news that a regular caller caught fire.

And with two cruise ships off the season's schedule, cruise ship visitor arrival figures plummeted to 3,767 for the week.

The Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) vessel Dreamward , which is now operating between US and Canadian ports on its autumn schedule, was crippled after a fire knocked out her engines on Tuesday.

The cruise ship was en route to Nova Scotia from Quebec City with 1,053 passengers on board when the fire occurred. The crew was able to repair the damage and restore power.

Dreamward is due to return to Bermuda on November 3 on her repositioning cruise. It is understood the event will not affect that schedule.

Also off the visiting schedule is the liner Meridian which was sold to Metro Holdings Ltd. by Celebrity Cruise Lines for $62.15 million.

Meanwhile, the sale of the Royal Majesty was also completed.

NCL purchased Kvaerner Corporation's 90 percent share in the vessel for $190 million. The sale means it is represented by Meyer Agencies in Bermuda instead of John S. Darrell.

Meyer spokesman Stephen Paynter said the vessel arrived at Ordinance Island with 971 passengers on Tuesday and was due to depart for Boston tomorrow.

On Monday the Zenith arrived from New York with 1,371 passengers, he continued.

It berthed in Hamilton and shifted to St. George's yesterday morning and was due to depart this afternoon.

John S. Darrell spokesman Richard King said Song of America arrived on Tuesday in St. George's with 1,425 passengers.

The Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ship switched to Hamilton on Wednesday and was set to depart tomorrow.

The container docks hosted only two callers this week.

Bermuda Islander arrived from Salem, New Jersey, on Monday with 102 containers including 15 which were refrigerated. The ship left the following day.

And the Oleander arrived on Sunday, reported Container Ship Management Ltd.

spokeswoman Glynnis Dickinson.

It offloaded 41 refers, 110 dry containers, three open containers of structural steel and five cars before departing on Tuesday.

In other shipping news, the cable ship Cable Venture arrived on Friday from New York and berthed in Dockyard where she off loaded her cargo of cable for the Island. The vessel departed yesterday morning for the UK.

The cement ship Anparo Paola docked at the Commercial Berth in Dockyard where she off loaded her cargo of Portland grey cement. It left Tuesday morning.