Johanna Jainchill
Some people questioned Royal Caribbean International's decision to bring vacationers to its private beach destination in Labadee, Haiti, last Friday, on the Independence of the Seas.
They asked whether it was right for a traveler to spend the day on a pristine beach while thousands of people were dying only a few hundred miles away in Port-au-Prince.
But John Weis, associate vice president of private destinations and overseer of Labadee operations for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., explained that many Haitians rely on Labadee for their living.
"We've had a few comments saying that we should not go back to Labadee, considering the suffering and destruction at Port-au-Prince," Weis wrote on Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein's blog. "We feel this is the worst thing to do, which is essentially abandoning our 30-year partnership with Haiti, our employees on the ground and the surrounding communities.
"Continuing to call at Labadee helps more than 500 people -- direct employees and straw market vendors that rely on our port calls for their livelihood. These people, who we call our colleagues and friends, have been impacted by this event and have families to support in this time of crisis. This money earned will no doubt assist displaced family members and friends and help Haiti recover from this horrible tragedy."
The Independence arrived in Labadee on Jan. 15 loaded with relief supplies including 60 cases of water and dry and canned goods. Four more truckloads were being loaded onto the Navigator of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, set to arrive today and yesterday.
In addition, Royal Caribbean is donating 100% of the proceeds from its calls in Labadee to the Haitian relief effort.
In a statement, Leslie Voltaire, the special envoy of the government of Haiti to the United Nations, said, "Given the terrible economic and social challenges we now face in Haiti, we welcome the continuation of the positive economic benefits that the cruise ship calls to Labadee contribute to our country."
Royal Caribbean has had a long relationship to Haiti. The cruise line is one of the largest foreign investors in Haiti and has brought more than 10 million tourists, who have spent close to $100 million there.
"Simply put, we cannot abandon Haiti now that they need us most," Weis said.