‘It is unfortunate that Holland America Line is withdrawing the ‘Veendam’ from Bermuda in 2013. Apparently, the New York to Bermuda schedule was not meeting their revenue projections, and they have decided to deploy the ship to another location”, said Minister Burgess. The ‘Veendam’ is scheduled to make 19 calls to Bermuda in 2012.

The ‘Veendam’ entered service in 1996, and is one of the few remaining small cruise ships capable of docking in Hamilton. At recent Town Hall meetings on the Channel Study is was emphasized that there are less than 30 cruise ships currently capable of docking in St. George’s and Hamilton, with 1/3 of them set for retirement in the next few years. The Study also concluded that there will come a time when the older and smaller ships will no longer be able to compete head-to-head with the newer and larger cruise ships being built today. Also emphasized was that none of the new cruise ships being built will be capable of docking in St. George’s and Hamilton, and that infrastructure improvements would be required if the decision is made to dock the larger ships at both ports.

Minister Burgess added: ‘We continue to pursue the availability of small cruise ships for St. George’s and Hamilton, but the reality is those ships that are available are mostly Luxury and Premium cruise brands doing world-wide itineraries or are no longer competitive in the North American market’.

Daily non-stop flights between Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Bermuda (BDA) will commence April 7 2011 and run until October 24 2011.

Direct flights from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Bermuda will begin on May 26 2011 and end on September 6 2011.

AirTran Airways has been ranked the number one low cost carrier in the Airline Quality Rating study for the past three years. It is the only major airline with Gogo Inflight Internet on every flight.

As I address you, we are just over 24 hours away from experiencing the beginning of what is expected to be the ferocious impact of Hurricane Igor.

We have all heard the reports from the Bermuda Weather Service that this storm will be a long and punishing one and the potential for injury and physical damage is great.

It is my sincere hope that you and your families take the remainder of today to finalise your hurricane preparations, by securing your homes, your property and ensuring that you have adequate supplies.

Earlier this morning the Emergency Measures Organisation met to get the latest update on Hurricane Igor and the status of preparations by the security forces and essential services.

I want to take this opportunity to assure the people of Bermuda that your Government is doing everything possible to ensure our preparedness prior to and post the storm.

There is no doubt that in the immediate aftermath of the storm, there will be a heightened level of activity with members of the public wishing to check on the wellbeing of their friends and family, and the status of their property.

I want to caution you though, that this will be a critical period of assessment by our Emergency Services personnel, such as Fire, Police and the Bermuda Regiment.

From a public safety stand point I am urging members of the public to refrain from travelling the roads to explore any damage that may have been caused. It will be imperative that a full assessment by our emergency teams is done as quickly as possible.

Let me take a few minutes to touch on some very critical points that residents should be aware of as the storm approaches.

• By late Sunday night, the worst of the storm will begin. It will be at its closest point of approach at 2:00 am Monday morning. We can expect sustained winds of up 90 knots and potential gusts of 110 knots.

The L. F. Wade International Airport is currently open, but it is anticipated that it will close late Saturday afternoon. It is expected to reopen on Monday following an assessment of the runway and the airport facility by the Department of Airport Operations.

• Weather conditions around the Causeway are being monitored. It is anticipated, that in accordance with established protocol, closure of the Causeway will be coincident with the onset of 50 knot Easterly winds. Currently that is forecast for Sunday afternoon. Once a decision is made to close the Causeway, the public will be notified in advance of its closure.

• Residents in low lying areas and who live along the water should be prepared for storm surge flooding and have already been contacted to make the necessary preparations to secure their properties.

• The Ministry of Culture & Social Rehabilitation has prepared and equipped the emergency shelter at CedarBridge Academy. As of 5:00 pm today (Friday), members of the public seeking shelter can begin making their way to this facility.

• The KEMH has reported all is in readiness. The Lambe Foggo Urgent Care Centre will be operational. Nurses and a physician will be on duty at the facility. KEMH ambulances will also be stationed at the facility. The St. John Ambulance Brigade is also deploying an ambulance in St. George.

• Hotels and guest properties are in hurricane preparedness mode and have contingency plans in place. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is monitoring the approaching storm and is continuously liaising with the Bermuda Hotel Association to ensure that visitors have the latest information.

• The Government’s Emergency Assistance Organisation (EAO) will be ready to assist once the storm has passed. Please call the EAO at 292-6325 or 292-6339, should you require emergency help after the storm.

• The Bermuda Electric Light Company and the telecommunications companies have contingency plans in place to begin restoring service following the passage of the storm should that be necessary.

