- Labadee, Haiti - jondis96
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines have been delivering goods to Haiti for the past week and will continue to do so with its cruise ships that cruise to Labadee, Haiti (25 km from Cap-Haitien). Some may scrutinize Royal Caribbean’s decision to stop in Labadee considering that part of the country was devastated by an earthquake. On the other hand, the cruise ship port fees to the country, the tourism dollars spent at the destination and the shipping of donated goods are essential to the recovery of Haiti.
Controversy of Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships to Haiti
The week following the tragic earthquake in Haiti, numerous media outlets reported with opinions surrounding the decision for Royal Caribbean to continue to visit Labadee, Haiti. Even Royal Caribbean’s official blog, hosted by CEO Adam Goldstein, had comments posted by those for and against the decision.
On January 14, 2010, John Weis, Royal Caribbean’s Associate Vice President of Private Destinations had this to say, “Labadee is critical to Haiti’s recovery and hundreds of people rely on Labadee for their livelihood...Leslie Voltaire (U.N. Special Envoy of the Government of Haiti) notes that Haiti will benefit from the revenues that are generated from each call, which is critical to their recovery.”
Adam Goldstein blogged on January 18, 2010, “The ships going back to Labadee are making a very valuable contribution to the relief effort by offloading supplies at Labadee.”
Then, on the other side of the issue, this was one of many negative comments, “I hope the passengers on the cruise ships will enjoy having their hair braided, and sipping cocktails, while complete and utter unimaginable human suffering is occurring less than 100 miles away.”
Which Cruise Ships Cruise to Labadee?
Royal Caribbean has already delivered hundreds of pallets of water, food and other supplies to Haiti via their Independence of the Seas (January 15th), Navigator of the Seas (January 18th) and Liberty of the Seas (January 19th). Upcoming ships to deliver aid to Haiti include Celebrity Solstice (January 22nd) and Freedom of the Seas (January 26th).
According to the Port Canaveral Port Authority website, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has partnered with Port Canaveral to coordinate efforts in providing aid to earthquake victims in Haiti. The community is being asked to donate water and dry food and Royal Caribbean will facilitate the loading of 30 pallets on to the Freedom of the Seas when it starts its cruise from Port Canaveral on January 24, 2010. It will arrive in Labadee, Haiti two days later.
Royal Caribbean Offers More than Cruises
- The cruise line plans to provide $1 million in humanitarian relief to Haiti of which a portion will augment the company’s Crew Relief Fund, which can be drawn on by any of RCCL’s more than 200 Haitian crew members for assistance.
- The line has promised that 100 percent of the company’s net revenue from the port of Labadee will be contributed to the relief effort.
- One of Royal Caribbean’s Haitian employees, Maryse Kedar organized a water distribution process in Petionville (5 km east of Port au Prince).
- Royal Caribbean has donated lounge chairs, bedding and mattresses which are now being used in a make-shift hospital that has been set up in a gym in Cap-Haitien (235 km north of Port au Prince and 25 km from Labadee).
Renee Ruggero - Renee is a published travel writer and cruise industry insider with more than 1,000 days on cruise ships, visiting over 50 countries.
