FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS

Bermuda is a popular cruise ship destination - it is seasonal, as the island is in the northern hemisphere - 1,200 miles north of the Caribbean islands and therefore, temperatures tend to take a dip during the winter months.   High season is considered to be between April and November.  About 150 cruises will dock through 2016 bringing with them thousands of tourists who disembark to enjoy the sights of Bermuda during their stopover here.     The biggest liners will end up at Royal Naval Dockyard, with some of the smaller ones berthing dockside in the capital city Hamilton or at St. George's where we live.

You always know when a cruise ship has arrived as you are greeted by an exponential increase in people on the streets and buses - they are a distinct breed clad in shorts, sneakers and t-shirts, wearing wide brimmed hats, clicking cameras and cell phones, and sporting a mostly bright pink sun tan.

Patrick was down at Docklands the other day and watched the Anthem of the Seas disgorge it's 4,500 passengers, crew not counted.  It is the largest cruise ship to come to Bermuda.  Not the biggest in the world mind - that distinction belongs to Harmony of the Seas with its 8,000 crew and pax capacity.   According to the Bernews, the Anthem of the Seas is 136 feet wide, and 1,141 feet long.  That's gigantic in my opinion .   Sounds like a veritable floating city.  Off loading must be a long waiting affair, and I can't imagine enough buses or taxis on call to accommodate those numbers. 

Patrick and I took a trip by ferry to Docklands last week.  While Patrick attended a meeting, I had a fun afternoon mixing in with the cruise passengers from a Norwegian liner.  Docklands has been developed to cater to the cruise population - a small mall, a Bermudian craft warehouse, sea-doo rentals and Segway fun, as well as a few restaurants.  

As we were boarding the ferry for our journey back to Hamilton, the cruise ship was gracefully setting sail  again, gently guided by tugboats nosing it out into the channel.  I couldn't help thinking how intimidating it was.  Such a huge structure and so many people on board.

Wishing them all fair winds and following seas.