Laissez-faire Cruises
"On a cruise ship, people of all nations - and all skill levels - work together. Top-notch pilots and mechanics from Scandinavia ply their craft alongside cabin stewards and janitors from the Third World. Via comparative advantage, their cooperation allows them to provide an affordable, high-quality vacation to eager consumers.
This cosmopolitan cooperation is illegal on dry land. Resources therefore pour into the unregulated sector, creating a beautiful tourist experience. But that's nothing compared to what laissez-faire could accomplish."
This cosmopolitan cooperation is illegal on dry land. Resources therefore pour into the unregulated sector, creating a beautiful tourist experience. But that's nothing compared to what laissez-faire could accomplish."
So David Caplan sees cruise ships as a metaphor for unregulated movement and economic activity. A neat little idea....except this from the Royal Caribbean website:
"Hiring agencies, identifying potential candidates from more than 100 countries, assist Royal Caribbean International in obtaining background information on potential crewmembers. This includes information from local police officials such as any criminal history. Prospective crewmembers are also interviewed to further assess their suitability for employment and undergo medical evaluations to ensure their fitness for duty.
Crewmembers (other than US or Canadian nationals) must also obtain US work visas and undergo US State Department screening prior to working on any Royal Caribbean International cruise ship. The majority of our crewmembers join our ships in US ports. This requires them to also enter the US via a border check point (airport immigration checks, etc.) and undergo government interview and verification prior to admission.
Subsequent to employment, crewmembers' names are included in ship manifests provided to the US Customs and Border Protection agency prior to each departure and re-entry into the US. As designed, this manifest is checked against various government databases. Some other countries require similar manifest reports and conduct similar checks. These recurring government database checks are unusual in the business world and aid in ensuring our crewmembers uphold our highest standards of personal fitness for duty."
Crewmembers (other than US or Canadian nationals) must also obtain US work visas and undergo US State Department screening prior to working on any Royal Caribbean International cruise ship. The majority of our crewmembers join our ships in US ports. This requires them to also enter the US via a border check point (airport immigration checks, etc.) and undergo government interview and verification prior to admission.
Subsequent to employment, crewmembers' names are included in ship manifests provided to the US Customs and Border Protection agency prior to each departure and re-entry into the US. As designed, this manifest is checked against various government databases. Some other countries require similar manifest reports and conduct similar checks. These recurring government database checks are unusual in the business world and aid in ensuring our crewmembers uphold our highest standards of personal fitness for duty."
There is a tremendous amount of diversity, quality and freedom on cruises--but only after the table has been set.
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