When a cruise ship docks in Bermuda, Meyer-Franklin's shore excursions team is standing by to ensure passengers make it onto the various buses, taxis and boats earmarked for the various shore excursions for which they have signed up.

And while getting people onto a bus to visit some of Bermuda's landmarks might not sound difficult, the amount of planning that goes into securing the various excursions and ensuring passengers sign up for them is a mammoth task.

However, after more than 20 years, shore excursion manager Kim Winter Bean, along with her team of Shaun Hassell, Sandra Soares and Maureen Harrison, make it seem like child's play.

Ms Winter Bean explains that shore excursions have enjoyed a strong rise in popularity with both the cruise lines and passengers. She recalls how in 1986 when she started at Meyer Travel there were only four tours, yet today there are scores more.

"Shore excursions are part of a parcel vacation for people who want to see the island in an escorted way. Many visitors want someone to introduce them to the best sights," she explains, adding that contrary to popular belief these shore excursion visitors are by no means limited to older people.

When a cruise ship leaves port and heads for Bermuda, passengers peruse a menu of excursion choices, which they schedule prior to arriving on the island. This information is then efficiently relayed to Meyer-Franklin Travel's shore excursion team.

Ms Winter Bean and her team act as the liaison between the tour operator and the cruise line. Every year they are approached by businesses that hope to appeal to cruise passengers.

"For the tour operator now, the only way to survive is through the cruise ships. The cruise ships are their lifeline," she says.

"We take the best tours on offer and package them to appeal to the cruise passenger. We then market that excursion to the cruise lines. There is strong competition to win business from the cruise lines, which keeps creativity high and margins low."

"Every year the cruise lines put their business out to tender and every year we have to bid. It's not a given that any given agency will be the ships' tour operator. We have to bid and it's all about product, variety and pricing.

"It's tough because it is a very, very competitive business," she explains, adding that due to returning cruise ship passengers who are hoping to see and do something new and different from their last visit, there is pressure to reinvent Bermuda ever year. "We're always hoping that there will be new ideas!"

This is the biggest challenge for the Meyer-Franklin Travel shore excursion team, and of course there is the weather too. "Tour operators have six months to make a living and God forbid we have a hurricane during that time. It is a very tough business."

The relationship Meyer-Franklin has with the tour operators is invaluable:

"They are our partners and without them our shore-excursion business wouldn't exist. I can confidently say we have a great relationship with our tour operators. We take their product and build a package around it and they deliver to the passengers every day.

"We are the liaison between the tour operators and the ship. They are key to delivering a quality Bermuda experience to the passengers."

What few people know is that in order to offer shore excursions in Bermuda, Meyer-Franklin Travel is required to carry a $2 million indemnity insurance worldwide.

"Before we even make a dollar it costs us in the tens of thousands to represent cruise ships in Bermuda.

"The cruise lines won't even entertain doing business with an agency unless it holds this policy," Ms Winter Bean points out.

Next year will be a tough year for everyone involved as cruise ships drop from 203 callers to 135 callers.

"I don't think anyone really appreciates what will happen next year," she says.

However, she is confident that this shift could open new business opportunities for Meyer-Franklin Travel.

"Survival is always about evolving to meet tomorrow's needs."