June 2, 2011Dear SirMy wife and I recently visited Bermuda on vacation. In the last 25 years we have stayed at a variety of hotels, resorts and guest houses. Four of the last five years we have enjoyed the hospitality, views, accommodations and ease of travel offered by the Greenbank Guest Cottages exclusively. Paramount to this is the ferry service between Salt Kettle and Hamilton.To our amazement, we were told on our arrival, the ferry service had been reduced on weekdays and eliminated completely on Saturdays and Sundays. For an island so dependent on tourism, this is inconceivable.The alternative public transportation is the bus service which can be picked up on Middle Road, which is about a 12-minute walk. My wife and I are able-bodied and in our sixties. Many guests can't walk that distance.Most cottages at Greenbank have small kitchenettes and we've grown accustomed to picking up food for a light breakfast before leaving each day to explore your Island. Greenbank does not have a restaurant on the property or nearby. For lunch and dinner we both explore new restaurants and eat at old stand-bys throughout Bermuda.During our recent stay, we spent a minimum of $106 for the two of us for each restaurant meal. However, because of the curtailed ferry service, a number of meals we would have enjoyed at restaurants, we prepared ourselves at a cost of less than $10 per person, per meal.We miss the idea of just running over to Hamilton to shop, or having an ice cream, or whatever. With large gaps in scheduled trips, every journey and return trip must be carefully planned.While taxis may be an option, we're on vacation. Taxis are more expensive and must be scheduled. We're escaping from taxis and the hectic nature of everyday life in our world for the laidback lifestyle Bermuda used to offer.I think my wife and I are ideal tourists. We eat in your restaurants, we buy your products, we have your artwork adorning our home. We tip your waiters, chamber maids and cab drivers.However, future vacations in Bermuda will be dependent on an improvement in the ferry service, including regular weekend service. The world offers many tourist destinations. By reducing and eliminating ferry service, Bermuda is shooting itself in the foot.BRUCE AND KATE MACRITCHIEQuincy, MA, USA