Key West could vote no mega ships

[ProgRockCruiser]

This is not a new issue.  From 2011:

 

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/mh-dredging-key-west-20110720-story.html

 

KW gets a lot of tourists staying in hotels & B&Bs.  (Well, normally, not right now...)

 

This is a report done quite a while ago (2004ish):

 

https://www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov/egov/docs/1156864276_445343.pdf

 

Overall "tourism generates an estimated $15,122,200 million per year in revenues or 48.3% of the city budget."

"Cruise ship tourism accounts for $5,121,755 million or 16.4% of total city revenues."

 

So cruise ship pax generated about 33% of revenue.

 

It would be interesting to know the current break down of cruise ship visitors spending vs overnight hotel guests.

[jimbo5544]

38 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Well of course they don't want it. That's where they go for their vacations. The local business owners is who I would ask. Are the locals going to pay for all of the museum tours and fill the bars and restaurants on a weekday year round? Nope. They just don't want thousands of people dropped off in town when there's nothing in it for them. It would be a  bad move for Key West businesses.

 

Well said

[PhillyFan33579]

53 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Well of course they don't want it. That's where they go for their vacations. The local business owners is who I would ask. Are the locals going to pay for all of the museum tours and fill the bars and restaurants on a weekday year round? Nope. They just don't want thousands of people dropped off in town when there's nothing in it for them. It would be a  bad move for Key West businesses.

 

According to several studies, passengers from cruise ships contribute less than 10% of the tourism dollars spent in Key West annually. I think it would be a bigger loss for cruise passengers who enjoy going to Key West than it would be for the city of Key West. There are numerous ways revenue lost from cruise ships could be recouped. 

[Saint Greg]

16 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

According to several studies, passengers from cruise ships contribute less than 10% of the tourism dollars spent in Key West annually. I think it would be a bigger loss for cruise passengers who enjoy going to Key West than it would be for the city of Key West. There are numerous ways revenue lost from cruise ships could be recouped. 

 

Definitely a bigger loss for the city. Carnival will find a way to replace it. I don't think anyone would've complained if my Key West > Nassau > Freeport cruise went to Half Moon Cay instead of Key West.

 

 

 

"Since October, 459,917 passengers have visited this island packed with bartenders, food servers, watersports boat captains, housekeepers and front desk clerks who rely on tourist dollars.

'I’m worried for the people whose living depends on those passengers,” Atwell said. “It’s going to be a little bit of time to sort out how big of an impact it is. One [chamber] member says 30 percent of his business depends on cruise ships.'"

 

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article241197161.html

 

[Floriduh]

7 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

 I don't think anyone would've complained if my Key West > Nassau > Freeport cruise went to Half Moon Cay instead of Key West.

I would. We don't even get off the ship at Half Moon Cay anymore. Key West is one of my favorite stops.

[Saint Greg]

16 minutes ago, Floriduh said:

I would. We don't even get off the ship at Half Moon Cay anymore. Key West is one of my favorite stops.

 

I don't think you were on my cruise.

[beerman2]

Maybe KW could expand Fantasy Fest 😂😂😂😂.  Say once a month!

[Charles4515]

 
They can pass all the laws they want for issues that fall within their jurisdiction. Can they pass a law to build a border check point on the highway? Can they pass a law that only native born islanders can own property? They tried both of these in the distant past.
 
I would invite you to read The Commerce Clause of the Constitution. It allows the Congress to regulate commerce between the states and is viewed as a restriction on the regulatory authority of the states. I cannot think of a reason to restrict the interstate commerce of the cruise lines and the passengers they carry. 

It is not complicated. Key West does not have to allow the cruise lines to use the docks. The docks are in their jurisdiction. Sure a cruise ship could sail right up to the dock but Key West does not have to allow it to use the dock. US jurisdiction ends at the waters edge.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[TNcruising02]

I would be fine with replacing HMC with Key West.

