Labadee?

[Shannon12]

18 minutes ago, BND said:

Do you realize how many criminals they haven't imprisoned that are already running free?   We've been going to Labadee since about 2010 and have never felt unsafe.  Hassled by vendors, yes, unsafe, no.  Haiti has been an almost lawless country for years.  Every time the US says not to travelto Haiti someone starts a "sky is falling" thread.  Labadee is heavily guarded.  

Did I say sky was falling? Did I say HEY ROYAL CANCEL LABADEE? I posted a hypothetical question. That was all. 

[not-enough-cruising]

7 hours ago, Pochi Hanaki said:

Southern border? Florida is right there with zero borders. Nothing like trying to scare people.

Large numbers of Haitians come across the Texas Mexico border everyday. 
 

 

[pyrateslife4me84]

I imagine these people’s single focus right now is toppling the government, not pushing away a cruise line that actually gives them money. If there is a successful coup d’etat, however, all bets are off and, if there were any threat made, I bet Royal would just have ships call somewhere in DR. And their ability to do so, I imagine, will likely cause whomever is in control to just let the vacationers come. They gain nothing by pushing Royal away and Royal is not going to assist them in meeting their goals any more than they already do by providing American dollars. 

Edited March 5 by pyrateslife4me84

[rolloman]

15 minutes ago, pyrateslife4me84 said:

I imagine these people’s single focus right now is toppling the government, not pushing away a cruise line that actually gives them money. If there is a successful coup d’etat, however, all bets are off and, if there were any threat made, I bet Royal would just have ships call somewhere in DR. And their ability to do so, I imagine, will likely cause whomever is in control to just let the vacationers come. They gain nothing by pushing Royal away and Royal is not going to assist them in meeting their goals any more than they already do by providing American dollars. 

"These people" "Not pushing away the cruise line that actually gives them money" I keep hearing a few say what you mentioned. Do you have a link which shows Royal Caribbean is handing out money to Haitian Criminals? They are criminals for a reason...they have a tendency to steal what they want.  One other tid bit...there is very little food in the City... in some instances, they actually eat dirt pies. When people are starving they can be motivated to do about anything. I have seen on more than one occasion, security and other locals filling their pockets with food. While Royal probably does not have a problem with that, It would be naive to think nothing could happen at the resort area on a larger scale. Like I mentioned earlier, we have been intercepting thousands of Haitians on a regular basis on our shores and borders. Very common for a boat load to arrive right on the beach here in Florida. So there is that... 

[PhillyFan33579]

At Labadee right now. No issues so far, but it’s early. 😎

[pyrateslife4me84]

8 minutes ago, rolloman said:

"These people" "Not pushing away the cruise line that actually gives them money" I keep hearing a few say what you mentioned. Do you have a link which shows Royal Caribbean is handing out money to Haitian Criminals? They are criminals for a reason...they have a tendency to steal what they want.  One other tid bit...there is very little food in the City... in some instances, they actually eat dirt pies. When people are starving they can be motivated to do about anything. I have seen on more than one occasion, security and other locals filling their pockets with food. While Royal probably does not have a problem with that, It would be naive to think nothing could happen at the resort area on a larger scale. Like I mentioned earlier, we have been intercepting thousands of Haitians on a regular basis on our shores and borders. Very common for a boat load to arrive right on the beach here in Florida. So there is that... 

Royal gives money to the government to operate on their land. If there is a new government, Royal will give them money as long as Labadee stays safe. This is no different than any number of beautiful, tropical island ports of call that are nonetheless unsafe. 
 

There is no upside to any government turning what little money Haiti does receive. 

[pyrateslife4me84]

1 minute ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

At Labadee right now. No issues so far, but it’s early. 😎

There’s still time for the prisoners to enlist a family from Rhode Island to storm the nation’s capital. 

[robmtx]

6 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

At Labadee right now. No issues so far, but it’s early. 😎

 

Do you have a squirt gun with you... just in case ??

[UNCFanatik]

I think Royal has lease until 2050 and pays the Haitian Government $12 per tourist. 

 

Its interesting that Haiti shares the same island as DR but DR is more prosperous.

[MommaBear55]

18 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Yep, our son is a Border Patrol Agent. Shop talk is that many will be crossing the Texas or Arizona border within a month. Easy for them to fly into Mexico and join a caravan.

I'm curious how your son thinks that they will all get passports and money to buy flights. 

[ZoeyVictoria]

2 minutes ago, MommaBear55 said:

I'm curious how your son thinks that they will all get passports and money to buy flights. 

They won’t be getting the money from cruise ship passengers. How many people take even a moderate amount of cash to Labadee?  I don’t think robbing people in beach attire would be very profitable. 

[exm]

I'm a bit torn on this one. I love Labadee but the situation is very unpredictable. You just need one incident (either by land, or by boat, remember that they can use small maneuverable boats) for this to become a major incident. Now if the people that are saying: nah, these criminals have other things to worry about: look what's happening in Mexico were frequently innocent tourists are caught in the crossfire. The powers to be at RC HQ have a difficult decision to make here. Personally, I wouldn't cancel a cruise that stops at Labadee, but I can't blame RC if they decide to skip Labadee until things settle a bit in Haiti.

