Mega cruise ships will be coming to Bermuda until at least 2018 under a new deal struck between Government and Norwegian Cruise Line.

The ten-year agreement — which will come into effect in 2009 — was announced at a press conference yesterday by Premier Ewart Brown.

It means two state-of-the-art Panamax vessels, usually travelling from New York and Boston, will each make at least 22 extended calls here per season. The Freestyle Cruising ships will dock at the new pier at Dockyard from 2009.

Norwegian Spirit — which has a passenger capacity of 2,000 — will sail from Boston to Bermuda on a Friday, calling into Dockyard from Sunday to Wednesday.

The 2,200-capacity Norwegian Dawn will sail from New York on Sundays, calling at Dockyard from Wednesday until Friday.

Norwegian Majesty — the ship which has served NCL's Boston to St. George's business for 15 years — will sail to St. George's from Charleston, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

Dr. Brown said the deal meant the Island would have cruise ships at Dockyard at least five nights a week during peak season and would mean the town of St. George still had a regular influx of passengers.

He said the deal would boost tourism and benefit businesses in Hamilton as visitors travelling to the capital from either end of the Island were likely to spend more money as their cruise ships would not be as close to hand.

But Kim Swan, the Opposition's tourism spokesman, said the impact of the mega ships on the Island's infrastructure needed to be considered. "We certainly have to look at it with an eye to a more sustainable future," he said.

He added that he hoped hotels would be the key focus of the tourism industry in ten years time, rather than cruise ships. "Certainly our emphasis as we look ten years out has to be on having more persons occupying hotel beds as opposed to reliance on mega ships," he said.

Dr. Brown said: "NCL has been a loyal and productive partner in helping us rebuild the reputation of our tourism product. I am proud to say this ongoing partnership will continue now for at least another ten years.

"This proves once again that major players in the global tourism industry are bullish on Bermuda — and they are bullish for the long term."

Colin Veitch, NCL's president and chief executive officer, said: "Since NCL first began sailing to Bermuda, it has been one of our most popular itineraries, and we have developed a truly unique relationship with the community and government of our host destination.

"Over the past 15 years, we have deployed ships from more US homeports to meet the growing demand from US travellers to visit Bermuda.

"Our new ten-year agreement with Bermuda confirms NCL's position as the leader in Bermuda cruising, plus we now have a solid basis on which to commit two of our fleet of brand new purpose-built Freestyle Cruising ships long term — a significant upgrade from our perspective and from Bermuda's."

As part of the deal NCL has agreed to sponsor the annual Bermuda Music Festival, support the St. George's Foundation and the Bermudian Heritage Association and develop a new programme to encourage cruise passengers to dine in restaurants ashore.

Yesterday's announcement comes six months after NCL committed to a 2008 itinerary which will see Norwegian Dawn sail from New York and arrive at Dockyard on Wednesday mornings and sail Friday afternoons, Norwegian Dream sail from Boston and arrive in St. George's on Tuesday mornings and sail on Fridays and Norwegian Majesty sail from various East Coast ports, including Charleston, Baltimore and Philadelphia, arrive in St. George's on Mondays and sail on Thursdays.