2018-2020 Cruises in the Caribbean

After all the damages caused par 2017 hurricane season, are Cruise Ships welcome? I am not only talking about the security of the port to technically anchor. I am talking about all the people who suffered so much devastation and the environment, specially coral reefs around each island. Should we (the cruisers) let both the people and the ecosystem get a bit better/healthier before we book a cruise?

If we cruise in 2018-2020, would there be a way to help directly or at least to choose excursions /activities that would give more money to the people in the visited Islands than into Cruise Ships' wallet?

I guess tourists, from cruises for one, will help in their recovery process. Some cruise lines have also extended assistance directly in their own ways.

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The good news is by going you are helping the people by telling others to visit too.

By booking excursions you are helping the economy because with cruise line excursions they are paying the tour operator who is employing locals.

Of course you can book them privately.

Or spend money instead at local (not the stores you see everywhere in the caribbean such as Diamonds International) stores.

Keith

Hi, MarjoCruise. This is such a good question. After a week on a cruise where we spent time in St. Maarten/St. Martin and St. Barts, two of the islands severely impacted, the answer is: Cruise ships are not only welcome, they're in demand. I'd agree that right after a storm is not the time to go (and will include a link to a piece I wrote about this very topic). But it's two months and a lot of repair work has taken place on the affected islands, and quite frankly, folks who make thier living from tourism desperately want and need to get back to work.

The other thing is that cruise travel right now is actually a helpful way to bring tourists to the particularly affected islands (as mentioned above) because many hotels are out of commission. We found on both islands plenty of restaurants that are open, some shops, great beaches, car rental agencies looking for business, taxi drivers hopeful for fares, etc. It's a great time to go.

And third, one of the really humbling lessons of this trip, on Crystal Esprit, that really focused on islands that were quite close together, was how arbitrary the storms (both Irma and Maria) were. Barbuda got demolished but Antigua was just fine. St. Martin/St. Maarten and St. Barts were in the teeth of them, but Nevis, St. Kitts and Saba, three other islands we also visited, showed literally no real damage.

I hope you will go, MarjoCruise. I hope a lot of people will find a good deal and book a cruise now, when your tourism is most needed.

I imagine (as long as there aren't any more really devastating hurricanes down here) that winter 2018-2019 will see huge, bottled up demand, fares may be much higher than they are now, and the islands will have rebuilt, and all will be open. This year will be a bit more quiet. So go!

Carolyn

PS On our ship, several folks I met told me they very nearly canceled this cruise but decided to come anyway. One lovely couple said it turned out to be their best ever vacation.

And here's a link to that story: Is A Caribbean Cruise A Good Idea Now? https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8094

After all the damages caused par 2017 hurricane season, are Cruise Ships welcome? I am not only talking about the security of the port to technically anchor. I am talking about all the people who suffered so much devastation and the environment, specially coral reefs around each island. Should we (the cruisers) let both the people and the ecosystem get a bit better/healthier before we book a cruise?

If we cruise in 2018-2020, would there be a way to help directly or at least to choose excursions /activities that would give more money to the people in the visited Islands than into Cruise Ships' wallet?

Thank you Carolyn, editor@cruisecritic, Keith1010 and easyboy for your reply. We booked with RC in 2018. I will try to let the Cruise community see our trip and make well advised choices in their future booking.

Your link is not available

And here's a link to that story: Is A Caribbean Cruise A Good Idea Now? https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8094

Hi, MarjoCruise. It seems to be working on this end, will you give it another try?

Carolyn

Your link is not available

And here's a link to that story: Is A Caribbean Cruise A Good Idea Now? https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8094