The Dept. of Tourism has projected that there will be 170 cruise calls in the 2006 cruise ship season including ten one-day visits of the Crown Princess with 3,000 passengers.

Besides the regular callers to our shores from NCL and RCI, the Crown Princess will be visiting Bermuda for the first time from mid-summer with over 3,000 passengers on board.

Projected figures were revealed to vendors on Tuesday night at a Product Development Seminar by the Department of Tourism's Manger of Sports Promotion, Adam Barboza.

Mr. Barboza told a crowd of about 50 that it was projected there would be 170 cruise calls in 2006 with 143 regular and 27 occasional calls.

There were a total of 165 scheduled calls this year with 156 in 2004.

The Projected Port Itinerary for 2006 will see the Zenith sailing from Cape Liberty, New Jersey to Hamilton as she currently does.

Empress of the Seas, sailing from Philadelphia will arrive in St. George's on Mondays to replace the Horizon, but will arrive early in the afternoon as opposed to early morning.

The Norwegian Crown, sailing from Philadelphia and NY will return to Bermuda on Tuesdays, as well as the Norwegian Majesty sailing from Boston, arriving in St. George's.

The Explorer of the Seas, sailing from New Jersey, will replace the Voyager of the Seas and will alternate with the Grandeur of the Seas, sailing from Baltimore. Both will berth at the Royal Naval Dockyard.

The Empress of the Seas is expected to be moved from St. George's to Hamilton in 2006.

On Wednesday's the Explorer of the Seas and alternatively the Grandeur of the Seas will leave Dockyard.

The Zenith will move to St. George's from Hamilton and the Norwegian Crown will move from St. George's to Hamilton.

Thursdays the Zenith will leave St. George's as she currently does and the Empress of the Seas will leave Hamilton, followed by the Norwegian Crown which will move to Dockyard.

On Friday's the Norwegian Crown and Norwegian Majesty will leave the Island and as of July, Crown Princess will begin arriving for ten, one day calls.

Mr. Barboza said there would be 27 occasional calls for 2006, predominately in April, September and October.

They include the Jewel of the Seas, Golden Princess, Carnival Legend and the Noordam, as well as various other ships.

He added that in 2004 it was estimated that the average spend per cruise ship passenger per visit was approximately $186.

While the average crew member spent between $98 and $131 every time they came to Bermuda.