Cruising to Bermuda is an unforgettable experience. Royal Caribbean offers incredible itineraries to this beautiful island. We recently sailed on the Independence of the Seas out of Cape Liberty.

Many cruisers immediately book shore excursions when they secure their sailing. These guided tours can cost anywhere from 89 to 150 dollars per person. That adds up incredibly fast for couples and families.

We believe in smart luxury here at Ports and Pensions. You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars to see the best parts of Bermuda. The island has one of the best public transit systems in the world. You can skip the crowded tour groups. You can explore entirely at your own pace. The secret is the Bermuda Transportation Day Pass.

The Ultimate 19 Dollar Island Hack

Your cruise ship will dock at the Royal Naval Dockyard. This spot serves as the main hub for public transportation. You can purchase a day pass for just 19 dollars.

Bermuda currency is pegged one to one with the US dollar. They accept US cash everywhere. This single pass gives you unlimited access to every public bus and ferry. You can travel all over the island for the whole day.

Getting your pass is incredibly easy. You can download the ShoreLink app on your phone. You simply buy the pass and activate it when you are ready to board. You can also visit the visitor center right near the ferry terminal if you prefer a physical ticket. They sell transit tokens and paper passes there.

Ride the Sea Express Ferry to St Georges

Your first move should be catching the ferry. You want to take the Orange Route ferry directly to St Georges. This is a gorgeous 45 minute boat ride across crystal clear water.

Cruise lines often charge over 100 dollars for boat tours to this exact same area. You get the exact same stunning views from the public ferry for a fraction of the cost. You get to see the island from the sea just like the Royal Navy did centuries ago.

Step Back in Time in St Georges

St Georges is the oldest continuously occupied English settlement in the New World. It was established way back in 1609. The cobblestone streets are full of history. Cruise line excursions often skip this area or rush you through it to get to a beach. Public transit gives you the freedom to wander and take your time.

You definitely want to visit St Peters Church. It is the oldest active Anglican church in the western hemisphere. You can walk inside and see the original wooden beams. Consider leaving a small donation to help with their upkeep.

You also need to walk up the hill to see the Unfinished Church. Construction started in 1874 but the parish ran out of funding. The stone arches are open to the sky today. It is hauntingly beautiful and completely free to enter.

Local Food and Drinks Without the Rush

Exploring will definitely build your appetite. The waterfront in St Georges is the perfect place to relax. You can grab a drink on the patio at White Horse and watch the boats go by. There is no guide telling you it is time to get back on a tour bus.

We highly recommend Wahoos for a casual local lunch. The fish sandwich is fantastic. The wahoo nuggets are incredibly fresh and simple. This is exactly what smart luxury is all about. You can finish your afternoon with a local beer at Moongate Brewing. You actually get to sit and talk with the people who live on the island.

Always check the ferry schedules first thing in the morning. They are posted at the dockyard and available in the ShoreLink app. The ferries are very reliable but they do stop running in the late afternoon. The last ferry from St Georges usually leaves around five in the evening.

You can watch our full video guide to see exactly what this looks like in action. We show you the terminal and the ferry ride and all the best spots in St Georges. Be sure to subscribe to the channel for more real deal cruise advice. Let us know in the comments if you have ever used the Bermuda ferries.

 I've been on six cruises in the last 12 months. Not as a travel journalist, not as a brand ambassador — just as a retired fire chief who genuinely loves being at sea and wants to do it right. And what I keep seeing, sailing after sailing, is the same mistakes playing out in front of me like a script nobody told the passengers they were reading from.

Most cruise content you'll find online was written by someone who went on a 7-night Caribbean once in 2019. I'm watching this stuff happen in real time. The price hikes, the policy changes, the safety concerns — I'm living it with you.

What I've also noticed is that seniors specifically, people 60 and up, tend to walk into the same ten traps. Not because they're not smart. These are sharp, experienced people. But cruising has its own rules, and nobody hands you the manual when you book.

So here it is. The manual.

More of a watcher than a reader? I've got you covered — the full video is below. Otherwise, keep scrolling.

10. Using the Windjammer as Your Only Dining Option

I get it. You board the ship, you're hungry, you want to drop your bags and eat something. The Windjammer buffet is right there. It's easy. It's familiar.

It's also the most chaotic room on the ship.

The smart move — especially for retirees who actually want to enjoy their vacation — is the Main Dining Room. It's included in your fare. It's quiet. And someone actually brings your coffee to the table instead of you hunting for a clean mug behind four tour groups.

Here's the best-kept secret on Royal Caribbean: breakfast in the MDR. No lines. Real table service. A menu. I've walked in at 8 a.m. and been seated immediately while the Windjammer looked like a school cafeteria on pizza day.

Try it once. You won't go back.

9. Booking a Cabin Without Checking What's Above and Below You

This is one of those mistakes you only make once, but it's a brutal lesson when you do.

Book a cabin under the pool deck and you will hear deck chairs scraping concrete at 6 in the morning. Every morning. Without exception.

Book above the theater and you're getting bass through your floor until well past midnight.

