Food for Thought: Cruising or Losing?

[Lilakoiz]

"Sixty-five percent of the cruise industry's profit comes from the Caribbean, but only 7% of their employees come from the Caribbean, and 1% of the taxes they pay come to the region." Fortune Magazine, March 29 1999

It is known that the North American and U.K. population are the most frequent cruisers in the world accounting for up to 80% of cruise bookings. It is also known that cruise lines constantly adjust their itineraries to cruise passenger demands. From since 911, many cruise passengers did not want to travel with airlines and have taken to closer homeports. As a result, cruise lines have managed to gain from the effects of 911 through investing in the development of cruise terminals in numerous U.S. homeports.

The U.K. cruise lines coming to the caribbean however are much more willing to homeport in the caribbean i.e. the most popular caribbean homeport > Barbados.

Cruise lines have managed to take advantage of many situations including registering in foreign countries to escape income taxes and to escape paying their employees a decent wage. Cruise lines create as much pollution as 20,000+ cars, and they do so mainly in the Caribbean as this is one of the main cruising destinations. What will happen to our beaches after they have exploited the region in order to save a couple hundred thousands by not investing in more efficient environmentally friendly engines?

As someone born and raised in the Caribbean, I feel that our islands are being exploited to an extent. All of local vendors who are trying to benefit from cruise tourism are also being exploited as cruise lines are charging a markup as much as 2/3 of the price on the tours. Do you the cruise passenger think about these consequences everytime you take a cruise?

The purpose of this post is just simply to spread awareness that there are other sides of cruising which some of you on the board may not be thinking about. I would really like your feedback on this issue. And if you have time to go HERE to help my research in this area.

 

[Mbandy]

I have already taken your survey and I hope others will do so to assist you in your research.

I enjoy your posts. They are very well thought out and it is interesting to hear the opinion of someone from the Caribbean.

As far as pollution, I can't speak to the pollution caused by the engines but I know the cruise lines work very hard to protect the environment.

As to registering ships outside the US to avoid minimum wage laws, when NCL America flagged their Hawaii ships in the US and hired largely US crew reports of the level of service decreasing substantially were many. I know a waiter on a ship who is from the Phillipenes. He tells me that cruise ship jobs are very desirable to people in his country.

As to the mark up on tours, that's why I always book my excursions independantly of the ship. Recently voters in Alaska passed some measures to address this very thing. I am not sure if it is exploitation of the islands or not. If a tour operator is getting the price he needs from the cruise line for his services and then the cruise line marks it up perhaps it is the cruise passenger that is the one being explioted. Just a thought.

As for me, I am always happy to be treated as a welcome guest in the islands of the Caribbean. I love diving the beautiful waters and enjoying whe wonderful beauty of the islands. I take photos and leave footprints. In return I also leave a good deal of my money down there with tour operators, merchants and other attractions.

Thanks for sharing your point of view. I always find it interesting.