Florida is experiencing a massive decline in passengers for cruises around the Caribbean. Have the “Pirates of the Caribbean” scared off summer families wanting to visitor the murky Atlantic? Maybe so.
Port officials say the fall-off could be traced to a decline in the day-cruise business, competition from gambling venues on land such as Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, and consumers preferring to visit European ports of call, not Caribbean.
The Caribbean in the last 12 months has not been as attractive as it has been in the past,” said Carlos Buqueras, Port Everglades director of business development.