Explorer Casino in Bermuda

It was great to watch the Explorer dock in Bermuda last Monday.

There has been news that Bermuda would allow cruise ships to open their shops and casinos late at night while in port.

Did that happen on the first cruise of the season. Just curious.

I don't know if its happened yet, but - I recently had a conversation with a Celebrity representative who says yes, Celebrity has received permission to open the casino in Bermuda. So, Im going to assume Royal has the permission as well?

It was great to watch the Explorer dock in Bermuda last Monday.

 

There has been news that Bermuda would allow cruise ships to open their shops and casinos late at night while in port.

 

Did that happen on the first cruise of the season. Just curious.

The casino was open, posted on roll call, but no mention of shops.

SBtS

The casino was open, posted on roll call, but no mention of shops.

 

 

SBtS

I don't think that the change that would allow the casino to be open for at least a portion of the time the ships are in Bermuda, extends to the shops. My assumption is that since the shops on the ship would be competing with the shops on land and would not have much support among the islanders and thus were not included in the legislation. Since there are no casinos on Bermuda itself, there is less of a conflict of interest in allowing them to operate.

Good to know------Thanks.

"...Cruise ship gambling casinos will no longer be closed, as they had been for many years until October 2013. In that month, Bermuda's Members of Parliament changed the law, to allow them to remain open, after prolonged intensive lobbying from cruise ship lines who had pointed out that this restriction applied nowhere else in the cruise ship world. MPs enacted Bermuda's Cruise Ship (Casino) Act 2013. On-board casinos can now operate between 9pm and 5am, in return for a license fee per ship payable to the Bermuda Government. However, smaller ships capable of berthing in Hamilton and St Georges, with a passenger capacity not exceeding 2,000, would not be charged a licence fee, because Bermuda has so far failed to attract smaller, high-end cruise ships, and that the exemption could encourage more visits. Bermuda Tourism research has indicated that the majority of visiting cruise passengers return to their ship by 9pm and, by this time, most of Bermuda's retail shops are closed. Cruise ships have to be in port for one night or more to qualify. The use of the casino is to be limited to passengers on board the ship only. No local residents or visitors to the ship will be allowed to participate in casino activities. Most cruise ships derive their on-board revenue mainly through their casinos and shops..." copied from http://www.bermuda-online.org/cruises.htm

So, based on the above quote, ship's casinos on board have permission to operate while docked in Bermuda after 9pm local time - that is how I read the Bermuda's Cruise Ship (Casino) Act 2013. Corrections welcome. -Salacia