Touring the Caribbean

 A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages  the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way  transportation is not the prime purpose, as cruise ships operate mostly on routes that return passengers to their originating port

 Cruising in general is a large and growing industry  The Caribbean is the most popular area in the world for cruising  70% of cruises are based on North America, with the majority of those cruising the Caribbean

 Dining  Pools and hot tubs  Bars  Casinos  Spas/Fitness centres  Shops  Theatre

 The three largest cruise operators are Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean International, and Star Cruises/Norwegian Cruise Lines  The largest cruise ship in the world is the Allure of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean  1,187 ft long, Max capacity 6,360 people  Most major cruise ship have capacity of around 3-4,000 people

 Stereotypically cruise passengers are older people  There are cruises more oriented towards  Families  Singles  Niche markets (LGBT cruises, concert cruises, etc.)

 Most ships leave from Miami or Ft. Lauderdale  Most cruises return to the same port they left from, though some are one way  Ex: cruising from Miami to San Diego via the Panama canal

 Cruise ships will stop for a period of time – less than a day – at destinations  These places are called Ports of Call  The port of call must be equipped to handle the massive cruise ships  Passengers disembark and can engage in various tourist activities on shore

 The busiest port of call is The Bahamas  This is because its short distance from Florida is very convenient for both short and long cruises  Other popular ports of call are the US Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, the Cayman Islands, and Jamaica

 Cruise ships generate a lot of waste that can result in discharges (sewage) to the marine environment  They also emit air pollutants  Cruise ship waste has the potential to threaten human health and damage aquatic life  The growth of the cruise ship industry has had a negative impact on the hotel industry in the Caribbean, as well as other businesses (restaurants, etc.)

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