Reply to Royal Caribbean Cruise to Labadee, Haiti

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I went there with RC and it's a private beach only available to RC passengers. I had wanted to take supplies and things because our church works with groups in Haiti but we had no access to them and vice versa. It's a nice beach, I guess (I'm not really a beach person). RC removes all the seaweed too, which is weird to me but I guess that's what happens at a private beach. :)[/quote]

Responding to myself. We took a guided tour of the area and I asked the tour guide how they feel about all the cruise ships etc disrupting their island. He told me the locals love it, because it means opportunity and jobs they didn't have before and wouldn't otherwise.[/quote]

I’m the pp who had travelled to Haiti working for an NGO.  This was my experience as well.  I had a couple of conversations about Labadee with Haitian colleagues, because some friends had been there during a cruise while I was in the country.  They were really positive about the jobs it created.  I remember them sounding proud that it was a cruise stop. I’d assume most cruise stops are not genuine examples of the life of that country.  There’s nothing upsetting or shocking about that.

Just btw, Haitians I’ve met are really proud of their country’s beaches.  I used to go for breaks at a couple of beautiful beach clubs, not far from the capital.  They weren’t just for foreign tourists and they were “real” beaches filled with Haitian families. They were gorgeous! And the food was amazing.

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Agreed.

Only some privileged Americans can’t recognize that cruise ships and the passengers they bring fuel economic opportunity. The people working at Labadee have a safe job where they receive cash tips on top of their salary.

Haiti is a beautiful country. A friend with an ngo traveled across the country many years ago and her pictures were gorgeous. She said it was one of the most beautiful places she had ever visited—both the beaches and the mountains.

When you arrive by ship, the landscape is breathtaking. It’s so lush and striking, unlike any other island I’ve seen.

In Labadee by the buffet, there are performers who do flips, tumbling, etc. on the bare cement. Definitely bring cash to tip them. They are amazing. [/quote]

Oh great. The cruise ship apologist is back. Sorry, but those ships pollute massively and contribute a pittance to the local economy (in this case most locals can’t even get near the tourists!). You are the definition of eyes wide shut. [/quote]

I don’t think you understand what a mess Haiti is. The jobs in the RC private beach at Labadee are highly desired positions for locals. Their economy is a mess and people live in abject poverty.

I didn’t bring up pollution. That’s a different debate.

But ICYMI: cruise ships have no issue with recruiting and retaining workers. Why? Because they are desperate for economic opportunity—and many are looking for safety. The cruise industry is widely known as a safe haven for the lgbtqi community. People literally run from family and home countries that refuse to accept them and find their tribe on board ships. If you bothered to speak with the crew, you’d understand where they are coming from.

Your solution is simply not to go to Haiti since practically speaking the only tourists arrive by RC (or sometimes their sister line Celebrity) to Labadee. Whether you admit it or not, that’s a big Screw You to the Haitians who work there. Their jobs sustain their families. [/quote]

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