[UNCFanatik]

7 minutes ago, exm said:

I'm a bit torn on this one. I love Labadee but the situation is very unpredictable. You just need one incident (either by land, or by boat, remember that they can use small maneuverable boats) for this to become a major incident. Now if the people that are saying: nah, these criminals have other things to worry about: look what's happening in Mexico were frequently innocent tourists are caught in the crossfire. The powers to be at RC HQ have a difficult decision to make here. Personally, I wouldn't cancel a cruise that stops at Labadee, but I can't blame RC if they decide to skip Labadee until things settle a bit in Haiti.

 

I dont know how "frequently" tourists are caught up in the crossfire in Mexico but there is cartel related violence in Mexico, to be sure. But even in the US, innocent people "frequently" get caught up in the crossfire as random shootings are on the rise. 

 

But with Labadee, as other have said, I dont think the gangs want to attack that area and have to deal with the response that would surely follow. 

 

[ReneeFLL]

14 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Yeah, re-reading it sounds like Labadee is Normandy.
 

You don’t think those guards would be scared or threatened into giving up guarding Labadee? I think they would give up in a heart beat. I doubt Royal is paying them that much.

[petuniaflower]

Is there any idea IF Labadee was cancelled, where it would port in lieu of?  

[Biker19]

10 minutes ago, petuniaflower said:

Is there any idea IF Labadee was cancelled, where it would port in lieu of?  

Sea day.

[petuniaflower]

7 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Sea day.

We are considering an Amber Cove/Labadee/Coco Cay sailing..a sea day in lieu would suck:(

[Biker19]

Just now, petuniaflower said:

We are considering an Amber Cove/Labadee/Coco Cay sailing..a sea day in lieu would suck:(

The cancellation of Labadee is much more likely due to reasons other than this unrest and overall are very small.

[smokeybandit]

22 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Sea day.

It depends on the specific cruise/cruise date. In the few instances a Labadee stop was canceled for non-weather reasons, they went elsewhere.

[taglovestocruise]

2 hours ago, MommaBear55 said:

I'm curious how your son thinks that they will all get passports and money to buy flights. 

Family , friends, doing favors for the Cartel. 10,000 a day crossing the Borders into the US. Very few Mexicans or or South Americans coming across. Now seeing the poorest of the poor crossing. Very few women and children, mostly young men. Numbers coming from African Nations are increasing monthly.

This is a normal day for him, he and 1 other agent came across a large group one early morning last week. No women , no kids, 

 

 

[woods1967]

3 hours ago, MommaBear55 said:

I'm curious how your son thinks that they will all get passports and money to buy flights. 

Your being funny right? Have you been watching the news the past 8+ years? A large portion of those crossing don't exactly give the perception that they have a large amount of disposal income that they have access to, yet 10's of millions seem to have made it. 

[JackKirby]

16 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

If storming Labadee was something that the gangs thought they could profit from, they'd already have tried.

 

     I feel like there are a lot of people on this thread that are ignoring the potential for disaster here. The old, "Well its never happened before, so it won't now". is always a popular theme until tragedy strikes. 

     Does no one think that the recent addition of anywhere from 3000 to 4000 escaped/released prisoners to thier ranks could allow them to set thier sights on targets that until now were unrealistic? That's a lot of extra manpower. 

     Can no one imagine the profit to be had from looting that resort and its tourist? Or if they chose to go further, ransoming hostages? 

     It does not seem that far fetched to me. Improbable? Maybe. Impossible or even highly unlikely? No.

Here is an excerpt from an article on the attack on the airport. 

Make sure to note the phases like, "previously unthinkable targets". 

 

"Amid the chaos, an armored truck was sighted on the airport tarmac, engaging in a firefight with the gangs to thwart their advance. Scores of employees and bystanders fled amidst the hail of bullets, highlighting the gravity of the situation. This onslaught stands as the most significant attack on the airport in Haiti's history.

The violence erupted shortly after authorities imposed a nighttime curfew in response to recent unrest, which saw armed gangs overrunning prisons and releasing thousands of inmates. A state of emergency, spanning 72 hours, was declared as authorities sprung into action to locate and apprehend the escaped prisoners, many of whom faced serious criminal charges.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, has become a stronghold for these criminal factions, with gangs reportedly controlling up to 80% of the city. These groups, emboldened by their increasing coordination, have set their sights on previously unthinkable targets, including the Central Bank."

 

Now just imagine the chaos and complete breakdown of civility that would unfold if there was an attack on the resort. No one could stop thousands of intruders with guns. And it's doubtful the staff would even try. Your best hope would be that you were able to make it back to the ship without being trampled in the ensuing panic and that the boat could disembark before it was also overun and captured. 

Just saying... 

Edited March 5 by JackKirby

[smokeybandit]

30 minutes ago, JackKirby said:

     I feel like there are a lot of people on this thread that are ignoring the potential for disaster here. The old, "Well its never happened before, so it won't now". is always a popular theme until tragedy strikes. 

