Tourism Minister David Allen pinned hopes on an industry revival last weekend with the successful start of his new cruise and fly scheme.

Joined by Youth Minister Dennis Lister and Tourism Board chairman Deleay Robinson MP, Mr. Allen welcomed Crown Cruise Lines and Apple Vacations officials in a special ceremony on board the Crown Dynasty .

Also present was West End Development Corporation chairman Walter Lister, Meyer Travel boss Henry Hayward, and Marine and Ports and Customs officials, and Hotel Employer's Association president John Harvey.

Last Tuesday Mr. Allen was named an honorary citizen of Baltimore, Maryland by the city's mayor. The day itself was the Crown Cruise Line/Bermuda Day for the city.

Beginning in June the ship will make its weekly visits from out of Philadelphia.

Re-fitted to the tune of $1.5 million to showcase Bermuda themes throughout, for this year 100 of the Crown Dynasty's 800 staterooms are dedicated solely to the scheme.

Next year the number of berths for the Cruise and Fly scheme increases by 50, followed by a further jump of 50 in 2002.

The main dining room, bars, and even decks are named after Bermuda landmarks and cultural icons while local artists are represented with prints of their work in each berth and public areas.

Cruisers gather in the Southampton Lounge, the Gombey Lounge, and on Warwick Deck while eating conch fritters and sipping Dark and Stormy drinks.

The local theme is carried over into such details as the tables in the Hamilton Dining Room which are garnished with hand crafted Gibbs Hill Lighthouses provided by a local company.

Last week's two day voyage saw absolutely clear skies on Friday after thunderstorms on Wednesday night after leaving Baltimore.

The voyage drew the attention of Maryland politicians and media -- with Mr.

Allen meeting the Maryland Transportation Secretary about the area's importance to the Bermuda market.

Mr. Allen also highlighted the role of chairman of travel wholesaler Apple Vacations, John Mullen and Apple vice-president Doug Brown who he said were "so instrumental'' in closing the Cruise and Fly deal.

Mr. Allen said: "I'm certainly pleased for me to be here today at this rather historic occasion that sees a dedicated weekend cruise ship arrive for Dockyard.

"The Cruise and Fly formula initiates a new partnership between the cruise and hotel industry unlike any that we have seen before.'' "Also special about this scheme is that Crown Cruises has agreed to a Government request to take up to 30 young Bermudians on board for training.'' Mr. Allen added that, with the refit, student programme, the Fly and Cruise scheme, and the partnership with Apple Vacations, the Crown Dynasty is a "Bermuda branded ship'' and unlike anything seen since the heyday of the Queen of Bermuda .

"I've got a checklist of 23 things that I'm going to be presenting to the cruise line to further Bermudianize this ship. They've been more than accommodating to us,'' Mr. Allen continued. "Even when the ship is in the Caribbean the tourists are going to see Bermuda.

"We're putting the Bermudian back into Bermuda tourism,'' he added. "Cruise and Fly means there could be as much as 13,000 extra hotel bed nights this year.

"If they don't fill those 100 berths they still have to sail. That's a very strong incentive to sell those cabins. These Mid-Atlantic states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the Carolinas are very key for the success of tourism.'' Mr. Allen added: "What all of this means is people are being sold on Bermuda.

This is a very subtle way of selling Bermuda.

"And we expect that this will be of benefit to US Air, contrary to opposition complaints,'' he continued. "Apple has their own charters but there will be overflow for US Air coming out of Philadelphia. It was said they were cutting back, but the contrary is true, they are adding seats.'' "Once again Bermuda is blazing the trail. The cruise ship industry is very important to Bermuda. A significant portion of the economy is derived from it.'' Blazing a trail: The Crown Dynasty , top, arrives in Bermuda on her maiden voyage to the Island while on board Tourism Minister David Allen, centre, presents an inscribed plaque of the Bermuda coat of arms to Crown Cruise Lines president John Mullen, left.