Bermuda Casino Policy Backlash?
Major cruise lines may be pulling out of Bermuda in a bid to pressure Government to allow their casinos to open while in port here, a nationally syndicated Canadian columnist says today [Dec. 2].
Phil Reimer, whose “Ports & Bows” column on the cruising industry appears in newspapers across Canada run by Postmedia, says Bermuda’s restrictions on gaming while ships are visiting the island may have caused an industry-wide backlash. ”The cruise lines are giving many reasons for leaving,” he says in today’s column. “One of the reasons they are not giving, but I personally believe is plausible, is that they’re trying to apply pressure to the Bermuda government to re-visit its casino policy.
“This reminds me of the way the cruise lines put pressure on Alaska to repeal the $50 head tax last year. The exodus could, of course, also be that too many ships are chasing too few passengers.”
Mr. Reimer said it was debatable whether the island’s sharply reduced 2012 cruise ship schedule was a victim of the global economy or pressure tactics by the cruise lines.
“Carnival, Holland America and Princess have already announced over the last few months they are pulling out of Bermuda on their regular back-to-back cruise series,” he said. “Beyond 2012, that leaves Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity as the only major lines serving this island with the Union Jack on its flag.
“Carnival was first to announce it was reducing its schedule to just one stop in 2012. That was followed by an announcement from Princess that its ‘Caribbean Princess’ — a regular to Bermuda over the past three years — is vacating the island in 2012 but for one stop. Holland America and its properly sized ‘Veendam’ — (1,300 passengers — are pulling out in 2013.”
Mr. Reimer said when you see a seven-day Bermuda cruise advertised for $399, you can be sure the cruise line is making very little profit.
“Where they will make money is on board, in duty free shops, bars and — yes — casinos,” he said. “By law, casinos are not allowed to be open when the ship is in Bermuda.
“This rule applies in most ports, but remember that in most cases the ships are only in a port for one day. By evening, the ships are on international waters and the casinos are open.”
Hell… Let them open their casino! We just build a better one here that would entice the passengers to come off the ship and visit our casino! The perfect building is the bank of Bermuda building on albouys point with it’s different floors for different levels of entertainment. This budding is close to the ferry terminal, it’s next to the bus stop, it’s easy access for ships and visiting yatchs with the yacht club next door and also easy access for taxis to pick up and drop off … Fix this building up and make it our Grand Casino – night club and all inside – a complete entertainment centre!
That’s not a bad idea !
I think the John Swan building will be bermudas 1st casino, all those empty floors all he’s waiting for is the OBA to get into power, or pray the Plp passes the Gaming Law….in reference to the article let the cruise ships do as they wish it doesnt effect locals it only will make everyone happy including our economy… unhappy cruise ships= unhappy tourism
Man the life rafts.
BDA is now a prostitute without customers! Price too high, and the product is all used up! No new hotels, no special events, no ‘extras’ without a steep surcharge. Most johns that just want a ‘beech’ can go to DR and get an all inclusive plus sun/surf
Ewart tried to show his dumb followers of Ministers last year, but they chose not to and now we have to suffer for their arrogance. Now these same Minister have no choice but to say yes to gaming and we in Bermuda now have to go on our knees to get business back and booming. We have no choice but to let gaming come to Bermuda so we can get large hotels built back up. We must Change and change now PLP or OBA is going to do this and take the hand clap! Wake up, we can’t live like the old days anymore!
Ewarts’ dumb followers were smart enough to know that Ewarts hidden agenda didn’t cut them in !
Are these cruise lines pulling out of other places that do not allow gambling when the boat is docked? Something seems fishy about this. Are we being bullied?
what other places are you referring to? Bermuda is one of the only places i can think of on this side of the world won’t allow them to operate their casinos in port…
We should just build world class casinos on land and allow ships to open their casinos in port and allow the passengers choose what they want to do. We should also legalize marijuana and prostitution. If your values go against these, don’t get involved in them. Its that simple.
Its really simple. When they go ot OTHER places, Casino’s are able to open at night. its another revenue source for the ship and an amenity for passengers. Not being able to offer it means the route is not as profitable as other routes. That much is SIMPLE.
Stupid UBP voted no, and of course OBA right now is COMPLETELY silent on the issue.
Do they take a position on anything?
PLP have are able to pass any legislation they wish. They have passed alot of stupid legislation using their numbers – don’t blame the Opposition – look inward just once. Also remember the manner in which this legislation was introduced by Dr. Brown.
