NCL abandonning Bermuda only cruises????

[Dancyalien]

In a recent post someone posted: "Plus I think NCL is abandoning pure-bermuda itineraries after 2007." Does anyone know if this is true? I have not heard this.

 

That is truely horrible if it is true. I really want to do a Bermuda cruise, just havent had a chance. Well, it is true I better book it for 2007....... (So much for going on the Gem then)

[KeystoneCruiser]

The Crown has been sold and will leave the NCL fleet at the end of 2007.

 

Most of the NCL ships can only dock at Kings Wharf due to their size. (Spirit, Dawn, Jewel, Gem, etc.)

 

The Wind is also being transfered to Star Cruises at the end of 2007.

 

That leaves the Majesty and Dream as the only two "small" NCL ships.

 

The Dream is committed to Europe next year and with her "funnel flip" is the only ship that can do the Baltic Capitals.

 

As long as NCL keeps the Majesty, and we haven't heard anything that they are getting rid of her, they can still do Bermuda only trips.

[CruisinMK]

If they keep selling their small ships it'll be over. They're selling some at the end of 2007.

I did a poke around the forum and see more of the small ships than I thought will be around for 2008.

The big ships cannot fit Hamilton & St. George in Bermuda, the only option for big ships is the dockyard at King's Wharf, a port some consider the least appealing of the 3 stops in Bermuda.

 

They could still pull into Bermuda for a single day on big ships, but only to the King's Wharf dockyard.

[ocngypz]

Both Crown and Majesty are sailing Bermuda only for 2007. The Crown leaves the fleet.

 

There has been no word from NCL as to the 08 Bermuda season.

 

Now that there are more choices for homeport sailings from the Northeast, there is less of a demand for Bermuda. Celebrity dropped one ship Horizon for 07 and still demand for Zenith's Bermuda sailings has been fairly week.

 

I would plan on 07, but don't book yet. I've been pricing the Majesty for clients and the starting rates are way out of whack!

[Dancyalien]

Thanks Everyone for the info... I am really upset! Even if they keep the Majesty doing Bermuda that ship usually sails from Charleston and Boston.... What about NY???

 

I was so excited when it looked like they were building up there NY sailing... I understand that the bigger ships cant dock in Hamilton and St George. I dont know what the regulations are but cant they dock in Kings Wharf for longer? Okay thats not the most desirable port but if your docked overnight its easy enough to get around bermuda. Isnt it possible for them to use tenders for Hamilton and St George? I know bermuda has strict policies.

 

I dont know... Im just frustrated. NCL is my favorite line. I know RCI does cruises to bermuda out of Bayonne but 1) that port isnt as easy to get there. Ive gone there four times and 2 out of the 4 times got stuck in horrible traffic. 2) the 5 night bermuda rci cruises are always the same price if not more that ncl's 7 night cruise.

 

I am only 22 and I dont think that my husband and I would fit in on the celebrity crowd.

 

I guess Im more frustrated to because I just saw the new itinerary for the Gem. Im not happy about there being two florida ports. Florida is cheap enough to fly there if I wanted to go to those ports. Its a lot more expensive to fly to the caribbean or bermuda. Thats why I cruise so I can see more. Ive been to florida so many times.

 

Sorry... I guess I just needed to vent. Ive always been a very big fan of NCL. They were the only cruise line that would let me go on the first cruise with my husband because I was 20 and he was 24. They were so great with helping him organize his propsal to me. They were just as great for my honeymoon and now I booked another cruise for Sept. The next cruises I wanted to do were the crown and gem so I guess thats why Im so frustrated with the changed.

 

Ok Im sure you all are tired of me complaining. I hope Im not the only one that feels this way....

[CruisinMK]

Maybe they can juggle the small ships they have left and squeeze out a partial bermuda season from NY? Like send the Dream to europe part of the year, the bermuda part.. Or is that going to South America? Don't look at me, I don't know anything. :) Maybe people who know what the small ships are committed to in 2008 can figure out what possibilities are left.

 

I know some big ship itineraries pull into King's Wharf for a single day, maybe they could pull in longer if other ships don't need the spot? They have local ferries that go from King's wharf to St. George & Hamilton.

 

I heard Bermuda was thinking of dredging so bigger ships could fit, but sounded like they were leaning against it so far.

 

I read good things about the crown, trying now to decide whether or not to do my first bermuda trip.

