‘Cruises Are Our Bread & Butter Right Now’
Transport Minister Terry Lister spoke about the air and cruise arrivals, saying that ”Historically, Bermuda used to get as many as 650,000 tourists a year up to the 80s, and we kept the cruise passengers at 150,000, and we had 500,000 land passengers.”
“Last year we had 345,000 cruise passengers and 120,000 land passengers, it’s a huge, huge swing.”
“We are working very hard – my ministry and tourism – on the land passenger side. We have been successful in getting AirTran here, and they are going to bring alot of seats, we are trying our best to hold on to lifts from other carriers.”
“But while all that is going on, the real bread and butter for us is the cruise ship passenger, and I need the people of Bermuda to understand that and all of us to work together on this,” said the Minister.
Minister Lister said we also have to be appreciative, saying the cruises choose to come here, and the passengers are choosing to come here, and we need to give them a first class experience.
“This year, we really can’t afford to fail on the cruise side, as it is the game in town,” concluded Minister Lister.
Until your bus drivers mess it all up!!!
Or until one of these wannabe gang banger shoot, stabs or just hurt one. The NY Time Travel section would have a field day writing an article about the decline on the Island.
Already happened – a tourist was attacked in broad daylight in town today. Might not have been a gang-banger wanna-be but a thug none the less. Can’t wait to read about it in the NY Time Travel section. And, can’t wait to check out the “review” this tourist writes on TripAdvisor.com. We thought the one written by the woman last week was bad? She didn’t even get beat up – just bad service. This island really is “a stinkhole” like she said.
Minister is absolutely right. While we don’t like the cruise ship visitor, he/she is the only game in town. We must respect that he/she had a choice and he chose Bermuda. We are doing them our ourselves any favors by disrespecting them, robbing them or generally appreciating that they have the much coveted USD in their back pocket! Whatever amount it is!
What a load of crap you type “441″..( you just got an upgrade)..
“While we don’t like cruise ship vistors”…
Now let me send that right off to all my friends in Jersey/New York/Delaware/ Penn. Conn. Mass……………………………………..
What an assine comment.
And you wonder why we are where we are for the twentieth time this week I have asked.
Minister needs his butt kicked out…..ooops..sorry….gotta get my hair done and a new hat…..meeting det arryone hates rahn hair back uv tahn……
Well for Government at least, unfortunately they don’t spend much money in BDA shops and restaurants!!
Yes, cruise ships are important to the tourism industry, but we need to look at what we are offering them when they DO come here. What is going to get them off the boat, moving around and spending money? You go to Horseshoe for the day, and what else is there? In addition, if you are expecting to give these tourists a first class experience, you need to whip the ground transportation into shape. The endless bus and ferry cancellations are BAD, they are hurting tourism as well as our Island image.
I also don’t beleive that we should place too much reliance on the low cost carriers like Air Tran either. We tried this last year with WestJet, remember? And by the end of the summer, they were already talking about cutting back flights due to lack of demand. You can fly them here cheap, but everything else here is not. We, as Bermudians, understand why costs are high here, but many tourists who are used to their own prices back home do not, they suffer shock when they see the cost of things here. We need to take that into account.
You mention that tourists have little to do when they arrive on island, and that, there is “Horseshoe,” but “[little] else.” Obviously, you have not taken the time to speak to tourists or scan numerous travel forums (like TripAdvisor, for example) to find that their quandary is *not* with the lack of activities on-island (some on these have expressed that even two weeks is not enough to explore the island, let along one day by ship; others in that forum and of the tourists I have spoken with tend to agree), but, rather, the often “obscene” prices. To them, there is more than enough to see and do in Bermuda, but what they can do is severely limited by their funds.
No, casinos and water parks and ostentatious activities are not what the island needs; Bermuda is a classy, upscale destination, and so are the tourists who come here. Instead, we need to take a look at our prices, whether it be the costs of hotel accommodations (which often start at $450 in peak season and can shoot to higher than $1500 a night at TP), airline tickets or meals. Many tourists are not prepared to spend $120 on a dinner for two! Bermuda still has the charm that it did years ago – it’s just that other locales have more attractive prices in their favor!
Common sense…cruise ships offer more value for the money. In discussing the whole tourism industry and the dilemma that Bermuda is facing with a very prominent chef at one of our more exclusive resorts (which by the way, is struggling to stay afloat) I mentioned that travelers are looking for value for money. His response was that those who book their trips through sites like Priceline.com, etc. just shouldn’t even waste their time since they really can’t afford to stay here and spend money anyway.
Until Bermuda loses its elitist attitude, it will forever be playing catch-up to the rest of the world.
Minister Lister,
Just so we’re clear on it, how long is it that a cruise ship is tied up at the dock before you send Customs Officers with dogs on to go through the cabins looking for small amounts of marijuana, so you can levy heavy fines on these last remaining tourists?
I guess having dogs and customs officials going through your cabin while you’re at the beach is what we in Bermuda call a ‘first class experience’?
crazytalk hits the nail on the head! Do you think places like Jamaica send in sniffer dogs to harrass their visitors (or locals)? Of course not, they know the visitors are their bread and butter.
