Charleston groups to sue Carnival

[Goldryder]

:rolleyes: Charleston is and always will be a PORT CITY. If the hoity-toity crowd wanted no ships, they should go somewhere that is not a PORT!!!!

 

Yes, Charleston is a port city....However, I think you'll find that the most noise against the cruise ships will be from those who moved to Charleston - rather than the Charleston born & bred.

 

Using the old saying that if you by a home near an airport, you buy the airport too...if you find a nice home in a place like Charleston, which is a tourist town in the summer months, then you buy those tourists too...and that is often overlooked or ignored when you see that quaint little home in a historical city like Charleston.

 

NIMBY's generally are those who have moved to a city, town or village for the quiet life...retirement, big city commuters etc...and their ideal of a quiet day in the town is shattered by a darn great cruise ship disembarking a few thousand camera wielding tourists. It's also a fact that in tourist towns the character is in danger of going...ie...those lovely quaint shops being turned into gawdy souvenir shops filled with tat with Made in China stamped on its bum.

 

I was brought up on a holiday island here in the UK and those who moved onto the island from the mainland wanting their idyllic place were brought to a stark realisation that the population went from 145000 in the winter to close on 4000000000 in the summer...and they did not like it. Had they visited the island in the summer before buying their perfect idyll, they would have realised that the quiet life does not exist.....

 

...Charleston's overners (those that moved there) may have done so for the same reasons and its they who are now the NIMBY's rallying against Carnival.

[jrm116]

"Cruise ships create water pollution". OK, the Fantasy isn't that big.. (compared to most ships these days). and it also helps the tourism. The economy sucks right now, this brings great business to hotels, restaurants, shops, etc. and JOBS. and for those complaining that it will create much traffic 7 days a week, its only there like 2 times a week!! Its not like in Miami or Port Canaveral where there is a cruise ship practically almost every day. another argument that doesn't make much sense is that it "blocks" the tallest steeples in churches (Chas. is known as the Holy City due to the high steeples). The bridge sticks out over the city. It doesn't completely block the church towers but still, u can see it though out most of the city... and with the statement that says that Charleston can't hold that many people....look at the bride run in April!!! Its one of the biggest/most organized runs in the country! and like other people have said, its mostly the people who moved to the city, not the ones who have been born and raised there and/or in that area.

(sorry for the long post...just my opinion on this issue)

[All4fun&fun4all]

and with the statement that says that Charleston can't hold that many people....look at the bride run in April!!! Its one of the biggest/most organized runs in the country!

 

Exactly! And this year's bridge run we had the cruise ship, the Flowertown Festival AND the bridge run all at once. Wow! I felt so overwhelmed. :rolleyes:

 

Please keep Carnival in Charleston! Pretty please!?

[blondietink]

Charlston lives on tourism. It is also a PORT CITY. Do they complain about all of the cargo ships that spew pollution using the same diesel fuel as cruise ships? And how many cargo ships go into and out of the port of Charleston DAILY as opposed to one cruise ship a couple of times per week?

 

My best friend's daughter is moving to Charleston next month and since my friend's husband gets sea sick on a boat 10 feet from the shore of Lake Ontario, I offered to go on a cruise with her out of Charleston some day when she visits her daughter. I would hate to have to tell her sorry, Charleston hates cruise lines so CArnival pulled out and now no cruise line will sail from that inhospitable city again.

[babyblue78]

Yes, Charleston is a port city....However, I think you'll find that the most noise against the cruise ships will be from those who moved to Charleston - rather than the Charleston born & bred.

 

I agree that this is the case with most of the complainers, except for maybe a few. But if you buy a home within sight of a harbor (with an active port) in a tourist town, you shouldn't be surprised to see ships or tourists. :D

[jrmende63]

As a 3rd generation Charlestonian with deep roots in this city I have seen this over and over. I understand preservation of historic buildings and such but I cant for the life of me understand why a ship being in port to debark and embark for a few hours for a day (not 7 days a week) makes it a problem. The revenue being brought into our city from folks visiting a day or two ahead of the cruise and/or after is seriously being overlooked.

 

This Williams guy said that 3500 people in our port is too much for our city to handle. What about the Spoleto Festival? What about the Bridge Run? Cmon! I actually heard references that these morons were saying that cruise passengers arent of the "standard desirable for Charleston". Just what the heck is THAT supposed to mean.

 

I love my beautiful town but these idiots are a bad representation of our hospitality.:mad:

I agree with you. I love Carnival being here. We have sailed once already from Charleston and will do so again in a few months. I hate that these few folks are saying they know what is best for Charleston. HOGWASH...Not all of Charleston's folks hate the cruise ship industry! We love Carnival being here. If Carnival pulls out then it will be a further drive for me to sail...but I will do so and my home state will lose revenue!

[jrmende63]

Yes, Charleston is a port city....However, I think you'll find that the most noise against the cruise ships will be from those who moved to Charleston - rather than the Charleston born & bred.

