Bermuda Denies Request To Berth Cruise Ships
The Ministry of Tourism and Transport confirmed they denied a recent request for permission to three cruise ships, saying that while Bermuda values the relationship with cruise ship partners, in considering the “risk of COVID-19 to Bermuda, we must put the interest of our country and her people above all else.”
This follows after an overseas media outlet reported that the Norwegian Bliss was supposedly expected to depart for Bermuda on Tuesday afternoon.
Bernews asked the Ministry for clarification, and a spokesperson told us, “The Ministry of Tourism and Transport can confirm that they have denied a recent request from the Norwegian Cruise Line and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises for permission to berth the Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Gem, and the MS Europa. The ships were intending to ‘lay up’ with crew and medical staff only, and to date neither cruise line has had any incidents of coronavirus associated with its fleet.
“Bermuda very much values the relationship with our cruise ship partners, however in considering the global impact and risk of COVID-19 to Bermuda, we must put the interest of our country and her people above all else.”
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Bad move, on many levels. What a shame!
And you will be the 1st person to blast the Govn’t should one of the crew, venture off the ship and potentially spread C19.
Can’t have it both ways.
Either we are closed for business until this blows over or we might as well just allow every Tom, Dick and Sally come without any precautions for US Bermudians.
Why cant the cruise ships just go back to their ports of berth and remain there until the Cruise ship season resumes many months from now.
Do you have any idea how many cruise ships there are out there floating around the worlds oceans? Do you have any idea how many fly the Bermuda flag for registry? Turn those ships away & you turn a very lucrative source of income away.
I am sure that the Bahamas, or any of the other fags of registry would love to have the Bermuda ships such as Princess Cruise lines for starters.
all cruise ships have ropes tie them up or anchor in a big harbour somewhere
20% of the time you come on here and blog correct, but now have the award that takes you from dumb to Captain of the Dumb Team!!!
you obviously are unaware of the pier restrictions like fences, and access, and location, also the word quarantined. no one on no no one off without authority or security screen. Also be aware the two main piers are very isolated. Kings wharf and even commercial berth at dockyard and # 5 in town are NOT ACCESIBLE . Further the “home ports are all full.” There was an opportunity here to accommodate the ships who would have to pay DAILY wharfage and other fees, buy fuel, buy provisions etc. Plus they would be screened prior to arrivalal and are arrivalking with SKELETON crews. It is a small oppotunity missed in my. opinion to show some measure of support and cash for govt.
I don’t knock Bermuda’s government, as you do me, just stated it was a poor decision. Bermuda is a ship at sea – remember that and be a conscientious mariner. Peace!
All of Cunards ships are registered here so maybe they should all come here then?
It is the duty of any Government to protect its citizens. So it’s a good move. Many decisions will not be popular but they are necessary.
Are you being serious! Update people this not some plot to overthrow president trump. This s*&^ is real.due to my job I am seeing this 1st hand.its real and its gonna get worse because of uneducated people. Bermuda is acting appropriately unlike 75 %of americans.you
Well done.
would expect nothing less comment from you take your shades off
O my gosh – Thank you Bermuda Government!!
They don’t sound familiar to Bermuda? They ( the cruise ships need to send their staff home and let them do the quarantine at there home.
These greedy companies need to accept the world has changed and can not imagine anyone wanting to cruise anytime soon. Intelligent world leaders like Canada’s Prime minister asking all Canadians home . The virus has pushed other life changing events to the back of the line or to second line news. It is cruel to keep cruise staff in jail like conditions on board . Send them home and cut yours losses at the financially and not at the cost of the people and more so Bermuda.
Keep these companies away from Bermuda from any future travel. They clearly fo not care about us .
Respectfully, I think part of the issue is so many airlines cancelling flights and countries closing their boarders that their staff can’t actually get home.
dont praise our pm here in Canada worst leader ever !
Bad move on the Bermuda Governments part. The cruise lines will remember this. The will be consequences next time Bermuda wants help from a cruise line.
So what is the problem? The ships will have a very basic crew onboard & arrive beyond any 2 week virus incubation period.
As usual island short sightedness rules.
Unfortunate, but very necessary at this time .!!
Please explain how it is necessary to deny ships if they have not had anyone tested positive after the incubation period of two weeks effectively being in self quarantine for two weeks just like Government expects anyone who has arrived by air. Crews who are onboard ship will not be going to Horseshoe Bay everyday & locals will not be boarding those ships at any time.
People in Government like to make themselves look cranially challenged.
so you advocate stopping the 3 container and various fuel tankers access?????
Good! Now lock everything down. Like the Chinese did
Needs to be done..crew members come from all over the world including Asia.
do you people read the “ships were intending to LAY UP with crew and medical staff only and today neither cruise line had ANY incidents of corona virus associated with their fleet”
As of right now we still are virus free, why take the chance and bring tourists from all parts of the world to bermuda? That’s when the percentage rises for the island to get it
“As of right now we still are virus free, ”
LOL, you keep believing that….
I really think that with the proper protocols and regulations and security precautions in place it would have been and still is viable.
Well done! I’m not a PLP supporter and this shouldn’t be about politics but this was the right move in my opinion. I think this place needs to stop travel all together, lock down for 14 days then go from there. I prefer 2 weeks of lockdown than months of new cases on the island. At the end of the day we have to cut our losses somewhere.
My question is, are the private jets and private yachts coming in being checked also?.
Clean ships , Clean crew ,if this is true the only way they would contract the virus would be via bermy….well if the ships were only to dock and crew stay aboard and we only needed to supply water and a refuge really are we at risk…would have gone a long way to strengthening the relationship….oh well
Thank you Bermuda Government for making this wise decision to protect our community at this TIME. Our Health Care system cannot cope with the spread of the Coronavirus in Bermuda, the public need to understand this. Any preventative measures needed must be taken now.
LOCK YOUR COUNTRY DOWN NOW! You do not have the hospital capacity to take on this virus. Good move by the Government regarding cruise ships now shut all flights down, immediately. With the first positive case in the country put everyone into lock down. You cannot handle this crisis in Bermuda.
If you take the worst case statistics coming from the CDC that 45-63% of Americans will get this virus and project them onto Bermuda’s population, 27,000-37,000 people in Bermuda will catch this virus (all within a matter of a few months), of which 4% or roughly 1,000 -1,500 people could die if you do nothing to try to contain it!
Listen to the other countries who have already been through this. There is nothing you can do to stop it overwhelming your health system and your economy which is why you need to LOCK DOWN NOW!
Please the numbers warrant listening.
Italy & Spain are paying the price for not taking the necessary precautions early enough so we need to take a lesson from that.