The Carnival Rock Center Video Segment: NOT TOO FLATTERING

[Aplmac]

The market won't allow it? RCL is more. Disney is way more.

Of course the market will bear a couple hundred more $$ per cruise.

Demand exceeds Supply! ;)

If it didn't, we'd be flooded with lots of last-minute deals to fill ships.

 

Try booking VALOR on their Southern Caribbean loop from P.Rico to Barbados and back.

I'm told there isn't a single vacancy until September!

 

Carnival knows precisely what it's doing: a lot more than do you or I.

 

.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Demand exceeds Supply! ;)

If it didn't, we'd be flooded with lots of last-minute deals to fill ships.

 

Try booking VALOR on their Southern Caribbean loop from P.Rico to Barbados and back.

I'm told there isn't a single vacancy until September!

 

Carnival knows precisely what it's doing: a lot more than do you or I.

 

.

 

Looks like there are vacancies before September on the CCL site in the U.S. but you are not comparing apples to appples when you give your example.

 

The cruise from Barbados is aimed at Europeans and the people in and around Barbados not the general population of the U.S.

 

Carnival is flooding the market with last minute rock bottom deals to fill their ships right now with their current sale that has been extended at least 3 times now.

 

Bill

[RyanDMB99@aol.com]

My diplomatic (attempt) 2 cents. First- im never a big fan of corporate big shots- I like to think Bruce Wayne would be on the scene for his company's "incidents". So I wont defend Arison because he COULD do more.

Second- The report claimed Dream went without power. Any decent reporter would have dug deeper and found what most of us already know- a backup generator failed during ROUTINE diagnostics. Per the rules of the sea- ships can not leave port with passengers without backups. So they were flown home. Were always with power and always fed.

Third- Why are we tallying Coast Guard bills?? Was the coast guard not created for the very purpose of aiding distressed vessels at sea, as well as controlling drugs and smuggling into our borders? It just strikes me as oxymoronic to tally bills for the Coast Guard to be used for their very mission... :confused:

I fully realize that Carnival is sorta a black eye in the cruise world right now- but this report was a bit exagerrated and downright false in many regards. And not to put too fine a point on it.... but why is Carnival being demonized for utilizing off-shore tax loopholes when most of our Fortune 500 companies are doing it too?? :confused:

I used to work for Tyco Electronics... who's corporate headquarters was in Bermuda.. and it wasn't because of the ocean views...

I fault this report for unbalanced reporting.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

[dclark]

 

Third- Why are we tallying Coast Guard bills?? Was the coast guard not created for the very purpose of aiding distressed vessels at sea, as well as controlling drugs and smuggling into our borders? It just strikes me as oxymoronic to tally bills for the Coast Guard to be used for their very mission... :confused:

 

Because CCL doesn't pay taxes to the U.S.! If you are not a member of AAA, should they give you a free tow if you need one??? If you recall, the ship didn't crap out anywhere near U.S. waters, it was off the coast of Mexico.

They flag their ship to the Bahamas, yet when the Triumph broke down (far away from U.S. waters btw), they didn't call the Bahamian coast guard, no, they called the U.S. Coast Guard.

CCL figured it was cheaper to stick the U.S. taxpayer with a tow bill than to fly them out of mexico on CCL's dime.

[jonbgd]

Cmon the Coast Gaurd wasnt doing anything besides playing with Brasso;)

 

Would you rather pay them to sit around on a ship or rescue US citizens

[airmj2123]

Because CCL doesn't pay taxes to the U.S.! If you are not a member of AAA, should they give you a free tow if you need one??? If you recall, the ship didn't crap out anywhere near U.S. waters, it was off the coast of Mexico.

They flag their ship to the Bahamas, yet when the Triumph broke down (far away from U.S. waters btw), they didn't call the Bahamian coast guard, no, they called the U.S. Coast Guard.

CCL figured it was cheaper to stick the U.S. taxpayer with a tow bill than to fly them out of mexico on CCL's dime.

 

They don't pay income tax... It's the port fees and trickle down from them embarking their ships in America that make it worth more to our government then the couple of million in rendered aid.

[Boston Bill]

News on most stations is just entertainment drama presented by overpaid untalented hosts. Want the facts and not smug reporting based on little fact then do what I do and watch PBS NEWS HOUR.

[Seago2]

My diplomatic (attempt) 2 cents. First- im never a big fan of corporate big shots- I like to think Bruce Wayne would be on the scene for his company's "incidents". So I wont defend Arison because he COULD do more.

Second- The report claimed Dream went without power. Any decent reporter would have dug deeper and found what most of us already know- a backup generator failed during ROUTINE diagnostics. Per the rules of the sea- ships can not leave port with passengers without backups. So they were flown home. Were always with power and always fed.

