Caribbean governments, tourist boards and hoteliers are no strangers to the difficulties of dealing with the cruise lines when it comes to issues that touch their loosely regulated but highly profitable industry. They may therefore be less than surprised by the public response to some of the more worrying aspects of the January 13 capsizing of the Costa Concordia off the Italian coast with the loss of sixteen lives.

Although still to be the subject of formal investigation and trial, it is already clear that the ship’s captain took the vessel…..