Not even Fred the Shed?
Posted on 11/05/2020 10:40:33 AM PST by Capt. Tom
Many communities around the world are suffering economic damage due to the lack of cruise ships visiting the areas and providing the necessary boost to local economies. While these communities are scrambling to get cruise ships back in town, the residents of Key West, Florida, have now taken a different route.
The Key West Committee for Safer Cleaner Ships has been campaigning not to ban ships completely from the islands in southern Florida but to shrink the cruise ship tourism footprint in Key West.
Cruise ships are the backbone of the local economy, however, not all the effects of visiting cruise ships are positive ones. While 597,000 cruise ship passengers filled Duval Street in 1999, in 2019, 910,000 cruise ship passengers from 417 ships visited the community of 24,000.
During the past few months of the pandemic, however, cruise ship travel has ceased. Once the locals saw the changes that came with a lack of cruise ships in the port and healthier, cleaner, and clearer water, the burden the ships place on the local environment was one of the main reasons for Key West residents to demand action from their local government.
Three New Rules Passed During the election vote for the presidency, the locals voted in three different rules. These were:
Limit the number of daily cruise ship visitors at 1,500 – Limiting daily disembarkations will lower the risk of an infectious disease outbreak that would overwhelm our limited health infrastructure.
Prohibit cruise ships with 1,300 passengers or more from docking – Large cruise ships have a higher risk of infectious disease outbreak than small ships. Small ships carry fewer people and can be sanitized more easily after an outbreak.
Give docking priority to cruise lines that have the best health and environmental records – According to scores by the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program and records of environmental violations, cruise ships will be prioritized. This will further reduce the risk of an infectious disease outbreak.
While it would seem that the locals are destroying their economy, one of the reasons they believe not to be the case is this: Construction orders through 2024 show that 45% of all new ships being built would qualify to call on Key West after the referenda.
Key West Not the First to Ban Ships In recent years, more and more cities and countries have placed bans on ships to enter certain areas, or implemented varied restrictions on the types of ships that may use port facilities.
Cannes, France, has banned large cruise ships from the port unless they make significant concessions to environmental factors; the nearby town of Saint Raphael has made a similar decision.
Santorini in Greece has placed a maximum of 8,000 cruise passengers per day to visit the famous scenic town on the edge of a volcano. And last but not least, Venice in Italy has now banned large cruise liners from entering the old canal system. This comes after an MSC ship crashed with a river vessel in the town in 2019.
With the arrival of more and larger ships worldwide, it is no surprise that communities are coming together to see what the trade-off would be. The facts are clear, while cruise ships bring in a significant amount of money for the local economy, environmental damage should be avoided. Different communities will need to find the balance that works not only for their own economies, but also to protect their natural resources and local infrastructure.
While the residents of Key West can be commended for seeking a middle ground, it would be interesting to hear what the large cruise lines have to say on this issue.
One court case is already coming, that between the owner of the pier, and the city, the Miami Herald reports. Cruise Hive will continue to update this important issue so you know what to expect when setting sail for Key West.
Also those big cruise lines don't have many if any ships that carry just 1300 passengers. Seems like their smaller ships carry 2,000 plus. -Tom
I was on a ship that stopped in Key West. Nothing like disembarking to any other town along the gulf coast. No local culture, no unique language, nothing special at all. FYI for cruise enthusiasts. This is a completely stupid stop. Just stay on the boat.
Amazing, the number of people on Cruise Critic who think Biden is the fast path to reopen cruising.
Agree. Tried that place on vacation. Worthless.
Amazing, the number of people on Cruise Critic who think Biden is the fast path to reopen cruising.
****************
Yes well everything is politics to some people even if they have everything totally backwards.
I shared a link to the recent announcement of the lifting of the no sail order by the CDC to one of my TDS cruise friends. She desperately wants to begin cruising again, but she used the opportunity to go on a rant about how “the only reason it’s being lifted is because the Florida governor is buddies with Trump and Florida relies on the cruise industry and now they are boarding up stores in Washington DC blah blah blah..” Didn’t make any sense.
For me, one of the drawbacks about cruising was there was always some loudmouth Trump hater at the dinner table who wouldn’t STFU about him. It’s a psychosis.
Amazing, the number of people on Cruise Critic who think Biden is the fast path to reopen cruising.
AC86UT89 wrote: “Yes well everything is politics to some people even if they have everything totally backwards.”
These folks believe that the only way to defeat the virus is a very strict lockdown. They believe Biden will lock down the nation, impose a mask mandate, and the virus will be gone in a couple of months.
“Amazing, the number of people on Cruise Critic who think Biden is the fast path to reopen cruising.”............
You got to satisfy the squad and the Green New Deal and climate warming pushers, by getting rid of fracking and the oil industry and the Cruise ships that use approx. 50,000 gal per day while underway.
Always in the back of my mind is, if attacked, how do you fight a war with wind mills and solar panels?-Tom
It would be with a very substantial donation to Hunter & Co.
I can’t stand the people who don’t plan on taking a cruise but insist others shouldn’t be able to either. They should just get on with it and move to China or North Korea.
Key West also doesn’t allow ships to stay overnight.
The wife and I were thinking of flying to Florida and renting a car when things might open up next year. Wanted to drive the overseas highway to Key West and take the hour or so tour boat to Dry Tortugas. Anybody done that and recommend it?
“Key West also doesn’t allow ships to stay overnight.”
Most cruise ships don’t stay overnight in any ports.
“Amazing, the number of people on Cruise Critic who think Biden is the fast path to reopen cruising.”
Deluded idiots
“Didn’t know that this was generally prohibited, I thought it was unique.”
Cruise ships transit port-to-port at night. Sight-seeing during the day then back to the ship for dinner and show. A couple of drinks and to bed.
Breakfast then off the ship at another port.
“Wanted to drive the overseas highway to Key West”
I was just in Key West last weekend. Great time just before the election. We saw a trump car parade pass bye us when we were sitting in Capt. Tony’s.
The drive down and back is always a treat. It’s a beautiful drive.
Everything is now open. We were there back in July but very few places were open.
Nothing to see on Key West.
Not even Fred the Shed?
The drive from Miami to Key West is loooong. Give yourself ample time.
Love the drive, this is one of my Islamorada favs
https://www.cheeca.com/?chebs=gl-cheeca
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