[glrounds]

I think many ports cities wish their tourists would fly there and stay for 1 or 2 weeks in their hotels instead of stopping there on a cruise. They then eat breakfast, lunch and dinner there, shop there and spend more IMHO than cruise ship passengers. Many business owners look upon cruise passengers as just getting off the ship, getting drunk, buying worthless trinkets for their kids and grand kids and jumping back on the ship for dinner. Some even go back to the ship for lunch and then return to the port later ! I'm guessing the governments love the PORT FEES, but I doubt much of that ever gets to the citizens.

Edited July 13, 2020 by glrounds

[robc1972]

2 hours ago, beerman2 said:

Maybe KW could expand Fantasy Fest 😂😂😂😂.  Say once a month!

 

I was at Fantasy Fest the year Hurricane Sandy hit.

Couple cruise ships got redirected to a stop there instead of Bahamas.

The looks on the faces of the people getting off the ship to walk down Duval St only to see that freak show was priceless.

Mothers were horrified trying to cover the eyes of the kids, the dads were just looking around with open mouths wondering why he was a cruise ship instead of there.

 

[jordanaire]

I don't see it as a big deal. We've cruised to KW five times before and once you've been there, you've seen it all. Besides, the ships always set sail before the real action starts there. It's not quite the same during the day than what the night time brings!  The way I see it, it's their loss.

[Jobeth66]

23 hours ago, robc1972 said:

 

I was at Fantasy Fest the year Hurricane Sandy hit.

Couple cruise ships got redirected to a stop there instead of Bahamas.

The looks on the faces of the people getting off the ship to walk down Duval St only to see that freak show was priceless.

Mothers were horrified trying to cover the eyes of the kids, the dads were just looking around with open mouths wondering why he was a cruise ship instead of there.

 

 

I was there that year too.  I felt bad for the cruise ship pax who were CLEARLY not warned what was going on!

 

Then I felt bad for me because my flights were all canceled and I ended up having to drive up to Orlando to fly home because I couldn't get a flight out until Thursday, my kids (teenagers/young adults at the time) were home in Jersey with no power.  

[Saint Greg]

On 7/13/2020 at 12:49 PM, glrounds said:

I think many ports cities wish their tourists would fly there and stay for 1 or 2 weeks in their hotels instead of stopping there on a cruise. They then eat breakfast, lunch and dinner there, shop there and spend more IMHO than cruise ship passengers. Many business owners look upon cruise passengers as just getting off the ship, getting drunk, buying worthless trinkets for their kids and grand kids and jumping back on the ship for dinner. Some even go back to the ship for lunch and then return to the port later ! I'm guessing the governments love the PORT FEES, but I doubt much of that ever gets to the citizens.

 

It's like what was in the article I posted. A member of the chamber of commerce said 30% of his business comes from cruise passengers.

[ProgRockCruiser]

12 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

It's like what was in the article I posted. A member of the chamber of commerce said 30% of his business comes from cruise passengers.

And also in the study the city commissioned back in 2003/2004.  As I quoted earlier:

 

Overall "tourism generates an estimated $15,122,200 million per year in revenues or 48.3% of the city budget."

"Cruise ship tourism accounts for $5,121,755 million or 16.4% of total city revenues."

 

So cruise ship pax generated about 33% of revenue.

 

So it might damage them financially, but they might feel it is a worthwhile cost, especially if they can boost overnight hotel guest visits.

Edited July 14, 2020 by ProgRockCruiser

[Trueblueky]

On 7/13/2020 at 7:19 AM, PhillyFan33579 said:

Interesting you mention setting up check points on the highway since that is exactly what Florida did several months ago to help control the spread of COVID-19 from known hot spots. Sort of ironic considering the current COVID-19 numbers in Florida right now. That’s pretty much all they talk about on local news stations these days.  
 

If cruise lines fell under interstate commerce laws, this wouldn’t be an issue. 

The checkpoints Key West set up a!owed the virus spread from Miami.  Check the stats for Monroe vs. Dade County.

[Trueblueky]

On 7/13/2020 at 9:42 AM, ProgRockCruiser said:

This is not a new issue.  From 2011:

 

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/mh-dredging-key-west-20110720-story.html

 

KW gets a lot of tourists staying in hotels & B&Bs.  (Well, normally, not right now...)

