Today’s arrival of Viking Cruises “Orion” signals the beginning of home-porting for Bermuda. Acting Minister of Transport, the Hon. Walter Roban said: “The sight of a cruise ship returning to our shores brings with it the promise of much needed economic activity. Many sectors depend on business from cruise passengers and crew and through the successful realization of homeporting for Bermuda, the Government has taken another important step to get Bermudians back to work.”
The Viking Orion will stay at anchor to complete ship quarantine until Thursday, 27 May. It will then relocate to Hamilton to prepare for its first Bermuda Escape cruise.
Minister Roban added, "It was good news to hear that Viking had arrived in Bermuda waters. We were all a bit concerned with the weather conditions, but the ship has made it safely to our shores, and we look forward to welcoming the first passengers on the island.
"We are pleased that Homeporting in Bermuda is officially underway, with a number of other ships planning to make calls to the island later this year. This is an exciting time for Bermuda, and we anticipate that Homeporting will provide a boost to our local tourism economy."
The Ministry of Transport wishes to remind the public that each of us has a role to play in stopping the spread of the coronavirus. Follow Public Health guidelines, wear a mask, practice good hand hygiene, maintain physical distance and download the WeHealth Bermuda app. Do the research, talk with your doctor, and make an informed decision about getting the COVID-19 vaccine.