Column: How Does Homeporting Benefit Island
[Opinion column written by Junior Minister of Transport Curtis Richardson]
“What is Homeporting?
I know a lot of people are embarrassed to ask. It is an opportunity for people that are fully vaccinated to take a cruise that starts and ends in Bermuda.
If you’re a tourist, it means you fly to Bermuda, board the ship in Bermuda, take a cruise, return to Bermuda and fly home from Bermuda. There will also be an opportunity to vacation on the island. If you’re Bermudian or reside here and you’re fully vaccinated, you may also buy a ticket.
The first homeporting cruises will depart Bermuda in June.
Now, how does this benefit our island? First, it means an estimated $40 million in economic activity for Bermuda. Money spent in Bermuda on Bermudian businesses or paid to the Bermuda government in taxes and fees. That helps our economy.
Second, it’s estimated that 60 part time jobs will be created to support this new cruise product in a variety of sectors for the season.
We have a long way to go to get back to normal, but we’re making sure and steady progress and this is welcome news.
More vaccines are coming. Please, sign up for your jab and together, we can defeat Covid-19 and rebuild Bermuda with Bermudians at heart.”
- Junior Minister of Transport Curtis Richardson
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Good idea but given that we are now so covid infected it will probably fall flat
Like the majority of Bermudians we like to travel and see new things.
To me this will not be a vacation. Sure you can get off of the island and cruise around the Atlantic Ocean. But, then you return to Bermuda 3 times. If I go on a cruise I certainly do not want to see the same things I am trying to get away from. After being cooped up on this tiny island I want to see and meet new people and step onto new lands.
I am sure there are many others that will agree with me.
Question, where are you cruising to Challenger Banks to watch the whales and dolphins? Like what…..
I hope you don’t sign a long contract with ships that are taking visitors to another destination like Royal Caribbean are. Viking Cruises looks much better for Bermuda with visitors actually coming for Bermuda, not some cruise ship fantasy island in the Bahamas. It’s great for Government to collect tax but I’m not sure its good for local vendors. I hope the ships bringing visitors that want to enjoy our island are given priority when it comes to dock space.
“It’s great for Government to collect tax but I’m not sure its good for local vendors.”
Cruise ship passengers rarely bring much benefit to local vendors, but if we can get a younger crowd we might get them hooked on Bermuda. That was the theory years ago.
Not wanting to be negative but logistics must be very interesting not only would it be taxing on getting 1000+ visitors to the island on our planned airlift but transporting 1000+ people from the airport to dockyard and of course taking 1000+ from dockyard back to the airport. Also heard Viking was going to bring a ship here as well so numbers ??? Now how do these ships replenish supplies how do we refuel the ships ….look im sure RCL and Viking have thought this out but a little information would be good.Lots of us have gone to Miami / Tampa those Cruise terminals well let me say we dont compare so tell us how it works rather then saying it will benefit us with no info on how it works
“Now, how does this benefit our island? First, it means an estimated $40 million in economic activity for Bermuda. Money spent in Bermuda on Bermudian businesses or paid to the Bermuda government in taxes and fees. That helps our economy.”
You mean like the way the Americas Cup did in 2017?
Yep. Suddenly, for the first time ever, the PLP seem to understand the benefit of economic activity.