A sense of optimism has pervaded among traders in Dockyard this season. The completion of the new cruise ship terminal last year and the doubling of ship numbers to two per week have given retailers hope that 2010 would be the year to bounce back from the recession and for business to pick up again.

But for some it has not translated into increased sales and better figures as they would have expected.

"There are more people but they are just not spending as much," was one business owner's frank assessment of the situation.

Arriving in Dockyard by ferry yesterday, it has hard to move for the crowd of passengers on board, but they had quickly disappeared by the time I had reached Clock Tower Mall, with many heading back to the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship in dock and others seeking out tours at the tourist information, some of whom had already set out on boat trips, jetskis or were scooting around on Segways.

Those who did make it over to the other side of the dock were browsing or window shopping looking for a bargain or two or had the look of someone content to pass away an hour or two.

Starting at the top of the mall, I approached the friendly staff at Davison's of Bermuda who seemed to be busy attending to customers. Manager Eleanor Abdu said that the season had started with a bang in April, since which it has been on par with 2009.

"We are probably neck-and-neck with last year," she said.

"I don't think having the extra ship has made a difference because everyone saves up and does their shopping on the last day as usual, so it is only busy on Tuesdays and Fridays."

Next door Calypso Ltd.'s manager Sandra Adams was arranging her stock. She said her store catered to a high end market, but was still faring better than last year.

"The tourists are struggling just like we are," she said.

"They tend to be more into the T-shirts and our things are more high end fashion, however despite that, when the two ships are in together we do a good bit more trade than last year."

Despite the additional cruise ship every week, her store does more trade with tourists staying at nearby hotels, such as Cambridge Beaches, who tend to stay longer and regularly come in to buy gifts for their family.

It was a similar story in Crisson & Co. Ltd., where store manager Phil Harris and his assistant were getting ready for the day's trading ahead.

"The season has been slightly better than the last one," he said.

"There has been an increase in people although the buying is down - the new cruise ship terminal makes a big difference in respect of the footfall."

Many customers had told him that they didn't know the mall was open for business and he said the landlords West End Development Company needed to advertise the fact better to attract more trade.

A relative newcomer to the mall, Muna Vallis, owner of Fair Trade, who has run a shop there for the past two years, said that she had noticed a difference between the type of tourist and their shopping pattern visiting this year versus last. But offering a unique set of products from across the world had enabled the business to appeal to visitors and residents alike.

"Our stuff is reasonably priced and we stock a lot of different things for both the tourists and the locals," she said.

"Despite the fact we have had a totally different crowd from year to year we have always done well."

From one of the newest additions to the mall, to a virtual institution - Dockyard Linens has been the longest serving tenant of 19 years. Manager Juanita Crockwell and her staff of a cheery disposition had mixed feelings about the increase in the number of cruise ships and the trade they brought.

"It was probably not as good as last season," she said.

"The biggest problem is that the sightseeing tourists take away a lot of the business. We expect an increase in trade every year, but didn't get it, and I think even 2008 was better."

Pointing to the transport links, Ms Crockwell said that the cruise ships themselves and many taxi drivers don't promote the mall, so stores were left to rely on customers finding it themselves.

Christa Leduc, owner and wire artist at CL Wire-art Jewellery, who moved to Bermuda 25 years ago and hand makes all of her own jewellery in store, said that business had been on and off throughout the season depending on the clientele.

" It has been up and down and it depends on the cruise ships," she said.

"Some are better than others, but I found that when we had one ship in town we had more business."

Another view was offered by Carol West, owner of the Frog & Onion Pub in the Cooperage Building and on the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce committee board, who said that the rise in cruise ship numbers had boosted business tremendously.

"I truthfully think it is up to everybody to make an effort and not expect somebody else to make it for you," she said.

And having set up a programme of events including the 'Taste of Bermuda' and 'Farewell Fridays' geared towards the tourist market, she is hoping to reap the benefits.

Leaving Dockyard my final image was of a group of jetskiers returning from a day's excursion, casting my mind back to what the Clock Tower Mall traders had said earlier in the day about the impact today's modern sightseer was having on what was a thriving business community in its heyday.