By Stephen Breen Shadow Tourism Minister David Dodwell has condemned Government for commissioning a report on how to deal with giant cruise ships before deciding if it wants them visiting the Island.

Mr. Dodwell spoke out after revelations in The Royal Gazette that one option contained in a consultants' report to Government is a massive renovation of the docks on Front Street to accommodate super cruise ships.

Mr. Dodwell alleged Government had no policy on whether or not to encourage the massive ships, yet it had ordered Miami-based consultants Bermello, Ajamil and Partners to look at the viability of altering docks at Hamilton, St.

George's and Dockyard to deal with the ships.

The final report, which contains a number of options for all three ports, will be presented to Transport Minister Ewart Brown next week.

Mr. Dodwell said encouraging giant cruise ships to Bermuda would be "disastrous'' for tourism because cruise passengers spent little on the Island and the liners employed no local staff.

In addition, it would further tilt the balance away from the hotel and air industry towards cruise passengers, he said, a move he claimed would damage the economy.

Mr. Dodwell said: "This is a major concern. This report talks about the physical infrastructure (needed for the ships) but where's the new cruise policy? "How can you look at the physical infrastructure when a new cruise policy is not forthcoming? I have been calling on the Minister of Tourism David Allen to produce that and share it with us. Nothing has happened.

"I think Government has made a huge mistake in putting more reliance on cruise ships than air arrivals. The whole balance between cruise ships and air arrivals is out of whack.'' Mr. Dodwell said he predicted cruise ship visitors would reach 40 percent of vacationers this year. Under the former United Bermuda Party Government, it was policy to keep cruise ships to 25 percent, with air passengers at 75 percent.

"The only people that would benefit would be some taxis and some shops, but the broader population in Bermuda are going to be better affected by the hotels being up and running and working well.''