Labadee, Haiti stops...affected by local unrest?

[Dreamer68]

Hello all,

 

We are thinking of booking a Caribbean cruise that stops in Labadee, Haiti, in December 2022 or January 2023. The unrest in the country does not seem to be subsiding. Really sad, what's happening. Does anyone have insight about current stops by RCL in Labadee? I know it's a private island... it just feels so odd stopping there and being served by locals during turbulent times for them. DH is leaning away from choosing RCL for now because of the Haiti stop on the itinerary but I'd like to try RCL.

 

Thank you!

[smokeybandit]

No.

 

 

[firefly333]

It's very cut off from the rest of the island. I took a boat excursion along the shore to see a little but you have no access to the rest of Haiti. 

 

I see smokey beat me. A ongoing thread started just Wednesday you can read.

 

 

 

[Cigar King]

How difficult is it to scan the other threads where this topic has been discussed?

 

[CanHardlyWait4NextYear]

9 minutes ago, Cigar King said:

How difficult is it to scan the other threads where this topic has been discussed?

 

First you would have to assume it's been discussed before. Not everyone is a regular.

[deliver42]

If you're waiting for unrest to cease in Haiti, then you'll never get to Labadee.

[ReneeFLL]

58 minutes ago, Dreamer68 said:

... it just feels so odd stopping there and being served by locals during turbulent times for them. 

 

Thank you!

They are probably happy to be away from it even if it's just for a few hours. They are also making money so that's a plus for them.

[Anton]

It helps to look at Labadee not as actually being in Haiti but mostly as a tiny spit of land that just happens to be in Haiti.  If they didn't have locals working there you'd never know you were in Haiti.     

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, Dreamer68 said:

We are thinking of booking a Caribbean cruise that stops in Labadee, Haiti, in December 2022 or January 2023. The unrest in the country does not seem to be subsiding. Really sad, what's happening. Does anyone have insight about current stops by RCL in Labadee? I know it's a private island... it just feels so odd stopping there and being served by locals during turbulent times for them. DH is leaning away from choosing RCL for now because of the Haiti stop on the itinerary but I'd like to try RCL.

First it is not a private island. It is a resort in Haiti. It is relatively isolated and protected by armed guards at the gate. The past and current unrest has not affected RCCL from using it as a port call.  Just another beach day. We were there earlier this year. No indication of problems. 

[CanHardlyWait4NextYear]

"Armed guards at the gate". "Just another beach day". Lol. I'll take the other side of the argument here. I think there is the potential for folks to have a false sense of security about this location. However, the bottom line is if reading about gates and guards with guns doesn't scream vacation to you, then don't do it. Pick a different itinerary. You have to be comfortable with your choice. It's a place I avoid because I don't feel safe and haven't for years. My personal choice. If it don't feel right, don't do it.

Edited October 29, 2022 by CanHardlyWait4NextYear
Typo

[smokeybandit]

9 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait4NextYear said:

However, the bottom line is if reading about gates and guards with guns doesn't scream vacation to you, then don't do it. Pick a different itinerary.

There are several other popular Caribbean port stops that have gates and armed guards, too.

[mek]

9 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait4NextYear said:

"Armed guards at the gate". "Just another beach day". Lol. I'll take the other side of the argument here. I think there is the potential for folks to have a false sense of security about this location. However, the bottom line is if reading about gates and guards with guns doesn't scream vacation to you, then don't do it. Pick a different itinerary. You have to be comfortable with your choice. It's a place I avoid because I don't feel safe and haven't for years. My personal choice. If it don't feel right, don't do it.

To each his own.  I've never felt unsafe at Labadee and figure I'm just as likely to be a victim of violence at my local Walmart as I am at a beautiful, relaxing port in the Caribbean.

[Sunshine3601]

Personally, I would not stop cruising because the ship will dock at Labadee.

If it is unsafe, Royal will not dock there and will change the itinerary.

[Sunshine3601]

5 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

There are several other popular Caribbean port stops that have gates and armed guards, too.

Exactly, years ago, our first time in Cozumel there was local military with armed vehicles, machine guns, etc if you went the wrong direction after leaving the port area.

Yes, that scared us but we simply turned around and went about our day.

[RogueMonk]

2 hours ago, Cigar King said:

How difficult is it to scan the other threads where this topic has been discussed?

 

Grump.

