City to miss out as cruise ships head for Dockyard in 2008
A Government spokesperson yesterday declared the change was unavoidable: “As a result of internal scheduling and corporate decisions made by certain cruise lines serving Bermuda, Hamilton will not have a regularly calling ship for 2008.
“However, this is an unintended consequence of the very real situation that the Ministry of Tourism & Transport has been emphasising for some time. The smaller, niche ships are becoming fewer and fewer.
“And as the number of small ships is decreasing the level of competition is increasing — in the end it’s very difficult to attract smaller, niche cruise ships.”
The announcement was met with scepticism in some circles. Both the Corporation of Hamilton and the Chamber of Commerce insisted that smaller liners could be found to fill the void.
“The Corporation is of the opinion that we wish to have a cruise ship and, even if they’re not building ships the size of the ones that are on Front Street right now, there are smaller niche ships where people have a fair amount of disposable income that we would like to see enter Hamilton,” said Hamilton mayor Sutherland Madeiros. “It’s important to us. We have to disagree with Government on this point. The fact is that there aren’t any ships of the size that now come into Hamilton being built in the foreseeable future but we can look for something else. Government doesn’t think we need any cruise ships and we believe we do.”
He added that the move could cause big changes to the popular Harbour Nights, held throughout the cruise season each Wednesday.
“It could mean the end of Harbour Nights. It all depends on the scheduling of the cruise ships at Dockyard. At the moment a lot of the cruise ships coming in are day ships.
“People aren’t coming into Hamilton to shop because they want to see the island. But next year, as I understand it, there will be ships staying overnight.
“If necessary we will change Harbour Nights to accommodate that. Hopefully, people will be ferried into Hamilton. In which case we will have to (construct) a transportation hub to accommodate those ferries.
“It could be a real problem for Harbour Nights and for retailers. At the moment, you get off the ship in Hamilton and you walk across the street. You get back on when you feel like it. “If you want to use the bathroom, the ship is right there. A lot of cruise passengers tend to be older people. I’ve seen a number of wheelchairs. With (the new plan) they would have to get off the ship, on a ferry, off the ferry, back on the ferry, back on the ship. It’s not easy. It’s not convenient. I suspect passengers would like to get off in Hamilton.”
Chamber of Commerce president Philip Barnett said his organisation had yet to receive official notification on plans for the 2008 season but his members were well aware that the panamax ships now in vogue are unable to fit into Hamilton and St. George.
“Not having any cruise ship in Hamilton would be a concern for the retailers and they’ve stated that fact,” he said yesterday. “It is a concern that the threat is there and for some retailers, the loss could be catastrophic.”
He agreed with Mr. Madeiros that smaller vessels — especially those with a wealthy clientele — are a viable option for Hamilton.
“Silversea Cruises is one. I certainly hope it’s a target company for the Government. The Chamber has always thought that niche ships that appeal to more affluent travellers are much more fitting with the overall image of Bermuda,” he said, adding that such tourists typically supported retailers through purchases of china, crystal and leather goods.
According to the head of the Chamber’s Retail Division Kristi Grayston, merchants are “somewhat divided” in opinion on the financial implications of the move.
“Government has made no bones about the fact that Dockyard will be the cruise ship destination for Bermuda,” she said. “I do believe that the retail community is somewhat divided.
“The financial impact will be bigger for stores on Front Street, but even now cruise ships dock in Dockyard and people get on the fast ferry and travel to Hamilton.
“I think it will be great for Dockyard, which has its challenges at the moment. It could create a vibrant community there with the shops and the restaurants.”
