The cargo port/cruise port debate seems destined to go on for quite some time, with an apparently endless list of people having a say on the matter, some a lot more qualified to do so than others. One particular suggestion being made had me recoiling in horror as it seemed to miss the point completely in several ways.
The suggestion was that attempts should be made to make the processing of cruise passengers as similar as possible to that of those arriving by air. The assumption being, I presume, that they have arrived for the same reason, expect the same type of experience, and are really no more than a tourist statistic. Nothing could be further from the truth.
If properly packaged (reasonably sized ships, attentive crew, good choice of destinations, that sort of thing), cruising is one of the last remaining sensible, at times luxurious, ways of travel, almost on a par with air travel in days of yore. Compare that with the sheer horror of air travel today and there is really no contest. The two experiences have precious little in common, and it should be kept that way.
Mike Spragg
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