What you want is what I call the sandwich — a deck where there are passenger cabins both above and below you. That's it. That's the whole strategy. Look at the deck plan before you book and find a cabin where your neighbors on all sides are other sleeping passengers. It's the only reliable way to guarantee a good night's sleep at sea.

8. Not Comparing Excursion Prices

This one costs seniors more money than almost anything else on a sailing, and it drives me a little crazy because it's so easy to fix.

The cruise line's excursion desk is convenient. I understand the appeal. But you're paying a premium for that convenience, and a lot of the time, you're getting the exact same experience for a fraction of the price if you just do a little homework before you board.

Real example: last trip to Bermuda, I watched a line of people pay $120 per person for a highlights bus tour. I walked off the ship, spent $19 on a day pass for the local pink buses and ferry system, and hit the same spots on my own schedule. The ferry ride across the harbor alone was better than anything on the tour.

That's roughly $200 back in my pocket for a solo traveler. Two hundred dollars I put toward a specialty dinner instead.

Now if mobility is a concern, or you're in a port you've never visited and you want someone else handling the logistics, the ship's excursion can absolutely be worth it. I'm not saying never use it. I'm saying compare first, then decide.

7. Boarding Without the Royal App Ready

If you're sailing Royal Caribbean, this one isn't optional anymore.

The app is your boarding pass. It's your muster check-in. It's where you book your dinner reservations and show tickets. I've watched people stand in the terminal digging through printed folders while families with the app walk straight past them onto the ship.

Download it before you leave home. Log into your account. Link your reservation. Take a screenshot of your boarding pass in case the terminal Wi-Fi is spotty, which it often is.

The whole setup takes maybe ten minutes, and it saves you an hour of frustration on embarkation day. If you're not comfortable with the technology, ask your kids or grandkids to walk you through it before you pack. Do not try to figure it out standing in a crowded terminal with a carry-on in each hand.

6. Getting Medication Management Wrong

Two parts to this one, and both matter.

First: never pack your medications in your checked luggage. Your bag goes into a cargo hold, and on a busy embarkation day it can take ten hours to reach your cabin. If your blood pressure medication or insulin is in that bag, you're stuck waiting — and a visit to the ship's medical center is expensive. Keep your meds in your carry-on, full stop.

Second, and this is the one most people don't know: the mini-fridge in your stateroom is not actually a refrigerator. It's a cooler. It won't maintain the precise temperature range that insulin and many other medications require.

Before you sail, call the cruise line's special needs department and request a medical-grade refrigerator for your cabin. It's provided at no charge. Then when you board, confirm with your stateroom attendant that it's there.

Two phone calls. No stress. Done.

5. The Power Strip Trap

Putting my fire chief hat on for this one.

Here's what happens every single sailing: someone packs an old-school power strip because cruise cabins have maybe two outlets, and they want to charge their phone, their CPAP, their tablet, and their camera at the same time. They get to security. The power strip gets confiscated. They're out $30 and scrambling.

Royal Caribbean's current policy bans any power strip that has standard AC wall outlets on it. Doesn't matter if it has surge protection or not. If it plugs into the wall and has wall outlets, it's not getting past the scanner.

The fix is simple: pack a USB multi-port charging hub. No AC outlets, no problem. We've linked the exact gear we use in the video description.

And if you use a CPAP and need an extension cord, the cruise line will provide one. Just request it when you book or when you board.

4. Skipping the Muster Drill

I know. You've heard the speech. You'd rather be at the pool bar.

I spent over 30 years in the fire service. I've seen what happens when people are in a genuine emergency and they don't know where to go. On a ship with 5,000 passengers, a 60-second delay finding your muster station is the difference between being on a lifeboat and being in the way.

When that alarm sounds for real, you will not be reading a map. You will be moving, and you need to already know where you're going.

The good news is Royal Caribbean now does a digital e-muster. You watch a short video on the app, you check in at your station physically, and the whole thing takes about four minutes. Do it. It gets the ship underway on time and it means you've actually thought through where you're going if you ever need to go there fast.

3. Ignoring Ship Time

This one causes more heart attacks on the pier than almost anything else.

Here's the scenario. You're in a beautiful port. You're having a great afternoon. You look at your phone — it says 4:00 p.m. The ship leaves at 5. You figure you have an hour. You browse one more shop.

Your phone updated automatically to local time the moment you stepped off the gangway. The ship did not. The ship stays on the time zone it started in, and if that puts ship time an hour ahead of local time, you just lost your hour.

Stroll back at 4:30 local time and you are 30 minutes too late. You are watching your luggage sail away. And then you are booking a $2,000 flight to the next port out of your own pocket.

In the fire service, timing isn't a suggestion. The bell rings at 5:00, we're moving at 5:00. Cruising is no different.

The fix: turn off automatic time zone on your phone when you leave the ship. Or better yet, wear a cheap analog watch set to ship time from the moment you board. Low tech, bulletproof.

2. The Balcony Railing Risk

This one's personal to me, and I want to be direct about it.

I see people perching on ship railings for photos on every single sailing. Leaning over for the angle. Sitting up on the rail with a drink. It looks harmless until it isn't.

