Bermuda Cruise 2010

We flew to NYC on 4/18 for Melia's first cruise! Melia has a lot of flight experience for a 15 month old, so she did great on the airplane. We sailed on the Norwegian Dawn to Bermuda. The shipped sailed past the Statue of Liberty and under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge leaving New York.

Our first 2 days of the cruise were at sea. NCL offers an "Under 2 Zoo" where parents with younger toddlers can play with a variety of toys and books. The official "Kids Crew" doesn't start until age 2, so this is a good compromise to keep the little ones entertained. There is a special kids pool/hot tub area just off the Kids Center. Melia and I hung out there a little bit. She loved the slide into the pool and the bubbles in the hot tub.

Our cruise docked at King's Wharf in Bermuda for 3 days. It was a nice experience to have a few days in the same port. That was the main reason we chose this itinerary for Melia's first cruise experience.

Our first day we did an Island Tour. We visited Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, the pink sand beaches, St George, the world's smallest drawbridge and the Dockyard. Melia took 2 naps during our 5 hour tour - we are lucky she is a good sleeper! We stopped at one of the beaches and let Melia take her shoes off an play in the sand. This was officially her first visit to the beach! Surprising considering we live less than a mile from the beach! She loved the sand and even checked out a few of the waves washing ashore.

Day 2 in Bermuda was beautiful. The weather was amazing. We walked to the Bermuda Glassworks and watched them create a custom water pitcher for us. It turned out great! There is a playground and fountain nearby where Melia could play. We took a boat to the other end of the island and visited the Bermuda Aquarium, Zoo and History Museum. It is a great little attraction. Melia loved the fish, seals, birds and even the peacock! We had scheduled a nighttime glass bottom boat tour, but the tour was cancelled due to high winds and rough seas.

To make up for our cancelled tour, we went on a daytime glass bottom boat tour on day 3 in Bermuda. The tour took us to the Bermuda Barrier Reef and the wreck of the Vixen. Melia got to feed the fish bread off the side of the boat. She had such a good time! Later that afternoon we took a Famous Homes and Hideaways tour. The boat tour took you past Millionaire's Row and some of the most amazing homes in Bermuda.

We spent our last day of the cruise at sea on our way back to New York City. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable vacation. Definately a different experience cruising with a toddler, but still a great way to travel. I am sure this is the first of many cruises for Melia!