In April 2026, I embarked on my sixth Norwegian cruise, heading back to Bermuda! I had been on a cruise to Bermuda before in March 2023 onboard the Norwegian Prima. However, this cruise was very different and special. A friend had her wedding on the beach in Bermuda, and the whole cruise was a celebration for her and her (now) husband! The five-day celebration was a perfect balance. We had fun with wedding festivities and also had time to cruise and explore the way I like to. Here is my full review of the 5-day NCL Breakaway Bermuda Cruise!
Day 1: Embarkation in Boston, MA
Embarkation day in Boston started bright and early! I stayed at the Hampton Inn Boston Seaport District, which is directly next to the port. The location is not far from anything in Seaport and the neighborhood is very walkable. I spent the morning by walking to grab coffee and a pastry at Tatte and finishing up some work. Then, it was back to the hotel and right to the ship for boarding at 11:00 am!
After boarding, I beelined it to my muster station and then to the Manhattan Room to book my speciality dining reservations. Since I booked the cruise so last minute, all the good dining times were unavailable for pre-booking. Thankfully, Norwegian saves most of the reservation times to be booked after boarding. I had zero trouble booking a dinner at Palomar and Cagney’s! The rest of the afternoon was spent finishing up work on the pool deck, exploring the ship, and settling into my cabin (studio cabin #10525). Lunch was at the American Diner, a complementary lunch spot, where I had pulled pork sliders. Nom nom!
A wedding welcome reception followed in the Bliss Lounge, and then it was off to dinner at Palomar! This was my first time dining at this specialty restaurant, and it was phenomenal. Even as a non-seafood eater, I adored the filet mignon and dark chocolate mousse for dessert. Definitely one of the best meals I’ve had on Norwegian!
Day 2: Day at Sea
Day 2 of our NCL Breakaway Bermuda Cruise was a sea day! The day started the same way as every other day on a cruise ship starts: by getting up early! I absolutely love waking up with the sun on cruise ships. There are no crowds, no lines, no noise. It’s so peaceful. I grabbed a caramel macchiato at the onboard Starbucks, and walked around the The Waterfront on deck 8. The weather was a little chilly sailing out of Boston in April, so a morning hot tub on the pool deck was just what the doctor ordered. After, I snagged a quick lunch at the buffet and then… the bachelorette bar crawl!
The group met at the Atrium Bar where we got all decked out in our pickle attire. “Last Pickle She’ll Ever Tickle” was the theme, and we really leaned in. Pickle headbands, sashes, bracelets, and even a pickle costume for the bride were all worn! We spent the afternoon hoping bars around the ship and playing fun bachelorette games. All while getting lots of laughs and high fives from strangers loving our outfits. We were a big “dill”!
Dinner this evening was in The Manhattan Room, one of the three main dining rooms on board. I went for a bacon bourbon chicken and chocolate mint mousse for dessert and I was really impressed with both! Karaoke followed after in Syd Norman’s Pour House, but we quickly realized it was family karaoke (complete with Baby Shark being sung by four year olds!). We laughed it off, and then it was off to bed for a big day in Bermuda tomorrow!
Day 3: Arrival & Full Day in Bermuda
Land ho! On my last trip to Bermuda, I spent the two port days hitting a lot of the major sights. I took public transportation around the entire island stopping at highlights like Horseshoe Beach, the Crystal Caves, and even got my passport stamped in the city of Hamilton! On this trip however, I wanted to take things a little slower and see parts of the island I didn’t have time to explore last time!
Read More: How to Spend One Day in Bermuda
The morning started with some good news/bad news. The good news is that if you’re docking in Bermuda on a Norwegian cruise, there is a free high-speed catamaran that goes directly from the dock over to St. George’s! The bad news is that we arrived one minute too late and it was already full by the time we arrived (20 minutes before departure time!). Learn from our mistakes and get to the ferry extra early! Thankfully we were able to quickly pivot and instead took the quick 20-minute ferry over to Hamilton where we had more transportation options to St. George’s. The ferry dock is right next to the cruise ships, costs only $5 per person, and is a quick and efficient way to Hamilton.
We didn’t spend much time exploring Hamilton, other than a quick stop for photos at the Bermuda sign right off the ferry. Then, it was a quick 5-minute walk over to the Hamilton Bus Terminal where we would catch the #3 bus in the direction of St. George’s. Busses are $5 each way and are also paid in cash directly to the driver. It couldn’t be easier!
Beach Stop
While onboard the bus to St. George’s, we soon realized it wasn’t a quick ride! After about thirty minutes, we noticed that we still had a long ways to go. We pivoted and got off the bus for a few hours of beach time at John Smith’s Bay Beach. The beach was quiet and had only a handful of other people there (and were one of the few brave enough to get into the chilly water). The beach was covered in Bermuda’s famous pink sand, the water was crystal clear, and there were cliffs on the edge to climb on and explore. It was a perfect stop, and I’d definitely come back to this beach next time I am in Bermuda!
