Key West could vote no mega ships

[deadmoney]

$32 per person? heck, I spend that at the first bar.🍹

[ontheweb]

9 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Uhhh...even the people that are trying to get ships banned say it's three times that.

 

"In their attempts to draw attention to their petition and referendum, the group focuses on the role cruise ships played in the early days of the current health crisis. They also argue that cruise ship passengers do not spend as much money while in Key West as do other types of tourists.

 

'Cruise ship passengers spend an average of only $32 in Key West versus $550 by all other tourists. It takes 17 cruise ship passengers to match the spending 1 non-cruise tourist,” the website claims. “Cruise ship passengers make up 50% of all tourists in Key West but only 8% of all tourist spending.'

 

Left out of their equation is the fact that each of the 390 ships which visited Key West last year — carrying 1.2 million guests and crew members — paid a per-guest tax, as well as docking fees."

 

https://cruiseradio.net/key-west-looking-to-ban-large-cruise-ships

 

 

Rather convenient for those making the argument for the ban that they leave out the per-guest tax and docking fees.

[xDisconnections]

4 hours ago, deadmoney said:

$32 per person? heck, I spend that at the first bar.🍹

That washes against those going to Southernmost Point, going to the $5 store for some quick souvenirs and then heading back to the ship for lunch.

Edited July 19, 2020 by xDisconnections

[Saint Greg]

5 hours ago, deadmoney said:

$32 per person? heck, I spend that at the first bar.🍹

I don’t remember what I spent there. I know I had three beers at a bar. I paid an entry fee to the fort. I took a cab to the southernmost point. I ate lunch. I had another beer. I wanted to go to more bars but we had an early port time.

 

If I go back I’d like to hit a bunch of bars and I’d eat lunch there again. But if they outlaw cruise ships I won’t be back. I don’t have the desire to spend an entire vacation there.

 

Edited July 19, 2020 by Saint Greg

[xDisconnections]

22 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

I don’t remember what I spent there. I know I had three beers at a bar. I paid an entry fee to the fort. I took a cab to the southernmost point. I ate lunch. I had another beer. I wanted to go to more bars but we had an early port time.

 

If I go back I’d like to hit a bunch of bars and I’d eat lunch there again. But if they outlaw cruise ships I won’t be back. I don’t have the desire to spend an entire vacation there.

 

For us Floridians, it’s pretty convenient to go for a few days. Just a short cruise down A1A

[Saint Greg]

1 minute ago, xDisconnections said:

For us Floridians, it’s pretty convenient to go for a few days. Just a short cruise down A1A

And you probably don’t like thousands of people being dropped into the middle of your little three day weekend which explains your posts on this thread. But if cruisers just go to southernmost port then head back to the ship it doesn’t seem like they’d bother you much.

[xDisconnections]

2 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

And you probably don’t like thousands of people being dropped into the middle of your little three day weekend which explains your posts on this thread. But if cruisers just go to southernmost port then head back to the ship it doesn’t seem like they’d bother you much.

Three day weekend? That’s quite an assumption. I didn’t know those existed.

 

You're not wrong though... the cruise ships really impact the dynamic of the island and I can understand how the locals feel. 

[tw67]

I have said this many times, Key West is my favorite port.  With crazy family schedules all we can fit in sometimes is a 4 day Key West, Cozumel out of Miami cruise.  We have our favorite breakfast place, taco place, and favorite bars to go to.  When the kids were younger we did the more touristy things with them.  I will never forget the first trip down Duval Street when the older one actually read the t-shirts in the windows for the first time!  My kids grew up as parrotheads, and one year on a cruise with a stop to Key West we did a Trails of Margaritaville Tour.  My kids really learned a lot of history from it, and not just Jimmy Buffett history!  I wish they still did that tour!  I know many people may judge me when I say that I have great family memories from our quick Key West port stops!!  

