Tourism Minister Dr. Ewart Brown yesterday praised a cruise ship operator for sticking to its normal schedule ? despite fears about Hurricane Florence.

He confirmed that regular visitors and would still be coming to the Island this week packed with tourists.

But two Royal Caribbean ships are not due to come here as scheduled. One has been diverted by the extreme weather; another suffered a mechanical glitch.

Hailing the decision by Norwegian Cruise Line, Dr. Brown stated: ?This is an important step by this cruise caller because it demonstrates that they have confidence in Bermuda?s tourism product and believe that we have the right ingredients to offer their visitors a first-class vacation experience.?

The Minister said that talks would be held with Royal Caribbean cruise officials after they switched one boat?s schedule because of Florence. Its regular Bermuda boat, , which left Philadelphia on Saturday, will this week be diverted to the Bahamas ? a move Dr. Brown said he regretted.

A statement posted on the RCI website on Sunday said the change was based on most recent weather forecasts.

But it added: ?Should weather conditions change dramatically, involving the size, strength and direction of the storm, the ship could divert to Bermuda while initially underway. ?