Go to Negril and it would be dead if they applied their laws. Bermuda needs to follow suit and (not) apply the laws in the same way as the speed limit is ignored.
Um yes they do… On both my cruises to JA.. they announce over the loud speaker about bringing illegal susbstances on board… then they search the ship and march the passengers and their guests with their belongings OFF THE SHIP! SOOO yes they do do it in JA!
Bermuda isn’t the only place that searches for drugs. You bet your boots that it’s done in the states too. Many times American tourist complain about things that are actually no better than their own home. But they come with an attitude of superiority. we all heard the american lady on the news at horseshoe bay talking about waiting for a bus say if tourists are our bread and butter then tourist should come first…to hell with the local worker trying to get home from working all day.
What? “…but they come with an attitude of superiority…”? You have no freeakin clue do you.
It’s the other way round mate. They have paid a lot of money to be here. They have paid for the service and convenience that they expect. That is what Lister means when he says they should have a “first class experience”. He is basically saying that, for the good of the few people still employed in tourism, let’s be nice to tourists so they say nice things about us. Obviously, you find that too difficult.
The point made by crazytalk is that we make it harder for ourselves by the heavy-handed approach taken by Customs officials. Actually, recent ridiculous actions by customs officials would be a good topic all of its own, Bernews.
i am unsure how you can cut all these bus and ferry services, esp to st geos or late night to town, and then say we need to treat these people well…
when everyone was calling for budget cuts from govt.. it was not on things like bus/ferry schedules, etc.. it was on freebies and over priced buildings…. the govt is now screwing over the same gorup they insist they want.
Until Bermuda can offer more affordable hotels and restaurants, cruise ships will be the only game in town.
Get a grip Bermuda and become competitive!!!!!
Den Kelly….lets open a Plantaion. Go back in history and see black people struggle once more.
Easter Lillies and Onion fields……………………damn…..seasonal……
De Clinic steal open? My stem is loosing cells…..
Lister you really have NO idea at all
STEP DOWN and take your cohorts with you.
If we didn’t have cruise ships, we wouldn’t have tour operators and there would be absolutley nothing for the hotel guests to do! The tour operators could not stay in business with the few bookings that are made from the hotels, cruise ships make it possible for tour operators to exist!
We are doomed….cruise ship passengers do not much money – hotels slow!! The end is near….. BDOT wake up!! These people are looking for things to do…..Back in the day Hamilton Princess had dinner shows – cruise ship passengers broke down the doors to go……when BIC was in business – the Pirate Party…..Locals couldn’t get tickets cause cruise ship bought them before the ships’ even had a chance to dock…..The list goes on and on…..Affordable entertainment for ALL tourists!
Can we please state on average how much money a cruise passenger spends in a local Bermuda economy whether it be retail or restaurant. Then lets look at on average how much money a land passenger spends…. We will be shocked to see… Not much is spent on the cruise passenger side.
Bermuda Tourism needs to wake up and notice that cruise ships don’t really benefit the local economy and instead of working so hard spending 70 million on a new cruise terminal, invest it somewhere else pulling people from around the world- Asia, USA, Europe etc.
Its time to get our act together and bring Tourism numbers back to the original statistic- LAND PASSENGERS higher than CRUISE PASSENGERS.
do not spend
This is all fine and dandy but what are those cruise passengers going to do??? Bermy has nothing really fun on. Plus they cut the funding for harbor nights which is only 1 night. They need stuff to do. I’m tired of hearing tourist say this island is boring. Not everyone wants to party in a damn club.
Coming from a Canadian who has worked in the hospitality industry for over a decade now and who has taken MANY cruises to Bermuda in the past few years, let me say this – It’s not the fact that hotels are overpriced (which they are) or that restaurants are overpriced (which they are) it’s that Bermuda does not have anything to offer that is comparable to what a cruise offers. There is no resort with all the activities that a cruise offers to its customers for the price that they offer. Also, I have no issue having my “room searched” nor do I have an issue with the terrible bus/ferry services… my main issue would be the crime in Bermuda which seems to be growing and sometimes targeting tourists. It is very unfortunate that the brutal crimes that happen, no matter how many years ago, stick with a place no matter how much it developes or how much people try to cover it up. Yes, there is crime everywhere in the world but not in so many places that are portrayed to be rich, beautiful and safe to suck in the tourists and their money. So why, when the world sees the Bermuda crimes in the news everyday, would tourists want to keep coming back, knowing that is has a dark side that no ones talks about. And just an added comment (back to the pricing) – why would tourists want to keep going to Bermuda when many other resorts in many other parts of the world offer much more competitive packages and rates. If rates were competitive, I guarantee you would see more land tourists than cruise tourists. Think I the money someone staying at a hotel would spend there over a week compared to a cruise passenger that only gets a couple of days to explore. Pricing is set as per the budget and the budget is set by “you know who” so, there is always flexibility in rates as most would not believe the low cost it takes to operate a hotel room. Just saying… food for thought. At the end of the day, I do very much enjoy Bermuda – it’s restaurants, beaches and activities. But, I have to ponder as my next trip planning is approaching – is it enough to get me to come back again? And, is it safe enough there for tourists to keep coming back again?
