As soon as your ship has docked, have your snorkel gear (bring your own), beach towel, and reef-safe sunscreen ready, then disembark, grab the first taxi or minivan for hire, and have them take you directly to Horseshoe Bay beach. Do not do this as an excursion on a tour bus! Once at Horseshoe Bay, rent an umbrella and some chairs.
Once on the beach, to the left is a small cove affectionately called "kiddie cove." It is where my kids learned to swim! It is a great area to snorkel and see so many fish, including, if you're lucky, an octopus! If there is room, have them set up the umbrella and chairs in this cove; if not, the main beach is fine.
The water in Bermuda in September will be lovely and warm. The pink sand is never hot to the touch, so you won't burn your feet. There is volcanic rock everywhere, but we are careful because many of the rocks are razor sharp. When you see a formation of rock underwater, even in the shallows, there will be fish. You can normally see them from the surface as well.
Make sure to take a walk down the beach to the left. You will see cove after cove with stunning rock formations and a gorgeous palette of colors. Bermuda blue water and pink sand like nowhere else. This is just one of the 34 iconic beaches on the island. You will want to come back and spend more time here. Trust me on this!
Don't forget the ice cream! You can get a cone or a scoop of some of the best ice cream on the planet, Bailey's Ice Cream. Specialty flavors include banana and toasted coconut. It is worth every single calorie.
Horseshoe Bay Beach has showers and changing rooms. My suggestion is to bring a change of clothes, and when you are done at the beach, grab a cab to Hamilton and have them drop you off at Front Street, where you can shop and then get dinner. A few restaurants to try include:
Take a walk down Front Street to the Hamilton Princess hotel and eat at one of their award-winning restaurants, Intrepid or 1609. There are others as well for more casual food, there is the Hog Penney for elevated pub food and world-famous Bermuda Fish Chowder. Barracudas, (Steak & Seafood) Port O Call, and Portofino. They are all good choices, but once you decide which one you want to go to, it is best to make a reservation. They get busy on cruise ship days.