The Power Of Twitter: What Can You Do To Save the Sea (#followmeatsea)

With all the tumult last week over CruiseShipGate, aka #followmeatsea, I'm probably nuts to bring it up again, but it's been on my mind.

At first I found the whole thing childishly amusing then I stopped paying attention. Finally, as the ridiculous thing continued to rage on websites such as Wild Junket or Matador Change and continued appearing through backhanded snipes on Twitter, I started to get aggravated.

Whatever happened to civil debate?

Julie Shwietert questions in her Matador Change article whether or not the environmental impact of cruises would have even been raised had one particular Twitterer by the name of Jeanne Dee not brought it up and brought it up and brought it up.

But the issue had been raised prior to the cruise. Caitlin from Roaming Tales wrote two separate articles questioning cruises and the entire cruise industry. Nancy D Brown, one of the cruise participants, wrote her own article focusing on these very same issues.

It seems, though, whatever noise produced by these thoughtful articles went largely unheard, until the sturm and drang of Jeanne's repeated twittering brought out enough hostility and upset so that everyone's eyes centered on this particular drama.

Perhaps we should be thankful that someone was willing to stand up and generally point fingers and poke until it hurt, but I'd rather live in a world in which people can treat each other decently and still be heard.

“Universal responsibility,” says the Dalai Lama, “is the feeling for other people’s suffering just as we feel our own… We must recognize all beings want the same things we want. This is the way to achieve true understanding, unfettered by artificial consideration.”

The Human Side of the Debate

Kim Mance wrote in a comment to my previous post on the subject that she's been literally sick to her stomach because of the stress from all this. Many others quietly wrote me through Twitter, e-mail, the blog and Facebook to express their own frustration at the tone this environmental discussion has taken.

The bickering leaves a bad taste in many of our mouths, and you need only take a cursory look at comments on any of the posts related to this event to see all the people who have felt hurt, angry and insulted.

Then there are those living on the islands visited by cruise ships, the ones who have to put up with the crowds, the mess, the water awash in fecal coliform. The ones whose livelihood is entirely based on cruise ship traffic.

I saw firsthand the importance of tourism to these tiny islands.

We didn't have many cruises come through Bocas during the months I lived there, but when we did, relief was palpable in the air. Every boat driver in the vicinity zoomed out to the deep water where the ship docked and carried passengers to land. Restaurants, museums, tours, beaches all bloomed with life. Same thing when we had a coast guard ship stationed nearby.

By contrast, I visited Bocas just after a particularly bad storm. There were mudslides, earthquakes, food shortages, all of which meant no tourists. You could see the worry in everyone’s eyes, locals and expats alike. For some it meant tightening the belt. For others, it meant not knowing how food would get to the table and into their children’s mouths.

Then I think of my parents or Noah’s grandparents who are lifelong world travelers. Both couples started taking cruises later in life when their regular forms of travel became too rigorous.

My dad, for example, simply doesn’t have the energy to travel the way he had in the past, and so when he tells me he’s going traveling, even on a cruise, I rejoice, because I remember too many days he was too tired, too stiff and too frustrated with not feeling well to leave the house.

Aunt Jane took Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Charles on a cruise when they were no longer healthy enough to go on their long solo-treks to China, Costa Rica, New Zealand and Israel. It was the last trip of Grandma Ruth’s lifetime.

Let’s Find the Best Path Toward A Common Goal

 “Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen. Few in pursuit of the goal.
Friedrich Nietzsche,

Don’t misunderstand. I am in no way saying that the cruise ship industry is all fine-and-dandy. I’m saying the industry exists, selling large numbers of tickets, regardless of what I or anyone else personally believes.

Should I start lecturing Aunt Jane, Grandpa Charles, the people of Bocas or my parents on the evils of cruises? Do you think they’ll listen?

How many people do you think have decided never to go on another cruise because of Jeanne’s tweets? Or did they just listen quietly, think “Damn hippy” and continue on to buy their cheap winter vacation cruise to the Caribbean.

If people are still buying tickets, there's no reason for the cruise ship industry to change what they're doing.

Better To Find An Alternative

 “Wait and see what we have to say,” is the cry from those on board Princess cruise.

“But they’re just mouthpieces for the cruise industry comes the criticism.”

Really?

