Jamaica and Labadee dropped from itineraries?

[DaveEasternPenn]

It looks like Celebrity dropped the Jamaican ports (Falmouth and Ocho Rios) and Labadee from the Spring, 2018 itineraries.

Does anyone have any insight as to why? There was a big corporate investment made at Falmouth as an example. I'm surprised. I assume Royal Caribbean still stops there. There were some issues with Labadee that have been discussed, but Jamaica?

[ILoveStThomas]

It looks like Celebrity dropped the Jamaican ports (Falmouth and Ocho Rios) and Labadee from the Spring, 2018 itineraries.

Does anyone have any insight as to why? There was a big corporate investment made at Falmouth as an example. I'm surprised. I assume Royal Caribbean still stops there. There were some issues with Labadee that have been discussed, but Jamaica?

 

Here's what I red yesterday!

Here is the link

http://cruisefever.net/several-cruise-ships-pulling-jamaican-port/

[gerelmx]

I read in other post that Falmouth Jamaica is removed because of the insecurity and harassment of Jamaicans towards tourists, from Labadee I have not read any comments.

[CCC3]

My Liberty of the Seas cruise visited there in June.

 

 

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[Xport]

Several threads related to Falmouth on the Royal Caribbean Sub-Forum... Following is a link to the most active one...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2518955

[hcat]

What happened with Labadee.? We've been there a few times...enjoyed a cabana rental on Royal when it included an upgraded lunch. , On other cruises we had regular beach days with the clamshells, floatie mats., and standard bbq lunch...dd enjoyed the coaster.. We have also stayed onboard to enjoy the ship.....Not a fav port but never had issues there...Did hear about cellphone and minor thefts in the past but nothing beyond that.

 

We also enjoyed Falmouth several times. Took a nice Celeb beach excursion one time...it was very slow to get going but worked out fine. We stayed inside the port on other trips....lots to do...and always had lunch at the Jamaica Spice Kitchen ,shopping etc, Very nice but we never wandered on our own or went to the standard tourist spots.....went to those yrs ago,,.

 

Worst port was Montego Bay... Celebrity berth/pier poorly situated, poorly organized ship's excursions....after delay of 2 hrs we actually never made it out of the port building but that was quite enough of that place..,horrible.

Haiti and Jamaica have not been on our port agenda in recent yrs,,,

[DaveEasternPenn]

Labadee has had some issues with local residents protesting, sending groups of small boats out to protest as Celebrity was tied up to the pier, etc. It was a safety issue. It's all on the internet.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Labadee has had some issues with local residents protesting, sending groups of small boats out to protest as Celebrity was tied up to the pier, etc. It was a safety issue. It's all on the internet.

 

That's too bad. It was a fun port call since they built the pier. And a source of badly needed income for some on the island. Too bad the protesters had to ruin it for others. I wonder if their protesting feeds their families? Loved the cabanas there. And the lovely beach attendant who saw me struggling to get out of the water up the steep slope and quickly came to my aid with a smile.

[theriac]

That's too bad. It was a fun port call since they built the pier. And a source of badly needed income for some on the island. Too bad the protesters had to ruin it for others. I wonder if their protesting feeds their families? Loved the cabanas there. And the lovely beach attendant who saw me struggling to get out of the water up the steep slope and quickly came to my aid with a smile.

 

Maybe the protesters are trying to make things better? Maybe the wages RCI offers doesn't pay enough to put food on the tables for their families?

 

We don't know the answer to your hypothetical or mine so why put the blame on them? No need to be sarcastic with your does protesting feed families remark. We know it doesn't, but it can lead to change.

 

They are protesting for a reason so instead of casting blame because it hurts your first world lucury vacation, think of the reasons why the islands inhabitants are protesting whether they are right or wrong.

 

whatever will bewilder me

[Wmp7]

I'm sorry to hear about Labadee. We really enjoyed it when we went in 2014. The cabanas and staff servicing them were great. Jamaica on the other hand- I could honestly care less about. It's the only island visited where I have ever been physically assaulted. The vendors were so overly aggressive and people we encountered were just rude in general that everyone in our group said they would never go back.

 

 

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[caribill]

Maybe the protesters are trying to make things better? Maybe the wages RCI offers doesn't pay enough to put food on the tables for their families?

 

 

Maybe it has nothing to do with cruise ships

 

From 2016 https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/cruiselog/2016/01/20/royal-caribbean-ship-drops-haiti-amid-protests/79056806/

 

And from a current report:

"With large cruise ships docking at the port each week thousands of passengers help the local economy which the area really needs. With no cruise ships, Falmouth will suffer and jobs could be lost."

