If you're cruising to Bermuda , you can't do better then sailing on the Veendam . Berthing in Hamilton for 3 nights instead of at the Royal Dockyards is a real advantage . Veendam is old and small but the quality of food and entertainment was high and they do their best to keep the ship looking good . We booked a guaranteed suite and received a prime port side location Vista suite which looked out over the harbor . Ideal ! We arrived to torrential rain but a few hours later the rain stopped and the weather was great for the rest of our visit . I don't think I'd want to cruise on this ship for all itineraries but it was perfect for this one .
Pre-cruise
We booked a stayNpark deal at the Holiday Inn Express Saugus from Trinity Reservation the night before the cruise . The hotel is OK and includes a good breakfast and a free shuttle to the airport . Boston hotels are expensive . From there we got on a bus to the port . If you are in this area of Boston , I highly recommend Turner's Seafood Grill in nearby Melrose . Really fantastic food and ambiance . Better then my experiences at Legal Seafood .
We received cabin 150 mid ship on the 9th Verandah deck . We were above the casino but heard and smelled nothing . This is decidedly a junior suite with no real suite amenities . The big bonus is a huge balcony with a lounger , 2 chairs and a table . Really nice ! There is a small flat screen with an attached DVD player . The fridge seemed to be colder then usual . The toilet has a deep bath/shower . It is a big step-over but there are grip bars . Overall the cabin is dated but well maintained .
We had some creaky noises which were annoying but the issue was resolved to our complete satisfaction .
Lots of room and plenty of storage . This cabin was smack in between the 2 sets of elevators . In Hamilton the ship always docks on the starboard side so being on the port side (even number cabins) gave us fantastic harbor views .
A Bermuda cruise which docks in Hamilton is very different and better then one which ports at the dockyard . Besides being in a beautiful setting , you don't have to fight thousand of other Island guests for transportation , space and calm . As we had "free" room and board on the Veendam , we did not dine onshore aside from a couple of lunches . We'd certainly like to return to this beautiful Island to discover all the attractions we didn't have time for .
Hamilton
Although we did not eat in Hamilton , we did enjoy its beauty . walking Front Street to the Hamilton Princess with its impressive art collection . We visited Queen Elizabeth park and Fort Hamilton . The fort is just outside the city and offers a neat path in the moat beneath the fort . The Bermuda National Library is a great place to get free wi-fi . (Grand name for a small library .
St. Georges / Beaches
We took the #10 bus to St. Georges . (#11 works too) The trip was pleasant with great views and decent A/C on the bus . The walk from the town to Tobacco Bay beach took less then 20 minuted and led though Somers Garden park to the Unfinished Church before walking along a path toward the beach . The path parallels Government Hill road and used to be a municipal golf course .
Tobacco Bay beach is great with full services , a gentle shallow area perfect for the young and a deeper area with good snorkeling . The food offered looked great and was reasonably priced (for Bermuda).
From there we walked to Fort St Catherine . incongruously this fort like Fort Hamilton although built centuries ago has cannons from WWII when Bermuda was defended by America . The views were impressive and we looked down at St Catherine's beach where we next went . Beautiful nearly deserted beach . No facilities but The Beach House restaurant is a short walk . This restaurant looks over another small pretty beach .
We walked back to town . The sun was brutal and we were wiped so we only managed a short around St Georges . We walked around Kings Square and water street where the ferry docks . Unfortunately there was no later afternoon sailing on the day we visited .