Cruise Ship Transports Passengers To Shore
The Norwegian Dawn cruise ship was using her own boats to bring passengers to shore yesterday [Sept 12], after they changed their normal schedule due to the weather conditions created by Tropical Storm Leslie.
The ship arrived late, and to make up for lost time they asked if could they stay for extra time, with the ship moving from Dockyard to the Great Sound to make space for the Norwegian Star and the Explorer of the Seas who were scheduled to arrive yesterday morning.
A Government spokesperson said: “Given the arrival of the other two scheduled ships at the Dockyard berths, allowing the Norwegian Dawn to anchor and tender passengers into Hamilton today was seen as the best option given schedule changes attributed to Tropical Storm Leslie on Sunday.
“The alternative may have been the Norwegian Dawn completely bypassing Bermuda or sailing early if tendering today could not be assured.”
Some local operators were less than happy with this arrangement, saying that locals could have been used to transport the passengers. In response, Government said that any future dialogue with the Tour Boat Industry through a formalized body is encouraged by the Department, and they would consider any plan to organize themselves at short notice to assist in facilitating the mass passenger lift to and from shore as is required in such cases.
The full statement from the Transport Ministry is below:
“Currently there is no agreement to use local boats to ferry passengers. The situation with the use of the ship tenders arose due to Tropical Storm Leslie and the lack of availability of a berth for the Norwegian Dawn.
“It was originally feared that the Norwegian Dawn would be forced to bypass Bermuda altogether due to the storm. By Saturday it appeared more or less certain that the Captain of the ship was comfortable coming in behind the storm – and the Dawn took pilot at around 4pm Monday afternoon as opposed to the normal Sunday arrival.
“To make up for her lost time in port, NCL further asked if the Dawn could stay through Wednesday with the ship moving from her Dockyard berth to anchor in the Great Sound given the scheduled Wednesday morning arrival of the Norwegian Star and the Explorer of the Seas.
“This was agreed with the Dawn using her tenders to bring passengers to shore and the Department of Marine and Ports also providing tender service. Such ship tendering operations are approved on a case by case basis by the Department and with certain marine safety conditions attached.
“While not a frequent occurrence, a ship anchoring and using her tenders to transport passengers is nothing new in Bermuda. Given the arrival of the other two scheduled ships at the Dockyard berths, allowing the Norwegian Dawn to anchor and tender passengers into Hamilton today was seen as the best option given schedule changes attributed to Tropical Storm Leslie on Sunday.
“The alternative may have been the Norwegian Dawn completely bypassing Bermuda or sailing early if tendering today could not be assured. The Government tender Bermudian is providing support to this process in conjunction with the ship’s own tenders.
“Any future dialogue with the Tour Boat Industry through a formalized body is encouraged by the Department. We would consider any plan put forward by such an Association to organize themselves at short notice to assist in facilitating the mass passenger lift to and from shore as is required in such cases.
“We are interested in hearing their views given changes in both the international cruise and local tour boat industry and using such an Association as a mechanism for discussing operational and policy decisions of concern in an organized way would seem beneficial,” the statement concluded.
“While not a frequent occurrence, a ship anchoring and using her tenders to transport passengers is nothing new in Bermuda. Given the arrival of the other two scheduled ships at the Dockyard berths, allowing the Norwegian Dawn to anchor and tender passengers into Hamilton today was seen as the best option given schedule changes attributed to Tropical Storm Leslie on Sunday.
The alternative may have been the Norwegian Dawn completely bypassing Bermuda or sailing early if tendering today could not be assured.”
….. the risk of this happening is mitigated by what we, in the real world, like to call ‘Contingency Planning’.
and
“Currently there is no agreement to use local boats to ferry passengers. The situation with the use of the ship tenders arose due to Tropical Storm Leslie and the lack of availability of a berth for the Norwegian Dawn.”
…. no, it’s not a tropical storm’s fault…. nor is it the Captain’s fault…. it’s your department’s own fault for failing to undertake basic planning. Given your department’s recent maintenance track record, are there tertiary plans in place to further mitigate risk?
Ever hear of ‘Cause and Effect’?
Everyone has to save a buck or two during a crisis…including the Norwegian Dawn!
Locals gotta get used to it!!
Heard about the tour boats gripe, but I fail to see how they can be blaming this situation for them not being able to pay their employees.
The cruise ships were supposed to be at Dockyard or not at all, the cruise being in the Great Sound was an exception… Tour boats cannot plan on transporting passengers in order to make their money and pay their employees as that boat was not supposed to be there in the first place!
I was thinking the same.
The reason the tour boats wanted to be included is because they probably didnt have anything booked, which I understand 100%. However, what do we think will happen if and when a similar thing happens next year BUT this time these same boat owners are busy with Charters???? Will they cancel those charters and play ferry and piss customers off – ahhh no! THey will say, call someone else I can’t help Im to busy.
Can’t have it both ways. I think the right decision was made.
I’m not sure if the tour boat operators would be licensed or insured to provide tendering services to the cruise ships. I can understand government tenders doing this job but wonder if there might be an issue with liability or even simple things like docking compatibility with tour boats.
Ultimately the cruise ship decided to use their own tenders – this isn’t out of the question in any port that doesn’t have a dedicated tendering service (that works when called upon).
never miss an opportunity to complain, do they?
kinda like some of us on the forum!
I’ve been on several cruises around the world and I can safely tell you all that in no other country that I have been to where the ships moore offshore and have a tender to bring the passengers in, is it outsourced to that countries local boats. The tendering process is held and used by the cruise ships own life boats. Bermuda needs to get a clue, if this process is the same thoughout the rest of the world, wh yshould here be any different? Stop complaining all the timem its becoming a bit redundant!!
I’ve been to at least two that used the cruise ships’ tenders.
I have not been on as many cruises as the above poster, but have been to ports that do not have pier facilities to handle cruise ships. Grand Cayman is a good example, where they have 5-7 ships in port every day and tender services are contracted out to a local company with a fleet of double-decker tenders. On the other hand, St. Thomas has piers for some ships, and those without a pier use their own lifeboats for tendering passengers to shore…
I wonder how many of those who feel that it is fine & dandy for the ships to use their crews & boats would be perfectly happy coming in to work one day & finding their job outsourced to a foreigner without a permit?
“their job”!?! this was a one off exception to the normal schedule… is there a contract somewhere that says emergency tendering must be done by Bermudains providors? Did the Titanic also have that contract too? Rather than widen Two Rock passage for these extra large ships that cant fit into Hamilton, why dont we have ships anchor in the harbour in the future and actually create a bunch of jobs for Bermudian tenders? Just a thought!
good idea!
Exactly, it was an exception to the schedule not the rule! Relax! Nobody can take the job that was never yours to begin with! Normally they pull up against the dock! Sit back, read the story, and think! Stop thinking , what is best for me, but instead think about what what is best for the GUEST, that you want to come back!
Oh yeah sorry I forgot it was offensive for the ship to use their own crews that they pay. So you want them to pay extra to Bermudians to do their job for them when they are here? Thats like saying an overseas football team that comes to play in Bermuda has to employ all Bermudian players when they are here. Think.
I think this is discgusting. This Government treats our only source of income like crap. When the tourists stop coming here, this will be one of the reasons why. They should have arranged tenders for these people. Instead they let them fend for themselves, big mistake!
Its quite obvious that the cruise ship wants to make sure its passengers are swiftly embarked to enjoy a maximum visit while in port.
To rely on Bermuda’s unpredictable transport is not good for business.