The day opened with us rushing out to breakfast, so that we could make a 10:15 am bus to the Crystal Caves. This time, we made it to the MDR, and enjoyed a leisurely meal before going outside to meet the bus that would take us to the caves.
Riding any bus in Bermuda is a trip. No, I don't mean that the ride would be uncomfortable, or strange things would happen on the ride. Instead, one will see beautiful vistas on the way to almost any destination, as the main roads often have picturesque ocean views worth capturing on one's camera. However, it will take at least an hour to get from the Royal Naval Dockyard area to reach St. George or the Crystal Caves. So make sure one doesn't need to use the rest room until one reaches the destination, as the twists and turns will aggravate one's bladder....
When we arrived at the Caves, we didn't know what to expect, save that we'd be underground and that we'd be seeing limestone formations. We weren't disappointed. One enters the cave from a point which is over 125 feet above sea level, and takes a set of staircases to reach sea level. This is where the tour begins. After being told the history of the caves, one walks across a pontoon bridge to the far end of the cave, all while being amazed by the rock formations. At the end of the cave, the tour guide talks a little more, then turns out the lights to give people an idea of what the cave looked like to its first explorers. And then, it was back out the way we came, getting clammy climbing a staircase with a temperature of 80°f in 95% humidity. Once outside, the first thing I did was buy a much needed bottle of ice cold water for the two of us.
Next, it was off to see a lighthouse, and then back to the ship. Although we were back before 2:30 pm, we didn't want to do any more exploring before the ship left port at 4:45 pm. While at the pier, I asked the security guard if I (presenting as Marian) would have trouble with security at the pier if I came with male ID, and he gave a strong NO. That's all I needed to risk taking the next cruise with RQS presenting as a female.
It was frustrating to know that our stay in Bermuda was being cut short by inclement weather, it was good to know that this was being done for the safety of the cruisers. Yet, I wish we could have stayed longer After a short rest, it was off to another specialty dinner, this time at the Butcher's Cut steakhouse. As expected, the meal was wonderful, but I couldn't finish the lamb chops that were put in front of me. But, I left enough room for dessert, 3 scoops of lemon sorbet.
After dinner, RQS went to guest services to explain some charges on her account. We found out that we had been given both a $50 onboard credit and a $50 refund of port fees. Not bad. But it couldn't compensate us for the loss of 2 days in Bermuda. Yet, I doubt that there's much the cruise line could do to make people feel better about the loss of 2 days at this port, especially after reading a letter from the ship's captain telling us that they did try to find other ports that we could visit on this cruise.
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