Tag Archives: Key West

Key West voters say no to large cruise ships

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Key West voters say no to large cruise ships

By Tom Stieghorst
Key West residents have voted against asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study widening the ship channel to accommodate larger cruise ships.

The vote was 4,531-1,630 against the study, according to newspaper reports.

Dredging the channel from 300 feet to 450 feet in width would displace 150,000 cubic yards of seafloor protected by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The $3 million study would lay out the economic benefits and environmental costs of the project.

Cruise passengers spend about $80 million annually in Key West.

The vote pitted some business interests against a group called Key West Committee for Responsible Tourism, which opposes the project.

Cruise ships come to aid of Cuban refugees

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Cruise ships come to aid of Cuban refugees

Two cruise ships have come to the aid of Cuban refugees stranded at sea.

On Friday, the Carnival Conquest spotted a raft with 13 people on board approximately 40 miles off the coast of Key West, Florida.

The refugees were rescued and taken on board where they were provided with food, water and medical treatment.

Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and chief executive, said: “We are happy to have come to the aid of these individuals and to support the long-established tradition among the global maritime community of providing assistance to mariners in distress.”

Shortly after, reports emerged that the Disney Wonder had picked up eight people stranded 45 miles from Key West.

Both of the ships coordinated with the US Coast Guard to undertake the rescues and also to determine their next steps.

If the Cuban refugees were seeking asylum in the US, they will now need to be interviewed by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service to see if they are eligible.