CCL signs pact with EPA - environmental regulations affect US port choices

[OlsSalt]

CCL recently signed a pact with EPA to reduce ships air pollution discharges, which has affected some ship's change of docking locations in the US: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-09-05/news/bs-gr-carnival-cruise-pollution-20130905_1_tom-dow-largest-cruise-company-ships

[sevenseasnomad]

Article claims that the pollution control would prevent "thousands of deaths." Can anyone please cite the scientific study in which thousands of deaths have been attributed to cruise ship pollution?

 

Yes, the Baltimore economy will suffer as a result. Norfolk built a lovely new cruise terminal. Millions of dollars were spent. It was used for a couple of years and now occasionally serves as a venue for larger parties. Passenger ships no longer routinely sail out of Norfolk. Very sad considering the two cruises we took from Norfolk saved us a lot of money because we only had a 20-minute drive to arrive at embarkation.

 

What about Tampa, Miami & Ft. Lauderdale, Seattle, NYC, & Bayonne? Obviously they have the same restrictions since they're U.S. ports too. Are the cruise lines moving out of these ports too? My point is, why pull ships from 1 or 2 ports and not the others, if they're talking about imposing the same restrictions?

[OlsSalt]

We have a rogue activist environmental group with their own boat that independently contacts and follows cruise ships that tender in our off shore waters. They take their own water samples at multiple times and multiple sites to make sure the ships are not discharging anything that they deem they don't like.

 

If I were the cruise lines, I would look for more friendly waters than have these numbskulls tracking right in the ship's wake looking for trouble. Which is exactly what this group wants to accomplish.

 

Meanwhile our tourist industry is finding the average passenger spends $92 each while on shore. No small change to ignore on a lazy shoulder season weekday in our weekend tourism driven area. Those in the local tourism business are starting to push back against this rogue environmental group's harassment of the cruise ships.

Edited November 15, 2013 by OlsSalt

[Sea Belle]

It is certainly sad to pass by the beautiful terminal in Norfolk as it sits mostly unused. Not long ago Celebrity made it's last voyage from there with no plans to return. Several times we were on the Maasdam & Ryndam before the new terminal was constructed and the ships were filled with people who continually commented on the convenience of traveling from this port. I wish HAL would consider returning.

[Linda&Vern]

It is certainly sad to pass by the beautiful terminal in Norfolk as it sits mostly unused. Not long ago Celebrity made it's last voyage from there with no plans to return. Several times we were on the Maasdam & Ryndam before the new terminal was constructed and the ships were filled with people who continually commented on the convenience of traveling from this port. I wish HAL would consider returning.

We had two wonderful cruises on the Maasdam from Norfolk before they built the new terminal. Checking in via those temporary tents was an excursion in itself. :D I've always felt sorry that the town made such an effort for the cruisers and then they were deserted by the cruise lines.

I can say that if it were not for the ability to cruise out of Norfolk our first cruise would not have been on HAL. Actually, we may never have found HAL. We would cruise many more times a year if HAL would go back there.

Edited November 15, 2013 by Linda&Vern