Local Residents Reaction To Cruise Ship Passengers

[kerota]

There seems to be a growing movement to ban or restrict cruise ships at ports around the world.

 

When in port, has a local resident ever given you attitude because you are a cruise ship passenger?

[mom says]

About the only local residents I come in contact with on port stops are the people who want my money. (Merchants/vendors/guides).

[Aquahound]

The growing trend to ban or restrict cruise ships usually has more to do with environmental impact or strained infrastructure than it does the passengers.  That said, I do know that many cruise ship passengers have a tendency to think they are more valuable to a cruise port than what they really are, so sometimes that attitude can cause everyone to be painted with the same brush.  

[Mary229]

No, I haven’t ever had any pushback from locals especially when walking around independently.  Occasionally I will get on a transport bus where they drop you off at a remote location for some hours to walk around independently and it may overwhelm a small town.  No local has ever been rude but of course there may be stares.

 

Last time in Bar Harbor we were on a small group tour and the guide freely complained about the local and federal government hindering his business. 

[sfaaa]

Kind of short sighted and single minded attitude. Cruise ship visits not just support port area businesses, they also generate tax revenues to fund other public services and projects that benefit local residents, provide employments to cruise ship related spinoff industries and attract investments into the area.  Environmental concerns can be managed through cooperation between cruise lines and local government authorities. 

[cruisemom42]

I haven't personally run into any "attitude" from other individuals, but I know fellow cruisers who've experienced demonstrations in Venice and in a port in The Netherlands regarding opposition to large cruise ships.

 

[Szt]

On a cruise stop in Sicily we took an excursion to Tauromina (sp?). Our stay there was relatively short due to distance from the port. I think we got there about noon and had to leave around 4. Most of the shops close mid-day from noon- 3. As we were walking around this beautiful little town we heard people in front of us (typical ugly Americans) saying “I can’t believe these shops close when the cruise tour groups come. It’s like they don’t want to make money”. A shop owner sweeping outside of his shop also overheard them. He looked disgusted and flipped them off after they had passed. We said “please don’t judge all Americans by people like that. We don’t all think that way”. He told us the difference between our culture and theirs is we live to work. They work to live. He explained time with their families is more important than pleasing a bunch of tourists, and he felt they were very rude to think their money was so important to him he should give up family time for them. When we told him we thought he was right, he invited us into his shop and insisted we taste some of his olive oil. He gave us a little bottle and when we tried to pay him, he shook his head and said “no no” Moral of the story- Always remember, as a tourist, you are a guest in someone else’s home. 

[mom says]

3 hours ago, sfaaa said:

Kind of short sighted and single minded attitude. Cruise ship visits not just support port area businesses, they also generate tax revenues to fund other public services and projects that benefit local residents, provide employments to cruise ship related spinoff industries and attract investments into the area.  Environmental concerns can be managed through cooperation between cruise lines and local government authorities. 

So according to you, these municipalities, and their governing bodies are ignorant, with no business sense or experience, and should just believe that the cruise corporations will always do what is in the best interests of the community.  Does that about sum it up.?  Sorry(not sorry), but if a community has done their homework and feels that they are better off (taking a wider view that encompasses the whole community, and not just the segment devoted to cruise port stops), then that is both their right and responsibility.

[Kristelle]

4 hours ago, sfaaa said:

Kind of short sighted and single minded attitude. Cruise ship visits not just support port area businesses, they also generate tax revenues to fund other public services and projects that benefit local residents, provide employments to cruise ship related spinoff industries and attract investments into the area.  Environmental concerns can be managed through cooperation between cruise lines and local government authorities. 

 

 

I disagree

 

it isnt single minded and short sighted, just because it doesn't suit tourists. Or in the case of big cruise ships, hordes of tourists

 

Your post sounds rather patronising really.

 

Not everything can just be managed to make it work for tourists and there are people who prefer maintaining their way of life and their sacred sites  to being over-run by tourists and their money.

 

I am a tourist too of course and I love travelling - but I hope we are all aware we are intruding on other people's lands and lives and we try do so in a way that suits them, not expect them to suit us or think we are doing them a great favour by being there

[Mary229]

4 hours ago, Kristelle said:

 

 

I disagree

 

it isnt single minded and short sighted, just because it doesn't suit tourists. Or in the case of big cruise ships, hordes of tourists

 

Your post sounds rather patronising really.

 

Not everything can just be managed to make it work for tourists and there are people who prefer maintaining their way of life and their sacred sites  to being over-run by tourists and their money.

