Carnival intends to cancel stops in Belize on Thursday
There’s another development in the two week old tendering dispute. There’s word that Carnival intends to cancel stops in Belize on Thursday and that Royal Caribbean along with Norwegian Cruise Lines are bound to follow suit. As it stands tonight, an agreement on the price to transport tourists from the cruise ships to the Fort Street pier has not been worked out. Local tenders have put their price at seven dollars per head, but Carnival and Royal Caribbean are only willing to pay five dollars per tourist. The deadlock has prompted negotiations between Martha Williams from EuroCaribe as the go-between for the local tenders and the cruise lines. Williams already held the tendering contract with Carnival, but all that was up in the air when Carnival announced that it would be changing its tendering policy. That’s how it stands now, but we’ll never know what tomorrow will bring in the ever changing dispute.
WE HAD ENOUGH! WE DEMAND CHANGE! BELIZEANS UNITE OR PERISH!
Has anybody connected with the tender industry done an actual study of the costs to provide the service? I believe the cruise lines would listen to REASON, but not simple greed. There must be cold, hard numbers to support the fare charged. I’m afraid inexperienced, unreasonable, and greedy people are going to kill the tourist business here. We must all remember, there are other places to visit, just as beautiful, maybe less expensive. Or do we want to have the most beautiful spot that nobody visits?
How much is this really costing the tender operators? Can they make a profit by charging $5.00 per head & what were they being paid before? Did Carnival lower the fare they normally charge their customers for these shore excursions as a temporary promotional gimmick. What are we not being told?
Ok this is a big problem here….Belizeans open your eyes because of some stupid teneders we are going to lose allot of business….The Gift Shops, Bars, Restaurants,Tours etc…Half a loaf is better than no bread….Now we don’t have any bread….We need to learn how to conduct business…also same way how the government will increase GST…all stores will start shutting down then there will be no taxes collected….LEARN LEARN Belizeans LETS stop screwing up!
I totally agreed:a cost assestment needs to be done on the operation of running a tender
from the ship to dock.I don’t have any information but from my estimation on the operation
of a tender paying fuel ,personnel,maintenance and profit for the daily operation,in my honest “guesstimation” I would say that $ 7.00 is a bit steep.This seems to be a problem
in Belize were there is no resonable price for anything.
There’s word that Carnival intends to cancel stops in Belize on Thursday and that Royal Caribbean along with Norwegian Cruise Lines are bound to follow suit.
Sounds good to me.
So if you are willing to charge $7 per head c’mon now beggars are not chosers and they are willing to pay $5 well at least you are getting something and it’s much better than getting nothing. JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW OUR OWN PEOPLE CAN’T NEGOTIATE FOR THEMSELVES, SAD…..
We didn’t always had cruise ships stopping in Belize and we lived better then.
I have been on several of these cruises throughout Mexico and Europe. These cruise ships have their own tender boats and they always use theirs. I am sure they are just trying to help the Belizean economy by using local operators, but Belizeans must not be greedy and try to get rich overnight.
Being a tourist in Belize is more expensive than any part of Mexico and almost at par with several Euorpean cities. Being Belizean, I hate to admit it, but Belize is very far behind other countries and we must be grateful that these cruise liners are throwing a bone our way.
This is not about the money it’s about standing for what you believe in.F the money.
Sorry Fin, your comment sounds more like desperation, can’t you see what the cruise lines are doing, they are taking away all the business from belizeans. If your business fails then there is something that is called diversification, if you know what that means. I agree with CEO we lived better when there was no cruise ship in belize
As a former tourguide in Belize from 1996 to 2001, I now look back and keep wondering why has the tourist industry allowed themselves to be sucked in by cruise tourism. Before cruise tourism, Belize was making great strides into eco tourism and should have continued with more determination and focus. Now the industry is reaping what they have sowed over the years. Being manipulated by an industry that has no respect for its own employees much less the tour guides, tour operators and others who cater to tourist in Belize. Be careful my Belizeans.
Josie very good point @Fin, this is one puppy that once kept playing with, will continue licking your face pal, no if, and, or but about that. @Common Sense, you don’t seem to have too much on this topic, try do a little research for Godsakes and see how they operate all over the world, hell the Alaskan Government tried to impose an increase head tax and tighter environmental regulations on cruise lines….after they cruise lines were done (this is one of their tactics we are seeing right here in City) the Alaskan Gov. backed down and walked away with head hung low. Don’t be and idiot dude, foreigners have been taking advantage of that in Belize for far too long.
The Comment is not about desperation is about what the big picture is Josie…….Not only will the tenders suffer but also will everyone!!! its so sad but it is what it is….F the tenders and let the cruise companies tender their tourist into our country…We are by far the most expensive port call in cruise business….and by far the worst tenders service in the world!
The cruise tenders are way too small to be the only way to get tourists back and forth from Belize. The distance the ship has to dock is REALLY far out compared to other islands. 10 minutes to get from the ship to the Caymans, 30 minutes to Belize. They would never get all the tourists ashore in time for their excursions. If Carnival is currently paying $5 per person for the tenders then someone in Belize is making MILLIONS a year on this, why isn’t the money being used to upkeep or improve the tenders???
I hope all the cruise lines stop. It’ll be a better place for it. They should ask for $10 a head from those greedy cruise lines.
I WENT TO BELIZE LAST YEAR ON CARNIVAL AND I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO BELIZE.I HAD TO BE TENDERED TO SHORE ON A 30 MINUTE RIDE ONLY TO BE TENDERED BACK OUT FOR ANOTHER 30 MIN TO A LITTLE BEACH ISLAND RIGHT NEXT TO THE SHIP I JUST LEFT. I SPENT 2 HRS ON 4 BOAT RIDES TO A VERY SHITTY BEACH.
I agree with Tommy that the fact he had to get on four boats to finally end up on Goffs Caye for snorkeling, if that is the little !@#$% beach he is referring to is inappropriate. However, I am sure that the little !@#$%^ beach is far better than any you probrably have wherever you are from. I have been to practically every island that Belize has and most countries would envy them. Hope you have better visits elsewhere.
I personally don’t see the problem with $7 per person. I was on a cruise last summer that stopped in Belize. If the activity we booked had been $2 more to cover that expense, we wouldn’t have blinked an eye. The cost of fuel in Belize is very high so anyone would expect the transport to cost a few bucks. And why shouldn’t the owners of the business make a profit? Free enterprise!!! Now if the safety of the transport is in question, that’s a different story, but come on people! Let’s get over the greed factor and let travelers have a good time in the ports of their choice.