I told you it was all over. This is the proof.....

[castaways01]

Again, I highly disagree. While the cruise ships are good for the OVERALL economy, only a very few directly benefit and "get rich" from them. The daily bread and butter of MOST are still the divers and land based tourists. Hotels don't benefit directly from cruise ships, dive shops don't benefit from cruise ship divers (except for the few who are the cruise ship sponsored ops), and the restaurants don't thrive on cruise ship business - because most of the cruise shippers don't eat at the local restaurants except for those on the waterfront that are convenient or familiar chains. The favorite island restaurants do not live or die based on the cruise ship business - it simply isn't true.

Wow, this ski lift thread has generated a lot of opinion! Geez, I hate cruise ships and their impact on the Caribbean islands. But they are here to stay and the cruise industry (and profits) are steadily growing every year. It's only going to get worse.

Yep, Christi is right. Hotel guests spend 30 times more per day than the cruise shipper. Only a small number of locals actually profit or improve their standard of living as a result of the cruise ships. These visitors eat onboard, shop duty-free onboard or at the dock, do everything onboard, just about, except sightsee. When they do go ashore, the cruise lines still try to control everything and get their cut. Sure some passengers at the Coxen Hole dock are going to walk around and buy a trinket and get a cold beer. At Dixon Cove, there is no place within walking distance except the Carnival complex. Right now, taxis and other tour operators can park (outside the gates) down the road and shuttle guests to activities. The road into the dock is private so its anyone's guess if this will be allowed to continue.

Studies show cruise ships actually cost an island more (in impact on the environment and infrastructure, crowding, garbage, extra traffic) than they bring in. Residents at West Bay have complained that cruise passengers are standing, walking and kicking the reef. If this continues, how long will our precious coral last?

Does anyone really know how much of the port and dockage fees that are sent to the mainland come back to help Roatan? The cruise lines and island families who control most of the tours are the main profiteers here - not the island.

What impact does the new 130,000 ton Carnival Dream with 3500+ passengers (capacity 4,631) have when it docks at Mahogany Bay on the same day as the Carnival Princess? This ship is so huge it was turned away from San Juan this month because it couldn't fit at the dock.

Cruise ships generate sewage, greywater, hazardous wastes, oily bilge water, ballast water, solid waste, and air pollutants. When released without proper treatment, these wastes put pathogens, nutrients, and toxic substances into the environment that could threaten human health and aquatic life. We’re talking about a minimum of 255,000 gallons of gray water and 30,000 gallons of black water dumped into the sea every day. ." (And if you dump oily bilge water in the surrounding waters--Royal Caribbean agreed to pay a fine of $9 million for doing just that--you make it even tougher.)

ok...that's enough! Sorry for being long-winded. If you want to read more:
Mahogany Bay Cruise Center
Cruise ship pollution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tourisk Inc. - Sustainable Destinations
ExpertCruiser.com | Cruises, Cruise Reviews, Cruise Deals and Cruise Ombudsman

 

[Mike]

Geez, I hate cruise ships and their impact on the Caribbean islands. But they are here to stay and the cruise industry (and profits) are steadily growing every year. It's only going to get worse.

I wouldn't place any money on that bet. At least not any I needed to eat with.

 

[DandyDon]

I wouldn't place any money on that bet. At least not any I needed to eat with.

Your post are usually well stated, but that sounds so odd. Care to explain...?

 

[Mike]

Nothing is forever, anything can happen. Businesses and business models come and go, ebb and flow appear and disappear, get replaced get shifted side-ways.

Just because cruise ships are popular today doesn't mean they won't be displaced by something else in 10 or 20 years.

Slaves, Salt, Sugar, Bananas, Copper now tourism... have all been the growth engines for islands in the Caribbean over the last 2 centuries, the only constant has been the constant changes.

 

[Doc]

Nothing is forever, anything can happen. Businesses and business models come and go.

You got it. Watch their pricing structures change with the economy. Watch the Diesel prices.

Those floating amusement parks are infinitely moveable.

 

[DandyDon]

From: Bay Islands Voice - News on Roatan, Utila & Guanaja

Norwegian Seaborn Legend is the first arrival into Mahogany Bay.