 

I am a tourist too of course and I love travelling - but I hope we are all aware we are intruding on other people's lands and lives and we try do so in a way that suits them, not expect them to suit us or think we are doing them a great favour by being there

And more basically the cost  to build new waste, water, utility, road, transportation and health systems may exceed the benefits tourists bring.  There used to be a concept of appropriateness (appropriate technology)  which is little used in public discussions but it does underly economic planning. 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Mary229

[John Bull]

We've never experienced any negativity from locals

- issues that they may have are with the cruise lines, not the passengers

- and often, apart from things like branded bags & hats and paddle-led excursion groups it's impossible to tell the difference between one-day cruisers and stay-a-while vacationers.

Even those not directly involved are aware that income from tourism is important.

 

The antagonism toward cruise ships is due to a few factors

- the sheer number and size of cruise ships day-after-day-after-day overwhelms smaller destinations such as many Caribbean islands. 

- cruise ship passengers spend very little money compared to vacationers, in the main they breakfast on the ship, they're back on the ship around 5pm, they dine on the ship, their evening entertainment and bed are on the ship.

- cruise ships bring traffic and pollution. Cruise ships are being built with the option of taking power from the shore when in port, mebbe others will be converted to do so.   Southampton has invested in shore-side power for cruise ships at one terminal, it'll be followed by others and Portsmouth is investing in two. Bot such infrastructure is expensive & not worthwhile for smaller ports with fewer cruise ship visits

- cruise ships can be a danger to port infrastructure and other ships, and - especially large ones with little gap between keel and seabed - can stir up silt and mud when maneuvering in port.

- from a cruise ship can be the best place to take photos of a town, because there's no damned-great cruise ship in the background 😏

 

JB 🙂

 

 

[Honolulu Blue]

13 hours ago, kerota said:

When in port, has a local resident ever given you attitude because you are a cruise ship passenger?

I can't say that I have.  Then again, I've never received "attitude" from a local when I've traveled by any means.

[MBP&O2/O]

Two sides to every coin.

I live a couple of miles away from the beach in what is designated 'An area of outstanding natural beauty'. 

Our local council keeps having 'events' and a few hundred visitors will attend. The only people who gain from them is the  council who charge a fee! The locals have the honour of living with the mess and crap that these people leave behind! Complaints fall on deaf ears.

Goodness knows what would happen if 'Monstrosity of the Seas' dropped the anchor and dislodged several thousand people to the little fishing village up the road.

Some areas cannot cope with a sudden influx of large numbers of visitors. 

Many local authorities have no experience in the contingency and emergency planning for such scenarios.

[navybankerteacher]

It is difficult to get informed opinion on this matter on a Cruise Critic thread.   Communities which realize the negative impact of (especially large) cruise ships calling are taking action to protect themselves.  When a 4,000 passenger ship (or several) comes in, local facilities can be overwhelmed - and very many of those thousands are determined to save money - some even scheduling return to the ship for lunch rather than having to pay for it ashore.

 

It seems likely that more and more destinations will, like Venice and Bar Harbor, start taking steps to join the ports which have already opted out - like St. Barth’s, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, etc. - and protect themselves from the increasingly apparent myth of the “benefits” offered by cruise ship passengers.

 

The mass market lines, by their success to date, are likely to put an end to much of their appeal - and become primarily boat rides to cruise line owned islands.

[klfrodo]

Before I retired, my job took me to Alaska and Hawaii too many times to count. I spent many a day as a non-tourist in cities, towns, and villages where cruise ships port for the day. I've also cruised with my family to many of these same port stops.

The majority of these folks feel the same as anyone else in any other city or town across the US where the township may schedule events. Roads/sidewalks are going to be crowded, stay away during this time frame if you can. If you can't schedule your time to avoid the crowds, just be aware. If your job or business is to cater to these crowds, then enjoy the additional revenue.

Just like current politics though, each community can have its own very vocal minority.