 

If it wasn't for the cruise ships bringing us there, the first summer when my husband and I had a few days to actually get away without kids, I am not sure if we would have picked Key West as our place to go.  We had a great time, and might try to do it again when the world can return to some sort of normal, or whatever the new normal will be.  

 

I will be sad if this passes, and is actually put into place.  I am hoping that in January we will get there again.   But I am interested in what other places cruise ships could substitute.  My husband and I are almost at the point where cruising without kids will be a reality for us, and I would love to think of other places that we might go.  

[momof3cruisers]

14 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Uhhh...even the people that are trying to get ships banned say it's three times that.

 

"In their attempts to draw attention to their petition and referendum, the group focuses on the role cruise ships played in the early days of the current health crisis. They also argue that cruise ship passengers do not spend as much money while in Key West as do other types of tourists.

 

'Cruise ship passengers spend an average of only $32 in Key West versus $550 by all other tourists. It takes 17 cruise ship passengers to match the spending 1 non-cruise tourist,” the website claims. “Cruise ship passengers make up 50% of all tourists in Key West but only 8% of all tourist spending.'

 

Left out of their equation is the fact that each of the 390 ships which visited Key West last year — carrying 1.2 million guests and crew members — paid a per-guest tax, as well as docking fees."

 

https://cruiseradio.net/key-west-looking-to-ban-large-cruise-ships

 

 

And the spending per person I believe is averaged over the number of people on each ship. Plenty of people don’t even get off the ship thus not making their streets more crowded. But those people, including crew a lot of whom NEVER get off the ship there still pay taxes. I would assume 33% of the tourism budget affects a lot of jobs. 

[momof3cruisers]

17 hours ago, wkucrprez said:

Cruise visitors drop less than $11 per person in Key West during their day in port.  The tourist money that sustains that island is the guests that fly in and stay and use lodging, full service restaurants,  fishing charters, spa amenities,  sunset charters, diving etc. Key West will terminate the large cruise ships from docking. When I'm in Key West on holiday for a week I hate while the ships are in port... and I promise you the locals do to. The will pass the ballot measures to end it 

I would assume they wouldn’t all be in favor of it. A 30% decrease in a significant portion of their budget can pay for a lot of roads, police, street sweepers etc. 

[glrounds]

6 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Rather convenient for those making the argument for the ban that they leave out the per-guest tax and docking fees.

 

I would guess the average citizen, home-owner and renter of a vacation home there sees very little of that as the majority of these fees are gobbled up by the dock operation costs. AND THESE PEOPLE VOTE !

Edited July 19, 2020 by glrounds

[Moviela]

Key West is a lot like Gibraltar. You can easily see it in a day. You don't need to be there overnight. 

[Trueblueky]

On 7/19/2020 at 9:00 PM, Moviela said:

Key West is a lot like Gibraltar. You can easily see it in a day. You don't need to be there overnight. 

If you drive there and watch the sunset, it's a looong drive back.  Add adult beverages, and an overnight sounds good.

[Roz]

On ‎7‎/‎19‎/‎2020 at 8:00 PM, Moviela said:

Key West is a lot like Gibraltar. You can easily see it in a day. You don't need to be there overnight. 

 

I disagree.  There's so much to explore.  Every time I visit I find another gem.

[evandbob]

On 7/19/2020 at 11:37 AM, xDisconnections said:

For us Floridians, it’s pretty convenient to go for a few days. Just a short cruise down A1A

 

Or the 3.5 hour fast ferry from Ft Myers.  Key West is actually due south of Florida's Gulf Coast.

[firefly333]

On 7/19/2020 at 10:37 AM, xDisconnections said:

For us Floridians, it’s pretty convenient to go for a few days. Just a short cruise down A1A

I lived in boca raton and maybe I went in high season, but it was pretty much a whole day drive both ways. Traffic was bumper to bumper and top speed 40 mph. Usually much slower. 

 

Maybe if you live closer in Miami it's not such a long time to drive. 

