5.21.2006

First Two Story Library on Cruise Ship-Sounds Good but at Whose Expense?

I think the vast amount of resources used on these ships is simply a manifestation of a culture of exploitation. How can so few have so much? And now a library is being added as bait. Justification for the exploitation of cruise workers and destruction of the environment can't be done by adding a few books to spiff things up.

CNW group reports "Queen Victoria will not only be a classic ocean liner...she will also feature some exciting innovations. These will include the first private boxes at sea, in the Royal Court Theatre; a "Cunardia" museum, housing Cunard artifacts and memorabilia; the first two-story library at sea, with its 6,000 books and splendid spiral staircase;and a grand, British colonial-style conservatory, complete with central fountain, greenery and a retractable glass roof."


And closer to home...
"Passengers rarely miss a meal. On our cruise, they consumed 17,000 pounds of meat, 9,000 pounds of poultry, 9,000 pounds of seafood, 24,000 pounds of fresh vegetables and 400 gallons of ice cream. No wonder the fitness center, walking and running decks were so busy. "And no wonder there is so much Shit.

Rationalize it! "The Economics and Philosophy of the Cruise Ship." by Bryan Caplan.

Cruise Ships.The Industry's Dark Side.by Ross A. Klein
Economic Domination.Tour operations, particularly in Alaska, have become the domain of the cruise lines. In 1968, on one of my earliest cruises, there were no tour operations. We explored on our own, or in small groups. Today, cruise lines increasingly are the owners of buses, railcars, and end-point resorts, controlling much of the shore-side activity. Local tour operators are left to compete with the cruise line (which has the passenger’s undivided attention for sales while onboard the ship) and often have to undersell their product.The economic domination of the cruise line means that little revenue trickles down to local residents.

Cruise Junkie