Cruise Visitors To Increase To 544,000 Next Year
The Ministry of Tourism and Transport said they are “encouraged by the projected rise in cruise ship visitors outlined in the recently released 2019 Cruise Ship Schedule, saying that next year “the island is expected to host an estimated 544,000 cruise ship passengers – 68,000 more than were hosted in 2018.”
Minister of Tourism and Transport Zane DeSilva commented, “We have another growth year for cruise ship calls to Bermuda and we look forward to welcoming approximately 544,000 cruise ship passengers in 2019.
“Be assured, though, that our Government is very mindful of the big picture: the increase in cruise passengers, year over year, the need to balance air and cruise arrivals, and the challenge of providing the necessary infrastructure to serve all of our visitors. My Ministry is working diligently to attract more business for Hamilton and St. George.”
“This sharp rise in cruise ship visitors is, of course, matched by a rise in projected cruise ship calls for the year with an expected 192 calls scheduled for 2019 – 2 of which are scheduled for the month of January,” the Ministry added.
A look at the Disney Magic, which is set to return to Bermuda in 2019:
The Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA] continues to execute its strategy to attract cruise ships outside of the summer months and maintain an extended cruise ship season, noting that an extended season brings more economic opportunity for Bermuda and also provides more work opportunities for residents.
BTA Chief Executive Kevin Dallas said, “The long lead time of the cruise ship industry means the Bermuda Tourism Authority has accounted for next year’s cruise passenger’s growth in the National Tourism Plan.
“Our focus between now and 2025 is better balance in Bermuda’s cruise business with more calls outside the summer months, increases in what cruise passengers spend on-island and, perhaps most importantly, growing the number of vacationers who arrive by air.”
Minister DeSilva also commented saying, “The tax revenue from cruise ship passengers is expected to increase by $7.9M in the coming year and, with an additional 68,000 passengers, the per person cruise visitor spending will also increase proportionate to the increase in the number of visitors.”
A look at the Norwegian Escape which is set to call on Bermuda next year:
Some calls to note scheduled for the 2019 season include:
- 5 inaugural calls from:
- MS NCL Pearl– 20-21 April
- MS NCL Jade – 25-26 April
- MS Celebrity Edge – 30 April – 1 May
- MS Adventure of the Seas – 19 May
- MS Spirit of Discovery – 31 Dec. – 1 Jan.
- The Disney Magic cruise ship will return for five occasional calls between 27 September and 25 October.
- On 16 October three ships [MS Serenade of the Seas, MS Norwegian Escape, MS Aida Luna] will call in Dockyard.
- Adventure of the Seas [4,058 passengers] will make 6 calls to Bermuda in 2019 and will replace the Anthem of Seas [4,905 passengers] in 2020.
- There will be only one Holland America Cruise Line call to Bermuda in 2019 as compared to 8 calls in 2018.
The full 2019 Cruise Ship Schedule follows below [PDF here]:
Remember Zane Desilva moaning about Bill Hanbury’s compensation package? Well next year we are getting an EXTRA $7.9m directly as a result of the BTA. Money well spent? Methinks so!! I’ll wait for the apology from Zane Desilva!!
Hanbury laughed all the way to the bank…you know it…and it made that guy at the Reefs not a happy camper…think …oh…it may hurt to do that
Have any facts to back that up or you just talking smack as usual? Titty milk got you sayin’ anything. Ha ha ha!!
Ya. Laughed to the bank just like ewart did. Whats your point?
Well done BTA.
With the huge opportunity for more tourists, you would like the Government would invest in building more cruiseship ports!!! At least this would be future revenues for them to get!!!
Cut the channel in St.George’s and allow for the bigger ships to come through!!
Build up Dockyard so that 4 big ships could dock in Port at once!! Are we in the tourism business or not!!
Its a no brainer and then the money comes!!
I agree
We have to cut town-cut in St.George
It will breathe a breath of life into the city
Interesting. While the numbers of passengers via cruise ships will increase, that is NO indication of the passengers’ spending.
I notice that many choose to walk, look and buy absolutely NOTHING!!
Most seem rather frugal in their spending on this island!!
Because everything is simply to expensive
TO GUSTAV:
You are here..foreign worker?
You are earning your keep.
It is too expensive…yes!!
Then they should choose another destination.
STRAIGHTFORWARD, why does your government brag about the number of passengers, knowing that they don’t spend any money in Bermuda. Are they as stupid as you are?
Yes. They are just as stupid as their voting base. They know the average intelligence level of their voter. Spit out big numbers and it must mean good things. Ya we have 500,000+ “maybe” coming and the average vistor spends how much again? But that half a million is a big number. Who cares if they spend a cent? At least we got them here right? You get what you vote for.
