Today’s stop was the Bahamas island called Great Stirrup Cay. Purchased by Norwegian Cruise line in 1984, it holds the honor of setting precedent for similar purchases by most of the major cruise lines.

This incredibly wise marketing decision for cruise lines is highly destructive to the local tourism economies. You see, the ships provide all the food, beverage, entertainment and staff. Very few locals are employed.

On this end-of-the-season day, our passengers were almost alone. Normally, there would have been three restaurants, all “free” to passengers whose cruise fare included meals. Oceania sold excursion tickets for snorkeling, zip lining (using a specially constructed lighthouse), swimming with pigs (really), paddle boarding and villa rentals for the day. This is a win-win for the cruise lines who have total control over food, excursion, and service quality. Passengers like it too, it’s known and safe and targeted specifically for them.

The island’s ownership isn’t mentioned in the ship’s publicity about Great Stirrup Cay. Perhaps it’s best to avoid the discussion of the impact of these private islands on local economies?