[Dancyalien]

I just recently got interested in the crown. Never had much interest because it was a smaller ship, but do to the great reviews Im been reading, Im dying to do it. Hopefully, Ill be able to swing it for 2007. Dont know... We kinda outdid out budget this year by doing two cruises. We usually only go away once a year but I could pass up the deal I got.

[e.durban]

Bigger ships can dock in Hamilton, but only if no other ship is there. Costa Magica (105,000 tons, 890 feet long, 124 feet wide) will dock there overnight next May as part of a transatlantic. The feelings of the people of Hamilton, who recently rejected a 7 story Bank of Bermuda building as too tall, having a colossal eyesore like the CM in their little port can only be imagined.

 

In the not-too-distant future, with Crown and Majesty, Zenith and Empress of the Seas all gone from their respective fleets, and luxury lines like Radisson/Regent abandoning Bermuda for Europe, there will certainly be plenty of days when the port of Hamilton is empty for a megaship. Whether NCL will want to send a Spirit-sized ship to hang around Bermuda, with closed casinos and limited sale of shore excursions (you can do almost any of them on your own in 3 days on shore) is another matter. On the plus side, they'd save a lot of fuel ;)

 

Better book Bermuda now!

[electricron]

Maybe they can juggle the small ships they have left and squeeze out a partial bermuda season from NY? Like send the Dream to europe part of the year, the bermuda part.. Or is that going to South America? Don't look at me, I don't know anything. :) Maybe people who know what the small ships are committed to in 2008 can figure out what possibilities are left.

I know some big ship itineraries pull into King's Wharf for a single day, maybe they could pull in longer if other ships don't need the spot? They have local ferries that go from King's wharf to St. George & Hamilton.

I heard Bermuda was thinking of dredging so bigger ships could fit, but sounded like they were leaning against it so far.

I read good things about the crown, trying now to decide whether or not to do my first bermuda trip.

 

It's possible, but not with the Dream. As the Dreamward (623 ft), it sailed to Bermuda many times, but not since it has been stretched into the Dream (754 ft).

For the foreseeable future, King's Wharf has the only dock and seaway that will support ships longer than 700 feet. More emphasis should be placed on seaway than dock as for any restrictions, as docks can be modified easily and cheaply for longer ships.

 

At St. George and Hamilton for example, the limiting factor isn't dock size, but the seaway. Ships must be able to turn around to enter or exit the port safely. At both of these locations, the longest ship that can turn around is 700 feet. Therefore ships sailing to Bermuda with prolonged stays must be less than 700 feet long.

 

The only "major" cruise line ships less than 700 feet are:

 

NCL has two ships less than 700 ft; the Crown (614 ft) and Majesty (680 ft). Both sail to Bermuda today, the Crown from New York and Philadelphia, and the Majesty from Boston and Charleston.

 

Carnival's shortest ship is the Holiday (727 ft), which is why Carnival doesn't sail to Bermuda for a prolonged stay.

 

Celebrity has two ships less than 700 feet, the Xpedition (296 ft) and Zenith (682 ft). The Xpedition sails exclusively from Quito Ecuador. The Zenith is the largest ship sailing to Bermuda today at 47,255 grt from Bayonne.

 

Holland America has just one ship less than 700 feet, the Prinsendam (673 ft). Although it could sail to Bermuda, it doesn't sail to Bermuda today.

 

Princess has three ships less than 700 feet, the three sisters originally built for the bankrupted Renaissance line; the Pacific, Royal, and Tahitian Princess (594 ft). They mostly serve in Tahitian and European seas, but one could be reposition for a New York to Bermuda cruise, although none are doing so today.

 

Royal Caribbean has one ship less than 700 feet is the Empress of the Seas (692 ft). It sails to Bermuda today from Philadelphia and Norfolk.

 

Ships longer than 700 feet can sail to Bermuda, but must share the pier at King's Wharf. Dregging a wider channel for turning ships around is politically impossible because the harbors at both Hamilton and St. George's are full of live coral reefs, which dregging would destroy.

[Writeratsea]

It's possible, but not with the Dream. As the Dreamward (623 ft), it sailed to Bermuda many times, but not since it has been stretched into the Dream (754 ft).

For the foreseeable future, King's Wharf has the only dock and seaway that will support ships longer than 700 feet. More emphasis should be placed on seaway than dock as for any restrictions, as docks can be modified easily and cheaply for longer ships.

 

At St. George and Hamilton for example, the limiting factor isn't dock size, but the seaway. Ships must be able to turn around to enter or exit the port safely. At both of these locations, the longest ship that can turn around is 700 feet. Therefore ships sailing to Bermuda with prolonged stays must be less than 700 feet long.

