Carnival's plans for a cruise ship dock run aground in Mexico

While nothing in this article is an outright lie, much of it is very
misleading and biased. Sounds rather like this reporter is in the pocket of
the hotel association and is looking at it through their eyes only.
Interesting though. G
Jim


"Tom" wrote in message
s.com...


Associated Press
Carnival's plans for a cruise ship dock run aground in Mexico
Wednesday October 1, 8:02 pm ET
By Amy Guthrie

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Strong local opposition to the building of a cruise
ship dock has sunk Carnival Corp.'s hopes of building a port facility
just south of Cancun, Mexico.

After five years of conversations with local partner Xcaret, a nature
theme park on Mexico's Caribbean coast, the company won clearance from
both federal and environmental authorities in Mexico.

But a local government official, motivated by fears that cruise
visitors would do little for the local economy and hurt the
environment, denied Carnival a construction permit for the dock.

Carnival planned to have some cruise trips originate from the port by
2005, taking advantage of the capacity at nearby Cancun's international
airport. Ships en route from other destinations also would have used
the facility as a port of call for passengers.

The owner of Xcaret, Miguel Quintana, had already removed dozens of
coral colonies this year to make way for the US$80 million dock when
municipal president Gabriel Mendicuti said he would only hand over the

construction permit if Carnival agreed to pay a US$30 tax for every
person using the port.

Carnival balked.

"It's outrageous. It's not like anything we've ever dealt with before,"
said Jennifer de la Cruz, spokeswoman for Carnival Corp.

So the plans are at a standstill and Carnival is disappointed with
Mexico, which is a stop for more than half of Carnival's passengers.
But local businessmen from Playa del Carmen, a low key beach town just
6 miles (10 kms) from the proposed port, want the cruise company to go
away entirely.

Cruise travel goes against the image of a laid back fishing town turned
European-style beach spot that Playa del Carmen wants to promote. It's
also seen as snatching business away from hotels.

"We definitely do not want them (cruises) to come. If they have to
arrive, then they have to pay taxes," said Abelardo Vara, president of
the hotel association for the state of Quintana Roo, which includes
Cancun and

Playa del Carmen.

"We can't allow them to come to our country and exploit its natural
beauty without paying taxes," Vara added.

Like many other hotel owners in the Caribbean, those operating in
Quintana Roo are beginning to view cruises as direct and unfair
competition. Thanks in part to Carnival's tax exempt status, the cruise
company can offer four-day, all-you-can-eat vacations in the western
Caribbean for as little as US$249 per person.

Hotel owners also worry that tourists from the floating resorts will
not return to towns like Playa del Carmen for land-based vacations
because they will have already "done" the Riviera Maya.

According to Xcaret's studies, the port would have brought to the area
each year an additional 800,000 cruise passengers, three-quarters of
whom would be just passing through. About one in eight would have
visited Xcaret, and the visitors would have demanded enough taxi and
restaurant services to create 5,000 jobs.

The economic impact is minuscule, though, compared with that of
land-based tourists. The average vacationer in the Riviera Maya spends
more than $900 over six days, and lodging alone contributes to the
incomes of 250,000 locals. The average cruise passenger, meanwhile,
spends just US$55 while in port, according to data from Mexico's
central bank.

Hotel owners also think an increase in cruise arrivals will add stress
to the area's world class coral reefs, many of which have yet to be
catalogued.

"We've already seen what has happened in Cozumel. How many times have
we had cruise accidents near the reefs?" said Araceli Dominguez, leader
of the Mayab Ecological Group and a hotel operator.

Waste disposal is also an issue. Miami-based Carnival paid US$18
million in fines last year for dumping oily water in the open sea. It
also pleaded guilty of lying to the U.S. Coast Guard in pollution
compliance reports.

But cruise vacations are gaining in popularity.

As is the case for many countries with Caribbean coasts, a growing
number of cruises are coming to Mexico. Mexico received 5.14 million
cruise travelers last year, or 35% more than in 2001, and they spent
US$282.2 million while on land. Carnival brought about 3 million of
those passengers.

Miguel Quintana, Carnival's partner in the port project, said he won't
give up the fight to build a terminal at Xcaret. "The day has to come.
Until I die, I have all the free time in the world," he said.

Xcaret and Carnival have already invested about US$5 million in the
venture. Rather than taking legal action, Quintana said he'll simply
wait out the 18 months until Mendicuti's term ends. Mexican municipal
presidents are only permitted by law to serve a single three-year term.

"We'll wait for better times," Quintana said.

Eds: Amy Guthrie is a correspondent for Dow Jones Newswires.

Jim,

You're absolutely right. Clearly this guy is biased against Carnival.

What could possibly be better for the residents and longtime visitors to
Xcaret that several thousand drunken Carnival passengers crawling all over
their pristine coral reefs and small towns very day.

