Key West Votes to Limit Cruise Ship Visits

[nocl]

The results are in, it now moves to the courts for two legal cases by parties opposed to the ballot initiatives (they were unsuccessful in keeping them off the ballot).

 

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article246615598.html#:~:text=Voters were asked to decide whether the city should%3A&text=Limit the number of daily,approved this by about 63%.&text=Prohibit cruise ships with 1%2C300 passengers or more from docking.

 

     ▪ Limit the number of daily cruise ship visitors at 1,500. Voters approved this by about 63%.

 

 

▪ Prohibit cruise ships with 1,300 passengers or more from docking. This passed with about 60% of the vote.

 

▪ Give docking priority to cruise lines that have the best health and environmental records. This passed with about 81% of the vote.

[KirkNC]

Sounds like no more cruise ships will be stopping in Key West. 

[nocl]

14 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

Sounds like no more cruise ships will be stopping in Key West. 

Only premium or luxury lines.

 

Though I would not be surprised if the small ship subsidiary lines of the majors boycott Key west just to send a message what happens if you try to limit the lines.

Edited November 4, 2020 by nocl

[KirkNC]

6 hours ago, nocl said:

Only premium or luxury lines.

 

Though I would not be surprised if the small ship subsidiary lines of the majors boycott Key west just to send a message what happens if you try to limit the lines.

I agree that some may boycott.  It will be interesting to see if this change is permanent.

[0bnxshs]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

I agree that some may boycott.  It will be interesting to see if this change is permanent.

As it amends the city's charter, it's as permanent as any such change.  Will be interesting to see how the lawsuit progresses.  What I wonder is when does it go into effect as the doesn't appear to say.

[Hflors]

Key west is ok, but this will not hurt my feelings too much.  I would sooner spend the day on a private island.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

This is not going to last long.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, KirkNC said:

I agree that some may boycott.  It will be interesting to see if this change is permanent.

It will be permanent until they start losing money. 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, Hflors said:

Key west is ok, but this will not hurt my feelings too much.  I would sooner spend the day on a private island.

 

Different strokes - I’d take Key West over a private island any day 😉 

[canadianbear]

We’ve only stopped in Key West once (unfortunately raining) but enjoyed the port.  We found the trolley a nice way to see the area and walked around the port after.  I’d like to go back again to see more.    

[DFD1]

The numbers allowed are pretty restrictive and are likely to hurt the economy.  If the hurt gets bad enough, I expect there will be some softening when that happens.

 

We like Key West a lot, both when cruising and driving there from time to time.

[KirkNC]

50 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

It will be permanent until they start losing money. 

My thoughts exactly.

[KirkNC]

2 hours ago, 0bnxshs said:

As it amends the city's charter, it's as permanent as any such change.  Will be interesting to see how the lawsuit progresses.  What I wonder is when does it go into effect as the doesn't appear to say.

It can be undone via the ballot box just as it was added that way.

[FredT]

Remember, the Keys have also enacted building moratorium's as of 2023....    The VOTERS who love down there love their little "slice of paradise" and will happily pay higher taxes to keep out the cruise ships.    As well, the people I know who call Key West home honestly think that if the cruise ships were gone, the economy would boom, as more tourists would visit and stay a few days or a week...  (And those same tourists now stay away due to the massive "day tourists" off the ships. )

[HAL Sailer]

Not Key West, but the Board of our Michigan's town's non-profit owned pier voted in March to disallow cruise ships from docking (and, presumably, from tendering there). Viking had announced port calls here on its Expedition size 2022 Great Lakes cruises. And, some small French and German lines have tendered there in past seasons. The Board cited many reasons but how much of the March vote was unspoken Covid-19 concerns?  Here's the article including the erroneous statement that it involves massive ships. (The ones that have tendered carried fewer than the 350+/-passengers Viking was planning).

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.traverseticker.com/amp/news/cruise-ships-not-welcome-discovery-center-votes-against-use-of-traverse-city-port/

[RuthC]

2 hours ago, kazu said:

 

Different strokes - I’d take Key West over a private island any day 😉 

Me, too. I stopped there on the Veendam one time, and would love to get back there. Looks like it won't be happening after all. 

[kazu]

5 minutes ago, RuthC said:

Me, too. I stopped there on the Veendam one time, and would love to get back there. Looks like it won't be happening after all. 

 

Just glad we got to Hemingway House when we were there.  I would love to go back, too.

[Mary229]

I understand the sentiment of the citizenry.  There are many other locales that would do well to consider similar type of restrictions.  

[cruisemom42]

It's not always about the almighty dollar, no matter what some may think....

 

I see this as a possible foreshadowing of what may happen at other ports where locals are fed up with the cruise ship crowds. In some ports that I've read more about than Key West, estimates of what cruise ship passengers contribute to the local economy are much lower than some might think. Especially if the stop is just a visit and not a place where passengers embark/disembark.

[iancal]

We have visited on a cruise and on a land vacation.  This is fine with us.  No interest in a cruise stop in Key West.

[FRANKIEDNYC]

Next they will be limiting the number of chickens that roam around town

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, KirkNC said:

My thoughts exactly.

No wonder we got along so well when we met on a cruise a few years back.

 

I hope you guys are doing well and are enjoying the reunion with your luggage.😊

 

DW, world's finest elementary art teacher, just physically got back to school this morning. For the last week plus all teaching has been virtual as one of the students got the virus and the school was on quarantine.

 

 

Edited November 4, 2020 by ontheweb

[0bnxshs]

2 hours ago, KirkNC said:

It can be undone via the ballot box just as it was added that way.

That's what I said.

[KirkNC]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

It's not always about the almighty dollar, no matter what some may think....

 

I see this as a possible foreshadowing of what may happen at other ports where locals are fed up with the cruise ship crowds. In some ports that I've read more about than Key West, estimates of what cruise ship passengers contribute to the local economy are much lower than some might think. Especially if the stop is just a visit and not a place where passengers embark/disembark.

I agree but it is usually about the dollar.  I have always felt in many ports the economic impact of a cruise ship is over stated.  Key West maybe an exception as most just wander the town and probably do spend money in shops or restaurants.  In many other ports the majority of passengers board a bus and often barely see the port town.

[KirkNC]

2 hours ago, FredT said:

Remember, the Keys have also enacted building moratorium's as of 2023....    The VOTERS who love down there love their little "slice of paradise" and will happily pay higher taxes to keep out the cruise ships.    As well, the people I know who call Key West home honestly think that if the cruise ships were gone, the economy would boom, as more tourists would visit and stay a few days or a week...  (And those same tourists now stay away due to the massive "day tourists" off the ships. )

There may be some validity to that argument.