[theriac]

Maybe it has nothing to do with cruise ships

 

From 2016 https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/cruiselog/2016/01/20/royal-caribbean-ship-drops-haiti-amid-protests/79056806/

 

And from a current report:

"With large cruise ships docking at the port each week thousands of passengers help the local economy which the area really needs. With no cruise ships, Falmouth will suffer and jobs could be lost."

Your point would be valid if I was responding to someone talking about Jamaica.

 

whatever will bewilder me

[Baron Barracuda]

Your point would be valid if I was responding to someone talking about Jamaica.

 

whatever will bewilder me

 

Caribill was speaking to both Labadee and Falmouth.

 

You were quick to assume that the Haitians at Labadee were protesting Royal for low wages or bad treatment. Carbill points out (correctly) that Royal was an innocent victim of Haitians protesting their own presidential election. They sought to use all those cruiser cell phone videos to generate publicity for their cause. I believe the protests ended months ago after the election.

 

His second comment was not directed at you. It references the potential economic consequences of pulling out of Falmouth Jamaica

[theriac]

Caribill was speaking to both Labadee and Falmouth.

 

You were quick to assume that the Haitians at Labadee were protesting Royal for low wages or bad treatment. Carbill points out (correctly) that Royal was an innocent victim of Haitians protesting their own presidential election. They sought to use all those cruiser cell phone videos to generate publicity for their cause. I believe the protests ended months ago after the election.

 

His second comment was not directed at you. It references the potential economic consequences of pulling out of Falmouth Jamaica

I didn't reply to them though, again point not valid.

 

Edit, I did reply in my second post to them but only to respond to him. My original post was replying to someone about Labadee.

 

Also I used maybe in my original post. I never claimed I knew they were protesting for those reasons. Only trying to point out the person I was responding to was quick to judgements.

 

Please re-read the thread and you will see what I'm talking about.

 

whatever will bewilder me

[Hlitner]

We do not understand some of the posts...and where they are going when talking about "protesters" RCI wages, etc. This has nothing to do with the problem. Jamaica has had issues, when it comes to how cruise ship passengers are treated, for decades. It goes back to at least the early 70s. Certain local/island gangs are involved in various schemes that lead to the harassment and ripping off of cruise ship passengers. Even the legit local tour providers cannot be fully trusted. We once had an Ocho Rios taxi driver explain to us that if he failed to stop (and pull over) at certain vendor spots (along various roads) he would later face retribution from the gangs associated with the vendors. The Jamaican authorities have paid lip service to the issues....and think that by increasing port security and putting a few more police in the streets...the problem will disappear. But this culture has existed for decades and even the cruise lines seem to be helpless in dealing with the issue.

 

DW and I have been traveling around the Caribbean for about forty years (by both cruise ship and fly-in vacations) and DW has made it clear (to me) that she does not want to ever return to Jamaica. We have stayed at a few nice All-Inclusives on the island...but never felt safe enough to go off the protected grounds...especially at night. Consider that we now live in Mexico for part of the year.....where we feel really safe and welcomed by the locals. As to Jamaica....its a place they can keep for the Jamaicans.

 

Hank

[Iamcruzin]

We do not understand some of the posts...and where they are going when talking about "protesters" RCI wages, etc. This has nothing to do with the problem. Jamaica has had issues, when it comes to how cruise ship passengers are treated, for decades. It goes back to at least the early 70s. Certain local/island gangs are involved in various schemes that lead to the harassment and ripping off of cruise ship passengers. Even the legit local tour providers cannot be fully trusted. We once had an Ocho Rios taxi driver explain to us that if he failed to stop (and pull over) at certain vendor spots (along various roads) he would later face retribution from the gangs associated with the vendors. The Jamaican authorities have paid lip service to the issues....and think that by increasing port security and putting a few more police in the streets...the problem will disappear. But this culture has existed for decades and even the cruise lines seem to be helpless in dealing with the issue.

 

 

 

DW and I have been traveling around the Caribbean for about forty years (by both cruise ship and fly-in vacations) and DW has made it clear (to me) that she does not want to ever return to Jamaica. We have stayed at a few nice All-Inclusives on the island...but never felt safe enough to go off the protected grounds...especially at night. Consider that we now live in Mexico for part of the year.....where we feel really safe and welcomed by the locals. As to Jamaica....its a place they can keep for the Jamaicans.

 

 

 

Hank

 

 

I remember television ads back in the late 70's advertising "Come back to Jamaica". I never understood the slogan until we called on Jamaica. Never again.

 

 

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