Does anyone truly believe that everyone on board this ship will just shill for the cruise industry? I mean really? You think every single one of these travel writers is so easily duped, tricked or just starry-eyed over a free trip that he or she will lose all objectivity?

Personally, I think people would be far more interested in their reports were they to find fault with the industry, because, as we already know, people are drawn more to conflict than confluence.

People are also drawn to causes.

It feels good to band together with others to do something worthwhile. Look at charity:water as an example. A Twitter based organization that brings people together worldwide to provide clean water and dig wells for those who do not have.

Wouldn’t it in fact, be better to gather together a group of people on Twitter who are known, followed and read because they have a strong and well developed personality through social media, then allow those people to send out a message?

Wouldn’t that have the greatest effect for the good for the most people and for the environment?

Yes, short term, you will not see the same response, but in the long run, treating people with decency and consideration leads to better, longer lasting results.

Step Up To The Opportunity

Let's all connect and contact. Get in touch with those who took part in the Twitter cruise and ask them what they think, ask them what can be done, and encourage all involved to use their information and influence to improve the situation.

A partial list of those to contact: Kim Mance of Go Galavanting, Nancy D., Brown, Brett Rounsaville from Amtrekker, Gary Arndt of Everywhere Trip and Simone de Santi, A Road Retraveled

As I said, it's only a partial list, so please feel free to add additional people, resources and best of all, your thoughts, ideas and solutions in the comments.

I’ll finish with more from the Dalai Lama, because I think most of us can meet in agreement with his words. “If we have a genuine sense of universal responsibility as our motivation, then our relations with the environment and with all our neighbors will be well balanced.”

Photos courtesy of Alice Popcorn and Ansik's Flickrstreams

Comments

[Charles Conlan]

Well said...

[Mary Jo]

What a wonderful analysis of other ways to look at the same issue. I'm all for civil discourse and debate, something lost long ago in both the private and public discussion of the topic.

I truly hope that this sniping will end. Before aggravation becomes something far more intolerable.

[Dian Emery]

I love it when someone takes everything that is swirling around in my head and puts it down on paper(or a computer)!

Thank you for this, it is exactly how I felt about the whole mess, we really must treat each other in a civilly and conduct ourselves in a professional manner or else we will run the risk of losing the respect of the travel community.

[Donna Hull]

Thank you for a thoughtful analysis on the whole twitter travel controversy. Sadly,it reflects on our culture where listening to the other side, acknowledging that different opinions on the topic exist and participating in civil debate no longer exists.

[Stacie]

Great analysis of this topic, although it could be applied to almost everything that is swirling around us right now economically, politically, environmentally, ect. Byron Katieś The Work has helped me to see that what I get the most upset about when turned around has the most impact on teaching me about me. These folks that use personal attacks and non-rational methods of communicating with others are in deep pain. They are pretty ignorant that the issue is about them, not so much about whatever issue they are going ballistic about. I worked on small cruise ships years ago. The teachings about the natural world and the emotional connection people made to the animals they saw were tremendous. Life is just not black and white. There are many sides...glad I found your blog!

[Christine Gilbert]

Small correction... I wasn't on that trip.

[Leigh Shulman]

My apologies, Christine. I assumed you were after reading your replies on the Matador Change article, particularly your need to set the record straight.

Yes, I know you mention in one of the later comments that you were not part of the cruise, but that post hadn't been added until after I wrote this article.

Either way, I appreciate any input you have to the discussion and will remove you from my list of links here.

[Brenna Redpath]

I just discovered your blog, and am glad of it. I feel the need to respond in particular to Donna's comment that "acknowledging that different opinions on the topic exist, and participating in civil debate no longer exists."

I believe that it's not true, although I connect with the feeling! I do, however, think that those people who tend to be self-absorbed naval-gazers, and who shout their superiority from the mountaintops, shout more loudly than those who assume that other opinions are valid besides their own, and that they surely can learn from others. Intelligent, thoughtful debate can only happen when you feel that you are among your equals, not looking down on the idiots who don't get it.

Just yesterday I was on Huffington Post, reading William Bradley talk about the changing world of Twitter, and saw that a soul traveling "Mountain-topper" has started a comment with these words:

"Well written, but totally clueless! The writer and all the comments are all by people who have not spent enough time on Twitter to figure it out."

Seems to some people - we're all idiots.

