There was a time not long ago when your cruise ship might be the only one visiting Bermuda on any given day. The tiny mid-Atlantic island strictly limited the number of cruise ships allowed to visit at the same time. All that’s changed almost overnight.
Bermuda is expected to receive 544,000 cruise passengers this year, a rise of 14 per cent on 2018. That represents 192 cruise ship calls. And the season is lengthening, with a 168 per cent increase in November cruise visits in 2018, compared to just 2.7 per cent increase by air.
The numbers are going to surge again in the coming year, with Carnival Cruise Line announcing it will have six different ships visiting Bermuda in 2020, including week-long cruises departing from Baltimore and Charleston.
Carnival Breeze, Magic, Pride, Radiance, Sunshine and Sunrise will offer four- to nine-day Bermuda cruises from five home ports along the eastern seaboard, and it’s the only cruise operator to offer round-trip Bermuda cruises from Charleston, Port Canaveral and Fort Lauderdale. Nine-day Bermuda departures have also been added to the New York-based schedules of the totally transformed Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Radiance that include four-day cruises to the island as well.
Several other mainstream lines, including Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line are also offering expanded Bermuda itineraries. Luxury lines Regent Seven Seas and Seabourn are also making stops and Cunard Line recently switched registration of its ships to Bermuda.
In the past, Bermuda had set 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. King’s Wharf — a former berthing point for the British navy – has become the primary port for mega-liners and has grown in popularity, taking pressure off the established ports of Hamilton and St. George’s.
The soaring number of arrivals has raised concerns of overloading the infrastructure of the island that’s only 21 square miles in size. There are more buses and taxis on the roads and while car rentals are not an option, many tourists rent scooters to get around.
But Zane DeSilva, Minister of Tourism and Transport, is reassuring. Although there are few specifics, he said the increase will be under control. “Be assured that our Government is very mindful of the big picture: the increase in cruise passengers, year over year, the need to balance air and cruise arrivals, and the challenge of providing the necessary infrastructure to serve all of our visitors.”
The cruise growth is expected to generate $7.9-million in tax revenue and increased visitor spending, the island estimates.
