7.3 earthquake hits Haiti

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

Hello again from the Freedom. I just wanted to clarify, what I said about tendering the Haitian crew back to Haiti. After we couldnt go to Labadee yesterday (because of the rain, this was before the earthquake), we went out to sea and just anchored there. We were in sight of land, I don;t know what it was. I meant tender them from there, not all the way from Jamaica today. Oh well, maybe not feasible, but, I just feel so bad for them. I haven't run into any Haitians today and I saw a lot of new crew coming aboard in Jamaica, so, maybe they did do something. Please guys, stop fighting, it IS pathetic, either help these people or go to another forum. We're in Grand Cayman tomorrow, I'll let you know if there is more news then....Maureen

 

Thanks Maureen. Hope you can enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[Desert Cruizers]

Maureen, thank you for the update.

 

Gay

[jonbgd]

I understand and respect that very much, but you asked the question and I answered honestly. There are always going to be good and bad people anywhere. I've just heard it too many times and I think it's crucial for the money to go to the right place. For me, it works to use another org.

No problem its all good as long as people want to help it doesnt matter what org it comes from:)

[jonbgd]

Hello again from the Freedom. I just wanted to clarify, what I said about tendering the Haitian crew back to Haiti. After we couldnt go to Labadee yesterday (because of the rain, this was before the earthquake), we went out to sea and just anchored there. We were in sight of land, I don;t know what it was. I meant tender them from there, not all the way from Jamaica today. Oh well, maybe not feasible, but, I just feel so bad for them. I haven't run into any Haitians today and I saw a lot of new crew coming aboard in Jamaica, so, maybe they did do something. Please guys, stop fighting, it IS pathetic, either help these people or go to another forum. We're in Grand Cayman tomorrow, I'll let you know if there is more news then....Maureen

Thanks for the update and spending your 55cents a minute to keep us on CC informed

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

No problem its all good as long as people want to help it doesnt matter what org it comes from:)

 

Most definitely. Thank you for what you do.

[Jerseyboy1]

What a public relations disaster it would be if any news organization did a story about the earthquake and showed passengers departing a cruise ship in northern Haiti. I mean, how can people go to this port and enjoy themselves when miles away there is all that suffering? IMHO cruise ships should stay away from there for the time being out of respect for the Haitian people. Remember, it's just a vacation.

[amcg96]

This is the worst quake to hit Haiti since 1751...

 

This is the worst quake in the whole Caribbean region.

[Desert Cruizers]

There must be 3 separate Threads going now on this disaser and today I was upset with the news media asking how many dead, Come On, they haven't been able to even get to so many, they need to focus their news on the aid and what can be done rather then a count. The main thing when there is a disaster anywhere, people finally come together and try and help, to bad that can't be continued in everday life instead of fighting.

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

There must be 3 separate Threads going now on this disaser and today I was upset with the news media asking how many dead, Come On, they haven't been able to even get to so many, they need to focus their news on the aid and what can be done rather then a count. The main thing when there is a disaster anywhere, people finally come together and try and help, to bad that can't be continued in everday life instead of fighting.

 

great point, something to reflect upon for sure.

[Aquahound]

What a public relations disaster it would be if any news organization did a story about the earthquake and showed passengers departing a cruise ship in northern Haiti. I mean, how can people go to this port and enjoy themselves when miles away there is all that suffering? IMHO cruise ships should stay away from there for the time being out of respect for the Haitian people. Remember, it's just a vacation.

 

 

Actually, Fox News (Shepard Smith) reported earlier today that cruise ships going to a "private island" in North Haiti were offering assistance with transporting goods to Haiti. He went on to report how the cruise industry has helped the people of Haiti. He did not specify RCCL or Labadee, but I am unaware of any other cruise lines having a private destination in Haiti. So far, the limited media of cruise ship impact has been favorable.

 

Just a little history in case you were not aware......you know all those old beds RCI replaced? Those all went to Haiti. The cruise line has been donating to Haiti since they took over Labadee. To stop going there would only hurt the people living in Cap Haitien. Those people were largely unaffected by the earthquake. Why should they now be made to suffer as a result? Sure, it may look bad on the surface, but it really isn't.