Why are you blaming the UBP….the PLP had the opportunity to vote yes, after all it was their darn bill…on other matters the call for a party line vote…they could have did the same here….PLP are always blaming someone else, take responsibility for a change, my gosh…
Because the UBP voted against the bill. More PLP members voted for it than against it. if the UBP would have been concerned about Bermuda they would have voted for it aswell… But we all know this silly game of politics.
PLP and responsibility is an oxymoron for morons such as above
lol i guess i dont need to add but will anyway…
the PLP has enough sitting MP’s to pass whatever they want. This cannot be hung on just the UBP in any way you can possibly twist it. If the PLP as a unit wanted it in, it would be in. They didnt.
PLP has a MAJORITY govt you idiot. Blaming the opposition is like the wife beater blaming the wife. That said, the symbolism is pretty good. The PLP has abused their power in Bermuda, and now they blame their victims. Well, PLP can go to hell !!
Is Paula Cox and the other 7 PLP Mps who voted against the proposal also cowards in your eyes?
Funny you guys found enough votes to pass the legislation to assist fellow PLPers such as Julian Hall and Commission/Brown (re: generic drug importation) in a minute, but couldn’t do the same with important legislation such as gaming.
Does the PLP and its supporters ever take responsibility for anything?
We take responsibility for the education system that produced your poor grammar. How’s that?
It’s a step…
More deflection.
Sorry, Paula Cox voted for the bill.. Don’t re-write history!
Voted for the Bill to allow cruise ship gaming, but spoke against the Green paper.”not now” was her cry. 16 months later its back on the table. go figure.
You’re absolutely correct. And I was wrong.
So what about the PLPers that voted against the bill?
Are they cowards in your eyes as well, hypocrite?
watch out for the trolls
Yes the fact that other ports dont allow this is reason for us to take step back and think about this strategically. Maybe even talk to other islands and jurisdictions to show solidarity….the downside is that we need to find some other resolution.
Newsflash, at OTHER ports the ships don’t stay overnight. They move from island to island therefore they can open whatever they like when they reach international waters.
Bermuda is different, so we need to PAY attention. More Carribean and european destinations are buidling ports, there is more competition. We need to make sure we remain an option.
Indeed, we have the (as i call it) luxury of giving people a chance to get out and see the island over a few days.
The one cruise i went on gave enough hours at a stop to go do one thing and leave. It was as if the cruising between islands was as much a part of it as actually seeing a place…
IMO i would prefer a bermuda style cruise where the cruising is just a more fun way of travelling…and the destination is the main drive. Problem is, like Coward said, its a difference for us that we have to deal with. other islands dont have this problem because the ships arent there. They can say no gambling in port, which equates to about 4 hours where almost everyone is off the ship anyway.
Proof of what happens when you let personal, petty politics and feelings come in the way of doing the country’s work. Paula led the revolt against the Green Paper on gaming and now reaps the idiocy she sowed in July 2010. Short-sighted and visionless. One day she will wake up and realize that the people she’s beding over backwards to please are not her natural friends. And as a PLP member i know of what I speak. Meanwhile, the hopeless OBA can’t carve out a position on this because the ground on which they stand with their core, old-UBP base is shaky at best. “A plague on both their houses”.
Just so you know, the cruise ship gaming bill had NOTHING to do with the green paper on gaming.
I know more than you give me credit for. The debate on the Bill was in March 2009 and the vote was sprung in July 2009. The Green Paper was debated in the sumnmer of 2010.
We can’t have it both ways. We can’t build casinos in Bermuda AND allow cruise ships to open up their own when they’re in port because they would be in direct competition with each other. There are only so many passengers you can fit on a cruise ship, and not all of them will want to visit a casino, so who gets the customers?
Frankly, I am very suspicious of Phil Reimer’s article; it is all speculation with nothing conclusive to back up his assertions. These cruise ships have visited Bermuda regularly for years, and they have been well-familiar with the gaming laws. Why should Reimer assume that NOW they are trying a subtle boycott to get gaming legalized? And my understanding is that the reason some of these ships won’t be here is because they’re lease is up – not due to any personal vendetta against Bermuda.
Reimer himself says that the no-gaming rule applies to most ports, so why is Bermuda being singled out? It does not matter that the ship is in port for only one day in other countries – the number of no-casino days on a cruise would be roughly the same as in Bermuda. If you have a ship that is in Bermuda for five days vs. a ship that visits five ports in five days, the ship is still losing money, the no – gaming law applies in those ports too, so the ship still would not profit more in those ports!