Well apparently you are for the final count down….
All of that to say what I said ?
… and of those “120,000 land passengers” how may were in fact tourists (i.e. discretionary spenders) and how many were here for business reasons and/or visiting friends and family (i.e. non-discretionary).
Until the Government stops hiding behind lumpy statistics and reveals exactly how many TOURISTS we receive each year, the return on our Department of Tourism taxpayer dollars can never be properly assessed or measured.
Different Premier, same obfuscation, same diminishing returns.
We don’t want to ruin Bermuda and our reef platform with too many Cruise ships^^ Hands off St.George’s Cut for Bigger ships^^
Graeme, there’s no “reefs” in nor in an approach to Town /St.Georges Cut. Now go photo some property being taken away from us Bermudians. And stop ripping us off with your prices….Talk about hot sauce…..you should know…..
He neglects to point out that the cruise visitors used to come to Hamilton and St Geo, where “local” retail existed in locally owned buildings … this served to support a vibrant retail community and spread the $ wide in the community. Now that the ships are all in the “cruise ghetto” at dockyard, the shops are dedicated to the low end cruise market (ie less symbiosis with the broader local establishments) and the landlord is the Government.
On top of that, given the crazy costs to build “Ewart’s Wharf” it’s not clear how much Government will make from the cruisers for a long time.
Government created the problem … and frankly local business has limited ability to help solve it.
I agree with most of the comments. Having travelled quite a bit myself, one is always looking for the great deal and save money. Bermuda does not offer such savings. Perhaps the hotels should consider when they are not able to fill their rooms, to provide certain discounts even up to 50%, or weekend specials, so locals can even cash in on the discounts. They do that in the winter time but since the economy is bad, perhaps, they ought to consider lowering their room prices to even get the tourist to come.
What ever happended with college packages? Didn;t we used to get the rich kids vacationing here? We need to go back to what works and stop acting liek we just don;t want a certain group of people here. Face it Bermuda lives off of tourism, so let’s do whatever it takes, price cuts, special events, dinner shows, parties at the beach. The tourist want an advanture, so give it to them.
I’m a Bermudian living in the U.S. I hear about how expensive Bermuda is all the time. I have friends who want to go but skip Bermuda; they visit other locations for greater lengths of time for the same $s. The other thing I hear a lot of from those who do get to Bermuda is how poorly they are treated by staff at certain hotels: rude, dismissive, unhelpful. Others tell me they check out a lot of ratings online and see that even expensive hotels can have “lousy” food. Last time I was on the island I got stuck in a nice restaurant for a $70 lunch (one person), and the fish was virtually inedible. Lunch was a small salad, a small piece of fish with a few scattered vegetables, a corkage fee for wine I didn’t drink, and a dessert that I didn’t eat. People like to get their money’s worth. This doesn’t cut it.
Well they can watch the Parade tomorrow hosted by the BPSU! Free of charge.
An early post by DONE about a tourist attack said: ‘..Can’t wait to read about it in the NY Time Travel section. And, can’t wait to check out the “review” this tourist writes on TripAdvisor.com. We thought the one written by the woman last week was bad? She didn’t even get beat up – just bad service. This island really is “a stinkhole” like she said’
Why would anyone who has Bda’s best interest at heart say ‘Can’t wait..’ to read something bad written by a tourist? ‘Can’t wait’??! And saying the island is a stinkhole like she said? Only a foreigner, foreign resident or Bdian status holder would say that. Not a true Bdian. Go back to your 4th world status home you stinkhole…..! We don’t need the likes of you.
What ! ! ! Reduced to Bread and Butter ! ! No way ,What happened to the steak and lobster ? ?
Well we paid out millions on marketing Bermuda, we get them here and we have no reliable buses or ferries and we are robbing them as well. Soon our dollar will be worthless and our road to destruction will be complete. I too predict a summer of unrest as our spoiled people realize they can no longer take a shopping trip! Sad it has to take that before we wake up!
A tourist being attacked in broad daylight at Reid and Queen will do more damage than we can imagine…. being an avid cruiser, I would not even contemplate a cruise to a destination that this happened. The word will get out and it will hurt us.
It’s like a pyramid scheme…one person has a bad experience…he tells two friends, who tell two friends, who tell two friends, who tell two friends…
We’re overpriced, the service for the most part sucks, hotels are needing to be updated, no public transport after certain hours for our visitors, minimum 15% gratuity added ‘for your convenience’,lack of local entertainment in clubs, bums in town harrassing everyone, mugging…the list is endless.
If we’re losing tourists we have nobody to blame but ourselves…and no amount of ‘Feel the Love’ advertising is going to help.
HW you got it right. If you sit outside of the cruise ship before dinner time you see hoards coming back for their all-inclusive meal. Shopping bags? You can count them on one hand.
Here is the math- One week cruise from NY $479 each. That includes 21 meals, round trip transportation and all the amenities of a hotel. You won’t find a cheaper deal (or customer!) The advertisement (12 June 2011) reads: “Sail to Bermuda roundtrip from New York for only $69 a day. Plus, receive $75 free spending money! “