Those of us that visit the Riviera Maya can think of nothing we'd rather
have in Playa Del Carmen than a fleet of Carnival cruise ships. We could
open up hair braiding stations, straw markets, tanzanite stores, discount
cigarette and liquor stores and of course dozens of bars so the Carnival
crowd can get stinking drunk and party.

If we're lucky in no time at all, we can transform the Riviera May into
another Cozumel or St. Thomas or Nassau. Now what's wrong with that?

It's unfair for those that enjoy the laid back atmosphere here to not want
Carnival people anywhere near them.

Clearly this is a conspiracy organized by the local hotel association.
Carnival's reputation and that of the trailer park trash passengers they
carry has nothing at all to do with it.

Paul

"Jim" wrote in message
.. .
While nothing in this article is an outright lie, much of it is very
misleading and biased. Sounds rather like this reporter is in the pocket
of
the hotel association and is looking at it through their eyes only.
Interesting though. G
Jim


"Tom" wrote in message
s.com...


Associated Press
Carnival's plans for a cruise ship dock run aground in Mexico
Wednesday October 1, 8:02 pm ET
By Amy Guthrie

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Strong local opposition to the building of a cruise
ship dock has sunk Carnival Corp.'s hopes of building a port facility
just south of Cancun, Mexico.

After five years of conversations with local partner Xcaret, a nature
theme park on Mexico's Caribbean coast, the company won clearance from
both federal and environmental authorities in Mexico.

But a local government official, motivated by fears that cruise
visitors would do little for the local economy and hurt the
environment, denied Carnival a construction permit for the dock.

Carnival planned to have some cruise trips originate from the port by
2005, taking advantage of the capacity at nearby Cancun's international
airport. Ships en route from other destinations also would have used
the facility as a port of call for passengers.

The owner of Xcaret, Miguel Quintana, had already removed dozens of
coral colonies this year to make way for the US$80 million dock when
municipal president Gabriel Mendicuti said he would only hand over the

construction permit if Carnival agreed to pay a US$30 tax for every
person using the port.

Carnival balked.

"It's outrageous. It's not like anything we've ever dealt with before,"
said Jennifer de la Cruz, spokeswoman for Carnival Corp.

So the plans are at a standstill and Carnival is disappointed with
Mexico, which is a stop for more than half of Carnival's passengers.
But local businessmen from Playa del Carmen, a low key beach town just
6 miles (10 kms) from the proposed port, want the cruise company to go
away entirely.

Cruise travel goes against the image of a laid back fishing town turned
European-style beach spot that Playa del Carmen wants to promote. It's
also seen as snatching business away from hotels.

"We definitely do not want them (cruises) to come. If they have to
arrive, then they have to pay taxes," said Abelardo Vara, president of
the hotel association for the state of Quintana Roo, which includes
Cancun and

Playa del Carmen.

"We can't allow them to come to our country and exploit its natural
beauty without paying taxes," Vara added.

Like many other hotel owners in the Caribbean, those operating in
Quintana Roo are beginning to view cruises as direct and unfair
competition. Thanks in part to Carnival's tax exempt status, the cruise
company can offer four-day, all-you-can-eat vacations in the western
Caribbean for as little as US$249 per person.

Hotel owners also worry that tourists from the floating resorts will
not return to towns like Playa del Carmen for land-based vacations
because they will have already "done" the Riviera Maya.

According to Xcaret's studies, the port would have brought to the area
each year an additional 800,000 cruise passengers, three-quarters of
whom would be just passing through. About one in eight would have
visited Xcaret, and the visitors would have demanded enough taxi and
restaurant services to create 5,000 jobs.

The economic impact is minuscule, though, compared with that of
land-based tourists. The average vacationer in the Riviera Maya spends
more than $900 over six days, and lodging alone contributes to the
incomes of 250,000 locals. The average cruise passenger, meanwhile,
spends just US$55 while in port, according to data from Mexico's
central bank.

Hotel owners also think an increase in cruise arrivals will add stress
to the area's world class coral reefs, many of which have yet to be
catalogued.

"We've already seen what has happened in Cozumel. How many times have
we had cruise accidents near the reefs?" said Araceli Dominguez, leader
of the Mayab Ecological Group and a hotel operator.

Waste disposal is also an issue. Miami-based Carnival paid US$18
million in fines last year for dumping oily water in the open sea. It
also pleaded guilty of lying to the U.S. Coast Guard in pollution
compliance reports.

But cruise vacations are gaining in popularity.

As is the case for many countries with Caribbean coasts, a growing
number of cruises are coming to Mexico. Mexico received 5.14 million
cruise travelers last year, or 35% more than in 2001, and they spent
US$282.2 million while on land. Carnival brought about 3 million of
those passengers.

Miguel Quintana, Carnival's partner in the port project, said he won't
give up the fight to build a terminal at Xcaret. "The day has to come.
Until I die, I have all the free time in the world," he said.

Xcaret and Carnival have already invested about US$5 million in the
venture. Rather than taking legal action, Quintana said he'll simply
wait out the 18 months until Mendicuti's term ends. Mexican municipal
presidents are only permitted by law to serve a single three-year term.