     Does no one think that the recent addition of anywhere from 3000 to 4000 escaped/released prisoners to thier ranks could allow them to set thier sights on targets that until now were unrealistic? That's a lot of extra manpower. 

     Can no one imagine the profit to be had from looting that resort and its tourist? Or if they chose to go further, ransoming hostages? 

     It does not seem that far fetched to me. Improbable? Maybe. Impossible or even highly unlikely? No.

Here is an excerpt from an article on the attack on the airport. 

Make sure to note the phases like, "previously unthinkable targets". 

 

"Amid the chaos, an armored truck was sighted on the airport tarmac, engaging in a firefight with the gangs to thwart their advance. Scores of employees and bystanders fled amidst the hail of bullets, highlighting the gravity of the situation. This onslaught stands as the most significant attack on the airport in Haiti's history.

The violence erupted shortly after authorities imposed a nighttime curfew in response to recent unrest, which saw armed gangs overrunning prisons and releasing thousands of inmates. A state of emergency, spanning 72 hours, was declared as authorities sprung into action to locate and apprehend the escaped prisoners, many of whom faced serious criminal charges.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, has become a stronghold for these criminal factions, with gangs reportedly controlling up to 80% of the city. These groups, emboldened by their increasing coordination, have set their sights on previously unthinkable targets, including the Central Bank."

 

Now just imagine the chaos and complete breakdown of civility that would unfold if there was an attack on the resort. No one could stop thousands of intruders with guns. And it's doubtful the staff would even try. Your best hope would be that you were able to make it back to the ship without being trampled in the ensuing panic and that the boat could disembark before it was also overun and captured. 

Just saying... 

 

RC, which has millions of dollars on the line and surely has its creditors and insurers looking at every world news story, thinks it's still safe to go there.

 

[not-enough-cruising]

5 hours ago, rolloman said:

"These people" "Not pushing away the cruise line that actually gives them money" I keep hearing a few say what you mentioned. Do you have a link which shows Royal Caribbean is handing out money to Haitian Criminals? They are criminals for a reason...they have a tendency to steal what they want.  One other tid bit...there is very little food in the City... in some instances, they actually eat dirt pies. When people are starving they can be motivated to do about anything. I have seen on more than one occasion, security and other locals filling their pockets with food. While Royal probably does not have a problem with that, It would be naive to think nothing could happen at the resort area on a larger scale. Like I mentioned earlier, we have been intercepting thousands of Haitians on a regular basis on our shores and borders. Very common for a boat load to arrive right on the beach here in Florida. So there is that... 

and what are they going to steal in Labadee? What is the profiteering motive to overtake the peninsula? 

[prmssk]

34 minutes ago, JackKirby said:

     I feel like there are a lot of people on this thread that are ignoring the potential for disaster here. The old, "Well its never happened before, so it won't now". is always a popular theme until tragedy strikes. 

     Does no one think that the recent addition of anywhere from 3000 to 4000 escaped/released prisoners to thier ranks could allow them to set thier sights on targets that until now were unrealistic? That's a lot of extra manpower. 

     Can no one imagine the profit to be had from looting that resort and its tourist? Or if they chose to go further, ransoming hostages? 

     It does not seem that far fetched to me. Improbable? Maybe. Impossible or even highly unlikely? No.

Here is an excerpt from an article on the attack on the airport. 

Make sure to note the phases like, "previously unthinkable targets". 

 

"Amid the chaos, an armored truck was sighted on the airport tarmac, engaging in a firefight with the gangs to thwart their advance. Scores of employees and bystanders fled amidst the hail of bullets, highlighting the gravity of the situation. This onslaught stands as the most significant attack on the airport in Haiti's history.

The violence erupted shortly after authorities imposed a nighttime curfew in response to recent unrest, which saw armed gangs overrunning prisons and releasing thousands of inmates. A state of emergency, spanning 72 hours, was declared as authorities sprung into action to locate and apprehend the escaped prisoners, many of whom faced serious criminal charges.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, has become a stronghold for these criminal factions, with gangs reportedly controlling up to 80% of the city. These groups, emboldened by their increasing coordination, have set their sights on previously unthinkable targets, including the Central Bank."

 

Now just imagine the chaos and complete breakdown of civility that would unfold if there was an attack on the resort. No one could stop thousands of intruders with guns. And it's doubtful the staff would even try. Your best hope would be that you were able to make it back to the ship without being trampled in the ensuing panic and that the boat could disembark before it was also overun and captured. 

Just saying... 

I trust RC because of how much is on the line to make the right decision.  They have to answer to their insurers, PR department, and shareholders. Allowing even one incident to happen on Labadee would be disastrous for the company. 

 

But I agree the comments putting so much faith in the security at Labadee are a bit naive. If they can take over major prisons and an international airport, they can take over a resort. And although the leaders may be smart enough to realize how stupid that would be, leaders can only control so much in the midst of chaos. 
 

If this continues to escalate (which wouldn’t surprise me), I expect RC will make some itinerary changes and pull out of Labadee, at least temporarily. Time will tell.