 

This is a report done quite a while ago (2004ish):

 

https://www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov/egov/docs/1156864276_445343.pdf

 

Overall "tourism generates an estimated $15,122,200 million per year in revenues or 48.3% of the city budget."

"Cruise ship tourism accounts for $5,121,755 million or 16.4% of total city revenues."

 

So cruise ship pax generated about 33% of revenue.

 

It would be interesting to know the current break down of cruise ship visitors spending vs overnight hotel guests.

Not 33% of revenue.  33% of tourism revenue.

[ProgRockCruiser]

11 hours ago, Trueblueky said:

Not 33% of revenue.  33% of tourism revenue.

Yes, thank you for the clarification.  That is what I meant.  I can't go back to fix it now, unfortunately.

[simplelife]

They are not limiting people coming to Key West . They are limiting ships in the port.  Two very different concepts. (IMO it's would be no big loss to Key West's revenue if ships don't stop there. The last time we had KW as a port we arrived so early in the morning, nothing was open except the tourist trap souvenir shops. We had to be back on ship by noon.) 

[jimbo5544]

6 minutes ago, simplelife said:

They are not limiting people coming to Key West . They are limiting ships in the port.  Two very different concepts. (IMO it's would be no big loss to Key West's revenue if ships don't stop there. The last time we had KW as a port we arrived so early in the morning, nothing was open except the tourist trap souvenir shops. We had to be back on ship by noon.) 

Sounds like it might not work for you.  If there was not a substantial revenue stream, they would have stopped years ago.  Money makes the world go around.

[Bgcruising]

I know many love key west but it's about my least favorite stop of them all. 

[Amadawn1]

32 minutes ago, wkucrprez said:

Cruise visitors drop less than $11 per person in Key West during their day in port. 

Can you provide a link for those stats?  TIA

[Bgcruising]

50 minutes ago, wkucrprez said:

Cruise visitors drop less than $11 per person in Key West during their day in port.  The tourist money that sustains that island is the guests that fly in and stay and use lodging, full service restaurants,  fishing charters, spa amenities,  sunset charters, diving etc. Key West will terminate the large cruise ships from docking. When I'm in Key West on holiday for a week I hate while the ships are in port... and I promise you the locals do to. The will pass the ballot measures to end it 

 

 

Everything is so expensive there you can spend 11 bucks  walking to the corner.

[Saint Greg]

2 hours ago, wkucrprez said:

Cruise visitors drop less than $11 per person in Key West during their day in port.  The tourist money that sustains that island is the guests that fly in and stay and use lodging, full service restaurants,  fishing charters, spa amenities,  sunset charters, diving etc. Key West will terminate the large cruise ships from docking. When I'm in Key West on holiday for a week I hate while the ships are in port... and I promise you the locals do to. The will pass the ballot measures to end it 

 

Uhhh...even the people that are trying to get ships banned say it's three times that.

 

"In their attempts to draw attention to their petition and referendum, the group focuses on the role cruise ships played in the early days of the current health crisis. They also argue that cruise ship passengers do not spend as much money while in Key West as do other types of tourists.

 

'Cruise ship passengers spend an average of only $32 in Key West versus $550 by all other tourists. It takes 17 cruise ship passengers to match the spending 1 non-cruise tourist,” the website claims. “Cruise ship passengers make up 50% of all tourists in Key West but only 8% of all tourist spending.'

 

Left out of their equation is the fact that each of the 390 ships which visited Key West last year — carrying 1.2 million guests and crew members — paid a per-guest tax, as well as docking fees."

 

https://cruiseradio.net/key-west-looking-to-ban-large-cruise-ships

 

 

[xDisconnections]

4 hours ago, wkucrprez said:

When I'm in Key West on holiday for a week I hate while the ships are in port... and I promise you the locals do to. The will pass the ballot measures to end it 

Sounds about right. My thoughts exactly from whenever I’ve been there.