Weather and environmental conditions delayed completion of dredging specifications on the channel leading to Carnival's new cruise ship dock, Mahogany Bay, postponing the first arrival by little over a week. The complex is one of the largest tourism investments of its kind in the Caribbean, and the largest in Honduran history. Construction has taken about one year to erect the more than $60 million dollar facility. .
Final touches on the facility concerned safety, the largest monetary allocation going to the dock, which is required to sustain category-5 hurricane winds and withstand earthquake tremors. Other safety specifications for the complex included 62 closed-circuit security cameras in addition to an emergency vehicle trail, required to remain clear to assist 90-second highway to dock ambulance service.
Vendors scrambled to complete their retail spaces in anticipation of the upcoming ship schedule. The first vessel to arrive was the Seabourn Legend. Despite heavy rains on that day, the ship arrived at 7a.m. on Saturday, November 28. The 62 x 438 ft. Norwegian ship was small enough to safely cruise through the channel. Specs were completed to receive the first large ship, the Crown Princess, which arrived the following Tuesday on December 1. Mahogany Bay will hold an official Grand Opening at a later date.
Anticipating about 500,000 visitors a year, Mahogany Bay representatives state that around 1,500 jobs, directly or indirectly, will be created as a product of its completion. However, controversy has resulted from the facility's tour guide policies, which restrict independent tour operators. Visitors are encouraged to book shore excursions directly through their specific cruise ship or through the only independent tour agent in the facility, Lena Russell. Tourists are free to book any independent tours they choose online, but are obliged to walk about a half-mile outside the complex to be picked up.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

and this monster is getting ready to hit Cozumel on Dec 16 ugh!!!

Cozumel Mexico Travel - World's Largest Cruise Ship Ready For Cozumel

 

[GoProHonduras]

At least one day they'll make good artificial reefs!

 

[deeper thoughts]

Wow, this ski lift thread has generated a lot of opinion! Geez, I hate cruise ships and their impact on the Caribbean islands. But they are here to stay and the cruise industry (and profits) are steadily growing every year. It's only going to get worse.

Yep, Christi is right. Hotel guests spend 30 times more per day than the cruise shipper. Only a small number of locals actually profit or improve their standard of living as a result of the cruise ships. These visitors eat onboard, shop duty-free onboard or at the dock, do everything onboard, just about, except sightsee. When they do go ashore, the cruise lines still try to control everything and get their cut. Sure some passengers at the Coxen Hole dock are going to walk around and buy a trinket and get a cold beer. At Dixon Cove, there is no place within walking distance except the Carnival complex. Right now, taxis and other tour operators can park (outside the gates) down the road and shuttle guests to activities. The road into the dock is private so its anyone's guess if this will be allowed to continue.

Studies show cruise ships actually cost an island more (in impact on the environment and infrastructure, crowding, garbage, extra traffic) than they bring in. Residents at West Bay have complained that cruise passengers are standing, walking and kicking the reef. If this continues, how long will our precious coral last?

Does anyone really know how much of the port and dockage fees that are sent to the mainland come back to help Roatan? The cruise lines and island families who control most of the tours are the main profiteers here - not the island.

What impact does the new 130,000 ton Carnival Dream with 3500+ passengers (capacity 4,631) have when it docks at Mahogany Bay on the same day as the Carnival Princess? This ship is so huge it was turned away from San Juan this month because it couldn't fit at the dock.

Cruise ships generate sewage, greywater, hazardous wastes, oily bilge water, ballast water, solid waste, and air pollutants. When released without proper treatment, these wastes put pathogens, nutrients, and toxic substances into the environment that could threaten human health and aquatic life. We’re talking about a minimum of 255,000 gallons of gray water and 30,000 gallons of black water dumped into the sea every day. ." (And if you dump oily bilge water in the surrounding waters--Royal Caribbean agreed to pay a fine of $9 million for doing just that--you make it even tougher.)

ok...that's enough! Sorry for being long-winded. If you want to read more:
Mahogany Bay Cruise Center
Cruise ship pollution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tourisk Inc. - Sustainable Destinations
ExpertCruiser.com | Cruises, Cruise Reviews, Cruise Deals and Cruise Ombudsman

The Natl Marine Sanctuary here in the Keys just released a study on tourisim. It basically said what Christi said. Scuba,snorkeling, bird watching etc are down around 10pct. Nevertheless there are plenty of cruise ships in Key West blocking the sunset which they swore they would never be there at sundown

 

[darkstar]

Cruise ships are killing the Caribbean. One island at a time. The white dead circles that you see on the some coral have been traced to increased bacteria levels :depressed:. Cruise ships are basically moving cities that dump tons of waste every time they pass outside the 12 mile mark, or whenever they can deny doing it.

Even if the U.S. and Mexico outlawed the practice, the industry would get an exemption for older ships until new ships with on-board treatment plants are built.

The ski lift is simply a punchline to a really awful joke.