Carnival Dumping Antigua?

[Crystalbast]

I just received a port change notification that, "due to operational considerations, we will replace our call to Antigua with St. Kitts on Friday and St. Maarten on Saturday for our 7 Day cruise from San Juan, commencing on Sunday, January 3, 2010."

While I look forward to visiting St. Maarten, an island I have yet to see, I am disappointed that Carnival appears to be dumping Antigua.

Antigua has been a favorite of mine and I was looking forward to returning.

The only logical explanation is that Carnival's decision is most likely tied to the stupid actions of the six passengers who got into a fight with the police and ended up in jail in Antigua. If this is true, bad behavior is being rewarded in that an entire island will now be punished with the loss of business. :thumbdown:

 

[bob]

Probably more involved than that, Carnival (any cruise line) is not going to dump a port of call over a handful of morons.

 

[Cruizer]

I just received a port change notification that, "due to operational considerations, we will replace our call to Antigua with St. Kitts on Friday and St. Maarten on Saturday for our 7 Day cruise from San Juan, commencing on Sunday, January 3, 2010."

While I look forward to visiting St. Maarten, an island I have yet to see, I am disappointed that Carnival appears to be dumping Antigua.

Antigua has been a favorite of mine and I was looking forward to returning.

The only logical explanation is that Carnival's decision is most likely tied to the stupid actions of the six passengers who got into a fight with the police and ended up in jail in Antigua. If this is true, bad behavior is being rewarded in that an entire island will now be punished with the loss of business. :thumbdown:

I too enjoyed Antigua when I was there in 2008. I think that you are jumping to conclusions, or at least over simplifying Carnival's decision. Nonetheless, there are two sides to every story and the passenger's version of events is not without merit.

 

[Luci]

My sister once had a bad experience with an evil taxi driver in Mazatclan, Mexico. Since she spoke Spanish she asked the taxi driver for the rate for taking her and her English speaking friends back to the ship. As they were riding back to the ship the taxi driver threatend sp my sister with some mean words saying he wanted more money from them.
She felt really scared and threatened by him. She ran out of the taxi the moment they arrived in port. Lucky for her that it was a safe area with lots of police men guarding the area.
We should have reported the incident to the cruiseship personnel about her negative experience.
There are some ports where the police are not on the side of the cruisers. I think that is what happened in Antigua. If the police are corrupted in some ports it is best for the ships to play it safe than to venture into an unsafe port. That is what I think they should do.

I am sure the salespeople and restaurant owners will be angry with their police department for causing problems for the cruisers. They will be losing lots of money from the cruise ships not stopping in their port in Antigua.

How would you like it if you set a price with a taxi driver and then he doubles the price to take you back to your ship? That is what happened to my sister. I heard that is what happened to the cruisers in Antiqua.

Because of what happened to my sister.... I am very leary of taxi drivers in other countries. I prefer to take their public transportation instead.

 

[Cruizer]

Another article regarding Antigua ...

http://www.travelweekly.com/article3_ektid184852.aspx?terms=*tourists+robbed

 

[Crystalbast]

CRUISE SHIP PULLS OUT…Fall-out from police, cruise visitors fight hurts Antigua

http://www.antiguasunonline.com/new...lice-cruise-visitors-fight-hurts-antigua.html

The skirmish between police and the six US citizens has now turned into a major headache for cruise tourism stakeholders as the ship that brought the American visitors here two weeks ago announced yesterday that it would be dropping Antigua from its itinerary.

The Carnival Victory cruise ship was the vessel that brought the six US tourists to Antigua on Friday 4 Sept. It is not clear if this incident was the only reason that caused the ship to stop calling Antigua.

This was, however, very bad news for many taxi drivers and storeowners in St. John’s who have been depending on this ship to drop anchor every week.

Cruise tourism stakeholders feared that there was going to be serious fallout from Carnival Cruise Line because of the incident, which reportedly began over a misunderstanding between a taxi driver and the six tourists.

Taxi drivers have been reporting that since the incident with the tourists they have hardly been getting any business. "Antigua and Barbuda is a tourist destination and many persons were of the view that this matter should have been handled in the interest of tourism," one taxi driver told the SUN.

"We could have always depended on that ship. It came here all year round."

Tour operators have also been complaining that they have been experiencing a drastic decline in passengers going on tours.

When contacted by the SUN, president of the Antigua and Barbuda Cruise Tourism Association (ABCTA) Nathan Dundas said he was told about the matter and will be calling an emergency meeting with his members to discuss it today.

