Government will spend an estimated $750,000 on fuel to run the charter ferry Millennium to transport cruise ship passengers during the 2013 season, according to Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell.Mr Crockwell also told MPs the cost of the $1.25 million charter will be “offset by the projected increase of $420,000 in revenues” generated by the purchase of Transportation Passes. He also denied that there were any plans by Government to buy the vessel.In a Ministerial Statement the Minister said the Millennium will provide relief to the existing ageing ferry fleet.Mr Crockwell said: “As much as we strive to provide a reliable marine public transportation network, the complexity of these ferries in mechanical, electrical and electronic terms can make timely diagnostics and repair a challenge.“As a result of the increased vessel age, the Department has over the last 12 months sought extensive assistance from overseas vendors in order to overcome technical challenges with on-board systems that may intermittently malfunction and ultimately threaten to cause a sustained service interruption. While an extensive work programme was embarked upon by Marine and Ports staff through the 2012/2013 winter months to prepare our ferry fleet for this current cruise season it was clear that certain repair milestones could not be met.“Even our Dockyard facilities are proving an increasingly challenging environment to perform shipyard work given the tourism and retail developments nearby and on some occasions an onshore wind direction meant that repair work had health and safety implications and has had to be suspended.”Highlighting the short- and long-term goals of his Ministry, he said proper maintenance of the Sea Express fleet was crucial. “Serious engine failures can be avoided with a proper maintenance schedule,” he said.“The demands on the Sea Express fleet are very real with early morning and evening commuter service to be fulfilled, while the remainder of the day is focused on providing cruise passenger lift between Dockyard and Hamilton and Dockyard to St George’s.“We endeavour to reach a position that the only boat out of service becomes the boat that we deliberately pull from service for scheduled maintenance.”The costs of the chartered ferry will also be “potentially offset by anticipated reduction in costs to operate the existing fleet, including $100,000 in reduced overtime and improved efficiencies with reduction in unplanned maintenance and additional shift work that occurs when there are disruptions in service”.For the duration of the six-month charter of the Millennium, “the crew supplied by the owner in the form of a captain and chief engineer will remain with the vessel assisted by four locally supplied crew”.The temporary US Mate “will hand over his responsibilities to a Bermudian Mate over the next two weeks once a period of vessel safety familiarisation has been completed”.“Operations to date have been going well and with the simultaneous arrival of the Norwegian Breakaway and the Celebrity Summit into port on Wednesday, the Millennium reportedly carried 1,438 passengers on that day alone as part of its high speed service between Dockyard and St George’s,” he said.He anticipates the “charter ferry’s operating and fuel costs are expected to be offset to a large extent by the removal from service of other Sea Express vessels for planned maintenance”.“There is every reason to believe that if we provide a reliable service ‘the people will come’ and Sea Express can regain its reputation as the best small island ferry service to be found anywhere in the world and be a highlighted feature of our destination”, he added.With the recent cancellations by the fire-damaged Grandeur of the Seas through July, the Minister said Bermuda’s cruise ship season had been further shortened.