 

.

My hubby and I are transplants to Charleston area ...We love Carnival and want the business here! It is money for the city!

[6 of us]

In this economy, you would think a city would welcome the revenue & visitors. I saw a quote that went something like "cruise passengers aren't the sort of visitor we want in our town". Well, that says a lot of the attitude behind the suit.

[geckog]

Guess this is why there are no itineraries past April 2012......

[sc_wildman]

I am not real worried about the situation. Joe Riley is in favor of the ships being here and what Joe wants, Joe gets in Charleston. If he goes after something, he is as tenacious as a bulldog. Just ask the people in the town of James Island and the guy that used to own the Angel Oak.

After it's all said and done, the bottom line is how much money can Carnival make here. If the profit is here, Carnival will be here.

[Bo Didly]

Clips from the article,

 

Cruise ships like the Mercury can dump completely untreated sewage 12 miles offshore. Although the article concludes that waste from the Mercury poses no risk to marine life or people who eat local seafood, there is a risk of contaminated water infecting shellfish which filter-feed.

In this day and age, it is barbaric to think that hundreds of cruise ships routinely dump human waste into the sea.

 

Cruise lines dump waste because they register their cruise ships outside of U.S. jurisdiction in places like Liberia and Panama which don't care what the cruise lines do.

The thought of a cruise ship like the Mercury dumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of norovirus infected feces just 12 miles offshore South Carolina is particularly disgusting.

 

Cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean are corporate felons for environmental crimes and lying to the U.S. Coast Guard. Trusting them to act responsibly is foolish.

 

That's why South Carolina is smart to protect its waters and its people by holding the cruise ships accountable to local regulations and ordinances.

 

They do have a liable point .

[kkdleon]

Wasn't she the same one spearheading the controversy last summer on whether or not cruise ships were ruining Charleston?

 

This article from June 2010

 

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2010/05/debate-are-cruise-ships-ruining-historic-charleston-/94662/1

 

""Last Sunday I stood on the porch of our office on (Charleston's) East Bay and was enveloped in exhaust from Carnival Fantasy," writes Dana Beach, executive director of the Coastal Conservation League, who is critical of the increase in ship visits."

 

It couldn't possibly have been from the public transit buses and trolleys that stop every few blocks?

 

She is probably one of the few complaints we had about our charity event signs that were put in public areas. The sign posts were something like 1/8" metal and someone claimed they were damaging the wetlands. I swear people have too much time on their hands!

[kkdleon]

IMO, as a native Charlestonian, I would love to see some monitoring to protect the coast while allowing the cruise ships to port and visit. We are indeed a tourist town and depend on tourists to support our local economy. Not only will the ships increase the number of employees at the pier/terminal, but many of the local retail businesses, hotels and restaurants will need additional staff to serve the visitors.

 

It can be a win-win if the preservationists would approach the matter with an open mind.

[sunnidayz]

Clips from the article,

 

Cruise ships like the Mercury can dump completely untreated sewage 12 miles offshore. Although the article concludes that waste from the Mercury poses no risk to marine life or people who eat local seafood, there is a risk of contaminated water infecting shellfish which filter-feed.

In this day and age, it is barbaric to think that hundreds of cruise ships routinely dump human waste into the sea.

 

Cruise lines dump waste because they register their cruise ships outside of U.S. jurisdiction in places like Liberia and Panama which don't care what the cruise lines do.

The thought of a cruise ship like the Mercury dumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of norovirus infected feces just 12 miles offshore South Carolina is particularly disgusting.

 

Cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean are corporate felons for environmental crimes and lying to the U.S. Coast Guard. Trusting them to act responsibly is foolish.

 

That's why South Carolina is smart to protect its waters and its people by holding the cruise ships accountable to local regulations and ordinances.

 

They do have a liable point .

 

What proof has their been that Carnival is not holding to the regulations and ordinances... I haven't heard a single warning in this area to refrain from enjoying the local shellfish.

I'm sure the same can be said in respect to any Port!

Hate to put my 2 cents in, in respect to other opinions....

However, as the wife of an area fising Charter Captain, there are no complaints from the Coastal Charter Captains about pollution or effects on their local marine money making. As a resident of nearby Mt. Pleasant, I find myself saddened by yet another lawsuit in the works that will effect the economy of this area. Are these "homeowners" or "business owners"? Look at the number of people represented in the lawsuit. Certainly not representative of the general population. I, for one, love walking the bridge and seeing the Fantasy on it's port days. My children love going by the ship in the boat when out for a weekend fishing expedition with their Dad...dreaming about their next cruise and reminiscing about their past fun on Carnival. Most importantly, how many jobs have been created in this horrible economy by the increased tourism the Fantasy has brought to port. I wonder if the petitioners of this lawsuit have wondered a day in their lives about how bills were going to get paid or food would be put on the table. :rolleyes:

 

I, for one, will be saddened if Carnival finds this lawsuit as distasteful as I do, and finds a more welcoming Port to call home.

