Bermuda Begins the Year with Steep Drop in Cruise Tourism
The cruise industry continues to see a rush of excitement and record-breaking bookings – but cruise guests haven’t been rushing to Bermuda.
The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) is reporting a staggering 68.7% decrease in the number of cruise passengers that made it to the Atlantic Island in the first quarter of 2025.
Specifically, 13,368 cruise guests sailed to Bermuda between January and March across what was supposed to be ten ship calls.
While this may sound like a lot, it is actually a big decline from the 42,715 cruisers who visited during the same time period in 2024 and the 22,784 passengers who called in 2023.
Although the Bermuda cruise season is most active from April to November, cruise lines sail to the destination year-round – with ten cruise ships originally scheduled to visit the port in the first quarter.
However, the most updated port schedule shows that four of the ships – P&O Cruises’ Ventura and Aurora, Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria, and Regent Seven Seas’ Grandeur – cancelled their planned calls.
It’s not clear why the cancellations occurred, but it is most likely related to the gale force winds that are common during this time of year and make docking in the Royal Naval Dockyard unsafe.
But these scrapped calls meant that no cruise ships visited Bermuda in January, only ship one came in February, and the remaining five visited in March.
It’s also not uncommon for the expected number of ship calls to vary from year to year as the cruise lines are constantly trying to adjust itineraries to meet the demand from cruisers, while also accounting for factors like port availability.
The way the numbers worked out is that 179 ship calls are projected for 2025 as a whole – which is down from the 190 expected calls in 2024 and the 224 anticipated ship calls in 2023.
The actual numbers of visits usually varies, with the port really receiving 174 calls last year and 183 in 2023 – which suggests the total number for this year will be lower than projected as well.
Hope for Stronger Numbers
Despite a dismal first quarter, The Hon. Wayne L. Furbert, JP, MP, Bermuda’s Minister of Transport, expressed optimism for the upcoming cruise season at the beginning of the year.
“We are excited to welcome visitors from around the world to experience the beauty and hospitality of Bermuda. The cruise ship industry is a vital part of our tourism sector, and we are committed to ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for all passengers,” Minister Fubert said in a January press release.
He likely is right to be optimistic – as the remaining 169 ship calls for the year are primarily scheduled between April 2025 and November 2025 – with just two calls expected to close out the year in December.
Bermuda also has contracts in place with ships that routinely call on the cruise port. Some ships are only expected to visit a few times, such as NCL’s Norwegian Prima.
However, other regular contract ships – such as Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas – are expected to call 20 and 21 times, respectively.
Read Also: Bermuda Cruise Port: Docks, Getting Around and What’s Nearby
Meanwhile, the cruise industry as a whole has been continuing to strengthen year over year. A recent report from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) estimates that a record-breaking 37.7 million people are expected to take a cruise vacation this year.
That number is expected to continue to increase in coming years – with early predictions estimating that 39.6 people will cruise in 2026, 40.9 million will cruise in 2027, and 41.9 million will cruise in 2028.
As the industry continues to grow, it only makes sense that ports around the world – including Bermuda – will reap the benefits.