Bermuda's shipping lanes have returned to normal following their close brush with Hurricane Erika last week.

The cruise ships brought 6,323 passengers to the Island during the penultimate month of the season and the Song of America topped them all with 1,449 people on board.

The Royal Caribbean Cruise liner arrived in St. George's on Tuesday and moved to Hamilton yesterday. It is set to return to New York tomorrow.

Following close behind were the Zenith and the Dreamward with 1,382 and 1,315 passengers respectively.

The Zenith arrived in Hamilton on Monday and shifted to St. George's yesterday. It is due to depart for New York today.

Meanwhile the Dreamward arrived on Monday and went to Penno's Wharf. It went to Hamilton on Tuesday and is set return to `the Big Apple' tomorrow.

Bringing up the rear were the Meridian with 1,115 passengers and the Royal Majesty with 1,062.

The Meridian -- which is marking its last season of service to the Island -- sailed out of Philadelphia this week and arrived on Tuesday at King's Wharf in Dockyard. It is due to return to the` city of brotherly love' today.

And the Royal Majesty arrived from Boston on Tuesday. It will remain in St.

George's for the duration of its stay which ends tomorrow.

Elsewhere, the docks were busy this week with the arrival of the Island's three scheduled container ships.

The Somers Isles arrived from Florida on Sunday with 84 dry containers and 13 refrigerated containers. It left the same day.

Also arriving on Sunday was the Oleander with 27 refers, 112 dry containers, an office trailer, an excavator, two cars and some structural steel, said Container Ship Management spokeswoman Glynnis Dickinson. The vessel departed on Tuesday.

And the Bermuda Islander arrived on Monday with 91 containers including 13 refers. It also off loaded a horse box with four horses before sailing later that day.

In other shipping news, the cable ship Sir Eric Sharpe returned to the Island on Sunday from Halifax for station duty. It berthed in Dockyard.

Today the 623-foot-long, 55,470 gross ton car ship MV Hojin is due to berth at Number Seven dock in Hamilton.

The vessel, which is out of Haiti, is due to off load 112 cars and 13 boxes of spare parts before departing for the Bahamas this afternoon.