[taglovestocruise]

45 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait4NextYear said:

"Armed guards at the gate". "Just another beach day". Lol. I'll take the other side of the argument here. I think there is the potential for folks to have a false sense of security about this location. However, the bottom line is if reading about gates and guards with guns doesn't scream vacation to you, then don't do it. Pick a different itinerary. You have to be comfortable with your choice. It's a place I avoid because I don't feel safe and haven't for years. My personal choice. If it don't feel right, don't do it.

Armed guards walking the beaches of Mexico, armed guards all around the White House, a armed guard at our local bank...  Labadee is just another beach stop.  Everyone there is a employee of Royal or a guest. . 

[CanHardlyWait4NextYear]

My opinion. Deal. Lol.

[Husky1987]

10 minutes ago, RogueMonk said:

Grump.

 

In fairness, there are at least two things CC could use a lot less of:

 

1. Multiple threads on the same topic started within days of each other when the first one is still being commented on and still on the first couple pages.

2. Live threads where people insist on asking the OP to "tell John the bartender in the Schooner Bar that Joe says hi...tell him I was always wearing the blue hat, he'll remember me!"

 

There, I said it....now if you'll excuse me, I must call myself out:

 

 

[HBE4]

1 hour ago, mek said:

To each his own.  I've never felt unsafe at Labadee and figure I'm just as likely to be a victim of violence at my local Walmart as I am at a beautiful, relaxing port in the Caribbean.

 

I was going to say something similar.  NYC has 30,000 armed guards (policeman) and yet I have a better chance of being a victim of crime there instead of Labadee.  Same goes for any city.

[ARandomTraveler]

1 hour ago, Husky1987 said:

 

In fairness, there are at least two things CC could use a lot less of:

 

1. Multiple threads on the same topic started within days of each other when the first one is still being commented on and still on the first couple pages.

2. Live threads where people insist on asking the OP to "tell John the bartender in the Schooner Bar that Joe says hi...tell him I was always wearing the blue hat, he'll remember me!"

 

There, I said it....now if you'll excuse me, I must call myself out:

 

 

Can I add an unpopular opinion of "Live threads that are started a week before the person even gets on the plane to get to their cruise, and where the "live" part doesn't start til page 7"

[HBE4]

1 hour ago, Husky1987 said:

In fairness, there are at least two things CC could use a lot less of:

 

1. Multiple threads on the same topic started within days of each other when the first one is still being commented on and still on the first couple pages.

 

Look on the bright side. It's twice the fun, double the opportunity to get a snappy comment in...

 

And besides, I would've missed the first thread if it wasn't for this thread.

[Dreamer68]

4 hours ago, CanHardlyWait4NextYear said:

First you would have to assume it's been discussed before. Not everyone is a regular.

THANK YOU! I am not privileged enough to be a regular. I appreciate your patience and help.

I DID use the Search tool but I suppose I  made my search term too specific. I did not have time to go through ALL Labadee...and I did check the RCCL's list of forum topics...starting on page one and it was all about specific cruises that were not helpful to me. I already read a bunch of blogposts but figured I'd reach out to the CC community. Now I will be more careful about asking what might sound like an ignorant question to those who have cruised lots.

[mek]

5 minutes ago, Dreamer68 said:

THANK YOU! I am not privileged enough to be a regular. I appreciate your patience and help.

I DID use the Search tool but I suppose I  made my search term too specific. I did not have time to go through ALL Labadee...and I did check the RCCL's list of forum topics...starting on page one and it was all about specific cruises that were not helpful to me. I already read a bunch of blogposts but figured I'd reach out to the CC community. Now I will be more careful about asking what might sound like an ignorant question to those who have cruised lots.

The search feature on CC stinks.  You will have better luck with Google which many time will direct you to a CC post.

[Dreamer68]

4 hours ago, Cigar King said:

How difficult is it to scan the other threads where this topic has been discussed?

 

I did. I am sorry I am not frequent enough a cruiser to know where to go and how specific to make my search queries. Even went through the newbie pages and scanned multiple pages on the RCCL forum. Perhaps I should have asked it in the Celebrity thread but like I said, I was looking to try the Royal Caribbean. How difficult is it to offer a helpful tip about effective scanning on the hundreds and hundreds of threads on CC? 

[Dreamer68]

1 minute ago, mek said:

The search feature on CC stinks.  You will have better luck with Google which many time will direct you to a CC post.

Thanks! I DID go through the Search tool first. It's usually a really effective tool on FB groups. Not so simple on CC, at least I did not find it so. I'm glad though, that most people are friendly and welcoming instead of the opposite. Thanks for the encouragement. 🙂