• There is a partial embodiment of elements of the Bermuda Regiment, and those soldiers are asked to report to Warwick Camp as ordered on Sunday. All remaining soldiers should be on standby for possible embodiment after the storm.

• The Bermuda Reserve Police are on standby for embodiment.

• The Emergency Broadcast station at 100.1 FM is the official source for information regarding the Hurricane as necessary just prior to, during and after the storm.

• The EMO will meet again on Monday after the passing of the storm to further update the public on any developments.

• The Ministry of Education wishes to advise that all Government Schools will be closed on Monday during the storm and Tuesday to allow a full assessment of schools prior to reopening.

• At this stage Government Offices will close on Monday.

• Government House has advised that a Royal Navy frigate will be on standby off Bermuda during the storm and will enter port following to lend assistance.

Finally, I wish to take this opportunity to commend the residents on their strength of spirit and courage, during what can easily be described as a challenging time for our Country. I also want to commend – you – the media for providing balanced and accurate information on this storm and encouraging our residents to take the threat seriously.

In recent years, we have witnessed the awesome power of Mother Nature and the devastation that hurricanes inflict on countries and communities.

None of us will soon forget Hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans and areas along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and South Florida in 2005.

Closer to home, we’ve experienced our own challenges with the unforgettable Hurricane Emily – 24 years ago and Hurricane Fabian in 2003.

Following each of these disasters, we came together as one to assist in rebuilding our communities.

And it is my genuine belief, that should we sustain serious damage in the wake of this storm, we will rally together once again to ensure that our Island is up and running as swiftly as possible.

It is also in this spirit of unity that I ask you to be mindful of your neighbors, seniors in particular and look out for one another during this testing time for our Island.

I would now like to invite Dr. Guishard to the podium to provide you with specifics on the weather.

Thank you.

This storm is one that should be taken extremely seriously – as the Minister has already stated, the threat is high. A Hurricane Watch is already in effect. We at the Bermuda Weather Service, in consultation with the US National Hurricane Center, will be issuing a Hurricane Warning this afternoon. this Warning is issued whenever hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours.

If there is any doubt, let me make a few basic comparisons – Hurricane Fabian in 2003 was a Category 3 when it made a direct hit on Bermuda – this storm, Hurricane Igor is also forecast to be at or near Category 3 intensity when it moves close to Bermuda on Sunday night.

Fabian had a wind swath at the equivalent time frame 2 days before the CPA, of about 110 nm in diameter. The swath of Hurricane Force winds associated with Igor is currently approximately 150 nautical miles across. The tropical storm force winds (otherwise known as gales in winter storms) extend some 500 miles across the storm’s diameter (Fabian’s were 350nm). So, not only is Igor of similar intensity to Fabian, it is actually bigger, making us an even more likely target. Make no mistake, even if the center of this system misses the island, we will experience significant impacts.

The current forecast is indeed for a direct hit on the island, the worst case scenario in these situations. Accordingly, we should prepare for sustained winds of on the order of 100 knots (115 mph), with gusts to 120 knot or 140 mph. Again, this is comparable to the wind speeds we experienced during Hurricane Fabian in 2003.

The baseline level of the water (without putting wind driven waves on top of
it) is what we refer to as storm surge, and it is expected to be on the order of 5 to 7 feet above the normal tide levels. high tides through the weekend are in the pre-dawn hours and early evenings, low tides are generally near noon and midnight. I must reiterate the comments of the Minister – if your property is prone to surge, then it will likely have some inundation during this event.

Analyses of the wave heights associated with Igor indicate that the maximum waves at the centre of the storm are in excess of 50 feet. Already we are starting to see large swells on the south shore in advance of the approach of Igor. Expect rip currents and battering waves on the reefline, and potentially dangerous surf at the beaches.

Rainfall is always of concern and isolated road flooding is to be expected.

Of course with all tropical systems, which are intensely rotating, there is the potential for the spin up of tornado activity, which we saw in both Hurricane Fabian, and in Category 1 Hurricane Emily in 1987. In recent years, we have seen tornado activity associated with outer rain bands – Hurricane Florence in 2006 and Hurricane Bill last year are examples of this. The point I am making is that even in advance of the worst conditions, we could see some severe weather affect the island several hours before the onset of worst conditions.

Regarding levels of certainty, computer models on which we base these forecasts have been not only consistent with each other, but also consistent through time, in saying that we will have an impact from Igor. However, one of the very reasons that we treat tropical systems with such caution is their ability to make sudden changes in track and intensity – hence, as with all tropical systems, there is uncertainty inherent in this forecast. We all hope and pray that Igor will veer a little further away than is currently forecast, but we must take all action now to prepare to safeguard life and property.

