Expert: Barbon - 8/11/2000

Question
This is my first cruise. Can you tell me about the ship? Also some things we should do/see when on the islands. We are cruising to St George and Hamilton. Thanks!  

Answer
Hi ToniAnne,
   Celebrity is a wonderful line.  Unfortunately we have not been on the Horizon, but I can tell you that Celebrity is known for their food and service.  The Horizon is one of Celebrity's older ships and one of their smaller ones.
   Since this is your first cruise I would suggest taking less-drousy draminine or a similar product about 1 hr. before you sail.  I am sure that you will have no problems on the ship, but this does help your body adjust the first day.  We always do this our first day on a cruise.  The FIRST two things you should do upon embarkation is to check your dining room seating assignment. Make sure you get the seating you have selected and the table arrangements you wanted. We always select the late dinner seating (this should have been done when you booked your cruise), because we do not want to rush back from port for dinner.  Our favorite time on deck is the late afternoon after a day of shopping and water activities.  The decks empty out late in the afternoon for people getting ready for the early seating and it is a nice quiet time.  You will, however, get mixed opinions on which dining time is best.  Your next step is to make any spa type of appointments.  The reason for this is that most people tend to do this on days at sea and they do book up quickly.
  As for Bermuda, we were there last June.  Bermuda has great snorkeling, boating, diving and the island is beautiful. Of course if you golf, Bermuda is known for its vast number of golf courses. It is probably the most modern island I have seen and you really see no shack type of homes or poverty. A great hotel to visit for a resort type of atmosphere is the Southampton Princess.  Make sure you take a cab ride around the island and get a bird's eye view of the pink beaches. On  one end of Bermuda you will find the Naval Yard. This should be visited when you dock in Hamilton.  This has been re-done with small shops and restaurants.  Hamilton, where you dock is the main shopping area of Bermuda.  Here you will  also find shops and restaurants.  St. George is a quaint type of sea town, with much of Bermuda's history taking place here.  
  Bermuda is not know for their night life.  There are some pubs/bars that you can visit but the nights are not really bustling here.  Both St. Georges and Hamilton do usually have 1 night where they stay open late to accomodate the cruise ships.  In the summer months Bermuda tends to be hot and the humidity is brutal.  However, the beautiful water has many activities to offer.  
  After your 1st cruise you will be hooked on cruising, there is no vacation like it.
  I hope this helps a little, and if you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to e-mail me.
Barbara
Barbon2@aol.com