2007 marked our first trip to Bermuda. Sitting in the Gulf Stream about 600 miles east of our Portsmouth home, this British colony offers  great weather year 'round (except when a hurricane meanders by). We found the best deal on a Norwegian Majesty cruise out of Boston, MA. Free airline travel from our credit card rewards made the 7-day excursion a bargain at under $700 per person, and $100 a day for food and lodging alone in pricey Bermuda can't be beat. It was our most scenic and comfortable cruise destination yet. Choosing to avoid jumping from port to port and the hustle and bustle of Bermuda's "big city" Hamilton destination, we chose the only cruise offering a full seven days in quaint St. George on the north end. Though there was convenient bus and ferry transportation available to the other parts of Bermuda, St. George provided the most relaxing and easy-to-traverse area with shops and great restaurants right off the boat, historical sights, and a number of beautiful beaches within a 1/2 mile walking distance including the popular snorkeling destination Tobacco Bay. Most of these spots including the famous Unfinished Church and St. Catherine's beach and fort invariably show up in the scenic travel pictures of Bermuda.

During the stay, I was able to take in a day of scuba diving on some of the coastal wrecks, and Sue and I grabbed a ferry to Hamilton and the Dockyard at the southern end of Bermuda. The Dockyard was especially interesting with the old fortifications, maritime museum, Dolphin Quest, and Snorkel Bay all adjacent to the ferry slip. I would highly recommend this particular cruise to anyone considering a Bermuda vacation without breaking the bank. You get to maximize your time and activities in the best location, and enjoy clearwater beaches and reef snorkeling everyday if you wish. That, to me, is a paradise!

A statue "hails" the Norwegian Majesty.                       St. George port looking west towards Town Square.

Ships must squeeze into the harbor through a tight space called "The Cut", but the bow smiles in confidence. 

St. Peters is the oldest continuously operating church in the western hemisphere, established in 1612. Though the congregation began construction on a new larger church in the 1800s, it was never completed and eventually became a unique historical and scenic landmark.

Tobacco Bay is just a short walk west from the port.  The Keep provided fortifications for Hamilton's harbor.

Dolphin Quest offers swimming with the dolphins.     Next to The Keep, Snorkel Bay offers a relaxing break.

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