Any News on Bermuda Dredging?

The Anthem is due to arrive in Bermuda in less than a year and it doesn't look like the dredging is even scheduled yet. What will happen if it doesn't get done? Maybe they are holding out for RC to foot the whole bill.

I'm particularly interested in learning more about this. I'm looking forward to going back to Bermuda after a long break.

I'd love to see Hamilton again

I guess there's no news on the Bermuda Dredging. Maybe everything's on schedule without any issue?!?!?!

I guess there's no news on the Bermuda Dredging. Maybe everything's on schedule without any issue?!?!?!

I don't believe it was ever approved and on any schedule. Last I read they were waiting on environmental studies and then had to decide how to proceed.

OOF! I won't be happy if they take this stop off of my 9 Day Summer 2016 Anthem trip (unless they replace it with something nice (NOT Nassau)!

Below are links to the latest news on the channel dredging.

http://coastalnewstoday.com/bermuda-north-channel-dredging-could-start-in-spring/

http://bermudasun.bm/Content/NEWS/News/Article/Could-RCL-partnership-help-pay-dredging-costs-/24/270/77092

Below are links to the latest news on the channel dredging.

 

http://coastalnewstoday.com/bermuda-north-channel-dredging-could-start-in-spring/

 

http://bermudasun.bm/Content/NEWS/News/Article/Could-RCL-partnership-help-pay-dredging-costs-/24/270/77092

maddycat,

Thank you for the articles.

They're the last articles that I've seen as well.

But these are from December 2014.

I don't think anybody has heard anything recent that talks about work that is happening as a result of the study.

I did some searching. Nothing. This does do bode well for those of us hoping to hit Bermuda next Summer! Royal knows how long it takes to do the work as well as weather patterns during different seasons.

They should be able to make a determination by now if this work will/won't be completed in time.

With NCL's Breakaway already putting a strain on Bermuda's transportation system, I can't imagine what it would be like with adding the Anthem.:eek: It's just not a matter of adding more buses and ferries, there's only so much Bermuda can handle being only 20.75 sq. miles. There are only three main roads that the buses use.

I've been wrong before but, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the dredging to be done. There have been any number of things that were supposed to be done in Bermuda and nothing ever materialized. On the other hand, something can take years. Allowing gambling was in the works for any number of years before it was finally allowed.

I did some searching. Nothing. This does do bode well for those of us hoping to hit Bermuda next Summer! Royal knows how long it takes to do the work as well as weather patterns during different seasons.

They should be able to make a determination by now if this work will/won't be completed in time.

They made that guess with the Quantum and that didn't turn out well. The cost of refitting a brand new ship for the China market must of been huge. Plus the lower amount of revenue generated with all the repositioning for Bayonne.

It would have been so much less expensive just to be able to send the Anthem to China from the start.

Sounds like they should stop guessing! My frustration comes from a lack of transparency from Royal.

They have posted itineraries which, they should know by now, can/cannot be achieved (please don't cite the fine print that they can change the itinerary at any time).

They're investors in the dredging project for Bermuda, so an update from Royal would be nice!

But they may be intentionally hiding things from the public because pulling this from the U.S. Itinerary could cost them millions of dollars, since we can cancel for a full refund 3 months out :-).

With NCL's Breakaway already putting a strain on Bermuda's transportation system, I can't imagine what it would be like with adding the Anthem.:eek:

Breakaway and Anthem won't be docked in Bermuda at the same time. Anthem will get Monday-Tuesday while Breakaway will get Wednesday-Friday.

How much bigger is Anthem than Breakaway?

How much bigger is Anthem than Breakaway?

Breakaway:

144,000 tons

4,500 passengers

1,069 feet long

130 feet wide (waterline)

29 Draft

Liberty:

154,000 tons

4,400 passengers

1,112 feet long

126 feet wide (waterline)

28 Draft

Quantum:

168,000 tons

4,900 passengers

1,139 feet long

136 feet wide (waterline)

29 Draft

Thanks for the stats Fred! Still no news on dredging in Bermuda! Wouldn't dredging have to have started by now if Anthem is going to dock there? When is her earliest scheduled appearance?

Yikes!! I'm booked on Anthem for next June and really looking forward to Bermuda.

Yikes!! I'm booked on Anthem for next June and really looking forward to Bermuda.

Ditto! 9 nighter 6/30 -7/9.

I hope to hear that she can still go to Bermuda or that someone who knows the situation well can comment and let us know that they are still within the bounds of getting this done in time.

Ditto! 9 nighter 6/30 -7/9.

I hope to hear that she can still go to Bermuda or that someone who knows the situation well can comment and let us know that they are still within the bounds of getting this done in time.

If Bermuda doesn't dredge, does anyone know if RCCL has to commit a ship there for the summer season next year? If not, they could just add another day down south on the 9 day. Likely St Thomas given they dropped that off of the 9 day in favor of Labadee. I don't see them moving Anthem out of NJ if they don't have to commit to Bermuda. Don't see them adding a second ship to NJ either. Would think either Grandeur would take over the Bermuda route or perhaps they would move an older ship up to Boston and do 7 day Bermuda runs to compete with NCL.

Without Bermuda in the summer they would be force to either do longer Caribbean runs or go to a boring 7 day weekly Bahama/Port Canaveral run. The 5/9 day summer runs probably is the easiest way for them to fill the ship and make the most money. If Bermuda never dredges you will probably see the Anthem get switched out someday.

Without Bermuda in the summer they would be force to either do longer Caribbean runs or go to a boring 7 day weekly Bahama/Port Canaveral run. The 5/9 day summer runs probably is the easiest way for them to fill the ship and make the most money. If Bermuda never dredges you will probably see the Anthem get switched out someday.

One of the reasons I booked the 9 day in Anthem was the Bermuda stop. I would be highly disappointed if it couldn't stop there.:cool:

Thanks for the stats Fred! Still no news on dredging in Bermuda! Wouldn't dredging have to have started by now if Anthem is going to dock there? When is her earliest scheduled appearance?

From what I can find on the RC website, she will be in Bermuda in April 2016 for the first time

I wonder if that's a stretch or if that's still realistic

:rolleyes:

I wonder if that's a stretch or if that's still realistic

:rolleyes:

Scheduled to dock 10-1/2 months from now. No word from the Bermuda government in a year. Seems like stretch to me. Remember this was supposed to be done long before the Quantum arrived.

I wonder if there is a possibility to keep the port and tender from Anthem? I hope that both you and I are wrong, but if they don't get started soon...

Hurricane season is fast approaching, and the Winter months are probably less than ideal to dredge as well.

I wonder if there is a possibility to keep the port and tender from Anthem? I hope that both you and I are wrong, but if they don't get started soon...

Hurricane season is fast approaching, and the Winter months are probably less than ideal to dredge as well.

They already said previously, the Bermuda government that is, that they wouldn't/can't dredge during the summer cruise season due to volume. So dredging wouldn't start until November.

With that being said, they could possibly tender. They just did that when the NCL Dawn hit the reef and had to anchor out in the harbor for the night before being moved back to the dock in King's Wharf in the morning.