rentals are all-day and we had to leave at lunch time, but if we hadn't done that it probably would have just sat there empty the whole time.

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Yes, an umbrella and 2 lounges run about $40-$45.  Remember to bring cash!!  If you go a bit later, sometimes you're able to score someone else's chairs/umbrella.   A man came up to us on line and offered his 2 chairs and umbrella to us since he was leaving.  We were so happy I actually split it with him and gave him $20, so it was a win win situation.   When we were leaving, I too offered it to a young couple who were melting in the sun laying on just a small towel.     

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  • 2 weeks later...
Just now, KJ1231 said:

Does anyone know what time the mini-bus shuttles start running each morning?

Like a few people mentioned, it's better to NOT go the first day in port. We could be up and out early the second day since we'd have to leave by 3:00 to avoid being pier runners. 

When my wife and I got off the ship on day 1, the shuttles were already there and waiting for people. That was 9 AM, right when the ship was cleared.

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Looking around more I found an email address for the Dockyard Visitors Information Center. I asked two questions -first was there a way to get transit passes in advance so we could go directly from the ship to the ferry and what time the mini-buses to Horseshoe Bay start running since we'll probbaly go on Day 2 and get an early start.  Here was the response:

Good evening Ken,
 
Glad to hear you are cruising to Bermuda!
 
Our ticket booth out at the end of your ship next July is where you will need to purchase in person, your 1 or 2 day adult passes and well as 1 and 2 day child passes. We also sell individual ride tokens as well.
 
You then can proceed to the ferry to head out of dockyard.
 
You can take the ferry directly in to Hamilton in the middle of the island or take the St. George’s ferry Monday through Friday directly to the east end or other end of the island.
 
 
The mini buses are a great way to get to horseshoe bay beach. They start to take passengers there around 8:00am and continue on a loop throughout the day.
 
You do not have to pre arrange the mini buses. They are right near the ticket booth at the end of your ship.
 
It is 7 dollars per person each way. Takes about 25 minutes to reach the beach.
 
You can visit the visitor Services Centre in dockyard by the ferry for maps, info, exclusive merchandise and to book experiences and excursions with local vendors at a lower cost than on the ship.
 
Please also visit www.gotobermuda.com
 
Here you can download all of our schedules, maps and other literature to help you plan your stay.
 
See you in July!
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Very interesting ......

A couple of observations ...... the mini-buses, I'm assuming are the famous Pink Buses ---- the bus stop is actually where the PINK DOT is in the photo (almost in the right center of the photo) .... a 5 - 10 minute walk.

NOTE:  This stop is served by the #7 & #8 buses --- Take a #7 (#8 does NOT go to Horseshoe)...

As for the place to buy the tokens/passes ...... Look at the RED DOT in the photo (between the two ships).  It IS right off the ship in a converted container..... very convenient.

Now, for the ferries to both Hamilton, and St. George ---- Look for the PURPLE DOT --- near the right center edge of the photo.  Hope this helps,

Mark

dockyard altered.jpg

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31 minutes ago, coneyraven said:

the mini-buses, I'm assuming are the famous Pink Buses

Thanks, Mark, for the picture! I believe the min-buses are different from the "pink" buses. They are shuttles that go directly from the dockyard to Horseshoe Bay Beach and back. At $7 each way they are a bit more than the regular bus but I understand that they drop you much closer to the beach than the pink buses.

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16 minutes ago, KJ1231 said:

Thanks, Mark, for the picture! I believe the min-buses are different from the "pink" buses. They are shuttles that go directly from the dockyard to Horseshoe Bay Beach and back. At $7 each way they are a bit more than the regular bus but I understand that they drop you much closer to the beach than the pink buses.

Good point ...... Plus, I believe the Pink Buses (and Ferries) are $5 without a pass --- so, you get a little price break if you're will willing to walk a little bit.

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2 hours ago, coneyraven said:

the mini-buses, I'm assuming are the famous Pink Buses

No, the shuttles that go to Horseshoe Bay from the dockyard are actually just regular vans, not even buses at all. Five rows of seats, 3 or 4 passengers to a row. You definitely learn what a sardine feels like in the can if you ride one of these, as they don't like to travel less than full.

2 hours ago, coneyraven said:

dockyard altered.jpg

In this photo, the shuttles actually are parked in the mini parking lot just below the red dot / triangle you can see in between the two ships. If you want a transit pass, the booth for that was located right next to that red dot / triangle (or maybe IS the dot / triangle), on the stretch of dock closer to the upper ship in the photo.

2 hours ago, KJ1231 said:

At $7 each way they are a bit more than the regular bus but I understand that they drop you much closer to the beach than the pink buses.

1 hour ago, coneyraven said:

Good point ...... Plus, I believe the Pink Buses (and Ferries) are $5 without a pass --- so, you get a little price break if you're will willing to walk a little bit.

From what I was told by someone who took the Pink Bus, it's more than a little bit -- that drops you off at the official bus stop on the main road, and from there you have to walk down the road to Horseshoe Bay, which is a fairly steep hill road, on a wooden walkway next to the road. It was described as a somewhat long and slightly strenuous walk, between a quarter and a half mile if I had to SWAG the distance. The shuttles actually go down that hill road and drop you off / pick you up right at the entrance to the beach area.

So depending on whether you have any mobility limits like I do, or you have any smaller kids in your group who might not appreciate a decent hike down and then back uphill to get to the bus, I'd argue it's worth the extra $2 per person to take the shuttle. I certainly didn't mind paying it. ? 

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Also, the shuttles are right there as you exit the ship and drop you off right at the entrance at the beach. No worries about getting to the bus stop, getting on the right bus, etc. When your day is done and you are all in your wet sandy swimsuits with your wet sandy towels and flip flops, the shuttles are waiting right outside the entrance and drop you off right at your ship! Easy peasy!! Out teen granddaughters asked why every beach wasn't like this!

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