to the streets and the beaches to find out how the Island measures up. Today, reporter Nadia Aguiar talks to cruise ship shoppers along Front Street.

Tomorrow, Nea Talbot checks out the scene along the South Shore beaches and resorts. A stroll down Front Street to chat with visitors reveals that sunshine, friendliness and blue water never go out of style in Bermuda. The friendliness of the locals was the quality that struck most visitors interviewed by The Royal Gazette about their stay on the Island. Mary Stein of Pottstown, Penn., said: "It's just so unusual to have people say `Good morning!' to you just walking down the street.'' Her husband Fred agreed: "The friendliness of the people is a definite asset to the Island.'' Blue water, friendly locals: Visitors cite Bermuda assets Three-time visitor Jim Achille of Holmdel, N.J. said: "The pace of life is a little slower than New Jersey -- less congested. People tend to be a little less hectic.'' Taxi drivers were rich and colourful sources of knowledge of local life, said other visitors.

Bob Socash of Wilmington, Del., said: "One driver told us he was a Bermuda onion!'' Phyllis Stach of Rockland County, N.Y., joked that one of the highlights of her trip was being interviewed by the local newspaper.

Pamela Bruen of Philadelphia, Penn., laughed when she thought of her highlight and said: "Two guys begged me to stay at the night club.'' Visitors said they were also impressed with the vibrancy of the blue waters and the exquisiteness of the pink beaches.

Dawn Hasemann of Long Island, N.Y., said her favourite part of Bermuda was: "Definitely the water. It's not the same as water in New Jersey!'' Mr. Socash and his wife Renee said they spent a lot of time at Horseshoe Bay.

"It's our favourite beach because of all the little nooks and crannies you can explore, as well as the sheltered lagoons.'' The visitors interviewed had enjoyed activities as diverse as snorkelling, parasailing, boating and bell-diving.

Esther McKeown of Pequannock, N.J., had slipped into Hamilton to do some shopping while her children and husband went horseback riding.

She said: "The kids got to swim in the cave at Grotto Bay -- they wouldn't have gotten to do that anywhere else.'' Sue Novak of Middletown, Conn., cited Bermuda's "quaintness'' as one of the most endearing qualities of the Island. She said: "There's nothing quite like this that I've seen before.'' Mrs. Socash added that she was also partial to St. George's.

"I just found the shops are more unique than Hamilton. The pace is a little slower.'' None of the visitors complained about prices in Bermuda. Phil Lunde of Myrtle Beach, S.C., called them `very reasonable'.

Oblivious to the recent controversy about the contribution of cruise ship passengers to Bermuda's economy, Nordic Empress passenger Elizabeth Holmes of Rockland County, N.Y., had no complaints about costs in Bermuda.

She said: "We basically live off of the ship.'' Another cruise ship passenger, Jennifer Covais of Long Island, agreed.

"We ate at a restaurant once, and it didn't seem to be too expensive, like everyone said it was.'' Mr. Achille was not a cruise ship passenger and did not seem bothered by prices in Bermuda. Sitting on a flowerpot outside of a Front Street shop waiting for his wife, he said: "To be candid, we don't care. We're on vacation. We don't go on vacation very often and so we don't care.'' When asked if anything particularly interesting had happened during their vacation, Peggy and Walter Jackson of Rockland County, N.Y., were at a loss.

Ms Stach, who was travelling with them, quickly jumped in: "How about when we were snorkelling and you and your wife came up with each other's bathing suits on!'' Disappointments amongst the visitors interviewed were few.

Mrs. Socash said: "We were a little disappointed that the Policeman wasn't in the birdcage.'' The only complaint Mr. Socash had during his second visit here was the early closing of shops in Hamilton. "I was surprised they were all closing just as we were getting off the ship.'' Bermuda's roads were a point of concern amongst other visitors.

Ms Covais said: "People are crazy on the roads.'' Ms Bruen said she was scared of the crowded roads and had narrowly avoided a collision between her moped and a bus.

But many of the visitors said they would love to come back to the Island.

Ms Covais said she and her husband Jimmy would definitely return to Bermuda.

She added: "I would actually stay in a hotel.'' Many of the visitors were already in Bermuda for their second and third times.

Mrs. Hasemann and her husband Henry came to Bermuda for their honeymoon and had returned for their 15th anniversary. Mr. Lunde and his wife were here to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

Mr. Jackson was in Bermuda 30 years ago. He recalled: "I pulled into St.

George's in the navy. I left a lovely young lady here, a few streets up from where we're standing...'' SURVEY SUR