A good (sustainable) life

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why do local people HATE cruise ships?

1. they add to the thousands of visitors at historic sites at any one time, simply not able to handle that kind of footfall
2. the visitors see absolutely nothing. you're literally in and out. you'd see more on YouTube
3. those visitors generally spend bugger all. A plate of rat poison paella + a 'I Love MILFs' apron off the Ramblas mafia
4. the pollution is off the charts bad. worse than cars and even worse than planes
 
AntonioGeordio said:
A very good point.

Although I definitely sense a growing movement of restrictions against cruise ships in various places around Europe at the minute.

I suppose they are a very easy target.
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I think these days it’s more to do with the size of the ships. Some can now accommodate 6000 or so passengers, and there can be multiple ships at the same stop each day so you’re looking at an influx of possibly 10,000 extra people a day - all at the same time and some places struggle.

There are also complaints that people on the cruise ships don’t spend any money when they arrive. They (in some ports), walk off the ship, do all the free stuff and just leave because all their food/drink needs are met on board.
 
fhmsparkle said:
I think these days it’s more to do with the size of the ships. Some can now accommodate 6000 or so passengers, and there can be multiple ships at the same stop each day so you’re looking at an influx of possibly 10,000 extra people a day - all at the same time and some places struggle.

There are also complaints that people on the cruise ships don’t spend any money when they arrive. They (in some ports), walk off the ship, do all the free stuff and just leave because all their food/drink needs are met on board.
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Yeah I’ve noticed these things are ridiculously massive. It’s not until you see them with the naked eye that you appreciate how big they are. I imagine a few thousand people spilling out into an already crowded city is a bit of a nightmare.

Although I reckon docking fees wont be cheap for a cruise ship in a popular tourist destination, so someone will be happy to see them. As always, money talks.

There was one berthed up in Newcastle during the Covid times and it absolutely dwarfed everything around it. Sat empty for over a year.
 
The Sun God said:
why do local people HATE cruise ships?

1. they add to the thousands of visitors at historic sites at any one time, simply not able to handle that kind of footfall
2. the visitors see absolutely nothing. you're literally in and out. you'd see more on YouTube
3. those visitors generally spend bugger all. A plate of rat poison paella + a 'I Love MILFs' apron off the Ramblas mafia
4. the pollution is off the charts bad. worse than cars and even worse than planes
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I suppose with extreme feeling like this they will never find a happy medium.
 
AntonioGeordio said:
Yeah I’ve noticed these things are ridiculously massive. It’s not until you see them with the naked eye that you appreciate how big they are. I imagine a few thousand people spilling out into an already crowded city is a bit of a nightmare.

Although I reckon docking fees wont be cheap for a cruise ship in a popular tourist destination, so someone will be happy to see them. As always, money talks.

There was one berthed up in Newcastle during the Covid times and it absolutely dwarfed everything around it. Sat empty for over a year.
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Yes a lot of companies are now cancelling stops due to the high docking fees (I get all this info from my Dad as my parents are well in to their cruises 😂 ). My parents booked a cruise in July which was due to dock in Ibiza - and this was the only reason they’ve booked it as they’ve not visited Ibiza before, but now they’ve found that stop has been swapped for Alicante instead so they are really disappointed.
 
fhmsparkle said:
There are also complaints that people on the cruise ships don’t spend any money when they arrive. They (in some ports), walk off the ship, do all the free stuff and just leave because all their food/drink needs are met on board.
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When I lived on St Thomas, many locals would tell you there was a balance to be had. They lived off tourism from cruise ship traffic, but admitted that the 20,000 person mega ships typically had passengers that did not spend much (t shirts and lunch). Back in the 80s and 90s the smaller ships were more exclusive and more often their passengers were in the (duty free) jewelry shops.

Today, it's only the taxi Mafia celebrating when the dock schedule is published.
 
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tclubber said:
But cruise ship tourists aren't supposed to cause increased rents - they are supposed to live on the cruise ship! From the rent POV, they must be the best tourists out there - they spend money in town but don't displace locals...
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The average cruise ship tourist uses a few hours walking around town, not spending any money, before returning to the ship. The port authorities, who receive port fees from the ships, have had to pay for public toilets at various places in the center of town. But some tourists do spend money, totally about 80 million euros each year. Lots of small shops and cafes depend on these tourists.

Hotel tourists are the best tourists. They spend longer time in town, they eat all their meals here, and travel around the district seeing the sights and paying for stuff.

The worst are Airbnb tourists. They are the ones pressing up house prices for no good reason.
 
