Princess Cruises has some explaining to do. The cruise line earlier this week warned passengers disembarking from the Royal Princess in Canada to “be careful with local food and stick to bottled water” — a warning typically reserved for ports in developing countries.
The instructions were included in a newsletter given to 650 passengers aboard the vessel before it docked in Saint John, according to reports. The cruise line admitted that the warning was an error, caused because it recycled leftover newsletter items from a South America cruise.
But residents of Saint John were not impressed. Merchants in town were reportedly “aghast” because customers stayed on the ship. They were worried about long-term damage to their town’s reputation.
“I was actually shocked when I heard it,” said Margret Begner, who owns Opéra Bistro, one of the city’s top restaurants.
In a bid to patch things up, Princess says it will go out of its way to promote Saint John in the future. Cruise line spokeswoman Julie Benson said the company will urge passengers to visit the city.
We will make sure our customers of the Caribbean Princess will be encouraged to enjoy the local cuisine and especially the water. I hear you make some pretty good beer there as well.
Jokes aside, this incident underscores the power of a cruise line to influence its passengers. As reported by our colleague Anita Dunham-Potter, these companies are able to market to a captive audience at sea, with disturbing results.
But it also shows how gullible cruise passengers can be when they’re on vacation.
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