Grand Turk is Dead - Long Live Grand Turk

[Fish_Whisperer]

Some of the local folks like Peanuts will get some more sales but the majority of the townsfolk will see nothing but peanuts. The Politicos who arranged for the ship to come there will be the ones to reap.

Cozumel was mentioned - How many of the vendors are Mexican??

I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

When I was there, last October, (before Wilma sat on our heads) I went through the bazaar. All of the vendors were Mexican.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

The average cruise ship passenger in Cozumel spends $85.00 when they get off the boat. I'm sure that passengers on GT will spend similarly. How is that going to benefit the local politicians? I see that benefiting the locals. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[mikerault]

Where do they spend it? In the shops usually immediately at the landing. Thise are leased out by the owners (Carnival in this case) to "qualified" vendors.

Mike

 

[Tom Smedley]

Actually - the sum that each passenger spends in the trinket booths is not the whole picture. Do some research on the docking fees and taxes that the cruise line must pay to call at a port. Which is probably small compared to the Backsheesh originally paid to get the permit in the first place. Then there's the good ole boy contracts for the folks who operate the tugs and other support stuff. Ask the folks in Bonaire who are in the process of building super bollards specified by the QM2 folks - they are unfinished but the ship is still managing to tie up without them. Who pays for this stuff? Could it be the taxpayer?

 

[Tom Winters]

I knew this was going to happen, but now picturing a Margaritaville down there is just depressing. When does the Wal-Mart go up?

 

[Epinephelus]

small compared to the Backsheesh

What? You mean there's corruption??? Something less than pristine public practices involved in pod people permits? Preposterous!
E

 

[Makin Raider]

OMG, Found this site about little GT, what happened? http://www.grandturkcc.com/

24 Cruise ships in December?:11:

Is the Arawak Inn still standing? The map places the Cruise ship terminal about where I remember it.

 

[mikerault]

Haven't heard. The entire Southern tip has been taken over by the borg.

Mike

 

[lowwall]

Ugh. I'm going to be there in mid-April, looks like three cruises will overlap my stay, including the first time they have two on one day.

I'm diving with Oasis. How are they going to handle everybody at once?

 

[pilot fish]

Actually none of the booths are really manned yet. One was a local, he was selling stuff made from conch shells, I believe he also does sink tops, counter tops and such from them.

damn, I'll be there in early May, staying at Ospery Beach House and diving with Oasis. I hope pods are not mixed with divers on the boats? Does anyone know how close the Osprey is to the damn ships?