As Bermuda prepares to welcome some 600,000 cruise ship passengers to the island this year, Dockyard is preparing to entertain them.

At yesterday’s Dockyard Insider Summit, hosted by the Bermuda Land Management Corporation, there was an upbeat vibe as tourism industry participants gathered at the Bone Fish Bar and Grill.

Among the revelations were a new wi-fi network for the west end visitor spot, plans for a spectacular new mural and new activities for tourists and locals alike.

Rebecca Martin, marketing and events manager for the BLMC, told attendees that work to upgrade King’s Wharf will be suspended for the tourism season but after restarting in November, the project is scheduled to be completed by March 2027.

Andrew Dias, CEO of the BLMC, told The Royal Gazette: “We partnered with Norwegian Cruise Line and they have been working over the season to complete what I’ll call Phase 1. What we are doing is increasing the size of the deck so the ship pulling alongside is able to open more than one gangway in service.”

Among the speakers at the breakfast event was technology entrepreneur Michael Branco, whose Celeste Ventures group is installing a new wi-fi network at Dockyard aimed at supporting digital advertising.

Two Point O, a Celeste company, which deals with advertising at LF Wade International Airport, has now taken over the advertising concession at Dockyard.

“We’re installing some digital screens around Dockyard and adding digital to the advertising mix so that you can advertise your business, and we can help drive customers off the cruise ship and locals into your business,” Mr Branco told the local business owners in attendance.

A second advertising option is through the new wi-fi network, which is close to completion.

“As visitors come off the cruise ship, they connect to that wi-fi network, and they see the advertising. They get 30 to 60 minutes free, and then they can pay for longer access. But the advertising is what funds that first hour of internet for them, and it's a great option.”

Shanna Hollis, the graphic designer and artist, announced that she would be painting a new mural at Dockyard and revealed a design inspired by history.

Patricia Paynter ,of the Bermuda Woman YouTube page, announced her new “Selfie Stroll”, a tour of nine photo stops, designed to give visitors images worthy of posting on their social media platforms.

Dockyard restaurateurs also gave updates on events and entertainment at their venues.