"We'll wait for better times," Quintana said.

Eds: Amy Guthrie is a correspondent for Dow Jones Newswires.

Well, I'm not sure about the original writer of this article, but I would
definitely say that the Mexican politicians in Quintana Roo are in the hotel
owner's pockets. Cancun was started solely as a beach resort, and a cruise
ship represents direct competition to the resorts there.

Tom Smith

"Jim" wrote in message
.. .
While nothing in this article is an outright lie, much of it is very
misleading and biased. Sounds rather like this reporter is in the pocket
of
the hotel association and is looking at it through their eyes only.
Interesting though. G
Jim


"Tom" wrote in message
s.com...


Associated Press
Carnival's plans for a cruise ship dock run aground in Mexico
Wednesday October 1, 8:02 pm ET
By Amy Guthrie

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Strong local opposition to the building of a cruise
ship dock has sunk Carnival Corp.'s hopes of building a port facility
just south of Cancun, Mexico.

After five years of conversations with local partner Xcaret, a nature
theme park on Mexico's Caribbean coast, the company won clearance from
both federal and environmental authorities in Mexico.

But a local government official, motivated by fears that cruise
visitors would do little for the local economy and hurt the
environment, denied Carnival a construction permit for the dock.

Carnival planned to have some cruise trips originate from the port by
2005, taking advantage of the capacity at nearby Cancun's international
airport. Ships en route from other destinations also would have used
the facility as a port of call for passengers.

The owner of Xcaret, Miguel Quintana, had already removed dozens of
coral colonies this year to make way for the US$80 million dock when
municipal president Gabriel Mendicuti said he would only hand over the

construction permit if Carnival agreed to pay a US$30 tax for every
person using the port.

Carnival balked.

"It's outrageous. It's not like anything we've ever dealt with before,"
said Jennifer de la Cruz, spokeswoman for Carnival Corp.

So the plans are at a standstill and Carnival is disappointed with
Mexico, which is a stop for more than half of Carnival's passengers.
But local businessmen from Playa del Carmen, a low key beach town just
6 miles (10 kms) from the proposed port, want the cruise company to go
away entirely.

Cruise travel goes against the image of a laid back fishing town turned
European-style beach spot that Playa del Carmen wants to promote. It's
also seen as snatching business away from hotels.

"We definitely do not want them (cruises) to come. If they have to
arrive, then they have to pay taxes," said Abelardo Vara, president of
the hotel association for the state of Quintana Roo, which includes
Cancun and

Playa del Carmen.

"We can't allow them to come to our country and exploit its natural
beauty without paying taxes," Vara added.

Like many other hotel owners in the Caribbean, those operating in
Quintana Roo are beginning to view cruises as direct and unfair
competition. Thanks in part to Carnival's tax exempt status, the cruise
company can offer four-day, all-you-can-eat vacations in the western
Caribbean for as little as US$249 per person.

Hotel owners also worry that tourists from the floating resorts will
not return to towns like Playa del Carmen for land-based vacations
because they will have already "done" the Riviera Maya.

According to Xcaret's studies, the port would have brought to the area
each year an additional 800,000 cruise passengers, three-quarters of
whom would be just passing through. About one in eight would have
visited Xcaret, and the visitors would have demanded enough taxi and
restaurant services to create 5,000 jobs.

The economic impact is minuscule, though, compared with that of
land-based tourists. The average vacationer in the Riviera Maya spends
more than $900 over six days, and lodging alone contributes to the
incomes of 250,000 locals. The average cruise passenger, meanwhile,
spends just US$55 while in port, according to data from Mexico's
central bank.

Hotel owners also think an increase in cruise arrivals will add stress
to the area's world class coral reefs, many of which have yet to be
catalogued.

"We've already seen what has happened in Cozumel. How many times have
we had cruise accidents near the reefs?" said Araceli Dominguez, leader
of the Mayab Ecological Group and a hotel operator.

Waste disposal is also an issue. Miami-based Carnival paid US$18
million in fines last year for dumping oily water in the open sea. It
also pleaded guilty of lying to the U.S. Coast Guard in pollution
compliance reports.

But cruise vacations are gaining in popularity.

As is the case for many countries with Caribbean coasts, a growing
number of cruises are coming to Mexico. Mexico received 5.14 million
cruise travelers last year, or 35% more than in 2001, and they spent
US$282.2 million while on land. Carnival brought about 3 million of
those passengers.

Miguel Quintana, Carnival's partner in the port project, said he won't
give up the fight to build a terminal at Xcaret. "The day has to come.
Until I die, I have all the free time in the world," he said.

Xcaret and Carnival have already invested about US$5 million in the
venture. Rather than taking legal action, Quintana said he'll simply
wait out the 18 months until Mendicuti's term ends. Mexican municipal
presidents are only permitted by law to serve a single three-year term.

"We'll wait for better times," Quintana said.

Eds: Amy Guthrie is a correspondent for Dow Jones Newswires.