Veendam -- problems for St. George's, Bermuda

[Krazy Kruizers]

Check out this article about the Veendam and St George's in Bermuda:

http://www.bermudasun.bm/main.asp?SectionID=24&SubSectionID=270&ArticleID=43899

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just got this information:

Today, 04:24 PM
HAL_PR

Public Relations Manager, Holland America Line
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 10

Seattle, December 16, 2009 – On Holland America Line’s 2010 Bermuda sailings, the ms Veendam will anchor and tender in to St. George’s on local ferries that carry 700 guests. This operational change was made due to challenges with the Town Cut and the narrow entrance to St. George’s Harbour. We believe this will be a very efficient tender process for our guests who are sailing to experience Bermuda and Holland America Line. We expect that they will enjoy touring, dining and shopping as planned both in St. George’s and in Hamilton where the ms Veendam will dock downtown for two-nights.

Holland America Line understands that a potential engineering project could eventually solve this issue and believes this would be a very proactive and business-friendly step the Government of Bermuda could take.
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[Jeanie]

Thanks for sharing -- very interesting article

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

You are welcome.

 

[earl_m]

We will be cruising to Bermuda next year. I never like tendering to and fro.i hope they will be able to fix the problem

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Unfortunately Earl Bermuda is not going to spend big bucks to dredge the channel for the Veendam to be able to dock at St George's.

There will be one 700 passenger tender that Bermuda is providing for the tender services.

It will take about 45 minutes alone for the tender ride. Then add on time to load the tender and unload the tender. Count on about 1 1/2 hours for the tender trip.

A suggestion I made was that HAL should use some of their own tenders during peak tender times. Don't know if that will happen.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

This is a picture of the tender that is to be used -- hope the picture takes:

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

There are also a couple of smaller "fast" ferries that are used between King's Wharf and Hamilton -- don;t know if Bermuda will let one of them be moved over to St George's: