Dawn and Summit make last trips of the season

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28: It’s been a week of firsts and lasts in the world of shipping.

On Wednesday the cruise ship Regatta made her first trip of the year to Bermuda and docked in Hamilton.

The vessel and her 692 passengers were in town for just over a day before she sailed off to St Barts in the Caribbean.

While yesterday the Crystal Symphony also made her first visit of 2011 to the island.

She arrived just before sunrise from the Azores and was the first ship of the year to anchor in the Great Sound.

Her 848 passengers were ferried ashore but had to be back on board the ship later the same day when the ship left for Fort Lauderdale at 4pm.

It’s also the end of the summer season for the Norwegian Dawn and the Celebrity Summit.

The Dawn left Bermuda on Tuesday after the last of her 22 voyages of 2011.

The Summit also left on Tuesday after her 20th trip of the year, bound for the Caribbean where she will spend the off-season.

For the usual suspects it’s been business as usual this week.

The Somers Isles left early on Wednesday and was replaced by the Bermuda Islander yesterday morning.

The Norwegian Gem heads back to New York today leaving the West End devoid of cruise ships at the weekend for the first time in quite a while.

Finally the AidaLuna made her third and final trip of 2011 to Bermuda yesterday.

She was in Dockyard for just 10 hours before she set sail for New York in the afternoon.