 

Of course it's a beautiful drive crossing all those bridges between keys/cays but it sure took me more than a few hours. Traffic was murder. All the way. Probably I went wrong time of hear. Summer when it's hot it's probably easier than high season in winter when its nice. 

[firefly333]

On 7/19/2020 at 10:46 AM, xDisconnections said:

Three day weekend? That’s quite an assumption. I didn’t know those existed.

 

You're not wrong though... the cruise ships really impact the dynamic of the island and I can understand how the locals feel. 

Back in the old days rcl cruises stopped later a d stayed later. I was on a rcl ship 15 to 20 years ago and got to go to Mallory square and clap for the sunset and see all the vendors. 

 

Key west already stopped allowing ships to be there later like they used to allow. 

 

 

[jimbo5544]

39 minutes ago, evandbob said:

 

Or the 3.5 hour fast ferry from Ft Myers.  Key West is actually due south of Florida's Gulf Coast.

The key west express.  Good deal for spending a couple of days.  

[evandbob]

58 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

The key west express.  Good deal for spending a couple of days.  

 

Exactly!

[BeachDiva101]

@fyree39 I think if I was a rich high end cruiser, and I paid high end dollars for a cruise, I would not pick an itinerary with key west on it.  I would want to pay for more exotic port stops for my money.  But since I’m not, I love going to key west!  I always go to the butterfly conservatory place and key west has the best shell and beach themed Christmas ornaments. They also have some specialty boutique shops that I love too.

[firefly333]

On 7/19/2020 at 4:16 AM, deadmoney said:

$32 per person? heck, I spend that at the first bar.🍹

Well someone said maybe that was a average of all passengers, including the ones who dont get off the ship. 

 

It's not a port I spend big money in tbh. Been there done that. Like someone said he had some beers. For me would be margaritas lol. Not much I'd want to buy as I used to live in Florida souvenir wise.

[simplelife]

On 7/12/2020 at 7:03 PM, Moviela said:

I don't think it is a local question. People are free to go anywhere in the USA, and control of international traffic is reserved by the Federal Government. Last time I was in Key West it was public land in the state of Florida. 

 

It is not a private island, so the locals cannot yell at visitors "Get off my lawn."

Localities  have every right to make decisions about the size of the ships entering their port. 

[firefly333]

9 hours ago, simplelife said:

Localities  have every right to make decisions about the size of the ships entering their port. 

I would say if it's on the ballot then obviously they are allowed to vote yay or nay 

[Roz]

On ‎7‎/‎13‎/‎2020 at 8:19 AM, Saint Greg said:

 

Well of course they don't want it. That's where they go for their vacations. The local business owners is who I would ask. Are the locals going to pay for all of the museum tours and fill the bars and restaurants on a weekday year round? Nope. They just don't want thousands of people dropped off in town when there's nothing in it for them. It would be a  bad move for Key West businesses.

 

 

I live in a tourist town and before the pandemic, tourists and conventioneers had taken over our downtown.  Tourism can be a double-edged sword.  If you're a resident who's doesn't own a tourist business or is employed by one, they're a PITA.  Right now we have high unemployment in the travel and tourism sector.  Entire hotels closed down, taxi and Uber drivers out of work, as well as waiters, bartenders, bus drivers, tour guides, and musicians.  

[evandbob]

Cruisers should recognize that they are not always seen as being supportive of the local economy and that some port residents will see them as trashy and bothersome, costing the port more than they are worth.

 

This overtourism effect is seen throughout the world, in Barcelona, Rome, Venice, Santorini, the Phillipines and Thailand, Cairo, even in Mexico at Mayan Ruins that have been defaced by tourist graffiti.

 

There's a tipping point with cruising that locals understand when it has gone too far and becomes a nuisance and worse.

 

Try being a land vacationer in a cruise port and you will understand the feeling - you may be saying thank goodness when the cruisers return to the ship and let you enjoy your beach, bar, restaurant (or whatever) with just the others staying in your hotel.