Cruise ship passengers do not have any negative effect on residents. In fact, it will be quite a POSITIVE effect when the first ships come. It means MONEY, you know, what they use to pay their bills?? They don't need to be housed, for the most part they don't need to be fed, but they will start putting some tourist money back into the economy. Now, just because the government says the ships CAN come, doesn't mean they WILL, because the cruise lines will make their own determinations as to whether SXM will be able to provide a good enough product for their passengers, but that's something that they are in a lot better position to make that determination than we are.