Key West rules may be overridden

[Tom47]

See   https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/rough-waters-in-key-west-as-city-cruise-industry-and-state-lawmakers-tangle-over-its-future/2021/03/26/6fedba3e-8ca3-11eb-a6bd-0eb91c03305a_story.html

[mek]

I skimmed through the article but it seems to me if the majority of voters don't want the large ships there then that is their right.  I see no problem if the residents want to keep the area upscale and laid back.  I've been there on days when it's a zoo.

[molly361]

If they over turn it that would be wrong.  Last I had read it was NOT getting overturned

[mek]

53 minutes ago, molly361 said:

If they over turn it that would be wrong.  Last I had read it was NOT getting overturned

I hope that is true.  Not every tropical port needs to be on a large cruise ship itinerary.

[boscobeans]

So how will all the tourist industry that is geared to cruise ship visitors make out financially ? 

 

Will the tourists fill all the hotel rooms and all the charter boats? If they do will it be enough ?

 

Will the apartments rented or homes lived in by tourist workers go empty?

 

Will the bars and restaurants have enough clientele to survive?

 

If they intend on closing to the larger amusement park ships they will have to change everything they offer to draw in a different customer base.

[davekathy]

We hope that Key West will still be a port stop when cruising resumes. 

[firefly333]

50 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

So how will all the tourist industry that is geared to cruise ship visitors make out financially ? 

 

Will the tourists fill all the hotel rooms and all the charter boats? If they do will it be enough ?

 

Will the apartments rented or homes lived in by tourist workers go empty?

 

Will the bars and restaurants have enough clientele to survive?

 

If they intend on closing to the larger amusement park ships they will have to change everything they offer to draw in a different customer base.

Idk but I've been there via car more than once. Weekends during high snowbird season, roads are packed bumper to bumper. Hotels to me are sky high. The price is hotels is what limits not because key west itself isnt a draw. Back then hotels were running over $300, $400 and $500 a night for anything.  Probably down now for covid, but just wait until covid is gone. 

 

Maybe the hop on hop off bus and tram arent as busy, things like that if it's a drive to destination. 

[mek]

1 hour ago, boscobeans said:

So how will all the tourist industry that is geared to cruise ship visitors make out financially ? 

 

Will the tourists fill all the hotel rooms and all the charter boats? If they do will it be enough ?

 

Will the apartments rented or homes lived in by tourist workers go empty?

 

Will the bars and restaurants have enough clientele to survive?

 

If they intend on closing to the larger amusement park ships they will have to change everything they offer to draw in a different customer base.

Well perhaps that is exactly what the residents want - a different customer base.  

Hotel rooms were not filled by cruise ship passengers so that doesn't apply and the market will adjust to the changes - in fact just might prosper more.  

Edited March 28, 2021 by mek

[mafig]

We love Key West and living in Florida have been there a few times.

 

After the cruise ships have left, the hotels, the restaurants, bars and the streets are still pretty full.  Even on days when no cruise ships are due.  I doubt that they would miss the ships much at all.  It's not like Key West will be wallowing in poverty without them....quite the contrary.

 

 

[Saab4444]

1 hour ago, boscobeans said:

So how will all the tourist industry that is geared to cruise ship visitors make out financially ? 

 

Will the tourists fill all the hotel rooms and all the charter boats? If they do will it be enough ?

 

Will the apartments rented or homes lived in by tourist workers go empty?

 

Will the bars and restaurants have enough clientele to survive?

 

If they intend on closing to the larger amusement park ships they will have to change everything they offer to draw in a different customer base.

All this dors not apply to Key West. Hotels, Apartments and most local tours do not benefit from cruise calls. Maybe some bars, restsurants and shops but the city is full enough with land based tourism.

[ValerieJo]

18 hours ago, davekathy said:

We hope that Key West will still be a port stop when cruising resumes. 

 

We were scheduled for a port stop there in November 2021.   The stop has already been replaced with Nassau.  😞

 

[M&A]

18 hours ago, mafig said:

We love Key West and living in Florida have been there a few times.

 

After the cruise ships have left, the hotels, the restaurants, bars and the streets are still pretty full.  Even on days when no cruise ships are due.  I doubt that they would miss the ships much at all.  It's not like Key West will be wallowing in poverty without them....quite the contrary.

 

 

Key West is one of the most priciest places in Florida to get a hotel room.  The hotels, bars and restaurants won't miss the cruise ships at all.  Most cruise passengers eat on the ship and the bars come alive after the ships are gone in the evening.  I imagine Key West will be replaced by Cozumel and the Cayman Islands for the Tampa sailings.

Edited March 29, 2021 by M&A

[twangster]

Lots of studies for both sides to use (and abuse)

 

https://cruising.org/-/media/clia---visitor-spending-analysis---key-west

 

• $9.34/hour In direct spending from cruise visitors 50% more than overnight visitors and 75% more than other day visitors
• Cruise visitors contribute about $73 million in visitor spending, or about 7% of the $1.2 billion of total visitor spending in Key West. However, considering that cruise visitors do not spend money on hotels or flights, they contribute a decidedly higher proportion of visitor spending in the food and beverage, retail, and recreation sectors. Of these sectors, cruise visitors contribute about 12% of direct visitor spending.
• Including the indirect and induced impacts, cruise visitor spending supports 800 jobs in Key West. In 2019, Key West boasted a 2.0 percent unemployment rate, but without jobs supported by cruise visitors, the unemployment rate would more than triple to 6.5 percent.

SB-426 is progressing through the senate.  It's passed two committees so far, one to go before a potential vote on the floor.

