Bermuda's public transport system comfortably handled the 4,000 extra visitors who arrived at Dockyard last weekend on the megaship Carnival Triumph, according to transportation bosses.

Extra buses and ferries were laid on to deal with the upsurge in numbers at the West End when the Triumph, which had 2,946 passengers and 1,057 crew, docked at King's Wharf, Ireland Island.

Transportation coordinator Larry Jacobs said he spoke to Carnival management on Wednesday and they were impressed with the way the Island's transportation system had moved passengers around.

And no complaints had been received from residents that they could not get on buses or ferries because they were overloaded with cruise passengers, he said.

In the past, residents have complained of problems getting the late afternoon ferry from Hamilton to Somerset because it was packed with cruise passengers.

But the introduction of the new fast ferry Serenity on a commuter run from the Rockaway terminal in Southampton, and the additional catamaran Resolute, had eased the conflict, said Mr. Jacobs.

“Whenever there is a large ship in Dockyard we do our best to do everything in an efficient manner with extra buses and ferries,” said Mr. Jacobs.

“We normally handle it very well, and I spoke to Carnival's management this week and they complimented us on the way we transported their guests around the Island.

“Part of what we are attempting to do with the upgraded ferry is to promote the commuter service from Rockaway, and also in the middle of the day there are two extra catamaran ferries from Dockyard.

“Historically, there have been problems on the late Hamilton to Somerset ferry because of overloading of tourists returning to Dockyard and commuters returning home.

“However, since we've started the Rockaway service, we've no longer had the huge peaks in the afternoon with tourists going to Dockyard and commuters going home. Rockaway takes away that pressure.”

The Carnival Triumph is in Dockyard again today for a four-day visit, the last of her occasional trips to Bermuda this year.

The Royal Gazette reported yesterday that businesses in Dockyard have got a welcome boost in trade from the Triumph and they would like to see it visit the West End as a regular ship throughout the summer.