Last day on the Independence - Good, Bad and Strange

[Wildcatfish]

We took some path that ended just at the edge of the Haitian market and three guys grabbed each girl by the hand and pulled them into three separate tents spread far apart to sell them crap. These scam artists asked each girl their name and then started carving their names into the cheap stuff they sell.

 

This scam has been going on for quite some time. On one occasion my wife, daughter and I were walking through the vendor area. A man put his hand on my daughter to guide her into his booth. Not a smart move on his part. After my wife was through with him he cowered in his booth. I'm sure he was never the same. Never upset Momma bear.

 

Last year in the same vendor area (my family likes to shop) we agreed to a price for an item. However, as the money was exchanging hands the price suddenly changed. We both held tightly onto the money until I made enough of a scene that she let go. Potential customers were fleeing the area.

 

Following that experience, my shopaholic wife agreed that we don't need to return to the Labadee booth/vendor area.

 

I feel for the people of Haiti, but don't cheat me, or especially touch my daughter.

[ZoeyVictoria]

I will be one of those diamonds waiting for 5pm to drink on the ship. Prices are now outta control. If i want a drink during the day.....i will have my 2 bottles of sauvignon blanc waiting or will buy in port.

 

Same here. We rarely have more than one drink per day, so it will be easy to make it a "Diamond" drink.

[Debde]

email the CEO, really? You know there are proper channels to report these complaints. emailing the CEO about about every issue is going to accomplish one thing: a dead email address no one checks with an auto-responder.

 

Welcome to CC. If some here get a whiff of changes to something, they are on the e-mail train to the CEO immediately. This I find ridiculous.

 

Safety of children and the situation described here, immediate CEO worthy.

I don't care how poor the country is. Don't be grabbing kids by the arm and dragging them into a store-period!!

Edited June 6, 2015 by Debde

[sharpasice]

I would ordinarily hesitate to recommend this; but your experience and that of the OP indicate a serious and perhaps dangerous security lapse on Royal's part in Labadee.

 

I suggest both of you email the CEO mbayley@rccl.com to advise him of this situation and demand it be addressed immediately.

 

I totally agree with this...I would have been so angry if anyone touched my children! Yes, this needs to be reported by EVERYONE this has happened to.

Edited June 6, 2015 by sharpasice

[maryjaden]

I agree about the vendors. Not a place I was comfortable with taking my children. There was one older vendor sitting on a stool outside his shop carving. He simply said "would you like to see my shop, no pressure". I looked down the row at all the others harassing tourists, and walked into his shop. He never tried the hard sell and my daughters and I walked out after spending $75. You would think the other vendors would see his approach and catch on. Several others came in while I was there. He seemed to be doing a better business than the others.

[celebrity]

Haiti is the poorest country in the whole american continental shelf. These vendors are trying to make a living the best way they can. Unlike most countries in the New World, there really aren't many opportunities to do something else. You speak of them as if they are a pest. They might be too insistent and high-pressure. But you _can_ be equally high pressure and tell them off. And yes, I know high pressure vendors very well because I've been and actually lived in South and Central American countries. There people are not there to hurt you or your kids, please stop the fear mongering. They want to make an honest living and they see you (and thousands of cruisers) as a good opportunity to do so. The fact they are there can be they are friends of the gatekeepers, or they are on commission, or part of the government deal when RCCL leased that chunk of land.

 

As someone who has been sponsoring the education of an orphan in Haiti for the past 3 years through a religious organization, I am very well aware of the plight of Haitians. However, that does not excuse the behavior of vendors taking children into a tent without an adult and demanding payment for a trinket that was not requested. The OP is a better person than I because I would have handed back those carvings and not given a cent.

I also would email the CEO and alert him to this very serious problem.

[Paulette3028]

My question is: what did you do when the incident in the straw market with you young girls happened? There must be some 'security' on Labadee itself -- did you report it to them? When you got back on the ship, did you report it to Guest Services?

 

You may seem to think that these two things would be unimportant....but documentation of the incident 'at the time' the incident happened adds credibility to the incident as you may now be reporting it to Corporate Security, via whatever means you think you should do it.

