Much can be said about cruise ships and their impact on ports in small countries, environmentally and visually. Sitting at a cafe in Devonport in 2003, all of a sudden a huge, white monster wall appeared before us, above the house tops. It was The World, then the world’s largest cruise ship, passing through the Gulf of Hauraki for the America’s Cup. For a moment, it felt as our lovely little Kiwi village was to be invaded by giants. Nine years later, that image still makes me a bit jittery.

St Lucia

However, I don’t think it’s always bad. Browsing through an old album, I stumbled upon this photo of a much less obtrusive cruise liner in the Caribbean port of Castries, St Lucia.

What are your thoughts on cruise ships?