Henry S. Porretto Urges Talk on Cruise Ship Issues

(Newswire.net — August 16, 2017) TX — There is growing concern amongst cruise ship operators at the Port of Galveston due to fog delays. Insiders have been privately claiming that there is a growing dissatisfaction in the cruise industry caused by pilots being too cautious during the fog season. Internal reports suggest that the pilots sometimes hold shipment, citing thick fog as the reason.

Due to the growing concern about fog delays at the Port of Galveston, Henry S. Porretto, member of the Board of Pilot Commissioners for Galveston County, is calling for a public discussion. On Wednesday, Porretto, along with Board Secretary Brad Boney, met with Ted O’Rourke, the Galveston Wharves Board Chairman.

Porretto refused to divulge details about the meeting but news of this private meeting came right after a certain report by The Daily News. The report contained information on emails concerning fog delays. In addition, the emails mentioned in the report suggested that pilots were holding shipment despite visibility being good.

With ferries carrying over 4,000 passengers and cruise ships running on tight deadlines, delays inevitably incur extra costs, not to mention dissatisfied passengers. This is according to Maggie Pena-Lavey, Director of Port Services for Royal Caribbean International.

Porretto claims that such concerns should be discussed publicly. As for O’Rourke, he claims to have no problems discussing it in a public venue.

“We hope to work things out internally with all of our customers,” O’Rourke stated. “I feel like we are a landlord port, and we owe it to our customers to make sure that they are treated fairly. It is a big thing for the port. We need to get this permanently resolved, so it doesn’t come up over and over again.”

Prior to issues concerning fog delays, several cruise lines had filed a lawsuit against the Board of Pilot Commissioners for Galveston County Ports over tariff rates. It came to an end in March after a motion was filed by plaintiffs to dismiss the case.

The Port of Galveston is the fourth busiest cruise port in the United States. It is home to two cruise ship terminals found on the Harborside Drive. In addition, the port also serves as the home to a seasonal Disney Cruise Lines ship, three year-round Carnival Cruise Line ships, and one year-round Royal Caribbean Ship. The budget for the fiscal year of 2017 anticipates that approximately 62% of Port of Galveston’s $38.6 million in revenues come from cruise lines alone. For more information about other environmental topics, visit https://newswire.net/newsroom/pr/00097464-henry-porretto-to-publicly-air-concerns-on-fog-delays.html

About Henry S. Porretto

Henry S. Porretto is a member of the Board of Pilot Commissioners for Galveston County Ports. In addition to serving as a commissioner, Porretto also served as Chief of Police at the Galveston Police Department. A man with an illustrious background, he is currently serving as a consultant to the Mathis Police Department in Texas.