Friday,
October 9, 2026
Bermuda
(British Overseas Territory)
Thursday's sunrise from our balcony
Bermuda is about 650 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Interestingly, it is not part of the Caribbean. Made up of about 181 islands, it is an archipelago of about 21 square miles. With a population of about 64,000, it has one of the highest population densities in the world due to its small land size
Its
economy is heavily driven by international finance (especially insurance and
reinsurance) and tourism. The local currency is the Bermudian dollar, which is
pegged to the U.S. dollar. Its climate
is subtropical, with mild winters and warm, humid summers. Of course it is
vulnerable to Atlantic hurricanes.
We
visited Bermuda in 2017 with friends from college in France, Judy P, Cindy and
Greg W and their family. The ship docked
at the Royal Naval Dockyard and at that time we visited the Crystal Caves and
the Glass Beach full of “sea” glass.
What
is an archipelago? An archipelago is a
chain, cluster, or collection of islands situated in an ocean, sea, lake, or
even a river – I never looked it up before, now I know.
TK
elected to take a ferry to Hamilton, Bermuda, another island in the Bermuda
archipelago. As we walked along the main
area of Hamilton, we thought the island was very clean. After a stop for coffee and a croissant, we walked
in and out of upscale shops—clothing, books, art, and so on.
Ever aware
of the ship’s departure time, we returned to the Dockyard area. The Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda was
established in 1809 as a strategic British naval base and evolved into a major
military, economic, and cultural landmark over more than 150 years.
Interesting
to me, the Dockyard played a pivotal role in British military operations. In
1814, over 5,000 troops and Royal Marines departed from Bermuda to attack
Washington, D.C., and Baltimore during the War of 1812. It was from a British
ship that Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry,
inspiring the U.S. national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.
Most of
the Dockyard was transferred to the Bermuda Government in the 1950s. Restoration
efforts began in the early 1980s under the West End Development Corporation,
transforming the Dockyard into a major tourist attraction with museums, shops,
and cultural sites. Now it is the most visited tourist site in Bermuda.
By
2 p.m. we were ready to go back to the ship, and TK took a bit of a swim in the
pool while I read.
TK’s
Takes: He is very
excited about the 17 (seventeen) time changes we will go through on this
cruise. We both have bedside clocks that
he changes. He said the pool was cold.
TK’s Takes (Thursday, October 8, 2026): Yesterday was a sea day and we went to the Military Veterans Get-Together. Master Chief Bobby Mock (a submarine veteran) organized a very nice session, honoring each branch of service and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Each veteran gave their name, where they were from, the branch of service, and the years. TK said this get together was larger than any other he had attended on a cruise (about 80). Most veterans were U.S. Navy. One Merchant Marine and one Australian Army, one woman veteran.
We have 4 seadays coming up, and even tonight the Internet is sketchy. Don't worry!
Aside to B1--TK asked me today if I could make the 50 days--what did he mean??
