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Cruise figures overblown

Only six ships in total will pull into our $24-million dock this year, five years after it was built.

To the Editor,

Re: Cruise season gets big kickstart, May 18.

The third cruise ship to visit Nanaimo this season will not be here until August. Only six ships in total will pull into our $24-million dock this year, five years after it was built. Does anyone care to remember we were told there would be five times as many ships calling by now?

What about all that money the Nanaimo Port Authority claimed passengers and crew would be spending here? Just last month the port authority told the News Bulletin $250,000 would be dropped into the Nanaimo economy from each vessel to dock here. Meantime, the Greater Victoria Harbor Authority said each ship brings only $40,000 to the capital region. What a huge discrepancy. Promotional claims such as these cannot go unnoticed or unquestioned.

George OliverNanaimo