Bermuda
We've all seen the ball drop in Times Square, but have you seen the Onion Drop in Bermuda? Book a luxury yacht charter with bluewater, we have access to a huge selection of luxury yachts to match all requirements, whether its something sleek and sporty, something family friendly or if your tastes are more quirky and unusual, the bluewater charter team can help with your enquiry.
Bermuda was famous for exporting around 30,000 boxes of onions every week in the 1800s, earning it the nickname ‘the Onion Patch’. In the old town of St George the locals enjoy a fun, family-friendly evening of celebrations where you can start your evening from 9pm for an unforgettable experience.
If you are looking for something a little more glamorous to see in the New Year, head over to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and book a ticket for their stylish black tie gala. For the foodies out there, book a table at Bermuda’s best restaurant and see in your last night of 2016 at the Waterlot restaurant in the Fairmont Hotel. Enjoy a six-course gourmet experience whilst the sun sets over Jew’s Bay. For the party people, grab your Jimmy Choos and sparkles and make your way to Café Lido on Elbow Beach. Enjoy a cocktail reception and gala dinner followed by dancing 'til the early hours with a fabulous DJ; you will also have the best view of the fireworks over the water. What a way to spend your last evening of 2016 on this stunning pink sand beach before returning to your luxury yacht where a delicious breakfast will be waiting for you.
Wherever you spend your NYE in Bermuda, 1st January 2017 should be spent on the beautiful pink sands of Elbow Beach, diving around the coral reefs with the brightly coloured fish, and for a spot of wreck diving the Pollockshields shipwreck is just 100 yards offshore.
SHIPWRECK HISTORY: Pollockshields ship was built in 1890 and captured by the British in 1914; the following year she departed from Wales in the UK with a crew of 37 plus more than 300 tons of ammunitions for World War I. She ran into a severe hurricane whilst sailing over the Atlantic, and once the storm passed the ship had ended up amongst the massive coral reefs near Elbow Beach and water was gushing in. The crew sought refuge on the top deck with their life jackets, however one jacket was missing. Captain Earnest Boothe asked Young, a crew member, to go down and retrieve a jacket from the lower deck. This brave crew member headed down through the sinking ship only to find the room with the life vests was locked. He returned to the Captain for the key and was going to head back down when the Captain decided to take the risk himself feeling it wasn’t fair to send Young back down. Tragically, the Captain never returned. All others onboard were eventually saved, but the ship sank and remains at the bottom of these waters waiting for you to explore.
The sexiest and glitziest of the Caribbean Islands is where it’s all happening on New Year’s Eve; it is positively a super yacht show down with the crème de la crème of Hollywood hanging out here to enjoy some legendary parties.
It’s the safest of the Caribbean islands with virtually no crime and it offers guests seclusion and solitude from the outside world being accessible only by small planes or by yacht. It is difficult to decide where to spend your evening, but here are a few suggestions from bluewater and be sure to locate your luxury yacht in Gustavia Harbour to stay at the centre of all the action. Once you book your luxury yacht charter with us and head for St Barths you can put your feet up, take plenty of rest and make sure you’re well prepared for the most fabulous New Year’s Eve of your life.
Start your evening with dinner at La Guerite, the sister restaurant to the trendy establishment in Cannes of the same name. La Guerite is a new addition to the gourmet dining scene in St Barts and has been the place to eat ever since with Leonardo DiCaprio and Mick Jagger amongst its famous diners. Maya restaurant is a sought after venue on New Year’s Eve with the rich and famous clambering for a waterfront table at this chic and elegant venue. Le Ti is a long standing famous restaurant and club with a colourful and exotic cabaret show. Let the chef tempt you with his charcoal grilled dishes before you party the night away to the beats of its resident DJ. You could also enjoy the decadent celebrations at the famous Le Sereno Hotel or the Eden Rock, starting with a private dinner then a rocking party followed by an enormous firework display at midnight, or see if you can get an invite to one of the many lavish private parties happening all over the island.
Wherever you decide to spend your evening you can be sure to be partying with the biggest celebrities, who all flock to this little island for the most glamorous New Year’s Eve you will ever enjoy.
