A pair of cruise ships are seen docked on Feb. 27. The Key West Committee for Safer Cleaner Ships voiced its concerns in an email regarding two ships in port at the same time, despite restrictions declared in City Resolution 22-073.
A pair of cruise ships are seen docked on Feb. 27. The Key West Committee for Safer Cleaner Ships voiced its concerns in an email regarding two ships in port at the same time, despite restrictions declared in City Resolution 22-073.
Photo provided
The Celebrity Apex is docked at Pier B on Jan. 8.
ROB O’NEAL/Keys Citizen
The Norwegian Pearl is seen from Mallory Square on March 15, 2022.
The Key West Committee for Safer Cleaner Ships has questions for the City of Key West.
The group, which ushered in a referendum (eventually supported by City Resolution 22-073) that restricted the number of ships and passengers that may call on Key West, became concerned the policy was being violated on Feb. 20 and Feb. 27, when two ships were in port at the same time.
On Feb. 20, the Radiance of the Seas docked at Pier B at Opal Key Resort, while the Ritz-Carlton-owned Evirma moored at Mallory Square. Another two-ship day occurred a week later, with the Evirma again docked at Mallory Square and the Carnival Dream at Pier B.
“We’ve been working hard to understand what happened. How could the one-ship policy, adopted unanimously with broad public support, be violated two Mondays in a row?” the email read. “Did those responsible for this failure think that the people who care so deeply about cruise reform wouldn’t notice two enormous cruise ships sitting bow-to-stern?”
The email states that the Ritz-Carlton bookings were made in 2020, nearly three years before the port call and after the city commission adopted the “one-ship policy,” City staff suspended bookings, only to have them reinstated in August 2022 after what the group calls “a lobbying campaign by Ritz-Carlton, and John Wells, owner of the cruise ship services company Caribe Nautical, to convince the City Manager and Port Director to ‘relax’ or ‘amend’ the Resolution.”
The resolution states that cruise ships docking at Mallory Square would be restricted to fewer than 1,300 passengers and crew and that while a cruise ship is docked at Pier B, no other cruise ships may dock at city-owned facilities. It also expressly states that no restrictions would apply to ships at Pier B.
City Manager Patti McLauchlin addressed the issue at March’s city commission meeting and vowed to work toward a solution for the first meeting in April.
McLauchlin said she initially believed that the Evirma was the type of ship the city wanted.
“Originally, I thought this was exactly the kind of thing we wanted,” she said. “But now, I don’t know. We are in discussions with our city attorney, commissioners and incoming manager, Albert Childress, regarding which direction we want to go. I am just not sure.”
McLauchlin said whatever the decision, it will be made by the city commissioners.
“Now is the time to have these discussions. Do we want to have no ships at Mallory Square?”
She said that better communication with Pier B could help streamline the process. Another booking that would violate the referendum is scheduled for Dec. 18.
The Safer Cleaner Ships email also takes aim at Wells, who has operated as a ships agent in Key West for more than 40 years, stating he doesn’t have a written contract or agreement with the city. It also goes on to say that the group cannot determine Caribe Nautical’s cut of cruise ship fees.
But Wells contends he doesn’t need a contract as he acts as a representative for the cruise lines, not as a representative of the city.
“This works like this in ports worldwide,” Wells said. “Cruise and cargo lines like to have all their fees, dockage and other miscellaneous expenses together under one accounting. We handle that for them. We charge a flat rate, then pay the city.”
Mayor Teri Johnston said she knows staff is working hard on the issue.
“Patti and Ron (Ramsingh) are reaching out to all of us elected officials to discuss the direction we should be taking,” she said. “I will be having a discussion with both her and Al (Childress) on current procedures for booking cruise ships in our port, as well as direction to assure we are not violating our resolutions regarding the one ship per day maximum.”
McLauchlin said she would have an item on the city’s agenda for its next meeting on Tuesday, April 4, at City Hall, 1300 White St., beginning at 5 p.m.