[doublebzz]

What a public relations disaster it would be if any news organization did a story about the earthquake and showed passengers departing a cruise ship in northern Haiti. I mean, how can people go to this port and enjoy themselves when miles away there is all that suffering? IMHO cruise ships should stay away from there for the time being out of respect for the Haitian people. Remember, it's just a vacation.

 

I'm cruising NOS this weekend and scheduled to be in Haiti on Monday. I completely agree with you and my personal preference would be to skip Labadee. However, it is not my decision nor that of RCCL. At the end of the day, if the Hatien government feels a ship visit would be beneficial, then I believe RCCL should acede to their request.

[mets550]

It seems like at the very least a cruiseship call at Labadee would not hurt the Haitian people. If anything, it would probably provide them much needed revenue. That being said, I also agree that it creates a public relations problem and might offend some passengers and crew. In the end, RCCL will probably continue to call at Labadee unless there is a tremendous uproar from passengers/investors against it. It seems like people might be a bit uneasy about going to Labadee while there is so much misery just beyond the gates, it is doubtful that there will be a passenger revolt against it.

[SomeBeach]

As we all talk about making donations, keep in mind that some people will take advantage of this tragedy. While most of us are aware of the scams that come across the internet, some elderly folks may not be. Some of these can come in the form of phone calls even tho many are signed onto do not call lists. Please make any elderly folks aware of possible scams.

 

"Past tragedies and natural disasters have prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization or a good cause," the FBI said, in passing along these tips:

• Ignore unsolicited e-mails, and do not click on links within those messages.
  

 

• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
  

 

• Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files, because the files may contain computer viruses. Open attachments only from know senders.
  

 

• Decline to give personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions.
  

 

• Make contributions directly to known organizations, rather than relying on others who claim in e-mails that they will channel the donation to established groups.
  

The FBI says anyone receipting an e-mail that appears to be a scam should forward it to this website: www.ic3.gov

[safein]

Thoughts and prayers go to the people, all crew members who have families and the many New Yorkers who have families not only from Haiti, but also the many relief workers who were already there trying to help this island nation. I really think it's commendable for the cruiselines who are able to drop off relief supplies, especially if there is total access to the port. I am sure that cruise ships are not the only ones trying to bring relief to Haiti. (just guessing on my part)

 

Please let's keep politics, opinions on relief organizations to a minimum. I can see posts being deleted and I really don't want to see a thread like this pulled.

 

Anita

[luv2cruise81]

My thoughts and prayers to the Hatian people. My belief is that the city of Port au Prince is a tomb. It needs to be evacuated and rescue crews and military need to take over. Looking at reports, the destruction is so massive, and the infrastructure is so destroyed the best way for the people to receive help is to be relocated to other countries, at least temporarily. Only away from the disaster zone could individuals receive adequate food, shelter, and medical attention.

[emdia43]

I didnt see anything personally so I will keep on Volunteering as I am trained for these situations and took a hippocratic oathe to help save lives I worry about the people not getting proper care because of a couple employees stole money and people afraid to donate

BTW they just donated $200,000 to Haiti relief efforts

 

Not just a couple of employees.Google search on the misuse of the Liberty Fund donated to aid 9/11 victims. Dr Bernardine Healy was head of the ARC at the time.

[janetz]

Hi everyone,

We received the below statement today from Royal Caribbean. The cruise line has no plans to cancel calls at this time -- and will bring aid -- but is awaiting the OK from the government.

 

"We are extremely saddened to hear of the destruction in Haiti caused by the massive earthquake. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Haiti and their family members.

 

Site inspections of Labadee, Haiti, our private destination, report no apparent damage to our buildings, pier and attractions. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises are eager to take guests, as well as humanitarian assistance, to Haiti as soon as possible, though we are awaiting confirmation from the Haitian government on when our return is feasible.

 

The following ships are scheduled to call on Labadee in the next two weeks: Independence of the Seas on Friday, January 15; Navigator of the Seas on Monday, January 18; Liberty of the Seas on Tuesday, January 19; and Celebrity Solstice on Friday, January 22."

