Cruise Critic News: Key West Will Vote On Cruise Ship Limitations in November

[Joebucks]

2 hours ago, BNBR said:

Common sense would tell you that cruisers spend less than other vacationers.  Food and lodging are the most expensive items, both of which is covered by the cruise ship.  Cruisers get off, wander around, buy a $5 trinket, maybe do a tour (so the tour operators make a few bucks)... but overall, the locals see virtually no benefit from it.

 

So you're telling me money spent on lodging is going to the locals? Who runs the local businesses? Do you honestly believe cruisers spend zero dollars on bars and restaurants? You've at least acknowledged the shops and tour operators are making at leas "a few bucks?"

 

Common sense would tell anyone that a cruise ship bringing thousands of people to a city is more money to an economy and the locals. That is an irrefutable fact. To claim otherwise is almost like you have never taken a cruise. Some ports completely close down when the cruisers leave for the day because there is no more business. When the ship is in dock, restaurants and bars are loaded, people have their souvenir drink glasses, bags of merchandise, excursions, photos, etc etc. Yet an example of bigger bills being paid to lodging for land travel means these tourists aren't contributing to the economy?

 

Am I saying it benefits EVERYONE to shovel this many people in and there are no cons? Absolutely not. That is the part that is debatable. To try it make it sound like these cruisers bring nothing in is making a baseless claim in an attempt to support your cause.

 

For an additional, anecdotal, example, in my last cruise to Key West, we did a tour, the aquarium, a bar, I bought a local cigar, my girlfriend bought a shirt. Obviously, my business does not make or break Key West and is in no way an average of what cruisers bring in. However, do you think I was the only one who bought anything at port?

[BNBR]

34 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

So you're telling me money spent on lodging is going to the locals? Who runs the local businesses? Do you honestly believe cruisers spend zero dollars on bars and restaurants? You've at least acknowledged the shops and tour operators are making at leas "a few bucks?"

 

Common sense would tell anyone that a cruise ship bringing thousands of people to a city is more money to an economy and the locals. That is an irrefutable fact. To claim otherwise is almost like you have never taken a cruise. Some ports completely close down when the cruisers leave for the day because there is no more business. When the ship is in dock, restaurants and bars are loaded, people have their souvenir drink glasses, bags of merchandise, excursions, photos, etc etc. Yet an example of bigger bills being paid to lodging for land travel means these tourists aren't contributing to the economy?

 

Am I saying it benefits EVERYONE to shovel this many people in and there are no cons? Absolutely not. That is the part that is debatable. To try it make it sound like these cruisers bring nothing in is making a baseless claim in an attempt to support your cause.

 

For an additional, anecdotal, example, in my last cruise to Key West, we did a tour, the aquarium, a bar, I bought a local cigar, my girlfriend bought a shirt. Obviously, my business does not make or break Key West and is in no way an average of what cruisers bring in. However, do you think I was the only one who bought anything at port?

 

Who said cruisers bring nothing?  They don't bring enough, and Key West doesn't need it.  And again, Key West does the opposite of close down after the ships leave... it opens up and the party starts.  Heck, they even throw a big party at the square to celebrate the ships finally leaving, and that sunset thing, too.

[rkacruiser]

40 minutes ago, BNBR said:

Heck, they even throw a big party at the square to celebrate the ships finally leaving,

 

That's a rather unkind post to make.🙁

[Cienfuegos]

Four hundred ships with 1.2 million passengers is a lot. Especially when concentrated over six months.

 

Average is about 3,000 people if my math is correct.

 

 

[voljeep]

Key West is , or at least used to be many years ago, a night time place to be ... during the day, not so much

 

cruise ships need to have an overnight stay in Key West ... then the $$$ will flow to the restaurants, and especially the bars

[rkacruiser]

25 minutes ago, voljeep said:

cruise ships need to have an overnight stay in Key West ... then the $$$ will flow to the restaurants, and especially the bars

 

In this "new day and age", perhaps such a port visit would be possible for cruise lines to schedule.  I'd like it! 

[Oulton Jim]

I guess the good folk of Key West will vote with their feet on the day [or has that day come and gone?] -I would have said that one ship per day with a maximum of 2000 pax would be a good compromise. 

[Cienfuegos]

The idea of an overnight cruise ship stay in Key West is a great suggestion.  I don't know how it would fit into the mechanics of a seven day cruise from Miami to the Yucatan, however.