Cruise ship visits

I was pleased to see the letter written by John K. Monro (Oct 28), though for more than the (correct) argument he posed.

For 10 years, from 2009, I travelled the world on cruise ships, most of it as a supernumerary (cruise lecturer), and the rest as a paying passenger. Many of the cruises I worked on sailed around New Zealand. The hospitality here was outstanding. I was always hugely proud of my country.

The great bonus was working with Filipinos, Indonesians, Indians, Pacific Islanders, and others from the northern hemisphere, many from Ukraine. They are wonderful people, often working to support large families back home, totally dedicated, hardworking, and always attentive and friendly.

But I failed to see any benefit to the countries where the ships docked. Instead of using power from the local grid, the engines were kept running, often on dirty fuel. I was on ships where being in port was an opportunity for rubbish to be burned. Apart from French Polynesia, where black pearls were bought by the affluent, no big purchases were made.

Where claims of so many millions of dollars are supposed to be reaped from cruise ship visits, I would really like to see the financial details. Apart from local tour companies (which pay a percentage to the cruise line), there does not seem to be any significant profit made.

In New Zealand we are very fortunate because strict quarantine rules ensure that the ship’s bilges are clean, and nothing untoward is released into the harbours. This does not apply in many countries.

Joan Druett, Wellington