passengers more than a Government-set limit this week.

The Song of America , Norwegian Majesty , Horizon , Norwegian Crown and Zenith carried 1,517, 1,256, 1,647, 1,214 and 1,630 passengers respectively for a total of 7,264 passengers.

In the April, 1997, release of its cruise ship policy, Government "determined that the maximum number of cruise arrivals in Bermuda on any one day shall not exceed 6,000 passengers'' between May 1 and October 31 of each year.

The reason for the limit was to control the amount of stress on the Island's infrastructure.

However, all five vessels are in port on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The Zenith and the Norwegian Crown both arrived from New York on Monday in Hamilton and St. George's respectively and were scheduled to depart today.

The Horizon and Song of America arrived on Tuesday in Dockyard and St.

George's respectively. Both are set to return to their home ports in New York tomorrow.

And the Norwegian Majesty arrived in St. George's from Boston on Tuesday for its weekly visit. It is also due to leave the Island tomorrow.

Amongst the latest irregular visitors were the Regal Empress last Thursday with 1,027 passengers out of New York and Rhode Island and the MS Leeward last Friday with 985 passengers from Alexandria, Virginia.

The Regal Empress departed Thursday and the MS Leeward left the Island on Sunday.

Elsewhere on the docks this week, the Bermuda Islander and the Somers Isle both arrived early Monday morning with a total of 150 containers.

The Bermuda Islander sailed back to her home port in Salem, New Jersey on Tuesday after off loading 68 dry and 16 refrigerated containers.

The Somers Isle is set to return to her port in Fernandina Beach tomorrow after off loading 57 dry containers and nine reefers.

And the Oleander arrived on Sunday from Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, and off loaded 154 dry containers, 41 reefers, 18 cars and two trailers of structural steel before departing Tuesday.