I begrudgingly have set an alarm for 7:00 AM. The ship docks just after 9:00 and we need meet off the ship, past the terminal for our shore excursion before 9:45.
After breakfast I gather what I may need for the day and head to the lounge on 14 to watch our arrival. We are soon cleared by local agents and allowed to disembark the ship. Amazingly the elevator arrives in less than a minute and whisks us from deck 14 to deck 1 in a matter of seconds. Unheard of speed when literally thousands of passengers are getting off the ship at the same time.
We quickly find our tour and 21 of us board a 22 passenger Toyota tour bus. A common tour vehicle in much of the world that offers very tight seating and limited leg room.
Before any vehicles leave the pier, the ambulance leaves with a passenger that broke his hip, most likely from a fall in his cabin. At last word it had not been determined if he would be treated in Bermuda or flown to New York. Have I ever mentioned why it is so important to have a good travel insurance policy? Or not, if you are filthy rich.
Our tour guide is excellent, a native of Bermuda. He shares much of the history and customs of the island during our 5 hours as well as taking us to many of the popular tourist sites.
A few details of interest. Fuel is currently $9.00 a gallon, and expected to rise 1 or 2 dollars in the next few weeks. Food is very expensive by US standards. $10.00 for a half gallon of milk. Vehicles are restricted in engine size, and limited to 1 per household regardless of the number of people or families living in the home. There is no income tax, property tax is similar or less than in the US and is based on the square footage of occupied space in the building. A room storing a shovel is considered occupied for taxing purposes. There are many restrictions on who may own or buy property as well as who may become a citizen. Most government income comes from fines assesed for not obeying local laws, and import duties. If you do not pay any assessed fines within 7 days, you will be incarcerated, no exceptions. The major business is tourism and reinsurance with over 85% of the world's reinsurance companies based here.
Overall the tour was excellent. My most significant takeaway is how clean the entire island is. No comparison to any other place I have visited. At one point I observed a local worker sweeping dust from a parking lot with a broom and dustpan.
The weather remained good all day with no more than a few drops of rain. Temperatures remained in the low 80's at most.
My big purchase for the day? A dish of homemade ice cream and a donut from a locally owned ice cream shop. Franchises are banned except for one KFC that has existed since before the ban was enacted. Oh yes, I should mention this is one of the few remaining countries that drive on the left. Scary when you are looking to cross the street and not used to which way traffic goes.
There is another cruise ship here, the Scenic Eclipse. She has 114 cabins and starting fares starting at about $1500 PP per day. A little above my budget. and I am sure taxes, port fees, etc. add to that number.
Next week "The World" is due to arrive. A 20 year old condominium cruise ship that I have seen previously in Hong Kong and Barcelona if I remember correctly.
We are returned to the ship just a few minutes before our scheduled return time. A much needed shower to prepare for the evening, cocktails, dinner and the evening show.
Tonight we remain in port overnight and are scheduled to leave about 3:00 PM tomorrow.
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