 

The only "major" cruise line ships less than 700 feet are:

 

NCL has two ships less than 700 ft; the Crown (614 ft) and Majesty (680 ft). Both sail to Bermuda today, the Crown from New York and Philadelphia, and the Majesty from Boston and Charleston.

 

Carnival's shortest ship is the Holiday (727 ft), which is why Carnival doesn't sail to Bermuda for a prolonged stay.

 

Celebrity has two ships less than 700 feet, the Xpedition (296 ft) and Zenith (682 ft). The Xpedition sails exclusively from Quito Ecuador. The Zenith is the largest ship sailing to Bermuda today at 47,255 grt from Bayonne.

 

Holland America has just one ship less than 700 feet, the Prinsendam (673 ft). Although it could sail to Bermuda, it doesn't sail to Bermuda today.

 

Princess has three ships less than 700 feet, the three sisters originally built for the bankrupted Renaissance line; the Pacific, Royal, and Tahitian Princess (594 ft). They mostly serve in Tahitian and European seas, but one could be reposition for a New York to Bermuda cruise, although none are doing so today.

 

Royal Caribbean has one ship less than 700 feet is the Empress of the Seas (692 ft). It sails to Bermuda today from Philadelphia and Norfolk.

 

Ships longer than 700 feet can sail to Bermuda, but must share the pier at King's Wharf. Dregging a wider channel for turning ships around is politically impossible because the harbors at both Hamilton and St. George's are full of live coral reefs, which dregging would destroy.

As of right now, ships docked at King's Wharf cannot stay overnight. This is why the intinerary is usually from 8AM to 5PM for example. I don't know why this is the way they have structured the procedure. Considering that Bermuda recently spent more than a million dollars upgrading the dock area, you would think it could accomadate the large cruise ships for more than a day. There have been articles in the Royal Gazette about enlarging the dock areas of Hamilton and St George. They talked about expanding the land area of the dock into the harbor to have more facilities. And there was consideration of widening the cut in St. George and deepening the channel. But as you said the main problem is the inability of the large ships to be able to turn around and I don't know it that is solvable. There was some mention of some areas of the reef have died from polution and cutting through them wouldn't matter, but they may not be located to be useful. It is a portential problem as the trend is now for the new cruise ships to be larger than 700 feet.

NCL Majesty Aug 2004

NCL Majesty Sept 2005

NCL Majesty Sept 2006

[electricron]

As of right now, ships docked at King's Wharf cannot stay overnight. This is why the intinerary is usually from 8AM to 5PM for example. There have been articles in the Royal Gazette about enlarging the dock areas of Hamilton and St George. And there was consideration of widening the cut in St. George and deepening the channel. But as you said the main problem is the inability of the large ships to be able to turn around and I don't know it that is solvable. There was some mention of some areas of the reef have died from polution and cutting through them wouldn't matter, but they may not be located to be useful. It is a portential problem as the trend is now for the new cruise ships to be larger than 700 feet.

 

There's been plenty of talk, but little has been approved by the government for Hamilton and St. George. Work is progressing at King's Wharf.

 

Here's a typical summer 2007 King's Wharf schedule.

Sun *Explorer of the Seas (9 day) 8am 5pm

Mon *Norwegian Spirit (8 day) arrives 8am departs 5pm

Tue Costa Magica 8pm overnight/ *Explorer of the Seas (5 day) 8am overnight/ *Grandeur of the Seas (5 day) 8am overnight

Wed Costa Magica (7 day) -- overnight/ *Explorer of the Seas (5 day) -- 5pm/ *Grandeur of the Seas (5 day) -- 5pm

Thur Costa Magica (7 day) -- 6pm/ Norwegian Dawn (7 day) 8am 6pm

Fri empty

Sat empty

Note: * means very other week.

That means next year three different ships will have overnight stays at King's Wharf, and two ships can dock at the pier at once. Even this year, both the Explorer of the Seas and the Grandeur of the Seas have an overnight stay on 5 day cruises. They arrive on Tuesday at 8am and departs on Wednesday at 5pm just like they will next year.

[kimdave68]

RCCL's Explorer is doing a five day Bermuda as is Grandeur. If they're concerned about long term heavy diesel emissions they should consider a cold iron set up. Of course refitting ships is expensive and Bermuda is practically 180 degrees (canal considered and all) from Alaska.

[cruiserssandr]

Both Crown and Majesty are sailing Bermuda only for 2007. The Crown leaves the fleet.

