Cruise Ships decide to dock in Haiti

[soldoutochrist]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34936685...ing/?GT1=43001

Thoughts? I suppose that I could almost see where Royal Caribbean is coming from, but it's a touchy issue all around.

[missourimary]

I could almost see it, but not quite. Why not have just asked the people on the boat if they would donate some amount to Haitian relief rather than making port there? Stop and drop supplies, and then just move on? Contacted people in advance and asked if they would like to be involved in donating on their trip rather than stopping there? Or even taken part of their pricy ticket price and donated it themselves? If the people had complained about not stopping, it would have been different.

[Trouvere]

I don't know if anyone else has been to Labadee but I have. I don't think its a bad idea
to continue on. People are selling their goods in the market place there. They need the money.

I don't know that its so safe if quakes keep occurring though because other
things can happen as a result that compromises the safety of the passengers.

It would be good though since companies make so much off this being on their itineraries that
they give supplies to help the locals.

[missourimary]

Never been there.

[pelathais]

I've been there. It is an isolated peninsula that is fenced off from the rest of the island. I picked up an interesting hand made mahogany globe for my globe collection.

Docking cruise ships after a natural disaster is a touchy thing. There are some things that seem to have been left out of many of the news reports. Labadee is more than 100 miles from the earthquake's epicenter and no where near Port-Au-Prince.

Also, what do you do with the huge cruise ships that are literally queued up and waiting to come in? If the site itself is safe then you've pretty much got a humanitarian, not to mention contractual obligation to let the passengers ashore. And, given the fact that most of those passengers will feel kind of awkward about the unavoidable timing of the whole affair they'll probably be generous in their tips and other gifts.

The contrast between the poverty of much of the Caribbean Basin and the gleaming spectacle of the cruise ships is dramatic. But educated people should be able to see the tremendous benefits the cruise industry gives to the region.

[Trouvere]

I think caution is the word. Why would anyone feel comfortable cruising where there could be more natural disaster? A hundred miles is not very far considering the area.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by Trouvere

I think caution is the word. Why would anyone feel comfortable cruising where there could be more natural disaster? A hundred miles is not very far considering the area.

You're right, but some of the news reports I saw made it sound like the ships in Labadee were pulling right up to the shattered docks of Port-Au-Prince. I thought that they were being a bit too alarmist and sensational.

Haiti is a very beautiful place, but also a very troubled nation socially.

[Trouvere]

Vacation in Labadee is not all that glamorous because you get to see all the poverty among those selling things in the market. They don't mind begging you to buy. Its sad.
I did not go when I was even in the financial position I am in now. I was still a college student.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Brother David

I've been there. It is an isolated peninsula that is fenced off from the rest of the island. I picked up an interesting hand made mahogany globe for my globe collection.

Docking cruise ships after a natural disaster is a touchy thing. There are some things that seem to have been left out of many of the news reports. Labadee is more than 100 miles from the earthquake's epicenter and no where near Port-Au-Prince.

Also, what do you do with the huge cruise ships that are literally queued up and waiting to come in? If the site itself is safe then you've pretty much got a humanitarian, not to mention contractual obligation to let the passengers ashore. And, given the fact that most of those passengers will feel kind of awkward about the unavoidable timing of the whole affair they'll probably be generous in their tips and other gifts.

The contrast between the poverty of much of the Caribbean Basin and the gleaming spectacle of the cruise ships is dramatic. But educated people should be able to see the tremendous benefits the cruise industry gives to the region.

Indeed...

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by Trouvere

Vacation in Labadee is not all that glamorous because you get to see all the poverty among those selling things in the market. They don't mind begging you to buy. Its sad.
I did not go when I was even in the financial position I am in now. I was still a college student.

Yeah, there really isn't that much glamor anywhere around Labadee. When we were there it was just a couple of beaches, some really interesting tidal pools and the covered venues where the food troughs were ladled full.

The "market" wasn't even a real market atmosphere. I imagine it changes from time to time, but when we were there it was just an outdoor set up and display of local crafts. It was obviously a temporary set up. You had to negotiate through different layers of "service" contacts before getting to the stuff itself.

I like globes, especially interesting ones that display the maker's views of the world. Every "world" ends up being different depending upon the artist's own view points. So when I saw the mahogany ones I was sucked right in; but I ended up offending a couple of the handlers because I struck up a conversation with the seller directly.

Everybody had their hand out. I just wanted to talk to the guy who made the globes.