St. Lucia Official Fears Rising Crime Could Push Away Cruise Industry
by Patrick Clarke of travelpulse.com
One prominent St. Lucia official is expressing concern in wake of several crimes committed against cruise ship passengers that are becoming more frequent.
With Norwegian Cruise Line having eliminated the popular Caribbean stop from its itineraries as recently as 2012 because of concerns about guests’ safety, establishing precedent, St. Lucia Vendors Association president Peter Isaac told the St. Lucia Times he believes the ongoing problem could eventually lead to other cruise lines avoiding the island nation altogether.
“Persons have come to me and said that things have been stolen from their children, things of value like chains grabbed from them,” Isaac told the Times. “We are facing a very serious problem in Castries,” he added, referring to the country’s capital on the northwest coast, where the main cruise port is located.
In a majority of cases that highlight the growing concern, cruise passengers have had handbags, chains and other valuable items stolen from them. Compounding the problem, authorities have been slow to react in many cases.
