If you're looking for a no-fuss vacation, with plenty of opportunities for R&R, the British colony of Bermuda could be just the answer. The tiny country has an amazingly high repeat visitor rate, and we say it must be a tribute to the simple pleasures this group of islands has to offer: blue skies meeting blue waters, and pink sand beaches lying along winding roads sprinkled with cottages washed in lemon yellows, baby blues and pistachio greens. Not to mention Bermuda's sophisticated museums; high-end shops, plentiful golf courses, historic sites and multitude of dining options.
The eight largest islands, connected by causeways and bridges, measure just 22 miles in length and barely two miles across at the widest point -- so you can travel from one end to the other in about an hour and from north to south in less than 15 minutes.
In the past, Bermuda had set rather rigid guidelines for cruises, including a stipulation that ships had to remain there for three consecutive days per sailing and a rule that prohibited larger ships from calling. But in more recent years, Bermuda has opened itself up to more mid-size and large ships and has added some variety to the types of cruise itineraries that are permitted (though only a handful of sailings feature ports outside of Bermuda). With more choice, Bermuda cruise options make this traditionally more costly vacation destination a little easier on the wallet -- though don't expect any bargains once you disembark the ship.
King's Wharf -- a former berthing point for the British navy -- is the primary port for mega-liners and has grown in popularity to not only rival that of longtime stops Hamilton and St. George's, but to surpass it. However, keep in mind that it's a breeze to reach both Hamilton and St. George's from King's Wharf.
