Cruise ship docks at private beach in Haiti for barbeque and water sports

[t951]

What do you think? What would you have done if you were on the ship?

I also wonder if they did that to make sure they didn't have to credit anyone for a cruise that wasn't as booked.


Cruise ship docks at private beach in Haiti for barbeque and water sports
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/01/18...-docks-at.html

Quote:
The Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines' ship Independence of the Seas went ahead with its scheduled stop at a fenced-in private Haitian beach surrounded by armed guards, leaving its passengers to "cut loose" on the beach, just a few kilometers from one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the region's history. The ship's owners justified it as a humanitarian call, because the ship also delivered 40 palettes of relief supplies while its passengers frolicked on zip-lines and ate barbeque within the 12-foot-high fence's perimeter.

The Florida cruise company leases a picturesque wooded peninsula and its five pristine beaches from the government for passengers to "cut loose" with watersports, barbecues, and shopping for trinkets at a craft market before returning on board before dusk. Safety is guaranteed by armed guards at the gate.

The decision to go ahead with the visit has divided passengers. The ships carry some food aid, and the cruise line has pledged to donate all proceeds from the visit to help stricken Haitians. But many passengers will stay aboard when they dock; one said he was "sickened".

"I just can't see myself sunning on the beach, playing in the water, eating a barbecue, and enjoying a cocktail while [in Port-au-Prince] there are tens of thousands of dead people being piled up on the streets, with the survivors stunned and looking for food and water," one passenger wrote on the Cruise Critic internet forum.

"It was hard enough to sit and eat a picnic lunch at Labadee before the quake, knowing how many Haitians were starving," said another. "I can't imagine having to choke down a burger there now.''

[legion]

Yes, we should deprive Haiti of one of its few sources of income because we feel bad for the people. That makes sense.

[t951]

I don't think the Haitians get anything from that. It sounds like its an exclusive piece of land that is self maintained....(I don't know if that is true, I just thought it was as they do that in plenty of locations).

I think they lease the land, and they would pay that regardless of them stopping there or not.

I don't know that is how it works, I just assumed it to be that way.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by legion

Yes, we should deprive Haiti of one of its few sources of income because we feel bad for the people. That makes sense.

Seems a bit odd, uncomfortable, callous, indifferent etc...

But I agree with Chris.

[legion]

Originally Posted by t951

I don't think the Haitians get anything from that. It sounds like its an exclusive piece of land that is self maintained....(I don't know if that is true, I just thought it was as they do that in plenty of locations).

I think they lease the land, and they would pay that regardless of them stopping there or not.

I don't know that is how it works, I just assumed it to be that way.

Even if it is self-maintained, I assume they have to hire people to do the maintenance. Even if they live on-sight, they have to shop, visit family, etc.

[t951]

Agreed, but do they get paid more when the people are there? I don't know.
Also, those people are probably too busy looking for loved ones, food, etc.

I didn't see so much as an economic impact to the locals, as an affront to the humanity of the situation, and the business minded thinking that the cruiseline has.

[stomachmonkey]

They pay a lease on it so it's good business to help Haiti get back on it's feet. Alternative is to go find some other beach to lease and rebuild the infrastructure.

They employ locals.

Guests spend money on the beach, food, drinks. Locals who provide excursions, jetski, parasail, snorkeling etc...

The profit from sales that the cruise line would normally keep is being donated back to Haiti.

Maybe it's not a ton of money but it's more than if the cruise line avoided the place altogether.

[TerryBPP]

I've been to Coco Cay a few times on Royal Caribbean. Its a small area and heavily guarded. Employs around 100 locals.

[m21sniper]

What a sick joke, trying to justify such outrageous in your face callousness.

Don't you think those locals would be better served helping clean up their island and help other countrymen as opposed to standing around all day waiting on whitey?

Sickening.

[dd74]

I don't see a problem here. It seems to be a scheduled stop, plus the cruise line is bringing aid to the earthquake victims. Those big cruise ships have an itinerary to follow. I'm not so sure they can just port anywhere in a minimal amount of time.

