The Caribbean’s Most Dangerous Cruise Stops Will Surprise You
by Sid Lipsey of yahoo.com
Cruise ships docked in the Bahamas, one of the most popular — and, some say, troubled, Caribbean destinations. The super-lucrative Caribbean cruising season is almost here. And with it comes renewed attention on a sticky issue for cruise lines in the Caribbean.
According to an email obtained by the The Nassau Guardian, an executive with Carnival Cruise Line reportedly warned a Bahamas tourism official that Carnival is so worried about crime in Nassau, it’s considering issuing crime warnings to the passengers it brings there.
Meanwhile, in an interview published last week by The Saint Lucia Times, the president of the Saint Lucia Venders Association publicly accused the Minister of Tourism of ignoring the island nation’s crime problem. He said crime in Saint Lucia has gotten so bad, cruise lines might consider dropping that popular Caribbean port stop from their itineraries, as Norwegian Cruise Line did in the 2010-2012 season because of reported crimes against passengers.
When reached by Yahoo Travel, Carnival declined comment on the Nassau Guardian story. About its future in Saint Lucia, Norwegian told Yahoo Travel in a statement: “Norwegian has been calling on St. Lucia for the past several years and is scheduled to call the island this year and in 2016. As with all destinations we visit, we continuously monitor any events and may make future itinerary adjustments should the need warrant.”
