Royal Caribbean Axes Art Auctioneer

Royal Caribbean is not renewing its contract with the controversial art auctioneer Park West, and may end art auctions on  its cruise ships entirely, as Gene Sloan reports on USA Today’s Cruise Log blog.

The move comes after Park West lost a $500,000 judgment in a countersuit filed by one of its most vehement critics, according to the Detroit Free Press.

This is a good move on Royal Caribbean’s part. Let’s hope the other cruise lines follow suit and that they don’t replace the art auctions with something equally obnoxious.

And if you’re going on a cruise, remember my simple advice: avoid the art auctions, the jewelry, the casino and the spa treatments. In every case, you’ll get a better value on shore.