25-11!…Sorry, you forgot that.
25-11 only proves how many stupid voters were taken in by PLP’s BS. Its nothing to be proud of.
I love it when someone points on anothers intelligence and yet can’t get their own spelling correct… Vistor? What is that? Oh, you meant VISITOR. Must be a dumb OBA Voter.
I love it when the only argument one has ….is pointing out a typo.
I know you are but what am I is your argument? And you want people to take you and your following serious? Go long..
mixitup, your reading comprehension is pathetic….have an adult explain it to you, please.
Basically, you don’t have a counter argument, you have nothing but hatred for Bermuda…and the best response you could muster is an attack on someone for making a typo….that’s so sad…go long, bye. you’re too stupid to be here.
“and the best response you could muster is an attack on someone for making a typo”
Let’s spell it out slowly for you…..
1. <—One
Someone calls 60% of the voting population stupid because they voted opposite of them and you expect me to entertain/argue this point? Then this same person who maligned 60% of voters can't piece together a proper sentence? The argument is clear to me… And you now call ME stupid? You all are truly one in the same and cannot be taken seriously.
*You all are truly one in the same and cannot be taken seriously.*
But let someone else make a blanket statement that offends you and there won’t be enough room in cyberspace for your ensuing rant.
Do you have anything to say on the plp’s record and the now crashing economy?
” And you now call ME stupid?”
YES! you are STUPID…and racist and homophobic.
You’re nothing but a moron who still doesn’t understand that pointing out a typo isn’t making your point…it just makes you look petty, foolish and STUPID!
LOL@mixitup the bigot!
” And you now call ME stupid?”
YES! you are STUPID…and racist and homophobic.
You’re nothing but a moron who still doesn’t understand that pointing out a typo isn’t making your point…it just makes you look petty, foolish and STUPID!
LOL@mixitup the bigot!
Agree with you there but at least Bermuda gets the tax revenue and tour companies will also get more revenue. Tourists aren’t going to buy much in Bermuda because it’s more expensive to buy it here compared to America. One thing they can’t buy in America is titty milk though!! Ha ha ha!!
What we don’t know is how much the net revenue will be after subtracting BTA and government subsidies. All the spending numbers are estimates and always based on max passenger load, actual is much less.
I think cruise tourists (and their smaller spend on-island) are going to be our new norm – fewer air tourists due to cost of everything once on-island. Get used to it I guess and be thankful for them.
But air arrivals have increased over the last few years?
Twenny nineteen……………………….
The year of the bean.
Enjoy.
Isn’t anyone questioning the ratio of cruisers & air arrivals that BTA Tourism Plan said should be 35/65%????? Read the cruise reviews which confirm Bermuda has been overrun with cruisers for years and mediocre attempts at improving ground transportation have failed. BTA keeps taking credit for increasing cruise numbers but doesn’t put any effort into improving transportation. Dispersing cruisers across the island is just as much BTA’s responsibility as it is Transport’s. BTA’s wants the credit but wants others to do the work.
Are you like, a crazy person?
The number of tourist air arrivals last year was an all-time record.
Better check the reports, it was air and cruise numbers that set record. Air arrivals has a long long way to go before their numbers set any record.
2017 was the all time record year for tourist arrivals, and the highest air arrivals since 2007.
Can’t wait to see what the do as they want taxi do, they want business but work when they want.
Are ambassoders..
Or embarrassers
Cue the bus, ferry and taxi strikes.
Ariel Sands, Waterloo, Bermudiana, Lantana, Sonesta, Mermaid Beach, Horizons plus many more. What do all these names have in common? They are all large tourist accommodations which no longer exist. They employed hundreds of Bermudians. Every one of their guests contributed $10 for every $1 that a cruiser puts into the economy.
These days I guess we are lucky to get the cruiser. We drove the real money spenders away with our prices, our strikes, our poor service, our bag snatchings, our hotel room breakins, our poor taxi service, our overall poor service for the cost of coming here. We screwed ourselves & our competition was only too happy to have the business.
Public transportation will be a nightmare for locals.The bus schedules are about to be cut in half running every half hour AND with fewer running at that! Not to mention there isn’t much for the tourists to do, other than in the summer with the beaches and water sport activities. There is nothing wrong with having more visitors but we need to be ready to host and accommodate our guest properly. P.s the cruise ship visits spend NO money, AT ALL
Didn’t we learn 30 years ago that cruise ship passengers do NOT mean money in the economy? I don’t mind cruise ship passengers, but they do little for the local economy.
What about the thousands of hotel beds we’ve lost in the last 30 years or so? When will they be replaced?
Thanks BTA!