 

There has been no word from NCL as to the 08 Bermuda season.

 

Now that there are more choices for homeport sailings from the Northeast, there is less of a demand for Bermuda. Celebrity dropped one ship Horizon for 07 and still demand for Zenith's Bermuda sailings has been fairly week.

 

I would plan on 07, but don't book yet. I've been pricing the Majesty for clients and the starting rates are way out of whack!

We are planning on going to Bermuda on the Majesty on June 10, 2007. The price for that cruise is $110 more than we paid for May 28 this year. Does that sound like a huge increase? I thought since we were going 2 weeks later it didn't seem too bad. Oh this is for the exact same room we had this year.

[electricron]

RCCL's Explorer is doing a five day Bermuda as is Grandeur. If they're concerned about long term heavy diesel emissions they should consider a cold iron set up. Of course refitting ships is expensive and Bermuda is practically 180 degrees (canal considered and all) from Alaska.

 

Guess what the local electric power plants in Bermuda use? Diesel fuel.

There's no coal, natural gas, or any "green" generating capacity.

So, there's really no advantage for cruise ships to go completely cold iron.

 

Plus, there's the expense and time of hooking up shore power, water, and sewage lines from the piers to the ships. I don't think passengers will like being stuck on the ship for hours waiting to safely depart the ship for these lines to be hooked up. With 10,000 volt busses aboard modern cruise ships, you must do more than plug shore power in, to do so safely. The voltages must match, and cruise ships used different primary voltages, and who knows what voltage each pier would provide? Then there's always the different order of phasing of three phase electricity around the world. Shucks, even in America, there's three different phasing of electricity in different areas of the country. It could take hours to connect and disconnect all the different lines, and don't forget the ship is usually only alongside the pier for approximately 8 to 9 hours. It's not as easy as you assume.

[kimdave68]

Guess what the local electric power plants in Bermuda use? Diesel fuel.

There's no coal, natural gas, or any "green" generating capacity.

So, there's really no advantage for cruise ships to go completely cold iron.

 

Plus, there's the expense and time of hooking up shore power, water, and sewage lines from the piers to the ships. I don't think passengers will like being stuck on the ship for hours waiting to safely depart the ship for these lines to be hooked up. With 10,000 volt busses aboard modern cruise ships, you must do more than plug shore power in, to do so safely. The voltages must match, and cruise ships used different primary voltages, and who knows what voltage each pier would provide? Then there's always the different order of phasing of three phase electricity around the world. Shucks, even in America, there's three different phasing of electricity in different areas of the country. It could take hours to connect and disconnect all the different lines, and don't forget the ship is usually only alongside the pier for approximately 8 to 9 hours. It's not as easy as you assume.

 

Not assuming anything here but.

 

I'm talking about more than a day docked. With studies done in AK it definitely costs more (5k per day vs. 3k per day with a nominal 8MW hotel load) That was Dawn Princess in Juneau.

 

Even if the existing power plants run on fuel oil their emissions are not local to the ports. There's merit to this idea and nobody said it would be easy.

 

Electrically it's not hard to connect and disconnect and synchronize systems. The politics present a roadblock of far higher caliber. What we really need is nuclear powered ships.

[electricron]

Not assuming anything here but.

I'm talking about more than a day docked. With studies done in AK it definitely costs more (5k per day vs. 3k per day with a nominal 8MW hotel load) That was Dawn Princess in Juneau.

Even if the existing power plants run on fuel oil their emissions are not local to the ports. There's merit to this idea and nobody said it would be easy.

Electrically it's not hard to connect and disconnect and synchronize systems. The politics present a roadblock of far higher caliber. What we really need is nuclear powered ships.

 

One must consider the electric generating capacity at remote islands and remote towns.

 

Read https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/bd.html

Bermuda Electric production 682.5 million kWh (2005)

Bermuda Electric consumption 616.7 million kWh (2005)

Bermuda Surplus capacity 65.8 million kWh (2005)

 

That's 65.8 million kWh surplus over an entire year, or just 7510 kW.

Even with a 8,000 kW hotel load, a Voyager of the Seas class cruise ship alone outstrips all the surplus generation capacity of Bermuda. Don't forget, there could be 5 more cruise ships tied to piers in Bermuda on any day.

Two ships at King's Wharf, Hamilton, and St. George.

 

This scenario will hold true at every island cruise ships sail to, and at remote towns in Alaska too. They just don't have the additional capacity, either in generation plants, or transmission lines to power that many cruise ships.