 

And yes, my paying my bills and feeding my children depends on the safety of the marine environment...;)

 

A-

[KNowme1st]

....."I can see Representatives from other ports lining up to knock on the door at Carnival HQ in Miami begging for the ship... I can't think of a single business in the world that would feel at home where lawsuits like these are being brought..."

 

Host Mach, I hear you at that. Hell, if you can find a way to make a port On the Rio Grande River here in Albuquerque New Mexico. We would welcome you with open arms !!!

[Bo Didly]

What proof has their been that Carnival is not holding to the regulations and ordinances...

 

I, for one, will be saddened if Carnival finds this lawsuit as distasteful as I do, and finds a more welcoming Port to call home.

 

And yes, my paying my bills and feeding my children depends on the safety of the marine environment...;)

 

A-

 

What proof do you have that they are :confused:

[sunnidayz]

What proof do you have that they are :confused:

 

Now Bo, wasn't trying to discredit any statement. I have no proof. Isn't that the point? Where is the proof, either way? this group does not represent the EPA. I was simply trying to show a different view. Sorry if you took offense...I meant none :(. Simply put, I, like so many in this area, like having a cruise ship in port and the benefits on the local economy.

As I said, this was simply my opinion.

A-

[richstowe]

Whoa,whoa,whoa CCers. A group of conservationists filing a lawsuit is a looong way from anything

actually happening to Charlestons terminal plans. In fact the terminal is a long way from being built.

 

I'm pretty sure there are very few major municiple projects that go ahead without a lawsuit or ten being filed.

 

And isn't it a bit unfair to say that Charleston is unwelcoming because of one lawsuit?:confused:

[Bo Didly]

sunnidayz Quote ,

Sorry if you took offense...

 

No offense taken ;) just curious :D

Now i understand why there is no cruise info for Charleston in October 2012 :eek:

[Nanaimobound]

In hard economic times such as these I would think the majority of the good citizens of this lovely port city would favor tourist dollars remaining with their city rather than someone else's. As someone pointed out this is a PORT. The only ships that bring in more than fees and taxes are cruise ships full of shoppers and sightseers. Hopefully intelligence will prevail here for Charleston's sake!

[LindaJean]

Yes, Charleston is a Port city. Many container ships come and go. I'm more concerned over the damage they might do to the environment than a cruise ship. I would like to see a cruise ship in port every day!

[firefly333]

Mobile will take the ship .... some cities dont know how to handle it I think to allow this to happen .. they could up and take the ship away like they did from Mobile.

[Chief Cruiser]

Stupid, just plain stupid. First of all, doesn't Carnival need a city license to be there? They didn't just show up and start sailing! So, sue the great city of Charleston! This is just a bunch of old foggies crying because they don't want change. Plus, cruise ships have already been coming to Charleston before Carnival! The cruise industry means big bucks for Charleston and the mayor should come out right NOW and say he's in favor of Carnival! :mad:

 

Dude, it is my understanding that the Mayor and Council have already gone on record of being in support of Carinval (at least for now), as are most of the businesses in the downtown district.

 

The problem coming out of this that I can see is two-fold. One being politics in that these groups of people who are suing live in districts that are represented by members of city council. I don't know when the next elections are being held, but with some of the city council members coming up for re-election, it could cause some minds to change for the politics of being re-elected. I'm sure it will be on the agenda of those running against the incumbents.

 

The other issue is strictly a business decision for Carnival. How much are they willing to spend either fighting this lawsuit vs how much it will cost to comply with all the regulatory requirements vs their projected revenue and how profitable cruises are that are sailing out of the port now and in the future. I'm not sure of the details of their contract with the port, but from a business standpoint, it may be feasible to hold off long enough until the contract is fully executed and pull out to another homeport somewhere.

 

With a new port facility on the drawing boards, whcih I understand is upstream and away from the downtown area, most of the arguments should dissolve. Charleston is a major shipping port and how can they discriminate against Carnival, if they don't make all the malor shipping lines comply as well?

 

This could be over quickly or it could get ugly and costly. Meanwhile, those who are patrons of Carnival will lose either way. If they stay and fight, we will eventually pay higher cruise costs. If they pull out and go away, we pay for travel, lodging, and additional food costs for traveling to an out-of-state homeport.

 

Why can't everyone just sit down and see if they can come to some resolution and compromise over the issues instead of picking a fight first? Seems I've read that honey works better than vinegar!

 

With this action, once again, we self-inflict wounds that will never heal and forever have salt in them.

[firefly333]

So am I the only one thinking they sued Carnival because Carnival has deep pockets.. just for profit?

[lesleyswimcoach]

My husband and I were just in Wilmington, NC last weekend and thought it would make a great port. It is also a historic city and has alot of major markets near by. It is right off I-40 and only an 1 1/2 off of I-95. It has it's own airport and is only a few hours from both Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte airports. I know I am biased since it will be closer to me but maybe they should check it out!