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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. |
#2
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Carnival's plans for a cruise ship dock run aground in Mexico
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. |
#3
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Carnival's plans for a cruise ship dock run aground in Mexico
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. |
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