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Don’t bail out the cruise industry

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171–180 of 205 posts

Re: Don’t bail out the cruise industry

#171
post #3

I'm not from the US, but I don't even understand the basic premise. If these companies avoid paying taxes by not being registered/incorporated in the US, how could they possibly be eligible for help from the US government? That just seems like a contradiction, like a huge case of having your cake and eating it.

I am from the US and the premise is ridiculous to even consider. The cruise industry in no way should be prioritized or considered essential.

Re: Don’t bail out the cruise industry

#172
post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

in reality is the opposite, the footprint is huge in terms of environmental impact, the cruises pollute the air of the city. Also, cruise visitors use the city's facilities (roads, trash collection, beaches, etc) but don't leave much money behind to compensate. Sure we maximize the amount of people that get to visit the place, but they leave locals worse off as they have to foot the bill

> the cruises pollute the air of the city Per-person? Surely anyone arriving by car, aeroplane or even bus is causing a lot more pollution, just on the sheer physics of how much more efficient sea transport is. > Also, cruise visitors use the city's facilities (roads, trash collection, beaches, etc) but don't leave much money behind to compensate. Surely that can be balanced with appropriate taxation - I believe a lo…

Are you sure about that? A quick search for carbon per passenger cruise ship vs airplane returned several results[0][1][2] suggesting that the airplane is in fact a more eco-friendly way to travel.

[0] https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/ask-mr-green/which-better-...

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/dec/20/cruises.green

[2] https://grist.org/living/you-thought-planes-burned-a-lot-of-...

Re: Don’t bail out the cruise industry

#173
post #40
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a bit unfair, when you fly somehwere you sleep there, you eat there, you spend there. Whereas on a cruise ship the tourist is spending 99% of their money on the ship, and 1% in the city that they're flooding

Not true. Cruise passengers practically run the economy of many cities around the world including US. For example, a lot of towns in Alaska basically live off of cruise ship docking there. If they stop, many of them flat out collapse. I don't have actual data but my anecdata from several cruise ship regulars is that they spend at least as much on "excursions" and touring the ports as on cruise ship ticket.

Sorry maybe that's true, I was thinking of European/Mediterranean cruises, and the impact they have on Venice, Dubrovnik etc

Re: Don’t bail out the cruise industry

#174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In times of crisis, that's not what we care about, we care about uninterrupted supply chain. Yes, I agree the system should not be that fragile, but for now it is.

In this case, I'd say we'd be better off letting that fragility run its course. Very few (if any) Americans depend on the existence of the cruise industry to make a living or otherwise survive in our society. For the ones who do, it'd be cheaper to give them individual "bailouts". Cruise ships contribute jack all to the national or global supply chain except as consumers of it; letting cruise lines fail means more ca…

Tourism is an import/export like any other.

Trade imbalances aren't good for economies and eventually lead to wars 100% of the time. Read about the Opium Wars if you want a textbook example of this.

Re: Don’t bail out the cruise industry

#175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed, there's a bustling maritime law industry in the state of Florida that would die if the cruise industry were to fail or leave.

Are you arguing that we should bail out the cruise industry to save the lawyers?

I think there is a missing /s

Re: Don’t bail out the cruise industry

#176
post #3

I'm not from the US, but I don't even understand the basic premise. If these companies avoid paying taxes by not being registered/incorporated in the US, how could they possibly be eligible for help from the US government? That just seems like a contradiction, like a huge case of having your cake and eating it.

They'll likely get it because they can pay politicians to vote in favor, or said politicians own a stake in those companies - probably indirectly to avoid an apparent conflict of interest, but who will find out? Actually they did, see Panama Papers. So many higher-ups turned out to have a lot of money stashed away abroad. Politicians are corrupt. I mean take Trump; while he 'officially' renounced control / ownership…

The problem with statements like "politicians are corrupt" is that it makes it possible for people to see what Trump is doing as just more of the status quo. It needs to be possible for some politicians to not be corrupt in order for the allegation of corruption towards Trump to carry any meaning.

Re: Don’t bail out the cruise industry

#177
Bailouts are very unfair and undemocratic. I can understand for Boeing where the military absolutely depends on them and if a war were to start, being able to build planes is essential.

But Carnival cruises, who cares if they go under? another one will prop up with a better business model that is sustainable.

Every company should be able to weather a couple of months if they rode the bull for the best 11 years of stock rise in history. If your executives fucked it up, too bad. You can get a low interest loan, but no free bailout money.

Re: Don’t bail out the cruise industry

#178
post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're being a bit naive. All the ships will still exist. All that will happen is that investors will snap up the ships and 'brands' at bargain prices, set up new cruise companies and the ships will be back in business in a matter of a few months, probably with the same crews and the same company names. The only thing that will change is the ownership.

All the more reason not to bail them out. Let the market do its thing.

You mean kill efficient businesses on a random basis? I don't see how that benefits anybody. To be clear I don't care about cruise lines particularly, but I'm not sure I agree with the general point that businesses hit by freak events should in general just be allowed to die.

Re: Don’t bail out the cruise industry

#179
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Carnival Cruises is headquartered in Miami. They register their ships in other countries for various reasons. One of which is taxes. But the company itself is based in the US.

Headquartered in Miami, but incorporated in Panama.

That doesn't matter. If you have operations in the US, you have to pay US taxes. Now they may be getting around those taxes, but they have to file.

Re: Don’t bail out the cruise industry

#180
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Carnival Cruises is headquartered in Miami. They register their ships in other countries for various reasons. One of which is taxes. But the company itself is based in the US.

The pay no taxes. Carnival Corp and Norwegian both posted negative income tax expenses — that is, they received more in refunds or deductions than they paid or set aside for taxes — with Carnival reporting an income tax expense of $71 million and Norwegian reporting an $18.9 million tax benefit. They don’t contribute to the public fisc in good times, they should have no call on it when times are tough.

So like Amazon? Have they never paid taxes? Because that quote seems to be referring to a single year?
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