As far as frolicking and eating bbq, that's sort of up to the passenger's own demeanor of whether they feel guilty or not.

[McLovin]

If I were on the ship with my family, I'd prefer to not dock there at this moment.

But, the whole debate is kind of interesting, in an attempt to make non-Haitian people feel better, it in many ways shows selfishness. i.e., a concern more about "our" feelings than Haitians.

The quote from the article kind of demonstrates that:

"
"It was hard enough to sit and eat a picnic lunch at Labadee before the quake, knowing how many Haitians were starving," said another. "I can't imagine having to choke down a burger there now.''

Wow, what a humanitarian. It's ok to suffer through your $100 burger in a third world country with starving kids before the quake, but darn it, now this stupid quake has really taken the fun out of it.

If you took a poll in Haiti right now, I'd strongly suspect that Haitians at this time could care less about this whole cruise ship thing.

[dd74]

Good point. Which is why I prefer Hawaii over the Caribbean. To have fun and recreation in front of a depressed population is a bit off putting, IMO.

But then, the locals of Hawaii haven't been looking so hot these days, either.

[BeyGon]

I do understand the problem here, but then, can you only vacation at places where the people have a better life and more money than you?

[dd74]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

I do understand the problem here, but then, can you only vacation at places where the people have a better life and more money than you?

For most Americans these days, that could be just about anywhere.

[Esel Mann]

There are many places where folks live it up and recreate. Unbeknownst to them danger, misery, tragedy, and disaster are all a stones throw away.

Example you ask? Well lets stick with the story and use the story location.

There is a reason that area is cordoned off with security. That security has been in place long before this disaster occurred. On the other side of that fence was-is-and for the foreseeable future will be danger, misery, tragedy, and disaster. It was there before so why would someone recreating there need to feel different?

So, one has to ask what's the difference?

Honestly, what is going on now is well, odd. For all those out there with the need and desire to help in this emergency, what did you call the state of affairs there before the earthquake? Where were you all before?

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by TerryBPP

I've been to Coco Cay a few times on Royal Caribbean. Its a small area and heavily guarded. Employs around 100 locals.

Royal Caribbean owns Coco Cay. I've been there too. It is a private island. The employees come from all over the world.

Not that it changes the discussion at hand.

[sammyg2]

Oh yeah, take away their jobs!
Send em thousands of tons of free stuff but take away the few jobs they have. makes sense to me.

In the immediate we need to keep them alive with water, food, and shelter, but the big picture says we also need to help provide them with means to take care of themselves and rebuild.
That means a source of income. Send more ships there, provide more jobs, build the economy, increase their wealth, so they don't have to build crap houses that fall apart due to shoddy construction.
If we can pull that off maybe we cal also start some industry there.

the more jobs whitey can create there the more lives will be saved in the future.

No guilt.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Esel Mann

There are many places where folks live it up and recreate. Unbeknownst to them danger, misery, tragedy, and disaster are all a stones throw away.

Example you ask? Well lets stick with the story and use the story location.

There is a reason that area is cordoned off with security. That security has been in place long before this disaster occurred. On the other side of that fence was-is-and for the foreseeable future will be danger, misery, tragedy, and disaster. It was there before so why would someone recreating there need to feel different?

So, one has to ask what's the difference?

Honestly, what is going on now is well, odd. For all those out there with the need and desire to help in this emergency, what did you call the state of affairs there before the earthquake? Where were you all before?

+1

That's been my point exactly since this all happened. Where was whitey before the quake hit and haiti became the cause de jour?

Frolicking on guarded cruise line beaches while natives wait on them for a dollar a day, i guess.

[ckissick]

After Katrina, New Orleans was desperate to get tourists back on Bourbon Street ASAP. Why should this be any different? They need all the help they can get, and a few tourist dollars should not be turned away.

[Superman]

Perhaps they could organize excursions where the passengers could go feed some of the starving locals. Kinda like at the zoo.

Bad taste. If I were on the ship I would stay on board and write a letter.