Portia the ships on 5 day 5 port intineraries have their casinos open every night making money. Ship’s casinos make no money for the three days they are in Bermuda.
Could it also be based the lack of nighttime entertainment? God know there is nothing for their passengers to do after 6pm when the shops close. Yes we have the street festival on one or two nights but not much else. They head back to their ships and chances are they ask why they can’t access the casino for entertainment when little exists ashore. If we locals find less to do on island at night, imagine how a visitor feels.
Personally I think that is the biggest issue.
There would be no need for the casino on the ship to be operating while in port if the tourists actually had something to do after 5pm.
We can learn a thing or two from the islands down south regarding this issue.
NEWSFLASH!!! Again this is about competition. Cruise ships need to earn money. If they earn more money they go to other places. This has NOTHING to do with entertainment on Island.
So you’re happy with the level of entertainment on this island for both locals and tourists alike?
Given some passengers have complained about lack of things to do in the evening, I suggested it has something, not everything, to do with it.
If the passenger ratings drop for a particular port, regardless of how much the operator likes to call there, they will move. The customer influences the operation more than people think on what they wish to have at a particular port.
If they put down on their comment card they wished they could gamble, whether on ship or ashore, the company will look at satisfying that and not losing a future regular customer. What do we have at night to replace the desire to gamble of those who wish it?
Keeping blaming the operator who is seeing to their bottom line first, like any other business, and ignoring the shortcomings of the product that we offer is partly to blame.
Excellent points here. I believe ex-mayor of St. George Mr. Hayward summed it up best. As I am not outright for gambling because of the negative baggage that comes with it, I do believe that as visitors to Bermuda on Cruise Ships are unique in that they overnight and wakeup the next day still here. Majority of cruises in other districts, you get in port around 6-8am and are leaving around 3-6pm. No problems for the cruise ships because all are on board and away from port in the evening so they can open their casino for entertainment.
If Bermuda relaxes that law for say after 9:00pm at night until 3:00am in the morning, Night Clubs better get of their butts and come up with competitive means of keeping cruise passengers on land (not that they really are now).
I believe the cruise lines just got fed up with the amateur way PLP politicians “do business.” I understand that last year huge cruise ship deals were done by e-mail without a legal contract, and without even a face-to-face meeting with cruise line management. How did they miss those junkets?? Don’t the PLP like to party?! After all, they ARE the Party Lovin Party.
Jim, we need you back – QUICK!
Ahhh, here comes the hypocrisy….
If PLP travels they get accused of Junkets and wasting money…
When they conduct business electornically they get accused of amatuerism….
You all are a bunch of jokers.
Its not “if plp travels..”… you’re missing the rest of it.
its “if plp travels first class with a 5 person entourage n stays at a top notch hotel and luxury cars for all”, or “if the plp travels for fancy photo ops” or “if the plp travels to some remote place that realistically will not have any bearing on bermuda”…
i would defend it if it was “plp minister invites cruise line executives to tour bermuda and discuss/sign contracts”, even if they did post them up in top notch hotels/flights.
Some of you people make me laugh .. Bermuda is small, it will always be small,.. there is only soo much you can do within a confined space.. everybody just keeps chasing their own tail with ideas.. but none of the ideas are new and original.. If you were a tourist from new jersey, would you come here?? If so, to do what? When you can go to another island and do the same nothing for half the cost.. Bermuda has out priced itself for years and now the locals have to pay the price..
We now know that beauty alone does not cut it.. In order for prices to come down to an affordable level we have to offer a product that has more demand than supply. We are 2 hours from the US.. we should have what sells.. We should be the number 1 hot spot for americans wanting a good, get awayfrom it all… stop trying target one age group and offer something to all.. First you havde to ask yourself what sells??.
The truth and reality is no matter who wants deny it is sex, drugs, and gambling sell period.. We should have, strip clubs, brothels, , casinos and we should de criminalize weed.. Watch how many tourists we have then.. Facts.. amsterdam has well over a million tourists a year.. Facts. costa rica, has well over a million tourists a year. whys that?? Sex and drugs sell.. period
Im not talking about have it wide spread all over the island.. im talking about it being regulated and taxed in a controlled area.. You have to be a certain age.. lets face it.. you can waste money ans build hotels but whos going to fill them?? Hotels are closed down now and people think we need more ? lol.. man, thats brilliant!
