Tender Love and Carnival Cruise Lines: What's Going on in Belize?

[LauraS]

Cruise Critic has just posted the following news:

Tender Love and Carnival Cruise Lines: What's Going on in Belize?

Read the entire news article...

[mocassin]

Our group was on the Carnival Triumph last week and Belize was canceled the day before the scheduled visit. Grand Cayman Island was substituted. Initially Carnival only stated that the reason for the change was operational. After numerous passenger inquiries, the ship issued a memo about difficulties with the tender operators. Passengers were disappointed including me. I booked that specific cruise because it included Belize.

[bob brown]

Just curious. Why doesn't Carnival (and apparently the other lines) calling at Belize use their own tenders as is done in other ports? I haven't been there, and the places I have been using tenders, mostly US and Canadian ports, the cruiselines use their own.
I know that they use ferries in some places like Bermuda, but I don't know the situation in Belize....

[c-legs]

I'm with Bob Brown ,the previous poster: WHY NOT USE THEIR OWN TENDERS ?? They're part of the assets represented by the vessel calling at that port; they have the trained staff to operate them;the cost is ''built in'' the vessel; the shoreside operations can certainly handle a cruise line's own tender boats if they can handle the ones owned and operated by local operators.....
Or are we talking a good old fashionned hard ball Mexican chicken game here, to see who's blinking first ?

Curious mind is enquiring....
Cheers

[TrudyC]

Why don't they pay the price the tender operators are requesting????? Why should a large company like Carnival have the right to lower the fees they have been paying, with NO raises in 10 years??? What right do they think they have going into a sovereign country and installing their own tenders thereby taking jobs from the locals?? For shame CArnival, we are booked to go to Belize Feb 24th and that is our PREFERRED stop, don't quibble over a few dollars, pay up, I'm sure no one here wants their wages dropped for a corporate giant to get fatter.

I think is is a disgrace when we go as tourists to a new country then want to stay in the walled private domain of the cruise companies who destroy the habitat and then rip off the little guy just struggling to make a living, perhaps the tender drivers should charge a fuel fee like airports/cruise lines have done, anyone notice the price of fuel in the last 10 years??? yep it went up too and rates stayed the same, if they are payed a fair wage there would be no dispute

CARNIVAL QUIT BEING A BIG BULLY, NEGOTIATE FAIRLY AND QUIT THE LIES THIS IS ABOUT SAFETY, THIS IS THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR, YOURS

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Originally Posted by TrudyC

Why don't they pay the price the tender operators are requesting????? Why should a large company like Carnival have the right to lower the fees they have been paying, with NO raises in 10 years??? What right do they think they have going into a sovereign country and installing their own tenders thereby taking jobs from the locals?? For shame CArnival, we are booked to go to Belize Feb 24th and that is our PREFERRED stop, don't quibble over a few dollars, pay up, I'm sure no one here wants their wages dropped for a corporate giant to get fatter.

I'm always amazed at how people are so quick to spend other people's/companies money.

Originally Posted by TrudyC

I think is is a disgrace when we go as tourists to a new country then want to stay in the walled private domain of the cruise companies who destroy the habitat and then rip off the little guy just struggling to make a living, perhaps the tender drivers should charge a fuel fee like airports/cruise lines have done, anyone notice the price of fuel in the last 10 years??? yep it went up too and rates stayed the same, if they are payed a fair wage there would be no dispute

So why do you continue to fund Carnival? As for 'ripping off' the locals without the cruiselines the unemployement in a lot of those ports would be double or triple. Who are you to determine a fair wage?

Originally Posted by TrudyC

CARNIVAL QUIT BEING A BIG BULLY, NEGOTIATE FAIRLY AND QUIT THE LIES THIS IS ABOUT SAFETY, THIS IS THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR, YOURS

In addition Carnival has other ships visiting Belize as well:

Dream (3600), Valor (3700), Triumph (3400), Glory (3700) and Legend (2600) that's 17,000 potential passengers!!!! Now imagine if you're a souveniour/vender who has lots of t-shirts/bracelets to sell and Carnival pulls out of Belize because the greedy tender operators don't want to invest in better ships - how would YOU feel?

On a personal aside there are probably many other issues in the negoiations that we, John Q Public, aren't privy to. Carnival is probably trying to just pump up their bottom line like RCI did with Haiti. However there comes a point where global corporations could use clever compromises to enhance their global image AND to aid 3rd world countries.