 

I imagine there is a department called Corporate Security, and they would like to hear about the incident, I am sure.

[celebrity]

My question is: what did you do when the incident in the straw market with you young girls happened? There must be some 'security' on Labadee itself -- did you report it to them? When you got back on the ship, did you report it to Guest Services?

 

You may seem to think that these two things would be unimportant....but documentation of the incident 'at the time' the incident happened adds credibility to the incident as you may now be reporting it to Corporate Security, via whatever means you think you should do it.

 

I imagine there is a department called Corporate Security, and they would like to hear about the incident, I am sure.

 

Excellent point. Something I should have done many years ago on a ship sponsored excursion to Dunns River Falls when my young son was shoved by an aggressive vendor at the end of the tour. All these years later, it makes my blood boil and I will never go back.

[Dave85]

Welcome to CC. If some here get a whiff of changes to something, they are on the e-mail train to the CEO immediately. This I find ridiculous.

 

Safety of children and the situation described here, immediate CEO worthy.

I don't care how poor the country is. Don't be grabbing kids by the arm and dragging them into a store-period!!

 

 

 

As someone who has been sponsoring the education of an orphan in Haiti for the past 3 years through a religious organization, I am very well aware of the plight of Haitians. However, that does not excuse the behavior of vendors taking children into a tent without an adult and demanding payment for a trinket that was not requested. The OP is a better person than I because I would have handed back those carvings and not given a cent.

 

I also would email the CEO and alert him to this very serious problem.

 

 

Well said, and I agree with both of you. There are "issues" and there are real problems that demand immediate attention. This is in the latter group.

[Paulette3028]

Excellent point. Something I should have done many years ago on a ship sponsored excursion to Dunns River Falls when my young son was shoved by an aggressive vendor at the end of the tour. All these years later, it makes my blood boil and I will never go back.

 

My DH complained to the ship immediately upon our return from an excursion which was ship sponsored when we were dropped off in the middle of town, without transportation back to the ship. The ship wasn't far off, and we did make our way to a taxi stand and back to the ship....but he was concerned about how this was set up....after we got home, I had a conversation with Guest Relations and from what I understand there is a different ending to this excursion now, which includes transportation directly back to the ship. If cruisers opt not to take the transportation directly back to the ship and meander in town on their own, then it is up to them to arrange how they return to the ship.

 

Often times, I take an excursion without DH -- he has no interest in some of the water activities I like....and he would hate for me (or any single person to feel stranded and unsure what to do to get back to the ship).

 

The only reason I bring it up....is you need to complain IMMEDIATELY following the incident to possibly make changes happen. There still is no guarantee.

[Paulette3028]

Welcome to CC. If some here get a whiff of changes to something, they are on the e-mail train to the CEO immediately. This I find ridiculous.

 

Safety of children and the situation described here, immediate CEO worthy.

I don't care how poor the country is. Don't be grabbing kids by the arm and dragging them into a store-period!!

 

I guess I find emailing the CEO not 'immediate' for the situation at hand....FINDING SECURITY at that MOMENT is immediately handling the situation.

 

Yes, corporate security matters via the CEO if you feel that is the route you want to take is fine....but that is LONG AFTER the incident......immediately handle this is the key. Have no one else's child, family member experience this.

[Debde]

I guess I find emailing the CEO not 'immediate' for the situation at hand....FINDING SECURITY at that MOMENT is immediately handling the situation.

 

Yes, corporate security matters via the CEO if you feel that is the route you want to take is fine....but that is LONG AFTER the incident......immediately handle this is the key. Have no one else's child, family member experience this.

 

OK- just take out the immediate then.......:rolleyes:

 

It is without a doubt a CEO worthy e-mail. I am sure most parents would handle the situation with an immediate reaction also but letting the CEO know is important.

[Paulette3028]

OK- just take out the immediate then.......:rolleyes:

 

It is without a doubt a CEO worthy e-mail. I am sure most parents would handle the situation with an immediate reaction also but letting the CEO know is important.