Maybe one, but certainly not several cruise ships. The infrastructure isn't there.

 

Juneau is a small city on the mainland, not a small town like Skagway or a small island. I doubt many islands and small towns will want to increase their infrastructure to support up to four cruise ships, or an additional 32,000 kW of power.

And we haven't even discussed additional water capacity, where a "cold iron" ship doesn't have steam to distill sea water.

 

Matching voltages between the ships and shore will be much harder than you think. Many ships use 4160 Volts, many others use 6900 Volts, and a few use 10,000 Volts. Switching taps on transformers take time to do safely, with different ships docking each day. Plus you'll need additional workers to put these heavy cables in place. Plus, care must be taken to get the phasing exactly right, if not, you risk burning up electronics and having heavy machinery working in reverse.

[NormanW]

The 8,000 kW hotel load is for Ecstasy class (Carnival) vessels. I don't have the specifics on hand but I'm sure the Explorer class vessels are easily 50% higher. Expense and more expense.

 

We have a 4,160 volt system onboard. It's kind of an oddball system for our class (overbuilt) and I believe Ecstasy class vessels have a 6.6 kV main bus. Star (Dawn) class ships on NCL's fleet have an 11kV system bus I believe.

 

In any case, switching taps is afforded by the air circuit breaker system and can be done swiftly and safely in most cases. Sometimes there's a surge that can affect onboard systems but in the case with shorepower connections the onboard systems are designed to handle these abberations without casualty. This is obviously not your typical 50A pleasureboat shorepower plug!

 

Fitting ships for cold iron services is expensive. Who is going to pay for it? Aren't the drinks expensive enough? ;)

 

In the example of 8,000 kW or 8 megawatts, this is enough power to statistically power about 5000 homes according to most power operators. You just cannot switch on that kind of load in a remote area without lots of planning and designing. Multiple ships? I don't know what kind of analogy to use here...perhaps cat owners may know. (the multiple cats thing :eek: )

 

Getting back to BMU...Bermuda is a beautiful place. I was there a few weeks ago and you would never know a 120 mph cane ripped through there less than three years ago. For the most part anyway.

 

Cheers,

 

Norman

[electricron]

The 8,000 kW hotel load is for Ecstasy class (Carnival) vessels. I don't have the specifics on hand but I'm sure the Explorer class vessels are easily 50% higher. Expense and more expense.

We have a 4,160 volt system onboard. It's kind of an oddball system for our class (overbuilt) and I believe Ecstasy class vessels have a 6.6 kV main bus. Star (Dawn) class ships on NCL's fleet have an 11kV system bus I believe.

In any case, switching taps is afforded by the air circuit breaker system and can be done swiftly and safely in most cases. Sometimes there's a surge that can affect onboard systems but in the case with shorepower connections the onboard systems are designed to handle these abberations without casualty. This is obviously not your typical 50A pleasureboat shorepower plug!

Fitting ships for cold iron services is expensive. Who is going to pay for it? Aren't the drinks expensive enough? ;)

In the example of 8,000 kW or 8 megawatts, this is enough power to statistically power about 5000 homes according to most power operators. You just cannot switch on that kind of load in a remote area without lots of planning and designing. Multiple ships? I don't know what kind of analogy to use here...perhaps cat owners may know. (the multiple cats thing :eek: )

Getting back to BMU...Bermuda is a beautiful place. I was there a few weeks ago and you would never know a 120 mph cane ripped through there less than three years ago. For the most part anyway.

Cheers, Norman

 

Phasing would be a larger problem than many suggest. Improper phasing, ABC vice BAC, isn't swift to correct, and isn't a short duration electrical problem. Wires would have to be reversed in the cables. Again solvable with having multiple cables and more air circuit breakers. But how many air circuit breakers are we going to need at each pier? Two sets for each transformer tap? Then consideration will have to made on a standard connector. If bolts and lugs, which size bolt and nut should be used? Metric or English? If some sort of quick disconnect receptacle, which size, standard, and manufacture brand?

 

Just look at the home wiring standards for receptacles around the world. But every ship and pier on this world will have to decide on a common standard for this to become a reality.

 

I agree, turning on a 8,000 kW to 16,000 kW load will zap the local power grid in remote areas, possibly even causing hours long black outs. If the black out is several hours long, what do you believe ships will do? I know, they will go back to the ship's generators. But what about the citizens in these remote ports? They can't go back to the ship's power. If the port is without power, so will be the local shops and restaurants. Not very good for the local businesses, nor will it be good for the passengers going ashore.