As a compromise why not help Belize in developing a pier in which ships could dock and stop the tendering process? In exchange CCL would get no docking fees? Just saying there are other win-win solutions

[mainecruiser25]

I agree with TudyC! Carnival has the right to price hike us if fuel increases, well what about the people of Belize. They are paying higher prices on fuel also and it is about time to pay them accordingly. We loved our stop in Belize. The cave tubing with Coral Breezes Tour company was the best excursion we did last year. I hope Carnival will stop this so we can get into Belize on our next cruise. Let's be honest - any pay increase they give them is going to be passed on to us as customers, so get on with it!

[stsimons]

could someone tell me how to do my very first post? I can't find directions anywhere?

[stsimons]

could someone tell me how to do my very first post? I can't find directions anywhere?

[amc2]

Sad if they substitute Mexico or belieze. The countries are nothing alike. I was married in belieze in 2008' the country is lovely, far more rustic and less commercialized than Mexico, as we walked through the town from the port to our waiting limo, dressed in full wedding attire, we were joined by hundreds of locals, coming out of every building to join us in our walk. We later found out, that in belieze, you don't invite people to your wedding, they merely join you along the way. What a beautiful country with lovely people. I'd trade any Mexico port of call for belieze again. The truth is us passengers, with our continuing downward pressure on price will result in cruise lines co ginning to try to cut costs, on ship, in staff, and in ports. Sad but true.

[cruise4life777]

Not sure if I was reading this correctly, but $2 million in insurance per tender seems quite low. If the insurance terms are on a "per occurrence" basis and Carnival has a stipulation stating they are not liable for third party tender accidents, 200 passengers on a full tender into $2 million = a measly $10,000 per cruiser. In the event of a catastrophic accident this seems drastically inadequate.

[lookingtorelaxnow]

According to John Heald, senior cruise director the tenders raised their prices up to 7.00 per person. He did not say what it was before. I agree though that Carnival will not be held hostage. The people who say just pay it are the same ones who will complain when fares go up.

[Cuizer2]

Originally Posted by stsimons

could someone tell me how to do my very first post? I can't find directions anywhere?

Congratulations - you now have two posts.

I read that Carnival was building a dock in Belize. It should have been finished sometime last year. What happened to that dock?

[kelley2]

We like grand cayman a lot better than belize because if you don`t book the cave tubing ( which is the best thing they offer) we are not about to venture outside the gate because it looks totally unsafe. Grand cayman gets ou vote.

[TrudyC]

Mr Luckytoo, I don't know who you work for but image no raises in 10 years, all costs have skyrocketed, and you asask for a raise, then your bosses say we will lower your rates, or drop you and put someone else in your place, um like scab labor???? How would you feel??

I sympathise with the tender drivers, I had something similar happen to my husbands job, they called it restructuring, believe me it is awful, especially if the big company is still making lots of $$, the little guy can't cut back, they are already down as low as they can go.

As fara s safety outside the gates I don't think they have a big crime problem, no more than the average city I would think. I still think when you book an itinerary the cruise line should try all they can to stop at those ports and any changes should be on future plans. WE are looking forward to snorkelling there, they have some of the best reefs, or so we have heard

Hope everyone enjoys their upcoming cruises, we fly out in 10 days

[Erica@cruisecritic]

Just wanted to let you all know that we reached out to Carnival and Belize Tourism to ask why the cruise ships can't use their own tenders in Belize. I'll let you know when I hear back.

[Erica@cruisecritic]

Just wanted to update you all on the latest from Carnival. The line's spokesman tells us that negotiations are still underway but that Carnival Legend will indeed be calling in Belize this week.

As for tender/dock info, he says that some ports require cruise ships to use the port's tenders, as is the case with the Belize. He also said that both Carnival and Royal Caribbean had undertaken separate iniatives to get a dock built in Belize, but both have fallen through.

[Cuizer2]

Originally Posted by Erica@cruisecritic

Just wanted to update you all on the latest from Carnival. The line's spokesman tells us that negotiations are still underway but that Carnival Legend will indeed be calling in Belize this week.

As for tender/dock info, he says that some ports require cruise ships to use the port's tenders, as is the case with the Belize. He also said that both Carnival and Royal Caribbean had undertaken separate iniatives to get a dock built in Belize, but both have fallen through.

Interesting. Thank you for the update.

[AddiesMomma]

Erica, please update if you can to let us know what ships (if any) will be calling in Belize next week.

[bob brown]

Originally Posted by Erica@cruisecritic

Just wanted to update you all on the latest from Carnival. The line's spokesman tells us that negotiations are still underway but that Carnival Legend will indeed be calling in Belize this week.

As for tender/dock info, he says that some ports require cruise ships to use the port's tenders, as is the case with the Belize.

I wonder why that is?
Safety? I'd rather be on the ship's own tenders.
Economics? To provide more local employment? Most likely the real reason.