 

 

At this time I would not care to visit Labadee, knowing how people are suffering on the other side of the island. :(

[GXmanDC]

For those of us leaving on cruises this weekend, as of right now Labadee is still on the itinerary. RCCL has also volunteered to transport supplies to Haiti and they are in a unique position because their ships regularly call on Haiti.

 

For the charter cruise, the presidential suite on Liberty is being auctioned off with the proceeds going to a disaster relief organization. I thought that was a good idea and a unique way of raising much needed funds.

[njdrumrun]

personally i think we would only be hurting the people further if we were to bypass labadee. they need our help. i plan on putting together a few care packages to take to the island. toiletries, some stuff for kids(uno, candy, small stuffed animals, whatever comes to mind). it is not much but if 1/2 the passengers on every ship that goes there does the same, it adds up.

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

For those of us leaving on cruises this weekend, as of right now Labadee is still on the itinerary. RCCL has also volunteered to transport supplies to Haiti and they are in a unique position because their ships regularly call on Haiti.

 

For the charter cruise, the presidential suite on Liberty is being auctioned off with the proceeds going to a disaster relief organization. I thought that was a good idea and a unique way of raising much needed funds.

 

Steve,

 

Thanks for the info. Have a great cruise and enjoy it!

[bluegirlum]

As we all talk about making donations, keep in mind that some people will take advantage of this tragedy. While most of us are aware of the scams that come across the internet, some elderly folks may not be. Some of these can come in the form of phone calls even tho many are signed onto do not call lists. Please make any elderly folks aware of possible scams.

 

"Past tragedies and natural disasters have prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization or a good cause," the FBI said, in passing along these tips:

• Ignore unsolicited e-mails, and do not click on links within those messages.
  

 

• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
  

 

• Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files, because the files may contain computer viruses. Open attachments only from know senders.
  

 

• Decline to give personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions.
  

 

• Make contributions directly to known organizations, rather than relying on others who claim in e-mails that they will channel the donation to established groups.
  

The FBI says anyone receipting an e-mail that appears to be a scam should forward it to this website: www.ic3.gov

 

That is such a good point. There are so many wonderful organizations that are helping out with this effort that will get your money there if you choose to help. CNN had a story this morning talking about potential scams, which of course is awful. So many people want to help, but it is important to be sure that you are donating to a worthy organization. People that take advantage of others in this situation have a special place reserved for them as far as I'm concerned.

 

Interestingly, they pointed out that in-kind donations--such as clothes--were not a good thing at this point. I know that has been discussed on these boards, so that caught my attention. They flat out said: "They don't need sweatshirts, they need money."

[Islandbear]

I think it would be great if cruisers would take a little somthing extra with them to donate to the people of Haiti, Cash now, & Food, Clothing in the future. This is going to take years to straighten out and RCL and its passangers are in a unique position to lead a campaigne to rebuild Haiti.

 

[melissa@cruisecritic]

An update on Labadee -- and how you can help Haiti:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3635

[tinybabynurse]

I originally posted this on another thread where there were a lot of emotional discussions about “jumping the fence at the port and volunteering”, as well as a lot of discussion of skipping the port and so forth. Just after I posted the thread disappeared, although it didn’t seem to be any worse than a lot of the threads here. Anyway, even though there are some references from the other thread that might not be perfect, here are my thoughts.

 

 

 

TBN Hubby here,

 

I have worked several disaster response/recovery situations. Mostly after hurricanes (Mitch in Nicaragua, Gorges in Puerto Rico, Hugo in South Carolina, etc) but also after the first Gulf War in the rebuilding of Kuwait. Sometimes I was among the first few hundred folks on site AFTER SUPPORT FOR OUR TEAMS WERE IN PLACE.

 

While I am certain that posters that discuss "jumping the fence and volunteering their services" mean well, most such efforts end up being, at best, a nuisance to those trying to work the response and, at worst, dangerous for the "volunteer". Each and every person that arrives in this country, in a location that has truly been destroyed by the quake, needs some support system. Unless you carry your own water, food, and shelter for the entire time, and any other essentials, then you will be using resources that someone else brought that would be better allotted to those that are near death.