Third- Why are we tallying Coast Guard bills?? Was the coast guard not created for the very purpose of aiding distressed vessels at sea, as well as controlling drugs and smuggling into our borders? It just strikes me as oxymoronic to tally bills for the Coast Guard to be used for their very mission... :confused:

I fully realize that Carnival is sorta a black eye in the cruise world right now- but this report was a bit exagerrated and downright false in many regards. And not to put too fine a point on it.... but why is Carnival being demonized for utilizing off-shore tax loopholes when most of our Fortune 500 companies are doing it too?? :confused:

I used to work for Tyco Electronics... who's corporate headquarters was in Bermuda.. and it wasn't because of the ocean views...

I fault this report for unbalanced reporting.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

I can appreciate this post and point of view. Thanks.

[Carnivaluver]

They don't pay income tax... It's the port fees and trickle down from them embarking their ships in America that make it worth more to our government then the couple of million in rendered aid.

 

Carnival and other cruise lines pay almost no taxes to the US government. There are many articles that talk about this, i.e.... "One of the little know facts about the cruise industry is that it pays virtually no U.S. taxes.

 

The cruise lines take advantage of an obscure provision in the U.S. tax code which permits shipping companies to evade taxes by incorporating overseas and flying the flags of foreign countries. That's why Carnival is incorporated in Panama, Royal Caribbean is incorporated in Liberia, and Princess Cruises is incorporated in Bermuda."

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Carnival and other cruise lines pay almost no taxes to the US government. There are many articles that talk about this, i.e.... "One of the little know facts about the cruise industry is that it pays virtually no U.S. taxes.

 

The cruise lines take advantage of an obscure provision in the U.S. tax code which permits shipping companies to evade taxes by incorporating overseas and flying the flags of foreign countries. That's why Carnival is incorporated in Panama, Royal Caribbean is incorporated in Liberia, and Princess Cruises is incorporated in Bermuda."

 

are there any other reasons that they are foreign flagged?

 

Bill

[CRUZBUDS]

Because CCL doesn't pay taxes to the U.S.! If you are not a member of AAA, should they give you a free tow if you need one??? If you recall, the ship didn't crap out anywhere near U.S. waters, it was off the coast of Mexico.

They flag their ship to the Bahamas, yet when the Triumph broke down (far away from U.S. waters btw), they didn't call the Bahamian coast guard, no, they called the U.S. Coast Guard.

CCL figured it was cheaper to stick the U.S. taxpayer with a tow bill than to fly them out of mexico on CCL's dime.

 

Get a clue, the Coast Guard did not do any towing, they are not AAA. They only tow small pleasure craft in emergency situations. They are more like State Police, they will call a tow truck for you and make sure you are safe. Jeeze, the misinformation is incredible. .

[dclark]

Get a clue, the Coast Guard did not do any towing, they are not AAA. They only tow small pleasure craft in emergency situations. They are more like State Police, they will call a tow truck for you and make sure you are safe. Jeeze, the misinformation is incredible. .

Why don't you get a clue? Coast Guard dropped off generators and food, I never knew that they were Dominos.

[CRUZBUDS]

Why don't you get a clue? Coast Guard dropped off generators and food, I never knew that they were Dominos.

 

Maybe you should read your own post. You are seriously uninformed. If you want the Coast Guard to charge for their services, please direct your complaints to the same folks that write the tax codes.

 

Have a nice day :)

[CRUZBUDS]

Carnival and other cruise lines pay almost no taxes to the US government. There are many articles that talk about this, i.e.... "One of the little know facts about the cruise industry is that it pays virtually no U.S. taxes.

 

The cruise lines take advantage of an obscure provision in the U.S. tax code which permits shipping companies to evade taxes by incorporating overseas and flying the flags of foreign countries. That's why Carnival is incorporated in Panama, Royal Caribbean is incorporated in Liberia, and Princess Cruis is incorporated in Bermuda."

 

I'm sure you just mis-spoke. There is nothing in the tax code that allows a person or corporation to evade taxes. By definition that is illegal, there are ways to avoid taxes which all of us do, unless we're idiots. Lets just take a deduction for one of our three kids, the government can really use the money. While we're at it, less not deduct our mortgage interest or charitable donations. Individuals and corporations take all deductions they can. That's the way the tax system works, like it or not. :)

[samikitty]

So let me get this straight, readers of this board are surprised to hear that a man from Israel comes to America to find (greater) wealth, creates a new company, flags it in Panama, makes hundreds of millions, renounces his US Citizenship to avoid estate taxes then passes the estate (and the company) to his a son who is now running this company and is using creative techniques to avoid paying taxes? Duh.

 

Here's a clue - if the gov't wants to get repaid for the Coast Guard services, send a bill. Funny how NBC did not rip into GE's 1% effective tax rate.

[samikitty]

are there any other reasons that they are foreign flagged?

 

YES! Because those obscure tax laws are not the biggest reason they are foreign flagged. To be classified as a U.S.-flagged ship the cruise ship must have been built (or significantly rehabbed) in a U.S. shipyard. Thank you powerful senators from the naval yards on the east coast. The ship must be owned by a U.S. company and registered in the U.S. - hence a corporate asset with a ton of overhead costs.

