The Vaga Litre car vessel is scheduled to pull into the Island this morning bringing around 50 cars — it will quickly sail out once it has unloaded its cargo.

Tomorrow, we can expect the weekly arrival of cargo liner Bermuda Islander which will be carrying 130 containers, including 27 refrigerated ones. Information for regular cargo hauler Oleander, was not available yesterday.

Meanwhile, Bermuda's cruise ship season is shaping up to be a busy one with regular callers berthing at Dockyard and St. George's. The Norwegian Majesty is scheduled to make 24 trips here, arriving at Ordnance Island, St. George's on Monday morning at 1 p.m.

Norwegian Dream will sail to Bermuda 21 times, arriving at Pennos Wharf, St. George's.

Grandeur of The Seas will be making a total of 15 trips here, arriving at King's Wharf in Dockyard. Plus, Explorer of The Seas is scheduled to pull into the Island on 21 trips, arriving at King's Wharf, Dockyard.

Norwegian Dawn is set to make 23 stops here, also berthing at King's Wharf. And Caribbean Princess is listed to make eight stops to Bermuda, docking at King's Wharf.

In the interim, according to the web site PilotOnline.com, Royal Caribbean International is scheduled to bring its cruise ships back to Norfolk, Virginia for a third season in 2009, but with about half the sailings of this year.

In 2009, Royal Caribbean will sail from Norfolk in the off-peak season between May and June, on five-night Bermuda and nine-night Caribbean trips. This year, the line cruises from Norfolk between June and September on eight and nine-night Canada/New England cruises, five-night Bermuda sailings and nine-night eastern Caribbean cruises.

The Grandeur of the Seas is newer and bigger than the first ship Royal Caribbean brought to Norfolk, the 1,602-passenger Empress of the Seas. Norfolk cruise operations manager Stephen E. Kirkland, said he wasn't concerned about the reduced sail plans for 2009 by the Royal Caribbean fleet, and said he would simply devote more time courting travel agents, which book about 90 percent of the cruises.

"He is working with Royal Caribbean on various marketing initiatives," the website reported, "such as targeting travel agents in cities with direct air service to Hampton Roads, including Philadelphia, Chicago and Atlanta.

"Such marketing efforts will likely cost the city at least $30,000 to $35,000, Mr. Kirkland said." Royal Caribbean could attract more families to its Norfolk sailings if it changed its offerings, said Skip Eliason, co-owner of Virginia Beach's Cruise Holidays travel agency. Seven-day trips are especially popular with families, he told the web site.

"I just don't think they have the right mix to get those families involved," Eliason said.

The other large cruise line sailing from Norfolk, Carnival Cruise Lines, said in February that it will return in 2009 with four cruises, down from five this year. Mr. Kirkland noted Carnival's Norfolk schedule regularly fluctuates by a cruise or two every year. Who added that further pressure to US cruise ports are the popularity of European cruises. To capitalise on that, cruise lines are shifting some ships to the Mediterranean, he said.

Mr. Kirkland is spending more time on the road selling cruises from the city's $36 million, nearly year-old cruise terminal, the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center. He said he figures that because there are more cruise ships being built, they will have to dock someplace, including smaller cruise ports such as Norfolk. "This is very much a marathon and not a sprint," Mr. Kirkland added. "I'm optimistic long term."