Florida state senator's bill would overturn Key West cruise ship limits

[dkjretired]

A bill introduced would overturn the recently passed Key West cruise ship limits.   Remember this was just introduced, not law yet.

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/legal-regulatory/florida-state-senators-bill-would-overturn-key-west-cruise-ship-limits?NL=ST-004&Issue=ST-004_20210108_ST-004_188&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2&utm_campaign=STRADE_News_Seatrade Cruise News Weekly Headline_News_NL_01082021_1491&utm_emailname=STRADE_News_Seatrade Cruise News Weekly Headline_News_NL_01082021_1491&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&utm_MDMContactID=1e6a3fb1-5794-47d7-85d4-8b20adcd2f9b&utm_campaigntype=Newsletter&utm_sub=Seatrade Cruise News Latest Headlines&eM=e03caacfb49ac9ba279ad9f48403136e4fc077331b661460bb04b3c4f47f16f2&eventSeriesCode=ES_SEATRDCRSCTNT&eventEditionCode=MTM00SCC&sessionCode=S_STRDCRSNEWS

[ChucktownSteve]

Personally I don't care about larger cruise ships not being allowed in Key West.  If they don't want the tourism $$$ when someone gets off the ship, dumps their wallet and and leaves in a few hours; let them have at it.

 

I have a cruise  next year which includes that port so I'll stay on the ship if it docks there.  Been there a few times, done that, bought the T-shirt anyway.

Edited January 8, 2021 by ChucktownSteve

[larry_s_taco]

Key West is one of my favorite spots. I started going down there way before the cruise ships started. I think the ambience was much better prior to the influx of cruise tourists. I will admit that I have enjoyed visiting it while on a cruise as well. The locals say they preferred it prior to the cruise port being build. They feel they did just as well prior to the cruise ship invasion. They are the ones living and dealing with the ships. I feel they should make the decision, not the Florida government. 

[Knights on the Beach]

We're frequent visitors to Key West but always for a week-long (or more) stay, never a as a port of call.  If our first time there had been during a cruise stop, I'm not sure I would have been in a big hurry to go back.  You really can't get a good feel for the island with such a short stop.  I know a lot of people in the service industry who were not for the ban, but many of them don't live in KW city limits and were unable to vote.  

[CT Sean]

19 hours ago, cruisemom2 said:

I know a lot of people in the service industry who were not for the ban, but many of them don't live in KW city limits and were unable to vote.  

 

The goal of the ban large ships isn't to reduce tourism, it's to change the demographic of the tourists.  Someone in the service industry (in theory) only needs to be worried about getting a new job at an upscale T-shirt store when the budget T-short store closes.

[ChucktownSteve]

13 minutes ago, CT Sean said:

 

The goal of the ban large ships isn't to reduce tourism, it's to change the demographic of the tourists.  Someone in the service industry (in theory) only needs to be worried about getting a new job at an upscale T-shirt store when the budget T-short store closes.

 

The environmentalists that pushed the change did want to reduce tourism which they could care less about. They want the island lifestyle not be inundated with masses of people that ruin the lifestyle and ecosystem.

[Knights on the Beach]

On 1/19/2021 at 11:34 AM, CT Sean said:

 

The goal of the ban large ships isn't to reduce tourism, it's to change the demographic of the tourists.  Someone in the service industry (in theory) only needs to be worried about getting a new job at an upscale T-shirt store when the budget T-short store closes.

 

I know exactly what the goal is but I wasn't referring to anyone working in the $5 stores.  Many people who live and work there like Key West the way it is.  Others remember Key West before cruise ships and want that back. Then there are the well off people who moved to KW to retire or live there part time and they want to "reimagine" the island and change it into something else.  I know people in all three categories.  It's hard to make everyone happy.

[Cienfuegos]

Many residents / voters in Key West have become concerned with the impact the huge ships have on churning up silt in the channels, and otherwise disturbing the waterways. That was a major interest of the so-called dive community and many people who fish. Commercially or for recreation.  That's a huge part of the economic engine.

 

The legislature is always willing to over turn local initiatives when a powerful interest is threatened, it will be interesting to see if this bill goes anywhere. The summary linked above seems to focus on the state's interest in preserving the interstate and international commerce of a seaport from the predations of local voters. That could be a stretch.