Shop bosses have clashed over the course Bermuda's cruise ship policy should chart for the future.

Peter Cooper of A. S. Cooper is chairman the retail section of the Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Cooper -- who stressed he was speaking in a personal capacity -- backed Government's plan to block regular weekend callers.

He also endorsed bringing newcomer Princess Cruise Lines, regarded as a quality operator, on board and multi-port cruises.

But John Casling, a leading light in the Coalition for Change, a pressure group of shop chiefs and others dependent on the tourist trade, called for a new direction -- including weekend ships and Carnival Cruise Lines, seen as a more downmarket operation than Princess, as well as single-port visits.

Mr. Cooper said: "The two-port and three-port call, I think, is really generated by people on the cruises.

"They enjoy it a lot and that's what my ears to the ground tell me. That's the first consideration -- they're the customers and the Department of Tourism is responding to that.

"I'm not being selfish about this -- multi-ports gives each of these ports the chance to get a crack at the customer.

"Where we have these shops in areas like Dockyard and St. George's, the small shops benefit from this -- the wealth is being spread in terms of cruise ship passengers.

Mr. Cooper also pointed out that rental bikes could be dangerous in inexperienced hands, while taxis were expensive by North American standards and buses and ferries were relatively slow.

He said: "These ships ferrying people between ports takes the pressure off the transportation system as well.'' Mr. Cooper spoke out after Tourism Minister David Dodwell, who announced the three-port Princess Cruises deal recently, came under fire from his Shadow counterpart David Allen.

Mr. Allen called for a regular weekend ship to boost business on the Island -- and use spare capacity at expensive docking facilities like Dockyard.

He also backed Carnival, the world's biggest cruise operator, and claimed they were keen to run regular trips on the weekend.

But Bermuda Hotel Association boss John Harvey warned that weekend ships would hurt the hotel sector -- and would damage employment prospects for Bermudians working in the hospitality industry.

Mr. Cooper said: "There is very definitely a concern about the hotels -- they're not just telling the Department of Tourism there is a problem.

"And, let's face it, the hotels employ a major amount of people and we have to consider that.'' Mr. Cooper also pointed out that the new deal would mean a ship using Dockyard for its last call and would replace a ship earlier taken away.

And he added he understood Carnival would come at weekends -- but also wanted to visit two ports, rather than one.

Mr. Casling, however, who operates several shops under the Smuggler's Reef name, hit back.

He said: "Somewhere along here, somebody's got to get real.'' Mr. Casling said the Bahamas took in more cruise ship passengers than any comparable destination -- and said its booming hotel industry is "going through the roof'' in terms of bookings.

And he added that Mr. Harvey's linking of a weekend caller with damage to the hotel sector was "ludicrous.'' Mr. Casling said: "It's absolutely nothing to do with cruise ships and anyone in the travel trade would tell you this.'' And he claimed cruise ship passengers -- if trips to Bermuda were not available -- would not have a land-based holiday here, but cruise to another destination.

Mr. Casling added: "I agree we need weekend ships, especially Carnival, because it gives us a different mix of client.'' BUSINESS BUC