Bermuda eyes new east end cruise ship terminal
The government of Bermuda is considering a new cruise ship pier for the destination's east end that would make it easier for large cruise vessels to visit the area, USA TODAY reports.
Bermuda Transport Minister Walter Roban on Friday held a press conference to announce that the government was in discussions with cruise lines over such a pier, which would be near the town of St. George's, Bermuda's Royal Gazette reports.
Roban noted the discussions were at a "very preliminary stage," and he did not name the cruise lines involved or give a timetable for when the project might move forward.
Tourist businesses on the east end of Bermuda have suffered in recent years as cruise lines have cut back on calls at St. George's. The dock at St. George's and the "town cut" waterway leading to the dock are too small to accommodate the industry's new generation of larger ships, and most cruise vessels now dock only at King's Wharf on Bermuda's west end.
The Bermuda government is investigating the possibility of developing the new east end cruise pier at an area on the north shore of St. George's Island known as Murray's Anchorage, the Royal Gazette says.
"It is our belief that reinstating a cruise ship presence in the east end will revitalize the local economy and create much-needed jobs," The Royal Gazette quotes Roban as saying.
The news outlet says the announcement was met with skepticism from locals who said they had heard such proposals before without results.