contract, the Tourism Minister told the House of Assembly yesterday.

The Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge tabled a ten-year contract to send the cruise ship Royal Majesty to Ordnance Island in St. George's from Boston.

In an interview, Shadow Tourism Minister Mr. David Allen said the Progressive Labour Party had concerns about the deal, but hoped the St. George's cruise ship was a success.

Mr. Woolridge stressed the principal signatory to the contract was Majesty Cruise Line, not Boston-Bermuda Cruising Ltd.

Noting that St. George's North MP Mr. Leon (Jimmy) Williams had questioned entering a contract with "persons entering the cruise market for the first time,'' Mr. Woolridge said Majesty had "a very successful operation in the Caribbean,'' and could not "by any stretch of the imagination be considered `first timers''.

Boston-Bermuda, a new company, is leasing the cruise ship from Majesty. But Mr. Woolridge also revealed that should Majesty decide to terminate the contract, "Government has agreed to offer the Boston-Bermuda Cruising Company an opportunity to assume the rights and obligations of the ship's owner as outlined in the agreement.'' If the cruise ship failed to arrive on schedule, the ship's owner had to pay Government passenger taxes, buoyage, and berthing fees anyway, Mr. Woolridge said.

Also, if Majesty missed three consecutive visits, five visits in one year, or gave notice to withdraw the ship without providing a substitute, "Government shall have the right to terminate this agreement.'' Disputes over quality of service and equipment could be referred to binding arbitration.

If the ship's owner ended the agreement, it would owe Government two years worth of passenger tax, pilotage, buoyage, and berthing charges.

The contract said Thomas Cook Travel was to market the cruises."Suffice it to say, they are some of the strongest and smartest marketers in the travel business today,'' the Minister said.

Negotiating the contract had been "fraught with many challenges and much anxiety,'' but "our attention now must be directed to ensuring that the community of St. George's is the primary benefactor.'' The contract included provisions that the cruise ship would promote St.

George's. For the first year only, the maiden voyage would be made in late May, rather than early May, Mr. Woolridge said.

Mr. Allen said that was far too late and would cost St. George's. The PLP also felt a ten-year agreement was too long and had worries about the viability of Majesty and Boston-Bermuda, he said. "There should have been a shorter agreement with an option for renewal.'' The clauses related to promotion of St. George's were "meaningless verbiage,'' because all cruise ships visiting the Island had on-board promotions anyway, he said.

Despite the concerns, "we want to see the ship become a success,'' he said.

St. George's would be further "stigmatised'' if it failed.