Destinations like amsterdam ans costa rica, make money because they give people what they want in a controlled and regulated area.. They take what many people in the world do and make it ok for everyone to make their own choices in life.. people are going to do it anyway so why not tax i, make money off it and make people feel like they can make their own choices in life .. as long as it doesnt affect anyone else in a negative way.. feel free to do so when you reach a certain age.
So everyone can keep chasing their own tails by coming up with ” brilliant ” ideas.. like build more hotels but if we dont implement these ideas.. in another few years this island will be finished.. just my 2cents off of facts.. but if you church going people are against my ideas.. trust me god will not help are tourism problem.. giving people what they want and deserve will..
Good point LOL I have been saying the same thing for years and the perfect spot would be Morgans point. Forget another waste of space golf course and develop that area as an entertainment hub with nightclubs,casinos,stripclubs,and liberalize our drug policy a lil bit and stop fining tourist $10’000 for a having a gram of weed in there possesion… Look at all the best tourist traps they all have this in common e.g. Miami,Las Vegas,Cancun Mexico,Thailand…without some out the box thinking we may as well get out of the tourism business and start selling produce! Smh
If Bermuda is serious about opening a couple of casinos it would be stupid to allow the casinos to open on the ships. All this talk about targeting the wealthy is like flogging a dead horse, this is because only the wealthy can afford to stay here. The wealthy like to try new places and brag to their friends about the new exotic place they visited, the world is a lot more acessible now than it was in 1950 when Bermuda was the only game in town. A large new casino resort would be able to offer competitive room rates as it would have a large revenue stream coming in from the casino and would not need to charge insane hotel rates. Maybe the staff would be paid more money as the current pay in Bermuda hotels would place most workers below the poverty line.
Run the PLP out of town and let the OBA takeover. Tourists would ome here then.
To be honest, the heading says more than the article.
the article mentions the casino issue as something that was not mentioned by the cruise lines, and then goes on to say its uncertain whether it was the recession or cruise lines bullying…
at the end of the article, there is no real evidence for any casino related issues..
trust me i love to bash the govt for their fckups… but this article says nothing really…..its all in the title.
I would vote for a goat before the PLP/DOA .
so get it over with quickly…allow cruise ships to gamble when in port….allow casinos in the hotels on the island to stimulate foreign investment, casinos in hotel must be staffed by Bermudians and we cannot gamble in them….give the churches a little cut of the action in form of a gambling tax and everyones happy….what the hell is so hard about that….not in Bermuda though as it will be endlessly debated in committees and forums and quorums and panels forever until we come up with the “Terms of Reference” “Remit” or whatever useless crap you can stall with all the while getting free donuts and pastries while in the retreats to discuss and debate…any wonder why we are sinking like a stone…..
Bermuda is indeed another world. Arguably one of the biggest “dens of iniquity” on this side of the Atlantic, we try to come across as this morally upstanding bunch of people. Half our politicians are probably corrupt; every other person uses some drug or the other, and we kill each other at alarming rates. Yet the idea of gambling on a cruise ship is just too immoral!!
Lets face it folks, we’re nothing more than a bunch of bumbling confused idiots.
With the cruise ships pulling out , it now time to allow any hotel with 300 rooms or more a casino licence to get some hotels built and air arrivals up .Lets work on filling hotel beds on Island . We should be working out how we can get them that would have come by ship to fly here instead for our future well-been .
Nothing changes until Bermudians change their attitude towards working in the service industry. Nothing changes till they change their attitude. Nothing changes until Bermuda is made a safe place to visit again. It does not matter that the gangs are shooting each other or family members. Your average visitor is a coward & wants a zero risk vacation. Can’t blame them, especially at Bermuda prices.
Through a series of inept tourism Minister, backed by an inept party caucus, a silent backbench & ultimately a bunch of sheep for an electorate, a worrying tourism situation in 1998 is now on its death bed.
Separate the returning resident & the business traveler from the leasure visitor & what is left?
We have had 13 years of promises starting with “we will turn tourism around in 100 days.”
When David Allen passed away Jennifer was too proud to call Jim ‘Woice ‘O’ Summer’ Woolridge and say;” Hey Jim come on board, we need you ’cause we don’t know what the hell we’re doing”!
RESORT HOTELS: GIVE GAMING LICENSES NOW…….
REBUILD BERMUDA onisland product and entertainment……
Politicians need to come together for the sake of Tourism. Leaving to a referendum will delay this another 2 years. Bermuda CANNOT afford to wait.
The Cruise Lines will pressure Government….DO NOT FALL FOR IT…..
DO the right thing and let HOTELS have GAMING NOW…….
Also I do NOT support stand alone casino.