 

I think that too many people feel that what happens on a cruise ship should be handled differently from actions they would take back at home. Is it not important enough to handle immediately yet they would rather 'take some action after the fact'....it is almost as if they lose their senses.

 

If their child was pulled into a store/stall in a flea market setting back at home, they would find authorities and take care of the matter, somehow right then and there.

 

Based on what we are reading in this thread, can you say, something 'immediate' was done by the parent....I sure cannot.

[bluecruisin]

Can you please tell me if Vintages accepts the Diamond vouchers and if the martinis are covered by the vouchers? Thanks

[cruising sister]

It is totally unacceptable to have anyone's child touched by anyone without the parents permission. People need to stop blaming the parent and see this for what it is. I would not hesitate if this had happened to me or my child to complain to the top.

[takevtr1]

Following the "review" portion of this thread.

 

Sailing the Indy on 8/9/15.

 

thanks....

[Ocean Boy]

Can you please tell me if Vintages accepts the Diamond vouchers and if the martinis are covered by the vouchers? Thanks

 

Martinis seem to be hit or miss depending on the bar you go to and what is in the drink. When we were on Indy a few months ago the bar tender at Boleros would not let me have a cosmo with the diamond voucher but I could get it at the Schooner bar. Sorry I can't help you with Vintages.

[DiJohn]

Can you please tell me if Vintages accepts the Diamond vouchers and if the martinis are covered by the vouchers? Thanks

Vintages took our Diamond vouchers on Oasis in January. Very limited selection available though.

[Clarea]

Can you please tell me if Vintages accepts the Diamond vouchers and if the martinis are covered by the vouchers? Thanks

Vintages may or may not accept the vouchers. Martinis are included, but Vintages may not have the low end spirits that are included with the vouchers.

[ssoftheseas]

It is never appropriate to manhandle anyone let alone a child.

[hansolosmom]

This is why I hate going to Labadee. We had a similar experience when our sons were young, my dh was with them my and all of the sudden they were descended on with people asking their names and carving them on items. My dh told them he wouldn't pay since he didn't ask for the items. It was an horrendous end to the day. We haven't been back since.

 

Also sad to hear about Vintages, I alwys thought it was a nice place, but can see how they would make the change.

[LoveyHowell]

You missed my point. There are proper channels for reporting these incidents that will get attention faster than e-mailing the CEO directly -- which as I have stated, they tend cut loose those addresses once they become public. You can call or email customer service or reach out via their FB page which ensures a human will read it and hopefully funnel it to the right person (and no, the CEO is not always the best person to handle these issues).

 

Contact Royal Caribbean through Facebook if you want a lovely canned response that DOES NOTHING:rolleyes:

 

OP, sorry that happened to you at Labadee. I'd have told them NO. If they didn't understand NO, they'd understand me walking away.

[takevtr1]

Contact Royal Caribbean through Facebook if you want a lovely canned response that DOES NOTHING:rolleyes:

 

OP, sorry that happened to you at Labadee. I'd have told them NO. If they didn't understand NO, they'd understand me walking away.

maybe Facebook is the way to go.

It is a very public forum that you would think RCCL would have someone monitoring it like Carnival does (John Heald.)

[LoveyHowell]

maybe Facebook is the way to go.

It is a very public forum that you would think RCCL would have someone monitoring it like Carnival does (John Heald.)

 

Yes, some PR / Social Media type, possibly even subcontracted to monitor the FB page. Does not sound like an effective path to resolution to me.

[F27TW]

Haiti is the poorest country in the whole american continental shelf. These vendors are trying to make a living the best way they can. Unlike most countries in the New World, there really aren't many opportunities to do something else. You speak of them as if they are a pest. They might be too insistent and high-pressure. But you _can_ be equally high pressure and tell them off. And yes, I know high pressure vendors very well because I've been and actually lived in South and Central American countries. There people are not there to hurt you or your kids, please stop the fear mongering. They want to make an honest living and they see you (and thousands of cruisers) as a good opportunity to do so. The fact they are there can be they are friends of the gatekeepers, or they are on commission, or part of the government deal when RCCL leased that chunk of land.

 

they are just making an honest living while behaving this way??

 

you are an idiot for even saying that.