Controversial Cruise

From email sent January 17, 1998

We have been in the middle of Belize’s biggest controversy…we are agents for a wildly controversial cruise ship.

In December, Norwegian Cruise Line faxed us about their ship MS Leeward. She was scheduled to go to Grand Cayman, but they wanted to send her to Belize instead. Fine with us.

One morning about ten days ago, Alex telephoned me at 7:30 am to ask if I were watching CNN Headline News. I was not. He said that there was a big story about Cayman’s refusing to allow the Leeward to call because it was on charter for a cruise group of 800 homosexuals. It added that the ship was going to Belize instead.

Alex telephoned the Minister of Tourism, Henry Young, at home; he said his phone had been ringing off the hook. You can imagine the man-on-the-street reaction. By late afternoon, Henry issued a press statement saying that the Government had no objection to the call.

Stuart Krohne’s TV Chanel 5 had an excellent, well-balanced story on their 6:30 news show that evening. Street interviews showed strong objection from young men and surprising acceptance by elderly women.

Controversy Continued. The weekend papers were full of editorials and letters to the editor, most of them anti. They were somewhat more specific about the behavior Belize might expect to see from the passengers in the middle of town than I chose to contemplate. Groups of ministers from strange churches banded in bible-quoting petitions against permitting the damned ashore.

María and Alex ran into Number 2 Jefe (boss) from the University. He is determined to line up his students for a demonstration when the cruise passengers come ashore.

 

It was only this past Monday that we got final official word that the ship will be allowed to call. I immediately went out and bought the 300 postcards and 500 stamps the Chief Purser requested. Alex and I weren’t about to spend any money until we were sure the call was on. It was something of a project selecting some 20 different postcards from the 50 available. The call is unusually short because Belize is longer steaming time from Miami than is Cayman. The passengers have limited tour time. I tried to find either typical pictures or ones of places they might have seen. It took me most of an afternoon. Alex said I simply should have grabbed 50 of four different scenes and let it go.

Alex wanted to use the Fort George dock. It is closer to where the ship will anchor, shortening the tender time, and is in better condition than the Ramada Pier. However, at the advice of the Belize Tourist Bureau (government) and the Port Authority, the Port Captain of Norwegian Line selected the Ramada. The grounds are fenced in, so security is simpler. Passengers can board launches to the cayes or buses for inland tours inside the compound.

I talked to Mr. Sylvestre, the head of the Tourist Police. He was literally overjoyed to hear that they would use the Ramada. Some of the passengers want to be on their own, but they will have to use taxis from there, rather than walk. Nothing much is open on Sunday, so they may not wander too far. We are arranging for the National Handicraft Center to open Sunday afternoon for them. And there is the Maritime Museum. They may decide to walk from one to the other. Mr Sylvestre says he will have both Tourist police and regular police on the streets everywhere the cruise passengers go. He also will have men on bicycles. I think they are doing everything possible to make this work.

 

Usually, the company that handles shore tours also arranges tenders. This time they aren’t, so it landed in Alex’s lap. To his surprise, all but one of the boat owners he contacted jumped at the multi-trip job. One quaint soul asked Alex if he could get AIDS from the passengers. Alex told him be couldn’t, “unless you intend to have sex with them.” No matter; he turned down the work.

I resent furiously that anyone should face the kind of reception Belize will give these visitors. The problem, of course, is that Belize is basically very conservative. People in huge numbers on holiday often behave in ways that are not socially acceptable. The Cayman Government said that its experience with homosexual cruises, and the behavior of the passengers convinced them that they could not allow another one. I want this to go off with no trouble. Alex calmly says that it won’t.

I will not be here, much to my regret. I want to be at the Ramada to welcome passengers ashore. However, the Niagara Prince cruise that Luther Blount has invited me on leaves the day before the Leeward arrives.

 

From trip report written February 6, 1988

After lunch on Sunday, February 1st, the Niagara Prince anchored at Goff’s Caye for snorkeling. The passengers all were ashore or swimming when several launches arrived and deposited some fifty more people on the caye.

Needless to say, our passengers were not completely happy about it. What they did not know, but rapidly surmised, was that these were some of the passengers from the Leeward’s gay cruise. My closest friends on the trip reported that they kept to themselves and behaved perfectly.

One woman commented that her first reaction was that she never had seen so many handsome young men at the same time—and then it registered. Another passenger overheard a brief bit of conversation that clued her in. When I learned about our shared island later, I was delighted to hear no negative comment from anyone.