Bermuda Cruise
| Bermuda Cruise -Whether you are cruising to Bermuda on The Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Majesty, Explorer of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas(Royal Caribbean International RCCL), Caribbean Princess, Carnival Miracle, or the Constellation, you will find Hartley's Undersea Walk the Bermuda shore excursion with the most fun and value for money. |
Norwegian DawnThe Norwegian Dawn will be at the New Berth to the north, yet still attached to King's Wharf, Dockyard from Wednesdays at 8am Bermuda (Atlantic Time) time to 5pm on Fridays. The New Berth, which was not yet built when the Google satellite photo was taken, extends in a northeasterly direction at the elbow of Kings Wharf, where the pier makes a turn to the northwest. A Norwegian Dawn sponsored Shore Excursion will be offered on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8:45. You may book online at http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/shorexDetails.html?groupId=WRF_12 within 10 days of the ship sailing (This site is a bit misleading. The activity level is easy, and meals, except for the fish are not included. You also have to click Refresh for the cute photo to load.), or if you are a gambler, wait till you are in your cabin to book through the TV system. We will be picking up as close to the ship as you can imagine. The tours will be assembling unders a little sign that says helmet diving across the street next to the water, just outside the arrivals/security shed. Click here for a Google satellite shot of Dockyard There is only slight pandemonium in the area as Norwegian Dawn passengers pile off the ship looking for transportation or the meeting point of their shore tours. Norwegian Dawn Shore Excursion staff will be milling about as well as agents for various tours. I will be waiting by the sign that should say Helmet Diving or Hartley's Helmet Diving 15 minutes before shore tour departure times. Book on any of these times if you can't join us on any of the direct afternoon tours leaving from just across the harbour, just next door to the Dockyard ferry stop, (not the Tender right in front of the ship, See more photos on Procedures for Diving). What could be easier. If the Wednesday, Thursday or Friday morning trips are no good for you, then by all means join us on Wednesday or Thursday afternoon at 1:30. We will be picking up passengers from various ships and hotels who have booked directly with us from the dock adjacent to the ferry dock. This is just in front of the Bonefish Bar and Grill, which is the twin gabled terra cotta coloured building in the background, right hand side in the photo below. Click Contact Us & Pricing to email me info including your EVENING PHONE NUMBER so I can call you and get info not entered on the booking form, such as your card number. This is also a good time to get answers to questions refering to our trip or Bermuda in general. So do not miss the fun of this unique tour that is family run and encourages hands on interaction with the marine life. |
When we have a tour through Shore excursions there are loads of boats jostling for a space at the dock in the photo. You can see the Bonefish Bar and Grill as the terra cotta coloured building in the background to the left. Tours assemble in the shade of the porch type structure of the building behind the black railing to the left of the photo. |
Caribbean Princess (Princess Cruises)The Caribbean Princess makes twelve calls to Bermuda at the new berth just north of, but still connected toKings Wharf. She is in at 8 or 9:00 Atlantic time and leaves at 5:00pm Atlantic or local time. Sometimes our ship sponsored Shore Tour is scheduled for one hour after the arrival time, other times it is at 1:00pm. The easiest solution is to pay them their fee and join us in the morning. A 9:00am arrival means a 10:00 tour departure time and therfore makes it difficult to get back in time for an afternoon trip that will return before your ship departs. Click here for a Google satellite shot of Dockyard
I understand that Bermuda may be the last call of your 9 day cruise and you may be toured out. However, The Sea Trek tours offered in Grand Turk and St. Thomas are cheap imitations of us. My father Bronson Hartley built his first diving helmet in 1930, and started this type of tour in 1947. I have personally done the Sea Trek in St Thomas. See photo on the right. Though they are personable and do a good job with what they have, they are an exercise in failed potential.
