Everyone is doing everything they can to help Haiti-including Royal Caribbean cruises, who did not cancel two of their cruise ships planned dockings on the northern-most shore of Haiti. "In the end, Labadee is critical to Haiti's recovery; hundreds of people rely on Labadee for their livelihood," said the company's VP. Writes the Guardian: "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.'" Said another cruise passenger: "It was hard enough to sit and eat a picnic lunch at Labadee before the quake, knowing how many Haitians were starving. I can't imagine having to choke down a burger there now.''
Monday, January 18, 2010
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I'm sure many poor Haitians would be happy to assist him in choking on a burger.
They've got a lust for life.
Do you know of any charity/fund that would help those cruise ship survivors in need? Thanks!
Taking away means of earning income from Haiti right now isn't helping anyone there and Royal Caribbean made a good call docking their ships. The distraction of routine can go a long way psychologically in circumstances like these.
I *do* actually hear the argument that taking away income from whatever organization leases this guarded and fenced land to the cruise ships is a bad thing? Hence why I have not lost my mind over this?
I mean, also, this wasn't exactly a great situation before the earthquake.
Exactly. People like the one mentioned in the article didn't have a problem choking down burgers while the undesirables were kept at bay before last Tuesday. At least for the next few days the landowners and Royal Caribbean can be guilted into giving up some of the money they make to help out with aid for Haiti.
I'm sorry, but I don't agree at all. If Royal Caribbean decided not to dock at Labadee while there is a major humanitarian crisis going on 60 miles away, the main income stream for Haiti would not be affected as it is generated by RC's long-term lease of the peninsula from the government. And RC could choose to pay their local employees as a gesture of aid while not inflicting on them the indignity of serving cocktails to rich holiday makers while they have to wonder if friends or family members are injured or homeless or rotting in a pile of corpses. 60 miles away.
I understand that Royal Caribbean have made very pragmatic business decisions and are assisting in several ways: through bringing in pallets of food and through a donation of $1 million (although you'd think it could be a little more). Some of the passengers' remarks show awareness, some show douchebaggery. As Choire says, this wasn't exactly a great situation before the earthquake, but this is surreal - it carries a miasma of nouveau-colonial arrogance that chokes me. They should do more, they can do better.
I agree that this is a PR move by RC but in this case anything is better than nothing. In getting RC to continue with docking there's the potential for pressure to be put on landowners down the line over the issues you mentioned. The government is in tatters and those in it who sat back fat and happy before will discover in the coming weeks that their plates aren't going to be nearly as full. The security being provided by the US and UN should come with a price, and a more fair distribution of wealth should be one of them. If not, Aristide's making more than enough noise about wanting to return, and that threat should make those in power now plenty nervous at what it could mean for their long term finances if nothing else.
I don't know how to react. It's true I detest everything about cruise lines, cruise people and cruises, but since the quake I lived my usual self-indulgent, careless life of nyc prickery. I am no one to judge.
I'm more offended by the horrible reporting from our pudgy and weepy journalists.
Look at the ads I'm getting with this page:
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/2509/haitin.jpg
PS It's outrageous, also it wuz imageshack what put that n on the end,
While I cannot personally imagine any merry frolicking on that beach right now, well, shit, as the cruise line points out, they employ hundreds of Haitians there and pump a fair whack of cash into the economy. Shutting that down in order to assuage our consciences over here? So, yeah, it is well and truly a cheap holiday in other people's misery, but its absence might be worse.
How many times has this cheeseburger eating passenger been forced to buy a cruise to Haiti? Is there a mandatory "day trip to hell" before you can carry on to Atlantis?
Also, I remember similar reports after the tsunami. Some europeans didn't cancel their vacations and figured heck, I'm doing them a favor by getting on with the business of suntanning and speedo snapping!
I am reminded of another story, another context, perhaps apropos, or maybe not, in which it was said, "The dance itself was a success."
Apropos. And the band played on.
The majority of the income that the cruise ships generate for Haiti comes in the form of lease payments to the government for the land on which the resort is built. That will not be affected whether they dock or not. On the local level, they pay a few hundred people as resort staff. They estimate another few hundred receive income from the passengers' shore visits, although they don't specify how and as it's a gated, guarded resort, I can't imagine people wander down to the town of Labodi to buy postcards and trinkets, but who knows. Royal Caribbean also employs two hundred Haitian nationals as crew on board their ships.
Royal Caribbean third quarter profit last year was $230 million, plus. This was a big drop on the previous year. But still, a profit.
Estimated number of people in Haiti in need of emergency relief at the moment and for the next 6 months: 3 million.
Royal Caribbean have trumpeted their $55 million investment in the infrastructure of their resort. If they wish to protect that investment, maybe they should consider support and involvement in the country on the other side of Labadee's 10 foot fences?
Oh boy, Royal Caribbean is just the worst! After they make the requisite apology, where will we redirect our moral outrage?!?!?!
Except it's not really moral outrage, we just wish it was so we play-act because that's what we think we should be thinking.
What we're all really thinking is, thank g-d pictures of some [politician/movie star/priest] diddling a [goat/donkey/Taylor Lautner] will be "exposed" next week. Then we can all focus on the "fallout," and Anderson Cooper can resume his variety hour, and Wyclef Jean can go back to being a fucking irrelevant bad musician.
/irked at bullshit stories
thank you for telling me what i'm really thinking.
I'm a helper!
Did they also beef up security to stave off looters?
The didn't have to. They just passed out offprints of a 25-year old sociology article on the Looting Myth so nobody would worry. (Also, it's at the other end of Haiti.)
I forgot the "/sarcasm" indicator.
Just use the Sarcasm font, only be careful not to use it ironically.