Please have a plan of action to protect your life, your family, your property and your business. If you have a plan, please implement it now – Saturday evening will be too late to make any further preparations – as I have already said in previous media statements, this is not the time to be complacent. Be safe and god bless.

The Island can expect tropical storm force winds sometime around midnight Saturday and even worse conditions late Sunday around midnight when the current forecast is for a direct hit. Residents are advised to take the warnings seriously as the Island has not experienced such an intense storm since Hurricane Fabian hit Bermuda in 2003.

By 3p.m. on Sunday, 50 knot east to south east winds are expected and winds will continue to increase and reach sustained hurricane force by 6 p.m. Sunday and continue through the night. If the island sustains a direct hit as is the current forecast, it also means 90-knot sustained winds with gusts above 115 knots (132mph); coastline areas can expect storm surges of 5 – 7 feet above normal tide levels; seas inside the reef are expected to rise 9 – 12 feet and outside the reef, there will be waves of 20 – 30 feet. The hurricane is also expected to drop as much as five inches of rain on the Island.

The EMO confirmed that Government Ministries, the Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda Fire & Rescue Service and the Bermuda Police Service are all in a state of readiness for the hurricane. Scheduled airline flights to and from this Island over the weekend will be affected by the weather and airline passengers should check with their respective airlines.

Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Housing, Senator the Hon. Lt. Col. David A. Burch, OBE (Mil), ED JP said the EMO is monitoring the weather conditions. Further advisories will be issued by the EMO. “The Bermuda Weather Service will provide updates as required and I strongly encourage everyone to prepare” the Minister said. “In fact you should be getting prepared now – if you wait until Saturday evening, it will be too late.”

Minister Burch stressed that the safety of everyone on the Island is the number one priority and he discouraged persons from passing on rumours of information that has not officially been released by the EMO. “The EMO is the official voice of the hurricane,” the Minister added. “If it didn’t come from the EMO, it is probably incorrect information.”

For more information on Hurricane Igor, residents can tune in to or log on to the following:

• Hurricane preparedness: www.emo.gov.bm OR www.emobermuda.com
• FaceBook updates: DCI_Dept. of Communication and Information
• Online weather updates: www.weather.bm
• Televised weather updates: CableVision Ch. 4 and WOW Ch. 100
• For The Public Forecast: Dial 977
• For The Current Observation: Dial 9771
• For The Marine Forecast Dial: 9772
• For Latest Warnings & Tropical Information: Dial 9773

Next year’s sailings on the MS Veendam run from May 1 until October 9. The ship will spend one day in St George and two nights in Hamilton.

Cruise fares begin at $699 per person plus taxes, double occupancy.

The new rules, effective May 1 2010, now require citizens of countries such as South Africa, India, Panama, Philippines, Turkey, and the Dominican Republic to obtain visas to enter the country.

The move has prompted much criticism in the media and throughout the tourism industry as it was not widely announced.

Some cruise passengers who had booked trips months before the regulations came into force were reportedly unable to come ashore when their ships docked.

Carnival will be the only cruise line offering Bermuda cruises from Charleston.

The 16 Bermuda voyages — the most the line has ever offered — will encompass a variety of six-, seven- and eight-day cruises from April through November.

Carnival’s 2011 Bermuda departures include:

• Baltimore (seven-day cruises on Carnival Pride) – April 10 and 17, September 18, October 2 and November 6
• New York (seven- and eight-day departures on Carnival Miracle) – April 14 and 21, and September 11 and 27
• Norfolk (six-day sailing on Carnival Glory) – October 16
• Charleston, South Carolina (six-day voyages on Carnival Fantasy) – April 23, May 19, June 16, August 25, September 15 and October 6

Reservations are currently open for the six Charleston departures with the line’s other Bermuda cruises expected to be open over the next few weeks.

All ships will dock at the Royal Naval Dockyard (King’s Wharf or Heritage Wharf).

Six-day cruises will offer two-day calls at King’s Wharf or Heritage Wharf while seven- and eight-day cruises will feature three-day visits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNtovSb6uDc

Prior to today Canadians could enter Bermuda with photo identification and a birth certificate.

Research indicates that the move will have little impact on the numbers of Canadian tourists visiting the island.

NCL will sail two ships from the Northeast to Bermuda weekly from May through October calling at Kings Wharf.

Norwegian Gem, one of Norwegian’s newest and largest Freestyle Cruising ships carrying 2,400 guests, will replace Norwegian Dawn sailing from New York on Sundays to Bermuda, staying for three full days. In Boston, the 2,224-passenger Norwegian Dawn will homeport there for the first time, replacing Norwegian Spirit which sailed from Boston for two years. The ship will depart on Fridays with three days in Bermuda.