 

You probably could carry enough water for a cruise-stop day, but then what? How are you going to get to the disaster site? What are you going to do when you get there? Have you been vaccinated against cholera? Do you have anti malaria meds? Those people that actually are effective are typically part of an organized group that has already considered this and have the support issues worked out.

 

Those that suggest the ship dropping off food have good intentions but the port at Port A Prince is now said to be unusable for any large ship. Getting food from Labadee to Port A Prince appears to be almost impossible. As I understand it Labadee is almost impossible to reach by most of the populations of Haiti, even without an earthquake. Also -- aside from beans, rice, and maybe flour and potatoes -- where are you going to get the refrigerated trucks. Most of the stuff on cruise ships that are already at sea would require refrigeration at the pier (destroyed) in the trucks (not available?) and roads to get it there, and .... Well, you get the idea.

 

After rescue, the needs are bottled/canned water first, which the ship might have. Then MRE type meals are what are needed. I doubt that MREs would meet the high standards of any cruiser so they are unlikely to be on board. I know for a fact they don't meet my desires but they are effective at keeping you alive.

 

I have no doubt that shipment of MRE-type meals, or any other non-perishable food product, would be welcomed from any source, including RCCL, provided they are offloaded at a location from which they can really be distributed. Otherwise one may as well dump them in the ocean. How to get this stuff distributed and where to offload are the questions that the survey teams are answering right now, even while ships and planes are being loaded.

 

By all means, if you wish, take something and hand it to someone on the other side of the fence. They probably needed it before and will need it as much or more now. But without organization and equipment to get the donations to the actual disaster area, it is most likely going to just disappear into the hands of those closest to the “tub of canned goods”.

 

Some say the port should be skipped out of respect or because it looks bad. I agree it could be portrayed to look bad – "Fat Americans Party While Islanders Suffer" is a headline that comes to mind. Almost anything can be spun to look bad. Ask yourselves, "is this the time to be politically correct or is this the time to make certain the local economy is strengthened?"

 

The thing to remember here is that RCCL is NOT drawing food, water, or much of anything else from the local economy. Given the port location relative to the proximity of the earthquake damage, it seems that there would be almost no effect even if they were, but they are not. The ship brings virtually everything, and when we were there, I could not help but notice the large amount of food that was being taken away by the local staff at closing time. My assessment is that RCCL takes almost nothing from the local infrastructure and economy but leaves a great deal in the form of port fees, tour fees, souvenir purchases, salary and even food. I do not see how this can actually harm the people of Haiti, even in this time of disaster, regardless of how a camera crew could make it look

 

Many others have said something to the effect that it would be a double blow to abandon this port because of the money that the locals earn. At the risk of being redundant, I don't understand why that is so difficult to understand. After the response (rescue, water, ice if possible, temporary shelter, food) the next most important things are recovery (rebuilding infrastructure so that things can start to return to normal). In view of my experience, I cannot imagine how abandoning businesses/income sources that are already in place and producing income -- by skipping the port -- could possibly help the people.

 

An ad-hock cash drive would certainly make me feel good to drop in some cash to be used for the recovery. But who is going to distribute these funds? If RCCL is collecting to be sent to an established foundation/charity that is one thing, but a tub of money on the dock at Labadee is likely to suffer seriously from “shrinkage”. I suggest contributions to a well organized charity that you KNOW actually produces results. And spend some money while you are in Labadee if the ship stops there.

 

If you wish to stay on the ship because of the destruction 80 miles away then, by all means, follow your conscience, but I hope sharing my experience will help you decide if that is really the best way to help.

[bluegirlum]

I originally posted this on another thread where there were a lot of emotional discussions about “jumping the fence at the port and volunteering”, as well as a lot of discussion of skipping the port and so forth. Just after I posted the thread disappeared, although it didn’t seem to be any worse than a lot of the threads here. Anyway, even though there are some references from the other thread that might not be perfect, here are my thoughts.

 

 

 

TBN Hubby here,

 

I have worked several disaster response/recovery situations. Mostly after hurricanes (Mitch in Nicaragua, Gorges in Puerto Rico, Hugo in South Carolina, etc) but also after the first Gulf War in the rebuilding of Kuwait. Sometimes I was among the first few hundred folks on site AFTER SUPPORT FOR OUR TEAMS WERE IN PLACE.