[tomtravel2]

Very well put. I had just confirmed my "graduation cruise" with Princess (for travel agents who complete their online training) when I found the #followmeatsea. It had already gotten ugly. I am not a frequent cruiser, but many consumers are. It is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry. Cruises are easy, affordable, and entertaining. Very little that came out of the backlash was specific enough to help a consumer who wanted to be greener make an educated choice. How can we know which is the greener option? How can we nudge cruise lines to behave greener? Most travel is environmentally problematic until a realistic alternative to fossil fuels is found for airplanes, cars, buses, trains, and ships. I always vote with that in mind. Until government and industry get serious about that issue we will not have truly green options for our travel.

[Robyn]

This thoughtful post inspired my latest blog post on matador.
thank you :)

[Simone]

I read the Huffington Post you mentioned and saw the comment you mentioned: "Well written, but totally clueless! The writer and all the comments are all by people who have not spent enough time on Twitter to figure it out."

It is clear to me that this person is "totally clueless" when it comes to common decency, respect, and social manners. After relentlessly spewing insults that damaged long-term friendships and prejudging everyone on #followmeatsea in a sad attempt at self promotion (and from what I've read, quite successful at becoming a target for ridicule and turning people off from what would've otherwise been a noble cause), it's also clear from the many posts that this person is innately negative, mean spirited and hasn't learned to play nice with others....but karma has its ways.... No one can put themselves out there repeatedly in such negative light without eventually finding themselves totally alone in the dark.

[Leigh Shulman]

Thank you, Dian. That's a huge compliment in my book.

I will say, though, this whole debate has made me -- and others I've spoken to -- reexamine the travel writing community.

One refrain I hear is people wondering if they're really even a part of it. I don't know if that reflect a desire to create distance between themselves and the nuttiness or if it reflect a closed nature of the community.

Or something else altogether.

[Leigh Shulman]

I truly hope that's not the case.

[Leigh Shulman]

So true. Anger and upset tends to come from whatever is going on in the angry, upset person. And their reflection/expression of that anger tells a lot.

I have seen many, though, who have continued to speak positively and have not veered from their original goals for the cruise. Such as giving school supplies to children in Roatan (as I believe @galavanting has done). Or the general discussion going on now focusing on eco-neutral or green resorts and other ways to travel.

[Leigh Shulman]

When I see posts of that sort, I tend to ignore them. Reminds me of a guy I saw walking his dogs. They were these two, cute and very old dogs and the guy kept yelling at them to "put some momentum on it."

This guy does it to his dogs, his wife, his boss, his kids, to strangers. For good or for bad, I avoid people when they react like that.

As for that particular post on Huffington Post... wow... just wow. For those who want to see it:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-bradley/the-trouble-with-twitter_b_172366.html

[Leigh Shulman]

Thank you, Tom.

You bring up excellent issues, many of which I hadn't thought of addressing so directly because I don't have your experience in the travel industry.

I notice also you've been tweeting lately with others (including @ARoadRetraveled) about different resorts, how green they are, and other issues related to making green yet still affordable choices for travel.

I'm curious to know how you would answer the question you posit here. How can we nudge the cruise ship industry to become greener?

[Robyn]

Here is the article I wrote on Matador - Leigh's post here reminded me of what inspires us to travel - be it cruises, hiking or whatever.

http://matadortravel.com/travel-blog/united-states/robynrae/what-inspires-us-to-travel

[Christine Gilbert]

No worries. I think there is a list somewhere... you might ask one of the other bloggers. There were maybe a dozen more folks than what you have listed. That's the problem with hashtags on twitter... there's no context.

[Leigh Shulman]

Thank you, Mr Conlan!

You left a comment on an earlier post of mine, the one on Walmart, saying "Wally's is here and that is that."

http://thefutureisred.typepad.com/onedayatatime/2009/07/picturing-the-walmart-invasion-of-argentina.html

While cruises fall more into the luxury category then, say, buying groceries at Walmart, I think a similar principle prevails.

[Leigh Shulman]

Beautiful post, Robyn. I'm honored you'd cite me as inspiration.

What struck me when reading it is that somewhere in this whole debate, the important things get lost.

Part of that is the focus on environment. Another part is what makes a person a traveler. More and more, at least based on the people I meet and read, it seems environment and being a traveler go hand in hand.

At least that's for which we can strive.