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A lush archipelago surrounded by beautiful coral and turquoise seas, Bermuda is truly one of the great jewels of the Atlantic. Discovered 500 years ago by Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez, this subtropical paradise is famous for its verdant hills, pink-sand beaches, and whispering breezes.

In fact, Bermuda is so beautiful that Mark Twain once said: “You die and go to heaven; I’ll stay here in Bermuda.” 

While the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda is sometimes thought of as a Caribbean island, it is actually a string of islands located in the North Atlantic some 1,000 km off the coast of North Carolina. This makes the territory’s climate warm, sunny and virtually perfect for touring from April to October.

A number of cruise lines sail to Bermuda including Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival and Princess. NCL and Royal Caribbean offer regular weekly departures throughout the summer from convenient ports on the east coast including New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, and Boston.  The others visit Bermuda on an irregular basis, and sometimes as part of a New York to the Caribbean itinerary.

The three major tourist stops on Bermuda are found in the capital city of Hamilton, the town of St. George’s, and the charming Royal Naval Dockyard area at King’s Wharf (where the largest cruise ships dock).

Founded in 1793, Hamilton is a collection of pastel-coloured houses, quaint shops (all duty free) and English Bobbies. One of those Bobbies stands in what may be Bermuda’s most photographed landmark – the famous traffic cop’s “birdcage” at Queen and Front streets.

Just down the coast from Hamilton lies the historic town of St. George’s where Bermuda’s first settlers came ashore in 1609 after striking a reef. A small, quaint town of narrow streets, St. George’s boasts the oldest Anglican church in the Western Hemisphere, a replica of the Deliverance (the rescue ship built by settlers in 1610), and the stocks and pillory in King’s Square.  

The historic Royal Naval Dockyard is located at the North West end of the archipelago and now serves as a tourist attraction.  Several warehouses have been turned into shops and artist’s galleries, a pedestrian mall has opened in the clock tower, and the keep area is now the site of the Bermuda Maritime Museum.

If you’d like to get off the beaten path, try renting a moped and visiting some of the beautiful countryside – but remember they drive on the other side of the road. You should also pick up a bottle of Outerbridge’s Sherry Peppers Sauce, which is the territory’s unique seasoning for everything from soup to cocktails. And don’t forget to try a Rum Swizzle made with the locally distilled Gosling’s Black Seal Rum at the Swizzle Inn at Bailey’s Bay. Known as the home of the Rum Swizzle, the Inn’s infamous motto is: “Swizzle Inn, Swagger Out!”

There are a variety of itineraries for Bermuda cruises, but they generally range from 5 to 9 days in length and include one or more nights on the archipelago. Unlike some Caribbean islands, Bermuda is a relatively safe and affluent society, which means it can be an expensive place to visit if you’re staying on land.

In the past, cruises to Bermuda have commanded premium pricing, but this year they’ve been selling at much lower rates. For example, fares for a five-day cruise to Bermuda start at just C$589 per person, which represents a great value when compared to the cost of hotels, meals and transportation ashore. 

So if you’d like to escape the city for somewhere special without breaking the bank, it might be time to consider a cruise to Mark Twain’s favourite paradise where: “There is just enough whispering breeze, fragrance of flowers and sense of repose to raise one’s thoughts heavenward.”