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labadee cancelled???

sunsetme

By sunsetme,
in Celebrity Cruises

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Miaminice "Live from...." Rare

Miaminice

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Guess they forgot when they had the Hurricane a few years back Royal and Celebrity were bringing in loads of supplies on their stops at Labadee.

 

They are not against Royal Caribbean, they are against their own government. And even they know the best way to get international publicity is to involve a cruise ship.

 

Let´s face it. Do you really think Royal was able to acquire Labadee without greasing palms and in doing so supporting the corrupt goverment causing most of the problems?

 

The world is not just black and white any more. Personally, as someone beeing able to do cruises and obviously privileged enough not to experience the same hardship, I´d be hesitant to judge the (peaceful) actions with such simplified statements...

Edited by Miaminice
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hcat "Live from...." Rare

hcat

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Sounds like a few selfish people not only ruined the day for cruisers...but more distressing, they sadly deprived many hardworking locals of income from island jobs including vendor booths, attractions, excursions, tips etc..

 

They may get publicity but it's a tactic that hurts their own in a place where jobs are hard to get....and leaves open questions about security if they were close to the ship!

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Miaminice "Live from...." Rare

Miaminice

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...but more distressing, they sadly deprived many hardworking locals of income from island jobs including vendor booths, attractions, excursions, tips etc..

 

Seriously??? You do know the attractions, booths etc. are owned by Royal?

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4774Papa

4774Papa

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They are not against Royal Caribbean, they are against their own government. And even they know the best way to get international publicity is to involve a cruise ship.

 

Let´s face it. Do you really think Royal was able to acquire Labadee without greasing palms and in doing so supporting the corrupt goverment causing most of the problems?

 

The world is not just black and white any more. Personally, as someone beeing able to do cruises and obviously privileged enough not to experience the same hardship, I´d be hesitant to judge the (peaceful) actions with such simplified statements...

 

Not being familiar with current Haitian politics, the news reports don't inform us (the international public) of the basis for the protests.

 

Haiti has a terrible reputation for corruption and I am sure that you are correct regarding how Royal acquitted Labadee.

 

I would opine that none of the protestors have jobs or businesses supporting Labadee. The effect of the protests appear to sabotage those that do support Labadee. It reminds me of those that burn down the supermarkets and drug stores in inner cities in the USA; while others complain about the lack of such stores in the area.

 

Corruption is a terrible thing for many countries in the World. We met a couple on a cruise that worked for an international organization that helped poor countries. We were told that the organization found that building a facility in poor countries with very low wages and cheap building materials was just as expensive as building in first world countries with high wages, since the corrupt officials had to be paid off.

 

My dentist spends some time in Haiti treating the people with a Christian relief organization. One wonders if countries like Haiti will every succeed.

 

And Haiti has been an independent republic for over 200 years.

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Miaminice "Live from...." Rare

Miaminice

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Don't those booths employ Haitians? Am positive Haiti does not have illegal immigrants from other countries taking jobs.

 

Again, Labadee is not Haiti, Labadee is owned by Royal! You have no idea what goes on behind the fence...

 

There might be a few lucky ones employed by some subcontractor of Royal working on Labadee, yes. But do you really think, just because we as cruisers in a way pay the salary of a few, the general population has no right to display their discontent (peacefully!)?

 

I am always amazed how fast people forget how privileged we are!!!

Edited by Miaminice
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dkjretired

dkjretired

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Again, Labadee is not Haiti, Labadee is owned by Royal! You have no idea what goes on behind the fence...

 

There might be a few lucky ones employed by some subcontractor of Royal working on Labadee, yes. But do you really think, just because we as cruisers in a way pay the salary of a few, the general population has no right to display their discontent (peacefully!)?

 

I am always amazed how fast people forget how privileged we are!!!

 

It's not peaceful when you block a cruiseship, just like these clowns in the US who block streets. Why is their discontent addressed against a company that actually helped them. That's not simplistic as you call it, its common sense not to do it.

 

Just to correct one think, it was not a Hurricane but the Earthquake a few years ago.

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hcat "Live from...." Rare

hcat

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Are the people that work there and get tips owned by Royal Caribbean?

 

Lots of cash purchases in vendor booths, as well as the indoor A/c market store..

 

Lots of cash tips to bartenders, folks who run the trams , service restrooms, set up clam shells, and service the cabanas....excursion employee etc...