 

While I am certain that posters that discuss "jumping the fence and volunteering their services" mean well, most such efforts end up being, at best, a nuisance to those trying to work the response and, at worst, dangerous for the "volunteer". Each and every person that arrives in this country, in a location that has truly been destroyed by the quake, needs some support system. Unless you carry your own water, food, and shelter for the entire time, and any other essentials, then you will be using resources that someone else brought that would be better allotted to those that are near death.

 

You probably could carry enough water for a cruise-stop day, but then what? How are you going to get to the disaster site? What are you going to do when you get there? Have you been vaccinated against cholera? Do you have anti malaria meds? Those people that actually are effective are typically part of an organized group that has already considered this and have the support issues worked out.

 

Those that suggest the ship dropping off food have good intentions but the port at Port A Prince is now said to be unusable for any large ship. Getting food from Labadee to Port A Prince appears to be almost impossible. As I understand it Labadee is almost impossible to reach by most of the populations of Haiti, even without an earthquake. Also -- aside from beans, rice, and maybe flour and potatoes -- where are you going to get the refrigerated trucks. Most of the stuff on cruise ships that are already at sea would require refrigeration at the pier (destroyed) in the trucks (not available?) and roads to get it there, and .... Well, you get the idea.

 

After rescue, the needs are bottled/canned water first, which the ship might have. Then MRE type meals are what are needed. I doubt that MREs would meet the high standards of any cruiser so they are unlikely to be on board. I know for a fact they don't meet my desires but they are effective at keeping you alive.

 

I have no doubt that shipment of MRE-type meals, or any other non-perishable food product, would be welcomed from any source, including RCCL, provided they are offloaded at a location from which they can really be distributed. Otherwise one may as well dump them in the ocean. How to get this stuff distributed and where to offload are the questions that the survey teams are answering right now, even while ships and planes are being loaded.

 

By all means, if you wish, take something and hand it to someone on the other side of the fence. They probably needed it before and will need it as much or more now. But without organization and equipment to get the donations to the actual disaster area, it is most likely going to just disappear into the hands of those closest to the “tub of canned goods”.

 

Some say the port should be skipped out of respect or because it looks bad. I agree it could be portrayed to look bad – "Fat Americans Party While Islanders Suffer" is a headline that comes to mind. Almost anything can be spun to look bad. Ask yourselves, "is this the time to be politically correct or is this the time to make certain the local economy is strengthened?"

 

The thing to remember here is that RCCL is NOT drawing food, water, or much of anything else from the local economy. Given the port location relative to the proximity of the earthquake damage, it seems that there would be almost no effect even if they were, but they are not. The ship brings virtually everything, and when we were there, I could not help but notice the large amount of food that was being taken away by the local staff at closing time. My assessment is that RCCL takes almost nothing from the local infrastructure and economy but leaves a great deal in the form of port fees, tour fees, souvenir purchases, salary and even food. I do not see how this can actually harm the people of Haiti, even in this time of disaster, regardless of how a camera crew could make it look

 

Many others have said something to the effect that it would be a double blow to abandon this port because of the money that the locals earn. At the risk of being redundant, I don't understand why that is so difficult to understand. After the response (rescue, water, ice if possible, temporary shelter, food) the next most important things are recovery (rebuilding infrastructure so that things can start to return to normal). In view of my experience, I cannot imagine how abandoning businesses/income sources that are already in place and producing income -- by skipping the port -- could possibly help the people.

 

An ad-hock cash drive would certainly make me feel good to drop in some cash to be used for the recovery. But who is going to distribute these funds? If RCCL is collecting to be sent to an established foundation/charity that is one thing, but a tub of money on the dock at Labadee is likely to suffer seriously from “shrinkage”. I suggest contributions to a well organized charity that you KNOW actually produces results. And spend some money while you are in Labadee if the ship stops there.

 

If you wish to stay on the ship because of the destruction 80 miles away then, by all means, follow your conscience, but I hope sharing my experience will help you decide if that is really the best way to help.

 

Thank you. That cannot be repeated enough.