ONLY six cruise ships will call at Hamilton in 2009 in a massive blow to the city's retailers.

This number, obtained by the Mid-Ocean News from an early draft of the Department of Marine & Ports Services 2009 cruise ship schedule, is down from 89 in 2007.

This year has marked the first time in over a century that cruise ships have not had Hamilton as their main port of call. Next year looks to be just as bleak for retailers in the city that some have likened to a ghost town.

There are fewer cruise ships coming to Bermuda this year and currently Dockyard and St. George's serve as ports of call. Only 11 came into Hamilton in 2008.

Compared to the 354,024 cruise ship passengers of 2007, Bermuda will only see around 284,000 cruise ship passengers this year ¿ a drop of more than 70,000.

Government, however, defends the decline in numbers and has said the fewer cruise ship passengers will be offset by longer stays. This year 81 per cent of the ships coming to Bermuda stayed two or more days versus the 67 per cent in 2007. Government has defended the lack of cruise ships in Hamilton, by explaining that the newer mega ships do not fit through Two Rock Passage. This channel is the only way into Hamilton Harbour.

In addition,Hamilton's terminal facilities only accommodate ships up to 750 feet in length. The mega ships, also known as Panamax vessels, can be up to 1,000 feet long.

While Government insists it's becoming impossible to attract smaller niche cruise lines, the Corporation of Hamilton and the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce insists that it would be possible with increased effort.

Hamilton retailers and visitors are livid that very few cruise ships will be docking in Hamilton.

One cruise ship passenger said he was furious at being stuck in Dockyard.

"The transportation to leave the area is pitiful and makes it hard to get around Bermuda," he said.

"I've been coming here for over 20 years and am so mad at the lack of respect for cruise ship passengers. I am never coming back because Bermuda has lost all its charm."

Another cruise ship passenger wrote on a local web site Bermuda Online: "We want to be able to dock in Hamilton or St. George's as before. We want to be able to stroll off the ship moored so conveniently close to the sights of Bermuda and walk just a few hundred yards into stores and sightseeing attractions.

"We don't want long journeys on crowded buses or expensive taxis or unsafe mopeds or relatively infrequent ferry boats. Bermuda Government Tourism ¿ put Hamilton and St. George's back on your cruise ship ports of call, please, and keep our business, or face the loss of your cruise ship business through greed. Have more respect for and appreciation of cruise passengers."

Front Street retailers disagree on the impact of fewer Hamilton cruises to their business.

Douglas Patterson, owner of Makin Waves, said: "If you go back to day one when they announced there would be no more cruise ships, that was a concern and we didn't know coming into this year what would happen.

"I also don't believe in sitting around waiting for someone to make something happen for you."

Jay Riihiluoma, who runs his family gift shop, Flying Colours on Queen Street, told the Mid-Ocean News: "Business, including Harbour Nights, has been seriously impacted from the lack of cruise ships in Hamilton.

"In my experience, and in talking with cruise ship passengers this year, they would all rather be in Hamilton than St. George's or Dockyard."

Mr. Riihiluoma said: "I'll ask the same questions I've been asking for the last year: How will Bermuda move 7,000 people around the island? When they walk off those two boats in Dockyard I'm concerned that those passengers will not have a great experience in Bermuda."

Mr. Riihiluoma worries about the future of Front Street.

"Businesses like ours employ only Bermudians. The lack of cruise ships forcing stores to close is putting Bermudians out of work. The folks we employ in retail can't go knock on the insurance and reinsurance industry doors because they haven't got degrees and the skill sets involved to get a job in that field. In the interim we all can't tread water."

Mr. Patterson said he had always planned to focus on the Bermuda market versus the tourism market.

"For us we have a big local market. That was one of our key missions when we first opened 20 years ago. Tourists aren't always going to be here. Anything can happen to stop the tourists from coming.

"This summer for us in town has been very good and I can only say thank you to the locals who have come to shop."