Thousands of visitors travelling on the Norwegian Breakaway were excited to start their holiday in Bermuda yesterday — but some expressed frustration over bus delays.

Concerns remained about a predicted strain on the transportation system, with the Summit — carrying an extra 3,000 people — scheduled to arrive today.

The Royal Gazette was in Dockyard to see how the morning panned out, after reports of difficulties surrounding the transport system last year and this year’s policy coming under fire for steering visitors away from public transport.

According to Tafari Outerbridge, of Bermuda Island Taxis, taxi operators have felt for a long time that they should not be competing with the buses. He added: “They have decreased their amount of lift with the cruise ships, thereby increasing the lift for locals who need to get around.

“It’s a good initiative and we’re making an effort to have it work out.”

The Royal Gazette spoke to tourists who were attempting to catch the bus yesterday morning. For Doreen Trezza, who is visiting Bermuda for the first time with a large group, getting to Horseshoe Bay required some patience.

Travelling with a group of more than 20, she said they were advised to take the bus but ended up waiting more than 45 minutes.

“We’re used to very accessible public transportation,” she said. “This is a little frustrating for us. We’re trying to stay positive. We’re all excited to be here.”

Ms Trezza, from Long Island, New York, added: “I’ve been to a lot of places but we’ve never experienced something like this.

“It leaves people with a bad taste in their mouth — you don’t want to come back. They know that you’re coming — why would they make you wait a half-hour?”

Ms Trezza said they had already been warned that tomorrow would be worse, with about 3,000 more people arriving on the Summit. The arrival of the Norwegian Breakaway marked the mega cruise ship’s first of 26 visits this season, according to the 2016 cruise ship schedule.

Last year, accommodating the high volume of visitors coming into Dockyard proved a challenge for buses on heavy days.

For Maria Balestriere, who lives in New York but who is originally from Italy, the long wait for transport was also disappointing.

She said she had visited Bermuda before on a cruise, which had stopped at three different locations around the island.

“It was not waiting like this,” she said. “It was much easier. This I don’t like at all. This is too long a wait, too long a walk from the ship.

She said she opted to take the bus because it was cheaper than a taxi, but added that the situation would put her off coming back.

Melaina Martel, from Connecticut, was visiting the island for the first time and was not sure what to expect.

Waiting for a bus to take her to Horseshoe Bay, she said she had imagined that there would be more buses available.

Patricia Guarino, from New York state, also said that there should either be more buses or they should run more often, “especially with a ship of this size”.

“When they know a ship is in, they should have multiple buses,” she said, adding that half an hour is a long time to wait.

Mrs Guarino, who is visiting the island with her husband, Frank, said they wanted to take the bus because of the convenience of being able to get off and on at any stop.

She added that they were previously in Bermuda in the 1990s and had a positive experience with the public transportation system.