Bermuda's transport minister came out against allowing a new generation of huge cruise ships capable of carrying up to 3,000 passengers to dock at the islands.
Transport Minister Ewart Brown said the British territory did not want the massive cruise ships to dock because of environmental and infrastructure concerns. A draft government policy on the cruise
ship industry will reflect concerns that the island's shipping lanes would need to be dredged to handle the massive ships, which could eventually damage Bermuda's world-famous coral reefs.
Brown said Bermuda could comfortably handle ships with 1,500 passengers, but those with 3,000 would severely strain the mid-Atlantic island's ferry and taxi services. "The cruise industry is changing rapidly. The information contained in the report will be included in the development of a comprehensive cruise ship policy for the island with a goal to still accommodate cruise ships, but avoid mega-ship(s)," he said.