The economy is dependent on tourist dollars and without the cruise ship dollars the economy of the islands (all of the Caribbean islands) would be far, far worse. That's just a fact. You can hate cruise ships all you want, but the people who live there depend on them.

Living in Florida, I see a different version of the same thing here all the time. People complain incessantly about the tourists, most especially during the high season. If it weren't for the tourist dollars, though, our taxes would be drastically higher, government services far less, and the overall economy much worse.

Here in Florida, the tourists are a blessing in disguise, just like the cruise ship tourists are in the islands.