new cruise ship policy with a full page advertisement in today's Royal Gazette .

Entitled `Hotels are the Backbone', the ad presents a series of points highlighting the lack of input the Island receives from the cruise passenger while lamenting the decision to allow up to 180,000 visit per year.

Last night, BHA president Dennis Tucker said: "We are concerned that the new policy allows for 180,000 cruise visitors. Once again this inhibits our ability to entice visitors who will stay in the hotels. They are Bermuda's bread and butter.'' And Mr. Tucker slammed Government's permit fee which he said the BHA believed should be twice as much.

"We are also concerned that the new fee is as small as it is. We think the fee should be doubled. We have to bear in mind the contribution these ships make to the Island's infrastructure.'' He pointed out that while hotels paid an "exorbitant'' amount in taxes to Government, the cruise ships paid little beside a passenger entry fee.

"Consider that in the last seven or eight years hotels have lost in excess of $45 million. We are not getting enough income to cover all the fees.'' The cruise ships were the hotels' major competitor, said Mr. Tucker, "but unfortunately we do not play on a level playing field''.

He also warned that additional ships visiting Bermuda from the US would adversely affect airlines serving the Island and international business.

Mr. Tucker said the BHA also did not support the policy's idea of a weekend "cruise and stay'' visitor.

"We object to that as well. Our feeling is that a cruise and stay would certainly not work in the best interest of the hotelier. The primary objective of the cruise ship operator is to fill the ship, not provide stay over visitors.''