St. George’s, Unfinished Church, Tobacco Bay
After some sun, salt, and sand, we boarded the #1 bus to St. George’s. The bus let us off here, only a short walk from the center of town. We strolled through the streets, visited King’s Square, and then stopped for a quick lunch at Munchie’s by the Sea for their famous Johnny Dogs. Next was a quick walk up to visit the Unfinished Church. It was a short uphill walk from town with no sidewalks. Walk on the right shoulder of the road, that way you’re facing oncoming traffic! The (almost) church is free to visit and dates back to the 1800’s.
And just a short walk from there is Tobacco Bay. This beach is one of the most famous on the island, known for its snorkeling. We didn’t have enough time to get into the water, but we instead dipped our toes, walked along the cliffs, and watched bright blue parrotfish swim in the clear waters. The Tobacco Bay Beach Club is located right on the beach and is a place for you to rent beach chairs, towels, and order food and drinks. My friend let me have some of her rum swizzle which was just enough fuel for the hilly walk back to St. George’s.
Back to the ship
We weren’t going to make the same mistake as we did in the morning, and made sure we lined up for the last ferry back to the ship early! We got in line about a half hour before departure, and are glad we did! The Spirit of St. George docks here and is a free ferry just for Norwegian Cruise Line guests. We made the 45-minute ride back to the ship while resting our bodies from a full day in the sun (and walking almost 7 miles!). Dinner on board was a quiet solo meal back in The Manhattan Room. I got a strip steak with fries, and then went straight back to my cabin to crash for the night!
Day 4: Morning in Bermuda (Wedding Day!)
Day 4 on our NCL Breakaway Bermuda Cruise was a special one: my friend’s wedding day! The morning started just like all of the others: up early, a caramel macchiato at the onboard Starbucks, and morning walks around the decks. We then boarded our private shuttles out to Warwick Long Bay for the ceremony! This beach was another absolutely sunning one, and I’d love to do an afternoon beach day here on my next trip! The ceremony was beautiful and the sounds of the waves crashing on the pink sand was the perfect background noise. It was perfect!
We boarded our shuttles back to the ship for an early afternoon sail away. I snuggled into my bed and ordered room service before the reception began in the Bliss Lounge. Our group had the entire venue to ourselves and had so much fun dancing, drinking, and celebrating the newlyweds! Dinner was next door in The Manhattan Room (we had a group reservation for 60 people!) where I ordered the brisket and then we indulged in wedding cake.
The party kept going all night with our next stop to the Atrium Bar – just in time for The Perfect Couple game show! Our newlyweds were the stars – except the groom was too shy to get up on stage so our friend stepped in to join the bride. Tuxedo jacket and all. It was an absolute hoot (but is definitely a PG-13 show!). The night continued back in Syd Norman’s Pour House with karaoke – the grown up version this time! Drinks were flowing and there was so much love to go around for the bride and groom!
Day 5: Day at Sea
After a long night, tons of wedding festivities, and blisters on my feet from walking around Bermuda… a sea day was needed! The weather was less than favorable all day with dense fog and cold temperatures, so everyone was forced inside all day. There was no early morning wake up for me (I slept in until about 7 am!) and then went to Taste for breakfast. It was so nice to sit down and be waited on, rather than braving the crowds at the buffet. The rest of the morning was spent in my cabin resting and watching the Hamilton musical on the TV. Honestly perfect!
Later in the day, the girls all met up to make some ridiculous tiktoks, play games in the Bliss Lounge, and overall just relax on board. Our 30-something-year-old bodies were starting to feel the last few days of non-stop party!
Dinner tonight was one that I’ve been waiting for all cruise: Cagney’s! I look forward to eating here on every Norwegian cruise and they never disappoint. I got the same thing as always do which is thick cut bacon, a filet mignon, and maître d’ garlic butter. It was the perfect way to end the NCL Breakaway Bermuda Cruise and I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. Oh and fun fact, it was also my birthday!
Day 6: Disembarkation in Boston, MA
Disembarkation from our NCL Breakaway Bermuda Cruise started bright and early. Around 7:30 am, they called for self-assist, which meant if you were taking all your own luggage off you could now disembark. I always opt to do this, as I enjoy the flexibility of getting off at my own pace. After a long line that snaked through decks 7 and 8, I finally made it off the ship. Since my flight wasn’t until much later in the afternoon, I decided to walk back to Tatte for a latte and pastry! It was about a fifteen minute walk, but lugging my big suitcase wasn’t the best idea. Next time, I’ll pick a closer coffee shop!
Getting from Seaport to the Airport
When it was time to head off to the airport, the absolute best way to get there from Seaport is to take the Silver Line bus. The SL1 bus line makes a few stops in the neighborhood and then goes directly to BOS airport, stopping at each terminal. For only $2.20, it’s by far the cheapest and easiest way to get from ship to plane. Ubers after disembarking were running for $40-50. And it’s only a 2 mile ride! The busses all accept tap-to-pay so it couldn’t be easier to tap your phone and ride. The bus has plenty of seats and several luggage racks. Save yourself some serious cash and take the silver line bus!
Traveling soon? Check out my Travel Tips page to help you score good deals on flights, packing tips, tools to help you plan, and more!
No Comments