AntonioGeordio said:
To be fair, I think cruising around the Fjords is a great way to see Norway. Very efficient.

I can only speak of the areas around the north of Bergen and Kirkenes, but the road networks are a bit of a challenge. Unless of course you enjoy winding around the twisty roads that hug the landscape so well. A relatively short distance, as the crow flies, can take many hours of driving.

What made you leave Africa?
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Many reasons, of which the main one being that neither my parents nor me were keen on me doing 2 years of National Service in the South African Army. This was towards the end of the apartheid era when people were expecting things to go out with a bang. Older boys who grew in the same street as me had spent their National Service partly suppressing riots and unrest in the townships, and partly fighting the Border War in Angola.

IIRC the normal service was 3 months in boot camp (near some godforsaken dorp in the Free State, whilst getting harrassed by Afrikaner officers for everything your British ancestors ever did to their ancestors), then 3 months suppressing riots and unrest in townships, then 18 months at the front. When there are alternatives, you really had to believe in the system and love the country to go through with it. For various reasons, and despite my family having lived there for four generations, it wasn't my country.

.
 
fhmsparkle said:
Yes a lot of companies are now cancelling stops due to the high docking fees (I get all this info from my Dad as my parents are well in to their cruises 😂 ). My parents booked a cruise in July which was due to dock in Ibiza - and this was the only reason they’ve booked it as they’ve not visited Ibiza before, but now they’ve found that stop has been swapped for Alicante instead so they are really disappointed.
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Oh I see, you have someone on the inside 😅

That’s a shame for them, I think I would be disappointed too. I hope they still have a good holiday though. I suppose if the sun is shining and you’re with good company you’ll always have a good time.

My missus parents have been a few cruises over the past few years. They tell me that we should get booked up for a cruise as well, but I spend most of my life working out at sea so I don’t think I’m quite ready for a cruise just yet!
 
Snowy said:
Many reasons, of which the main one being that neither my parents nor me were keen on me doing 2 years of National Service in the South African Army. This was towards the end of the apartheid era when people were expecting things to go out with a bang. Older boys who grew in the same street as me had spent their National Service partly suppressing riots and unrest in the townships, and partly fighting the Border War in Angola.

IIRC the normal service was 3 months in boot camp (near some godforsaken dorp in the Free State, whilst getting harrassed by Afrikaner officers for everything your British ancestors ever did to their ancestors), then 3 months suppressing riots and unrest in townships, then 18 months at the front. When there are alternatives, you really had to believe in the system and love the country to go through with it. For various reasons, and despite my family having lived there for four generations, it wasn't my country.

.
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I see, that makes sense. Some pretty turbulent times back then. I think that was a smart move, Norway is a pretty decent place to live.

One of my childhood besties was born in South Africa early 80’s and his parents moved back to Newcastle for similar reasons.

I served with a lot of South Africans in the British Army, they made very good soldiers. They never really went back home though, we called them army orphans.
 
AntonioGeordio said:
Oh I see, you have someone on the inside 😅

That’s a shame for them, I think I would be disappointed too. I hope they still have a good holiday though. I suppose if the sun is shining and you’re with good company you’ll always have a good time.

My missus parents have been a few cruises over the past few years. They tell me that we should get booked up for a cruise as well, but I spend most of my life working out at sea so I don’t think I’m quite ready for a cruise just yet!
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Thanks - I’m sure they’ll enjoy anyway, a change of scenery is always good regardless!

I went on a cruise with them once for a week. After them telling me for years “the ship is so big your seasickness won’t be a problem”, I was finally able to disprove their theory. I felt awful for the whole week, either due to seasickness or the medication to stop it just spaced me out (not in a good way). 1/10 would not recommend.
 
fhmsparkle said:
Thanks - I’m sure they’ll enjoy anyway, a change of scenery is always good regardless!

I went on a cruise with them once for a week. After them telling me for years “the ship is so big your seasickness won’t be a problem”, I was finally able to disprove their theory. I felt awful for the whole week, either due to seasickness or the medication to stop it just spaced me out (not in a good way). 1/10 would not recommend.
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Haha absolutely no shame in that.

Every now and then, if our vessel is working within 12 miles of the shore, we will crew change via a small transfer vessel. They literally plough through the waves on full throttle. Time is money. There isn’t a single person that doesn’t throw up.

Well, apart from the Philippino crew. They just casually watch us whilst they smoke and drink coffee. Hard bastards, they do it for a living.

And yeah I avoid the seasick meds too, they really space you out. I’d worry I wouldn’t be able to climb up the ladder when I got out there. The lads onboard would love that, they’d never let you forget it 😅
 
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