Free Cruise Ship Blues: The Underside of the Cruise Ship Industry by Ross A. Klein

passengers. 33 In addition, the terms of the lease of the land provided for the cruise lines to receive a percentage of revenue from retail operations. Passengers, through port charges, would provide the investment needed for the project; the cruise lines would enjoy the profits.
    Six months after the project was announced, the governor of the uS Virgin Islands canceled the letter of intent, saying he believed that “it is important that the V.I. maintain full control of its harbor and harbor development.” 34 The governor’s announcement followed considerable public discussion about the positive value of local investment and local control over Crown Bay. There were also indications that the deal would not be approved by the Virgin Island’s Senate. Less than two month’s after the letter of intent was canceled, Carnival Cruise Line stopped all port calls at St. Croix. Carnival’s stated reason for the decision had to do with the value of the island to passengers and with concerns for passenger safety, given a number of recent muggings on the island.
    Also in August 2001 Carnival Corporation announced that it would invest $8.5 million to upgrade Pier Four at San Juan, Puerto Rico. This would make it practical for the huge 3,400-pas-senger, 102,000-ton Destiny-class vessels to be homeported at San Juan. In return for the investment, Carnival Corporation enjoys preferential berthing at the pier for a period of 20 years. It will recoup its investment by retaining a portion of the port charges paid by passengers.
    In November 2001 Carnival Corporation announced an agreement with the Port of Cancun, Mexico, to invest more than $40 million in a homeport/transit port facility at Xcaret. The project, built on 21 acres of land, is a joint venture with Parque Xcaret, a local Mexican company. What benefits or incentives were provided to Carnival Corporation is unclear, but it was indicated that the facility is a private port under a government concession and not obligated to accommodate other cruise lines. For Carnival, perhaps the greatest value of the new port is that it makes practical a range of new itineraries, including mini-cruise alternatives to the traditional Bahamas-Key West routes from ports in Florida. 35
    THE NON-ALL-INCLUSIVE VACATION
    As you see, a cruise is anything but all-inclusive. How much more your vacation costs varies widely from person to person, but it is difficult to get by with no additional expenses. Some cruise lines have begun automatically charging passenger shipboard accounts for gratuities (in amounts set by the cruise line); this practice is discussed further in Chapter 5. While the initial price of a cruise may be reasonable, the extras can quickly add up.

BEYOND THE MUSTER DRILL
    I have taken 30 cruises since 1992. I have been in Belize City with temperatures well over 100 degrees and returned to a ship with no air conditioning. I have spent two days on a ship “dead in the water” at the mouth of the Rio de Plata during a spring storm that closed the harbor at Buenos Aires, before finally being given permission to dock at Montevideo because of a “humanitarian emergency” — the ship had no running water for almost two days. I have been on a ship that encountered 50-foot seas and gale-force-nine winds, forcing it to abandon efforts to reach the Beagle Channel at the southern tip of South America. And I have twice been adrift on ships that had no propulsion and limited electrical power. Each of these experiences was an adventure. I have, fortunately, been spared anything more serious.
    Most people go on a cruise expecting to be pampered and to have a carefree, trouble-free vacation. Advertising and pre-cruise information provided by the cruise line support these expectations. Passengers may be warned about risks when going ashore, but nothing is said about the risks aboard the ship. And there are risks — although, granted, relatively small — that passengers should know about.
    A common