Cruise ship security teams searched all Bermuda-berthed vessels from end to end immediately following Tuesday's terrorist attacks in the United States in case bombs were stowed on board.

In addition, teams on board the Nordic Empress and Pacific Princess, which both originated in New York, included scuba divers who scoured the hulls of the ships in case explosive devices had been attached to them.

Shipping companies said the bomb searches failed to turn up anything suspicious and explained they were just one part of contingency plans that are routinely put into action during high risk situations.

And Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith said all planes currently stranded on the tarmac at the airport would be searched for bombs before leaving.

A spokesman for Meyer Agencies, which deals with the Zenith, the Horizon and the Norwegian Majesty, said passengers were crying in hallways after news of Tuesday's attacks. The cruise line has provided them with free phone calls and email access so they can contact loved ones. Meanwhile, container ship traffic was not expected to be affected at all.

The Nordic Empress will travel back to Philadelphia, instead of its originating point of New York. at the earlier time of dawn tomorrow. In addition, the cruise ship Crystal Harmony, which will arrive from Tortola tomorrow and is slated to leave on Sunday, will return to Baltimore rather than New York as was originally planned.

A John S. Darrell spokesman said: "New York is just not quite ready to handle all the cruise ships that were meant to go back there. I understand that the office of New York Port Authority was in the World Trade Centre."

The Zenith is due to leave this morning from its Hamilton berth rather wait for its normal departure time in the afternoon. The Horizon is slated to leave at its usual time this afternoon, while the Norwegian Majesty and the Pacific Princess will depart tomorrow afternoon, as normal.

A spokesman for Container Ship Management, which handles the container ship Oleander, said she left the Island on Tuesday afternoon and will "hopefully" dock in New Jersey by 1 p.m. today but added that this was dependent on whether piers in the area are open by then.