Trip Report Boat Dives with Dive Bermuda Grotto Bay, June 8th, '22

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@drrich2 , I will try to answer your question, but I may not be able to articulate it well. Some background of our first visits-We started going to Bermuda on the NCL cruise out of Boston. It was a way to see someplace new, and do a cruise without having to fly anywhere since we lived in NH.

The first thing that you notice is that this is nothing like the Caribbean. You arrive in Bermuda Sunday morning, and there is nothing open outside of the Dockyard, which is where the ship comes in, except beaches. The only thing open in Hamilton, the capital city, is KFC, which is the ONLY chain anything on the island. There is no one anywhere telling you to stop into “such and such” store for a special deal. While tourism is big, it’s not the main industry. So, no hustle.

The second thing you notice is how genuinely polite and friendly people are. A friend of mine describes Bermuda as being “so civilized”. It is absolutely refreshing to have every conversation begin with “good morning/afternoon/evening” and end with “thank you, have a nice day”. I have laughed with more strangers in Bermuda than anywhere else.

We are not beach people. We are taken in by the history of the place, both British and US-Bermuda was used by Confederate blockade runners during the Civil War. We are also taken by the natural beauty of the place. There are many nature preserves to visit, and even the houses are beautiful. The flora is fantastic, and the ocean surrounding the island (it’s technically a chain of islands) is breathtaking.

We also walk a lot when we go somewhere. Anyone who has been on Bermudian roads knows that this is risky, but fun. There is also a rail trail that extends from one end of the island to, almost, the other end. We have walked all of it, as of this trip. It is a great way to see parts of the island that most people don’t see, and meet people, as well.

So, that is our reason. For me, it is not about diving, especially with an active wife that doesn’t dive. Although she does say that it is the best snorkeling she’s ever done, and she has snorkeled Roatan, Coz, Belize, Dry Tortuga's and Curacao, plus a few others.

Anyway, that is why we go. I see that @tridacna has answered, as well, with a very different answer than mine. I know a few people who feel that way, and that’s what adds interest to life. Hope it wasn’t too much of a ramble. I’ll try to add some photos later.

Erik
 
Here are a few random photos.
 

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These are some that my wife took while snorkeling at North Rock.
 

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The first thing that you notice is that this is nothing like the Caribbean.
That’s because Bermuda is not the Caribbean. It’s closest to Cape Hatteras in N.C.

Don’t get me wrong. I like Bermuda but dang it’s expensive. Great for a romantic weekend but not for a dive trip. IMO the best dives are mostly from shore and totally inaccessible to dive tourists unless you have a friend who owns their own tanks and is a BSAC member.
 
High price for staying in a hotel or resort biggest negative for us. We have only stayed at a hotel once when they had a big sale. Rentals on bda rental sites have worked out well. Yes boat diving is gcm expensive and two days of boat diving is the most we do.
 
This is our second time in a rental and it works well for us. Knowing the basic layout of the island helps when choosing a place.
I agree that 2 days of diving is about all I would be willing to pay for.
The Dive Bermuda Grotto Bay website mentions a dive package with the Grotto Bay resort, but I can’t imagine it would make it worthwhile for most divers.
 
Transportation on island. We have used taxis from and to the airport. Buses are affordable, convenient and easy to use while on the island. A multi day bus pass was very reasonable. Bus etiquette expected.
We avoid using scooters.
 
Overall, it was a trip that I would do again.
Thank you for taking a considerable amount of time to write up all the details. It shows in your writing !!
We don't get a huge amount of trip reports on the location, but this is nice for divers searching for information on future visits. Thank you Erik !!
 
Transportation on island. We have used taxis from and to the airport. Buses are affordable, convenient and easy to use while on the island. A multi day bus pass was very reasonable. Bus etiquette expected.
We avoid using scooters.
You now have the option of small electric cars, as well. We were talking to some folks from Texas who did that, cost was $150.00 per day. The charge capacity on the type that they rented was not great, and it was cramped. Compared to 7 days of unlimited access to both busses and ferries for $62 per person, we made out BIG time. Plus, the bus rides are a bit like an amusement park ride with the twisty, hilly roads!
You can’t take your luggage on the bus, so you will need to take a cab at least twice during your visit. Some of the resorts may have shuttles, or arrangements with certain cab drivers, but I don’t know. We were staying almost as far away from the airport as possible and it was about $50. Since we arrived late morning Saturday we had our cab driver take us by the bus terminal in Hamilton to purchase our passes on our way to our rental. This added about $10 to the fare, but was well worth it.
 
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