 

There is a reason that only the NCL Pride of America is operating under these conditions. No other "major" player is even trying.

 

Fix the regulations (not just the tax laws/loopholes) like the Jones Act and make it easier for companies to invest in America.

 

NBC missed the bigger piece of the story - why is it that the cruise industry cannot flag the ship in the US? I wonder if Sen Rockefeller knows the answer. Then again, his family has been manipulating the gov't for over 150 years. Pot meet Kettle.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

YES! Because those obscure tax laws are not the biggest reason they are foreign flagged. To be classified as a U.S.-flagged ship the cruise ship must have been built (or significantly rehabbed) in a U.S. shipyard. Thank you powerful senators from the naval yards on the east coast. The ship must be owned by a U.S. company and registered in the U.S. - hence a corporate asset with a ton of overhead costs.

 

There is a reason that only the NCL Pride of America is operating under these conditions. No other "major" player is even trying.

 

Fix the regulations (not just the tax laws/loopholes) like the Jones Act and make it easier for companies to invest in America.

 

NBC missed the bigger piece of the story - why is it that the cruise industry cannot flag the ship in the US? I wonder if Sen Rockefeller knows the answer. Then again, his family has been manipulating the gov't for over 150 years. Pot meet Kettle.

 

You are 100% correct. There is no shipyard in the U.S. building cruise ships and if they did they would be millions of dollars more for the same ship.

 

So if they can't be built here how could the cruise lines flag their ships here?

 

Of course they wouldn't want to anyway.

 

Like you said change the laws to make it easier to invest in the U.S.

 

Bill

[Big_G]

...and King Mickey looked down upon his serfdom and said, "The forces of righteousness want to raise the price of an inside cabin." So the serfs rose up to protect their king. :rolleyes:

[big_duck]

...and King Mickey looked down upon his serfdom and said, "The forces of righteousness want to raise the price of an inside cabin." So the serfs rose up to protect their king. :rolleyes:

 

King Mickey is a tool, but the net result of raising prices to pay taxes is owing more taxes.

[Seago2]

...and King Mickey looked down upon his serfdom and said, "The forces of righteousness want to raise the price of an inside cabin." So the serfs rose up to protect their king. :rolleyes:

 

And verily, those that owned 100 shares of CCL cried as one in indignation :rolleyes:

[Aplmac]

And verily, those that owned 100 shares of CCL cried as one in indignation :rolleyes:

..even as the little people (non-shareholders) beat their breast in indignation

as they refused point blank to pay the long-overdue Fuel Surcharge.

"We want our cruises dirt cheap" went up the cry.

 

"We don't care what the underlying costs are, we want our cruise price to remain the same

despite the inflationary aspects of T-paper currencies barely worth the paper they're printed on" they continued..

 

.

[CruiseHealing]

Loopholes? I don't know about you but I use every loophole (deduction) I can when I do my taxes. So does GE, Comcast, RCL, Disney . . . . .

 

Congress makes the loopholes or deductions to get finical support from industry and individuals so that members of congress can get financial support for themselves and their political party so they can be reelected to stay in power. it is a dirty game that this country plays and we all benefit from it. If you don't think you do, thing again. Do you own stock in a corporation (don't forget your 401k) well that company uses certain tax breaks and deductions that are probably industry specific. Do you deduct taxes and interest for your home on your tax return. Do you realize the the groceries you eat are partially subsidized from the government, and would be more expensive without these loopholes.

 

The point is this, we all enjoy the effects and benefits of loopholes. I do, Carnival and NBC (Comcast), the anti-carnival attorney and Senator Rockefeller. Shame on the latter he has been in congress long enough to change it, but why would he, he would rather use it as a straw man to make himself look good to his consisutents.

[Seago2]

..even as the little people (non-shareholders) beat their breast in indignation

as they refused point blank to pay the long-overdue Fuel Surcharge.

"We want our cruises dirt cheap" went up the cry.

 

"We don't care what the underlying costs are, we want our cruise price to remain the same

despite the inflationary aspects of T-paper currencies barely worth the paper they're printed on" they continued..

 

.

 

And across the seas a great reduction in services was felt.

And upon the lands great stirrings were made.

But upon a message board there aroseth a cognitive dissonance

And all was not well

[big_duck]

 

The point is this, we all enjoy the effects and benefits of loopholes. I do, Carnival and NBC (Comcast), the anti-carnival attorney and Senator Rockefeller.

 

When is the last time a Rockefeller paid their "fair share" of taxes, the are the 1%.

 

And a lawyer decrying loopholes Puhleaze.

[meluvtogocruise]

Just a little meat to chew on ... dems in congress now against taxing medical device manufacturers.

 

Suddenly working against their own health care plan. Check their investments.

 

Suddenly taxes are bad?

 

Hmmm. Kettle meet pot