I've seen what happens when "that will never happen to me" runs into a 40-knot wind gust on an open ocean. On a moving ship, at sea, at night, you do not get a second chance.

Enjoy the view. Open the balcony door. Breathe the salt air. It's one of the great pleasures of cruising. But keep both feet on the deck, always.

1. No Plan for the First Three Hours

This is the number one mistake, and it's why embarkation day is a nightmare for most of the ship.

When I boarded Star of the Seas, I watched 5,000 people sprint for the elevators and line up to fight their way into the Windjammer. Here's what I did instead.

I knocked out my digital e-muster check-in in four minutes. I walked straight to the AquaDome for a quiet lunch — no crowds, no wait. And I had every show reservation and dinner booking already locked in the app before my first drink arrived. By 2 p.m. I was sitting by the pool, relaxed, ahead of the ship.

Half the boat was still standing in line.

The first three hours of a cruise set the tone for the entire week. If you start them stressed and reactive, you tend to stay that way. If you start them with a plan — muster done, dining sorted, shows booked — you walk into day two as a seasoned passenger, not a tourist playing catch-up.

Know where you're eating first. Have the app open and your reservations made. Do your muster check-in early. That's it. That's the plan.

The Bottom Line

Most people look at a list like this and see ten reasons to be anxious about cruising. I look at it and see ten problems that are completely solvable.

In the fire service, we don't walk into a building and hope for the best. We inspect. We plan. We know where the hazards are before we're standing in front of them. That preparation is what lets you do the job with confidence instead of fear.

Cruising is exactly the same. When you know where the traps are — especially the ones that hit seniors hardest — you stop being a tourist at the mercy of the ship and start being the person who actually enjoys every day of it.

That's the smart luxury sweet spot. And that's what Ports & Pensions is all about.

Watch the full video on YouTube for the complete breakdown, and drop your questions or your own hard-learned lessons in the comments. I read every single one.

— Chief Matt

 Let's talk about Johnny Rockets. It's one of those spots on a Royal Caribbean ship that you either love, skip entirely, or have strong opinions about the moment someone mentions a cover charge. We're talking $18 per person to walk in the door. And on Independence of the Seas, that question gets even more interesting, because this ship has no shortage of dining options competing for your attention.

So we sat down, ordered a full spread, and gave it a real shot. Here's what we found.

Eighteen dollars sounds steep for lunch — and honestly, if you're paying cash out of pocket for two people, you're already at $36 before you even think about drinks. Add a milkshake for each of you (because why would you come to Johnny Rockets and not get a shake), and you're looking at roughly $50 for a casual lunch. That's the version that'll make you pause.

But here's how we handled it: we were on the unlimited dining package, which covered the cover charge completely. No math needed, just walk in and eat.

For the shakes, we used our diamond drink vouchers and that's a great use of those credits, by the way. If you've got the refreshment package or the deluxe beverage package, you're also covered. The one thing to know: the classic soda package does not cover milkshakes here. If that's what you're carrying and you want a shake, you'll be paying the difference which is somewhere around $9–10 per shake.

I went with the mushroom and Swiss burger. My wife ordered the BLT. Quick tip if you're getting a sandwich: tell your server upfront how you want the mayo. They are generous with it. Like, really generous. If you're not into a heavy spread, ask for it light or on the side before the food comes out. You'll be happier.

For shakes, I went chocolate and she had a root beer float. Both were exactly what you'd hope for — rich, classic, no complaints. The fries? They looked great. Golden, fresh out of the fryer, or so it seemed. But only the top layer was actually hot. Everything underneath was lukewarm at best. A little disappointing, but not a dealbreaker.

I've been around this ship. I've eaten at Playmakers. And I'll say what I said on camera: these are the best onion rings I've had on Independence of the Seas. Crispy, light, perfectly cooked none of that heavy grease situation you sometimes run into. Playmakers is great, don't get me wrong, but their rings can lean a little greasy depending on the day. These were a different level. If the onion rings are the only reason you walk through that door, I'd understand it.

So… Is It Worth It?

Here's the honest answer: it depends on your setup.

If you've got the unlimited dining package and something to cover the shakes (diamond vouchers, refreshment package, deluxe beverage package) then yes, absolutely. It's a fun, retro break from the buffet, the food is solid, and those onion rings alone make it memorable.

If you're paying full price for everything? You're probably spending around $50 for lunch for two. That's a real decision, and only you know if that fits your vacation budget. We're not here to tell you how to spend your money. We're just here to give you the full picture.

Watch the Full Video

Want to see the full spread before you decide? Check out our video below. We walk through everything from the menu to the milkshakes to that onion ring moment. Watch on YouTube →

Have you been to Johnny Rockets on a Royal Caribbean ship? Drop a comment — we want to know if you think $18 is too steep or if those onion rings are worth the price of admission. And if you're following along on the Independence of the Seas journey, hit subscribe so you don't miss what's next.

Wishing you smooth sailing and calm seas. 

Matt | Ports and Pensions — Documenting cruising adventures and life at sea in full retirement mode.