[kimdave68]

With such marginal reserve it wouldn't make much sense on an isolated place.

 

That's pretty much a deal breaker. Not having enough power or causing blackouts certainly would be. Methinks the locals are already heated enough about the ships being there in the first place.

[2Cruise4Ever]

Over the last decade or so, the entire cruising industry has changed with all the "Mega" ships being built. As a result, Bermuda saw the writing on the wall: make it possible for the mega ships to come in or lose the cruising business :eek: So, the Bermuda government has a plan to dredge the main channel leading to Hamilton and St. Georges so that the bigger ships can dock/tender in. I don't know what the specific plan is, but it will happen sooner or later. Once that is in place, all cruise ships will have access to these ports. So, I'm sure that NCL (and the other lines with smaller ships who are selling them) is aware and the itineraries after 2008 will include these two ports.

[RichNY]

A little food for thought..

 

http://www.bnt.bm/News_and_Events/news_and_events.htm

[Dancyalien]

Thank you so much for posting that information. It is very interesting.....

[RWFrye5]

Why can't NCL continue to do Bermuda cruises with bigger ships and tender people in like they do in so many other ports?

[seamama1]

While Bermuda welcomes cruise ships, they have always been very selective in determining which ships can call at the island. If you read the Ministry report offered by previous posters, you can see that they are more interested in protecting their environment and the sea around them, than they are in accomodating ships.

 

It has always been Bermuda's decision on which liners call, how frequently they can call, where they can dock and for how long. They also control the number of passengers that can tender into Hamilton or other towns. Their tight regulation is what has kept Bermuda such a desirable destination.

 

I can't see them tearing up their reefs and dredging just to permit the mega-monster ships to call. They may decide to adopt the Dockyard - or they may not. In any case, I believe they will always regulate the number of passengers on the island at any one time. Sooner or later, large monstrosities (like the proposed Genesis) will just have to bypass this little place. We will all be the sadder for it too. Bermuda is such a lovely, lovely place.:(

[electricron]

Why can't NCL continue to do Bermuda cruises with bigger ships and tender people in like they do in so many other ports?

 

Tendering is a possible solution for ever larger ships. But there really aren't many good locations near Bermuda's ports for anchorage.

I found this web page interesting.

http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/port_studies/tr8203nc/bermuda/text/sect2.htm

 

Excerpts:

Anchorages

1) Five Fathom Hole, east of Town Cut, has a bottom of coral and rock and offers poor holding.

2) Saint Georges Harbor has anchorage for large vessels in 29-47 ft of water, but has poor holding ground in stiff mud. Entry through Town Cut Channel is restricted. Deep-draft vessels should transit at high tide and proceed at minimum speed to maintain steerage. Large vessels should not transit when cross winds exceed about 15 kt.

3) Murrays Anchorage, north of the islands, is a large and unencumbered deep-water basin with good holding ground. Sea conditions frequently prevent small boat operations in this area during heavy weather.

4) Grassy Bay, east of the Dockyards, is a small, deep (36-48 ft), unencumbered basin with good holding ground of marl. Vessels should veer a goodly scope of chain during storm force winds from the north.

5) The Great Sound, west of Hamilton, is a spacious, mostly landlocked bight inside the southern arc of the Bermuda islands. The southwest part of the bight is the preferred heavy weather anchorage, and better than the Hamilton Harbor anchorage.

6) Hamilton Harbor has an anchorage with a depth of 40 ft in the outer (west of White Island) part with good holding ground of mud and shells. This harbor, however, is a poor choice for deep-draft vessels anchored during high winds; because of small craft congestion, deep-draft vessels are limited to transit through Two Rock Passage (which is only 450 ft wide) where backwash from the south shore may induce a sheer.

7) Port Royal Bay, south of the Great Sound, has an anchorage that is considered the best available in the Bermuda area during high winds.

 

Both (1) and (2) have poor holding grounds. (3) has good holding ground, but lousy for operating boats in bad weather. (5) and (7) are too far away from any town, therefore a very long boat ride. (6) Although the shortest boat ride, has too much traffic.

So none of the anchorages are ideal for cruise ships and their passengers.

While the best anchorages are close to shore, they are miles away from towns with tender piers, and you still must navigate narrow passages to get ot them. Narrow passages is what prevent large cruise ships, longer than 700 feet, from docking at Hamilton and St. George. Therefore, these same narrow passages will prevent large cruise ships from anchoring safely too.