 

familiar with the real Haiti for many yrs and a few day loss of income wiil impact real people,

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Miaminice "Live from...." Rare

Miaminice

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It's not peaceful when you block a cruiseship, just like these clowns in the US who block streets. Why is their discontent addressed against a company that actually helped them. That's not simplistic as you call it, its common sense not to do it.

 

Just to correct one think, it was not a Hurricane but the Earthquake a few years ago.

 

Your statement clearly shows that you did not even care to read the news. Or maybe you did not comprehend it.

 

1. They did not block the ship, nor did they threaten it or its passenger or crew in any way. It was already docked when the crew decided not to let people ashore. A correct decision in terms of safety precaution.

 

2. Their discontent was not against Royal. There are protests (unfortunately less peaceful) all over Haiti because of the elections on the weekend.

 

Seems simplistic enough to me not to base one´s oppinion on facts...

Edited by Miaminice
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Miaminice "Live from...." Rare

Miaminice

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The Haitians that are allowed to work/sell @ Labadee which there are approximately 200 have to PAY Royal Caribbean to do so! Royal Caribbean pays the Haitian government approx 12pp to land there.

 

Thank you! Finally someone recognizing some facts.

 

By paying the government per pax and by paying for the lease etc. the cruise line and we as cruisers support the government. The government is corrupt, people are unhappy and so on...

 

Am I any better? No! Certainly not, because by cruising there I am part of the game. However, I at least don´t act like a colonizer, blind to anything behind the fence ;)

Edited by Miaminice
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Algebralovr

Algebralovr

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The interesting thing is that in the daily last cruise, they made a point of saying that there was no cost to using a lounger. Also, I thought the cooks and bartenders were from the ship - but the people setting up the loungers were from the island.

 

We got the impression from a bar waitress (one who was leaving at the end of our cruise and not returning) that the crew found Labadee to be a very difficult port since they had to work the whole day.

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davekathy

davekathy

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Sounds like a few selfish people not only ruined the day for cruisers...but more distressing, they sadly deprived many hardworking locals of income from island jobs including vendor booths, attractions, excursions, tips etc..

 

They may get publicity but it's a tactic that hurts their own in a place where jobs are hard to get....and leaves open questions about security if they were close to the ship!

 

The US Coast Guard does and is currently doing an excellent job at Labadee.

Edited by davekathy
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dkjretired

dkjretired

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Your statement clearly shows that you did not even care to read the news. Or maybe you did not comprehend it.

 

1. They did not block the ship, nor did they threaten it or its passenger or crew in any way. It was already docked when the crew decided not to let people ashore. A correct decision in terms of safety precaution.

 

2. Their discontent was not against Royal. There are protests (unfortunately less peaceful) all over Haiti because of the elections on the weekend.

 

Seems simplistic enough to me not to base one´s oppinion on facts...

 

They caused the ship's passengers not to go there, simplistic enough.

Edited by dkjretired
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Miaminice "Live from...." Rare

Miaminice

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For those interested in some facts...

 

This is part of an article from CruiseLawNews:

The controversy has been witnessed first hand by Tom Fox, a passenger aboard the Freedom of the Seas. Ironically, Mr. Fox just retired after 35 year as the publisher of the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) two weeks ago.

Mr. Fox says that the cruise ship was met by a number of small vessels packed with protesters clanging pans and shouting, One or two Haitian coast guard vessels kept watch, guiding through and among the other vessels. Mr. Fox reports that the demonstration has been non violent so far. The captain of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship announced that the protests were "due to the upcoming Haitian election."

It is curious, however, that one of the signs on one of the vessels read "USA Away," according to Mr Fox.

In 1986, Royal Caribbean shook hands with the tyrant Baby Doc Duvalier to seal a deal where it obtained exclusive control of 260 acres of sovereign waterfront land from Haiti. Royal Caribbean trademarked it's new "private island" - "Labadee®" - derived from the name of the 1600's French plantation baron and slave owner Marquis de La'Badie. It then erected a 12 foot high security fence around its "island" and hired armed security guards to keep the impoverished Haitians out.

Royal Caribbean ran into a public relations nightmare in 2010 following the earthquake which devastated Port of Prince, when it sailed its mega cruise ships into its private resort.

Edited by Miaminice
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