 

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/00426

 

[livingonthebeach]

I don't think it will make a significant detrimental economic impact by not allowing large cruise ships in.  Some cruise ship passengers don't even get off the ship there.  The ones that do, end up buying a t-shirt or two and a few drinks on Duval St.   The ship does not spend enough time at port to do long, expensive tours.  As many have pointed out, the long term hotel staying guests spend a lot more than the day tripper cruise ship passenger. The locals want more of the big spenders and fear cruisers were running these people out.  Environmental concerns whether true or not, played a role as well.  

[grandgeezer]

What about what the residents want? Didn't they vote to eliminate the ships from docking there? It's pretty selfish to push ships on them for your own gain. Venice got rid of them docking there and there were a whole lot more ships stopping there.

[Merion_Mom]

15 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

What about what the residents want? Didn't they vote to eliminate the ships from docking there? It's pretty selfish to push ships on them for your own gain. Venice got rid of them docking there and there were a whole lot more ships stopping there.

 

There were significant safety and environmental concerns there.  TWO very recent incidents of cruise ships bashing into piers.

[John&LaLa]

16 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

There were significant safety and environmental concerns there.  TWO very recent incidents of cruise ships bashing into piers.

 

Key West had a ship hit the tie up thingy near the dock a couple years ago. Oceanic line, I think

 

Oops, Silver Sea

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article230253704.html

Edited March 29, 2021 by John&LaLa

[Tom47]

We had a cruise booked on Empress OTS for Jan this year, that stopped in Key West and Belize, 2 ports that we have not visited.  Empress was the smallest RCI ship. Empress was sold and our cruise was cancelled.  We rebooked on Rhapsody OTS w/o Key West.  I realize that there are environmental issues.  According the article, the coral reef near the island and marine life have rebounded since cruise ships stopped calling. I have read elsewhere. that the entry channel to the port is very narrow.

However, we are in our 70s and now prefer cruising to road trips.  One of the legislators commented that the new rules shut out middle class folks who can't afford luxury small ship cruise lines.  I would like to see a compromise, allowing slightly larger ships and not throwing it open to all cruise ships, which is what the proposed bill does.  Who knows, maybe RCI might even commission a new small ship build to do Empress itineraries.

After I retired 18 years ago, I volunteered as a mediator for 10 years for the BBB, Child& Family Services. and local family & small  claims courts.  I paid $350 to take a course to become a mediator.

[chengkp75]

35 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

tie up thingy

that would be a "dolphin"

[chengkp75]

On 3/28/2021 at 12:55 PM, molly361 said:

If they over turn it that would be wrong.  Last I had read it was NOT getting overturned

Since this bill applies to all Florida ports, I would think that the Ports of Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Tampa would have something to say about having their control over the port removed.

[Tom47]

8 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Since this bill applies to all Florida ports, I would think that the Ports of Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Tampa would have something to say about having their control over the port removed.

Miami did object and they rewrote the bill to focus on 3 ports, 2 of which are not cruise ports.  It's in the article.

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, Tom47 said:

Miami did object and they rewrote the bill to focus on 3 ports, 2 of which are not cruise ports.  It's in the article.

Sorry, don't do subscriptions.  Read the bill and amendments, I guess the 3 ports are not joined with a county?  Wonder how that will stand up in court for picking out those three ports.

[Tom47]

52 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Sorry, don't do subscriptions.  Read the bill and amendments, I guess the 3 ports are not joined with a county?  Wonder how that will stand up in court for picking out those three ports.

Copied from article:

So amendments were tacked on that only prohibited cities from restricting cruise ships in their ports, excluding those ports controlled by a county or port authority. That left only Key West, Panama City, Pensacola and St. Petersburg subject to the proposed prohibitions. Of those four, only Key West is a cruise-ship destination

[boscobeans]

On 3/28/2021 at 3:36 PM, Saab4444 said:

All this dors not apply to Key West. Hotels, Apartments and most local tours do not benefit from cruise calls. Maybe some bars, restsurants and shops but the city is full enough with land based tourism.

Really?  The trolley doesn't do well from the ship passengers?

 

What about the big ships with the slides and all the kid attractions?  Smaller ships are not usually  the first choice for families with kids.

 

Our kids loved it and it does well with families, how well will it do with a different older clientele?

 

 The Shipwreck Museum doesn't do well from the parents who pay admission for them and the kids and who buy all those rubber swords and Pirate hats ? 

 

Those are a small portion of their revenue smaller ships would mean..

 

I do not believe they are half as busy when ships are not in port. What about the people that may rent apartments or pay mortgages that work in the tourist industry. LESS BUSINESS equals LESS WORK. 

 

If a significant chunk of revenue is lost will employment go down ??  What then happens to the hotels, apartments and mortgages?

[livingonthebeach]

12 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

Really?  The trolley doesn't do well from the ship passengers?

 

What about the big ships with the slides and all the kid attractions?  Smaller ships are not usually  the first choice for families with kids.

 

Our kids loved it and it does well with families, how well will it do with a different older clientele?

 

 The Shipwreck Museum doesn't do well from the parents who pay admission for them and the kids and who buy all those rubber swords and Pirate hats ? 

 

Those are a small portion of their revenue smaller ships would mean..

 

I do not believe they are half as busy when ships are not in port. What about the people that may rent apartments or pay mortgages that work in the tourist industry. LESS BUSINESS equals LESS WORK.  

 

If a significant chunk of revenue is lost will employment go down ??  What then happens to the hotels, apartments and mortgages?

 

The Conch Republic has voted to ban large cruise ships. Key Westerners apparently thought the lost revenue for some places would translate into larger revenue for others. I was there last month and can tell you business is booming across the board.  Hotels and restaurants are not cheap and were full. Duval was as crowded as e ever, if not more, than before.  I talked to several locals and they are happy with their vote so far. They are not suffering economically at all.