You may call it New Year’s Eve, but on Jost Van Dyke, it’s Old Year’s Night. Jost Van Dyke is the smallest of the four main islands of the British Virgin Islands and is said to be named after a former pirate turned privateer; although there is no factual evidence to support this claim, meaning the identity of Jost Van Dyke and how the island came to its name, remains a mystery!
Ask the Captain to take you to Grand Harbour which is world famous in attracting super yachts and for being where the super-rich host extravagant parties lasting all night long. For those wishing to head ashore and party we recommend Foxy’s Tamarind Bar. Old Year’s Night at Foxy’s is known as one of the biggest parties with non-stop entertainment from the DJ on the beach to the Caribbean bands playing all night in the Outback. Old Year’s Night is a raucous 48 hours of live music, drinking and eating, attracting thousands of bikini-clad partygoers who usually end up sleeping on the beach to watch the sunrise on the first day of the New Year. Thankfully, you won’t need to sleep on the beach and can head back to your luxury floating paradise to watch the sunrise, whilst enjoying a fresh breakfast prepared by your attentive crew.
If that all sounds a little too raucous for you then anchor at Tortola, the capital of the BVIs, which is the perfect blend of laid back Caribbean life and buzzy summer evenings. Enjoy lazing on the white sugary beaches during the day, then have your crew prepare a light early evening meal before you head to Trellis Bay for a fabulous party, amazing fireworks and all night entertainment.
The BVIs can cater for your every mood, with little beach bars when you want to enjoy some local cuisine whilst soaking up the sunshine with your toes in the powdery white sand, or 5-star elegance for when you need a bit of pampering. For the adventurers, you can spend your days snorkelling and diving, or head out hiking on one of the trails.
Rich in pirate folklore and made up of more than 60 islands and islets, the BVIs are the most popular cruising destination in the Caribbean. Take full advantage of this on New Year’s Day and spend it cruising around, exploring the uninhabited islands, discovering the many great dive sites and an abundance of wrecks.
SHIPWRECK HISTORY: RMS Rhone is one of the Caribbean’s more popular dive sites; she was a 94m UK Royal Mail Ship favoured by the wealthy to travel between the UK and the West Indies. She was considered unsinkable as one of the world’s first iron-hulled ships.
She anchored in Great Harbour alongside RMS Conway on 19th October. Her Captain, Robert F. Wooley, was concerned about the darkening clouds, but as it was October, hurricane season was thought to be over leaving no real threat. Unfortunately, the San Narciso Hurricane hit on 20th October. No real damage was sustained during the first part of the storm, but still they worried once the eye of the storm had passed over that they would be driven ashore, so they made the decision to transfer the passengers from RMS Conway, to the unsinkable Rhone. Conway headed to Road Harbour to seek safety but was caught by the tail end of the storm and sunk on the south side of Tortola along with everyone onboard.
Rhone’s anchor was stuck from the first half of the storm and had to be cut free, it is still lying on the bottom of Great Harbour and is still attached to the same coral head it was caught up in. The Captain had to make a quick decision on whether to remain or head out to sea, and he decided it was safer to escape out in to open waters. It was normal practice at this time for passengers to be tied into their beds so they weren’t injured if they came across rough seas, and this is what the Rhone crew did for everyone onboard. The Captain headed out to sea via Black Rock Point of Salt Island. Just as Rhone was passing through and was less than 250 yards (230m) from safety, the second half of the hurricane hit them, throwing the ship into Black Rock Point.
Folklore tells that the captain fell overboard from the force, though it is not clear whether he was enjoying a cup of tea at this point as the legend carries on to state that the teaspoon which is clearly visible in the wreck’s coral belongs to Captain Wooley. The ship broke in two and water gushed in, with the 200+ passengers all tied to their bunks and unable to make a quick escape. When the cold sea water made contact with the steaming hot boilers it caused an explosion. Only 23 crew members survived. Due to the shallow waters she now sits in this is a very popular dive site and well worth a visit.
A trip to the BVIs is certainly a memorable one with so many exploring possibilities, we highly recommend you call bluewater and book your New Year’s Eve celebratory charter.
