It was a day the crew of the Spirit of Bermuda will never forget.
They were up at the crack of dawn scrubbing the decking and polishing the railings in preparation for the arrival of the Duke of Edinburgh.
And as he boarded the immaculate tall ship at Dockyard they nervously lined the deck to greet him.
Prince Philip was escorted on to the vessel by skipper Simon Colley and introduced to the crew.
The Duke, himself a champion of outward bound projects, took time to chat to youngsters individually and spent more than 20 minutes on board the Spirit.
Watch leader Vershon Simmons was one of the first to greet the Duke.
He said: "We were all up early making sure the ship was in the best shape possible for him.
"But it was all worth it and everyone looked great.
"It's one of those occasions I'll be able to tell my children and grandchildren about in years to come - it's very special."
Prince Philip was accompanied by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband as he was taken around the vessel.
Mr. Miliband said: "It's great to see all the youngsters getting involved in such a great project like the Spirit of Bermuda.
"This is a spectacular ship and a fantastic turn-out."
Eighteen-year-old Annika Zayac was one of the lucky ones who got a chance to speak to the Duke..
She said: "I was extremely nervous as he walked down the line and was getting closer to me.
"He asked me how long I had been involved with the Spirit and what I did.
"Having the Duke come on board the ship gave everyone a lot of pride in what we do.
"It's one of those things you know will only happen once in your life so you have to make the most of it."
Nerve wracking
New recruit Shai Richardson, 13, added: "I just kept saying to myself "speak clearly and don't jumble your words".
"It was quite nerve wracking talking to someone from the royal family but he made you feel really at ease and talked to you just like a normal person."
Office manager Claudelle Richardson described the royal visit as an "incredible experience".
She added: "A lot of preparation went in to today from everyone but it was all worth it.
"I was just as excited as all the children were in the build up.
"My little son Dimitrius is going to be so jealous that I got to meet the Duke.
"The visit of the Queen still means so much to young people in Bermuda - you can see that by the turn out today.
"This is a special occasion as the Queen and Prince Philip may never visit Bermuda again."
The skipper of the Spirit of Bermuda, Simon Colley, was delighted to meet the Duke.
He said: "It's a great experience for all the crew. I'm so proud of all of them for the way they acted today.
"It's a day I will look back for a long time with really great memories.
"It was great to meet the Duke too - he's an experienced mariner so he knows what he is talking about.
"He was a charming and witty gentleman who made sure he met as many people as possible and came across as being thoroughly interested in what everyone was doing.