Dundas is also expected to meet with Minister of Tourism John Maginley.

The president has promised to give a more informed statement about the matter in a few days.

Maginley, however, told the SUN that he heard about the matter via the radio and was not officially informed.

While speaking on Observer Radio yesterday, Maginley said the incident with the tourists would spell trouble for Antigua and Barbuda. According to him, some recommendations into the regulation of taxi operators are being reviewed. "It is not going to end well in Antigua."

The tourists: Shoshonnah Henry, Rachael Henry, Mike Pierre Paul, Dolores Lalanne, Joshua Jackson and Nancy Lalanne are currently facing trial in St. John’s Magistrates' Court after being accused of beating the police.

The tourists are, however, disputing the police’s version of the matter. They are claiming police brutality and abuse.

Carnival Victory is the only cruise ship that presently calls in Antigua all year round. It visits the island every Friday with between 2,800 to 3,000 passengers.

 

[smoose]

We were in Antigua in March aboard the Freedom. We had a wonderful time but did find the cab fares "variable" at best. More islands should adopt a system like the one in St. Thomas where the fares are regulated and the same. It is better for both parties.

 

[Cruizer]

While I feel sorry for Antigua, from what I read, it is possible that the taxi driver was trying to take advantage of the tourist. Then the police could have handled the problem in a more professional manner. Now all the tourist related business on the island will suffer.

Yes, out of town guests can be taken advantage of. That is no secret. But when your economy is dependent on tourism, then it is important that your reputation remain positive. Now I wonder how this taxi driver is being treated by his peers over his attempt to earn an extra $50. I assume the taxi driver is now also regretting this incident.

Basically it would seem there were no innocent parties to this incident. However, there are plenty of innocent victims.

 

[Luci]

Sometimes taxi drivers get so greedy with the tourists. I have had the experience of having to pay $5. or $6. dollars just to be taken three blocks. I pay the money because I do a lot of shopping and can't walk the three blocks in super hot and humid weather back to the ship. I am a visuallly impaired senior with bad knees.

Ports should be punished for mistreating the tourists. I notice there were 4 women being abused by the Antigua police. I think the male tourists most likely had to defend the gals from the police.
I am taking the side of the tourists because I have heard how taxi drivers do want to charge more money when they have to take you back to the ship.

I always tell them not to wait for us. To come back later if they want to pick us up. That way I am free from any obligation to go back in their taxi. They have already been paid for the one way ride.

 

[Moiraine]

It's a shame that things got so out of hand.

 

[DontDoIt]

I believe there are several reasons for Carnival dropping Antigua. As somebody who lives on the island let me give you a brief run down of the last 14 months.

July 2008 British honeymoon couple Benjamin and Catherine Mullany tortured, beaten & murdered in their hotel room. Rumours were later started by persons unknown that the couple who were a doctor and Physio therapist by trade were dealing in drugs. It is well known this rumour was started by members of the Antiguan government in an effort to deflect blame.

January 2009 Captain Drew Gollan murdered in front of his girl friend and their daughter at English harbour. Again rumours were spread about possible links to drug smuggling.

February 2009 Allen Stanford's massive fraud becomes front page news. Leroy King administrator for the Antigua governments Financial Services Regulatory Committee is later indited by the US government for covering up the fraud.
The Antiguan government have since seized Stanford's properties and assets on the island and refuse to hand them over to the US receiver. They have also made it clear they do not intend to pay for the property so depriving Stanford's victims of any chance of recovering any part of their life savings.
Local radio station crusader radio has phone in where locals brand American depositors in Stanford's bank "greedy" and deserve to lose their money.

2008 saw 19 murders on an island 10miles x 14miles giving it a higher murder rate per head of the population than New York. Rapes are running at around 30 per year, and that is only the reported figure. All of which is deliberately hidden from tourists visiting Antigua.

 

[Jeanie]

I guess the cruise had their reasons. It could be a combinations of many factors and we probably never know, only speculation. Sometimes rumors are very damaging. The recent situation of the taxi incident is very sad. It should have not have happen.

 

[MisterD21]

You know, you hear about these sort of things all the time. I am glad a cruise line is actually taking action to protect their passengers. By dropping Antigua Carnival is now able to provide their passengers with perhaps a less traveled, more exciting port of call than Antigua.

More importantly, this gives other ports a chance to provide better tourism in the future. I'm certain that others seeking tourism revenue have paid attention to the problems in Antigua over the past few years. I think a new port of call might just provide better safety and tourism after these unfortunate events.