[ldubs]

13 hours ago, Szt said:

On a cruise stop in Sicily we took an excursion to Tauromina (sp?). Our stay there was relatively short due to distance from the port. I think we got there about noon and had to leave around 4. Most of the shops close mid-day from noon- 3. As we were walking around this beautiful little town we heard people in front of us (typical ugly Americans) saying “I can’t believe these shops close when the cruise tour groups come. It’s like they don’t want to make money”. A shop owner sweeping outside of his shop also overheard them. He looked disgusted and flipped them off after they had passed. We said “please don’t judge all Americans by people like that. We don’t all think that way”. He told us the difference between our culture and theirs is we live to work. They work to live. He explained time with their families is more important than pleasing a bunch of tourists, and he felt they were very rude to think their money was so important to him he should give up family time for them. When we told him we thought he was right, he invited us into his shop and insisted we taste some of his olive oil. He gave us a little bottle and when we tried to pay him, he shook his head and said “no no” Moral of the story- Always remember, as a tourist, you are a guest in someone else’s home. 

 

That seems like an extreme reaction to what was likely an innocent comment about shops not being open to make money from tourists.  Ugly American seems a little harsh.  If it is a cultural difference then even more reason to not become offended.  

Edited October 23, 2023 by ldubs

[K32682]

What "attitude" I've received is not from locals while cruising but instead from cruisers when I've been on a land-based visit. Some cruisers can be astonishingly obnoxious and a horde that arrives all at once can put a damper on an otherwise pleasant day. When visiting friends in Key West we always made sure to avoid the tourist spots and restaurants downtown when the big boats deposited their human cargo on shore. 

[Szt]

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 

That seems like an extreme reaction to what was likely an innocent comment about shops not being open to make money from tourists.  Ugly American seems a little harsh.  If it is a cultural difference then even more reason to not become offended.  

I think it was the way it was said. It came off very snooty. 

[ldubs]

1 minute ago, Szt said:

I think it was the way it was said. It came off very snooty. 

 

I guess. People seem very thin skinned these days.  On the other hand, if I reacted to some comments the way I wanted, I would probably be behind bars!  Lol.  

[Szt]

We accidentally found a great “hack” for visiting those tiny little towns. While on a cruise in the French Riviera I found several small towns I wanted to visit. But the shore excursions were full before we could book. We found, using trains and cabs, we could easily do all 3 towns at the top of my list on our own. By chance, we did them in reverse of the ship’s excursions. We got to a beautiful little pedestrian only town called Eze first thing in the am. We had it all to ourselves. Locals were extremely friendly and relaxed as were we. About 11:00 thousands of tourists were deposited in Eze. You could barely see anything except a throng of people. So we hopped a train to our 2nd town, (can’t remember the name). The tour buses had just left and again, we had the quiet little town to ourselves. A short cab ride back to Villefranche, where we were docked, and we had about 90 min. to wander after most passengers had returned to the ship. The whole day included twice the sites for about 1/4 the price, and we didn’t have to fight through a throng of tourists. It seems that multiple ships will use the same tour operators and most have the same itinerary. So figure out where and when they go, and do it in reverse. 

[Kristelle]

that seems a good idea Szt - but does also highlight why locals may not be in love with cruise ships - if you dont want throngs of tourists on your day trip and prefer quiet uncrowded towns, , I guess locals who live there might feel same  way 😉

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, Kristelle said:

that seems a good idea Szt - but does also highlight why locals may not be in love with cruise ships - if you dont want throngs of tourists on your day trip and prefer quiet uncrowded towns, , I guess locals who live there might feel same  way 😉

 

From what I'm reading, tourism is wanted but the headcount are just getting out of hand in many places.  It is said people visiting on cruise ship excursions do not spend enough to justify the overcrowding they create.  I suspect that applies to popular places, with Venice being a good example.  I also suspect there are other more off the beaten path places where the excursion crowd is a major source of revenue.  

 

Oh, and not disputing what you say.  Your comment just reminded me of some things I had read.   

[Kristelle]

Yes, exactly - I think it isn't so much that tourism isn't wanted, just not too much all at once.

Which of course can be the problem with thousands of people on  large cruise ships.

 

[sparks1093]

We have a festival every June in our village that is put on by the local Lions Club as a fund raiser. This festival attracts a thousand or more visitors to our village throughout the weekend, often doubling our population. Many of these visitors spend money at local businesses in addition to attending the festival. One would think that business would support the festival, but only some of them do. This is because the festival in fact disrupts some businesses rather than attracting customers. The take away is that tourism doesn't necessarily help everyone in a locality equally. And while some may be concerned about the environmental impact of cruising to their local environment I would be willing to bet that is also not a universally held precept.

[ontheweb]

8 hours ago, Kristelle said:

Yes, exactly - I think it isn't so much that tourism isn't wanted, just not too much all at once.

Which of course can be the problem with thousands of people on  large cruise ships.

 

And especially if several very large cruise ships are in the port at the same time.