1.Their helmets are inferior, specifically in window size, number and general visability. 2.Their operation is employee run rather than owner run (Draw your own conclusions). 3.There is very little education or information about the marine life. Nothing is identified or even pointed out underwater. 4.You are simply walking one behind the other (ten at a time)in circle, sliding you hands along a fixed chain,with your 'guide' at the front of the line. 5.There are fish there begging to be tamed and made freinds with but....nothing! Perhaps it is because they are not Hartleys. 6. They make you wear gloves and shoes (Their bottom is not sandy). I know it is unprofessional to bash the competition, but I truly want you to get the best you can get. I could go on pointing out many more differences, both subtle and obvious, but I will not. Their water is bound to be warmer (We offer you full length wet suits when the water is below 80f), and the water may even be clearer, but we give you a better, longer (25-30min not 15-18) dive. you could also go to www.cruisecritic.com and see what others have said about their dive with us. Click Here to see Princess Cruises Shore Excursions web site on our tour. I am fighting them on the 10 years old age limit. It should be age five. Our tour is the fourth one up from the bottom. Very few people have done both tours. Your time is too precious to experiment . Hartley's Helmet Diving is the best. You will be talking about it all the way home and longer! |
Grandeur of the Seas(Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines)Explorer of the Seas(Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines)These ships take turns coming to the Royal Navy Dockyard, Bermuda. They dock at the Kings Wharf at 8:00am or 9:00am On Monday and leave Tuesday at 4 or 5:00pm. Again, as last year, we are offered through Shore Excursions. Our tour is scheduled for 8:45am Bermuda(Atlantic) time on Tuesdays, and then again as early as possible on Mondays (45 minutes after arrival), from June onward. Click here to book our tour through the shore sxcursions program.Again they say a light snack is provided, which is not quite true. Snacks are 75 cents a tiny bag or package. The activity level is easy , but they say moderate. Just a touch of CYA. Click here for a Google satellite shot of Dockyard which shows the whole area, including the large concrete rectangle where your ship will dock, and the protected harbour in the inside, where we pick you up. See the photo further up the page. For the ship sponsored Shore Excursions tour we will be using the dock to the right of the ferry in the middle of the satelite photo that is heading for the ferry dock at the top of the satelite photo. This is the dock shown two photos above.We have left Monday afternoon available for folks who wish to book directly with us for budgeting of scheduling reasons. For the Saturday arrivals of the Explorer of the Seas we have given them an 8:45am and 1:15pm departures. I apologise that there is no time slot for those who wish to make direct bookings. The Caribbean Princess is also in port at the same time and we have put aside the afternoon for them. Royal Caribbean do not mark up tours as much as the Princess line. So it is best for Explorer passengers to just go with the flow and book through shore excursions. We will make sure there is enough value in our tour to make up for the extra the ship is charging. |
Norwegian Majesty (Norwegian Cruise Line)While in Bermuda this cruise ship docks at Ordinance Island in St. Georges Harbour. Click Here to see a Google satelite view of where Norwegian Majesty will be. As this ship gets in at 2pm on Tuesday (Too late to catch the end-to-end ferry), Wednesday or Thursday afternoons are the best time to join us. In September, when the Norwegian Dawn is not visiting we have scheduled an 11am trip just for you guys. The End -to End ferry leaves from between Ordinance Island and St. Georges right next door to the Visitor's Service Bureau at 10am and gets to Dockyard at 10:35. An 11am departure enables us to return in time for the 3pm direct Dockyard St. Georges ferry. The view of the Google satalite shot is centered on the end-to-end ferry departure point. You will see the long dock we will be using on the right as the ferry pulls into the protected area of Dockyard. The tour offered by your ship is poor in comparison to ours. If you dare you can have a peek at the competition from a site made by a St. Georges survivor. Now the helmets finally have side windows.On the right is a photo from that site. Note the 'guide' is wearing scuba gear and not a helmet. That says alot and it means that they can't communicate with you very well. Here is a youtube link to see for yourself. Again note how the guide is wearing scuba gear, and that the passengers are left to fend for and entertain themselves. If the guide is looking at one person he can't see the others because a mask is front viewing only. In addition, if the guide is with one person, he is neglecting the others as they are all scattered about and not on a grab-bar as is required by law. There are no tame fish to pass around, no message stick for instruction and education, and not much interaction between guide, divers and fish. The music is nice and the sergeant majors look pretty. Notice how the ladder is a standard 'climb out of the water scuba dive boat deal' and not the custom 'all the way to the bottom' wide ladder we have. The guide has to lift each diver up. You have come hundreds of miles to get to Bermuda. It is worth going an extra twenty to get from St. Georges to Somerset to get the best. here is another Youtube link in case you are not convinced . Turn the sound down as there is no music. Check out the bored, self-absorbed attitude of the guide with his hands tucked in, and just sitting there waiting for the dive to be over. He might be a very nice guy and is loving to his dog, but does he look as though he cares about the divers. I am sure he must. Give us a call at (866) 836-3989 and when you join us, you will discover why those who have tried other helmet dives insist ours is the best. |
Norwegian Spirit
This cruise ship arrives in Dockyard at the New Berth on Sunday and leaves at six in the morning on Wednesday. At the beginning and end of the season we are offered at 8:45 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 1:30. During the busier middle months, when other ships require more than one time slot from us, we will then give up Sunday family time to do a tour for you on Sunday at 1:30. If, for budgeting or scheduling reasons, shore excursions tours are not right for you, you may join us Monday at 1:30 directly by calling toll-free 866 836 3989.
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Other shipsSome ships come to Bermuda only once or twice a season. some have had the foresight to enlist our services for their passengers. Others have not. Give us a call on the toll-free line at 866 836 3989 and we will give you the scoop.A complete lising of all the ships servicing Bermuda and the times can be found at www.rccbermuda.bm. Click on the shipping tab on the left. Cruising passengers have such a limited time on the island. We appreciate that your time is very valuable and should be spent wisely. Join us for a truly awesome experience. Check out this YouTube video of Charles the Hogfish being very cool while I hold him. |
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Did the tour in St. Thomas Did a tour in St.Thomas and it doesn't compare to Hartley's Tour. On this tour we were more involved. We were able to touch and feed the fish. Hartley is a great tour guide as well as a person. Neil& Jeanne Jackson New York City |