You seem to be combining two different topics....cruisers who visit on a cruise (spend money) and cruisers who use the Island to start their cruise....totally different beasts. To assume that most cruise (SXM originating) patrons will stay on the Island remains to be seen. I am, obviously, in the camp of: land, cab, ship....return to port, cab, PJIA group

If they all "stayed for a few days before their cruise" there would be no comments about the Saturday onslaught at PJIA...or any issues at all

Edit: I will add that if I was taking a Caribbean cruise it would make much more sense to start the cruise in the Caribbean rather than spend days on both ends just at sea