Zentraveler Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 Do you think the news in Haiti will affect any upcoming sailing to Haiti? I have one at end of April. Wondering your thoughts if it port will be changed/cancelled or if it is still safe? https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68462851 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 Unlikely. The area where Labadee is is nowhere near Port au Prince and is heavily guarded. 27th Lady, Zentraveler, RCIfan1912 and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 Welcome to the message boards. No, I don't expect any changes to Labadee visits. While Labadee is in Haiti, it's a remote peninsula literally walled off from the rest of the country. Government warnings about travel to Haiti always focus on going to the cities. RCIfan1912, Kennzers22, rjweber3 and 1 other 1 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennzers22 Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 Here's to hoping for the safety of both the travelers to, and the people of Haiti. markinct, M and Ms, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zacharius Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 Sadly, this is just another day for Haiti. I love Haiti, I love the Haitian people. I used to do some occasional work in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien (which is one of the largest cities in Haiti and very close to Labadee), but it's one of those countries I just won't take work from anymore because I don't feel safe there... BUT, I would still go to Labadee without hesitancy. It'll be fine, and you won't even know you're in Haiti. markinct, Gilley, rjweber3 and 1 other 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cory Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 23 hours ago, SpeedNoodles said: Unlikely. The area where Labadee is is nowhere near Port au Prince and is heavily guarded. Question, who is guarding it? Ive always wandered this. Someone else said its walled off from the rest of the island? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 1 hour ago, Cory said: Question, who is guarding it? Ive always wandered this. Someone else said its walled off from the rest of the island? Thanks Private security force. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ditchdoc Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 Just looking at maps: Labadee is a 6 hour drive from Port-au-Prince. The road looks pretty good all the way to Cap-Haitien where the road turns into a twisty, narrow path that goes over and around a 2000 foot mountain range. There are additional beaches and resorts before reaching Labadee that you would presume also want security. Actual information on security measures are scarce other than "armed" and "fenced". One picture that states it is the security fence for Labadee shows what appears to be about a 12 foot concrete wall with Concertina wire around the top. Access to Labadee is limited. Guests cannot leave and only authorized employees and vendors are allowed to enter. Food and supplies come from the ship. Some information, as you might expect, indicates Royal Caribbean monitors the situation in Haiti closely and have on occasion refused to port in Labadee if security was compromised. In general, security measures are out of sight of cruise visitors and the area around Labadee is very natural and serene. rjweber3 and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 When you ride the zip line you are driven from the Labadee compound to the mountain side where the zip starts. You are briefly outside the fence of the compound on the bus ride to the zip line start area. The compound has a couple of layers between guests areas and the outside world. There is a staging area with fuel and other supplies. Then the buffer ends at the security office and gate. This is where day workers would enter the compound, going through security. Once beyond the gate you are in the true Haiti. The road to the zip line goes up the mountain where it connects to a main road that would go off towards the rest of Haiti. The main road. The top of the coaster ride next to the zip line start is also fenced off. PPPJJ-GCVAB, WAAAYTOOO, Nicci and 4 others 3 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacation Crazy Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 Haiti's government declared a 72-hour state of emergency on Sunday after armed gangs stormed a major prison. I love Labadee but I'm glad we don't have any upcoming stops here. I realize it is an a isolated part of Haiti but question the safety right now. If the gangs can storm a "major prison" what's stopping them here. DDaley, ilove10sandcruising, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 1 other 1 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 25 minutes ago, Vacation Crazy said: If the gangs can storm a "major prison" what's stopping them here. The 6 hour trip through otherwise unpopulated land. BMW Hoosier, DDaley and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacation Crazy Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 4 minutes ago, smokeybandit said: The 6 hour trip through otherwise unpopulated land. How are the workers/vendors making the trip in? Baked Alaska 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanHardlyWait Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 They let prisoners out and are trying to take over the airport. Can trying to take over a ship be far behind? Geezer Of The Seas, FamilyFun, ilove10sandcruising and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 18 minutes ago, Vacation Crazy said: How are the workers/vendors making the trip in? They likely don't live 6 hours away. ScottD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunkelBierJay Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 A visit to Labadee is perfectly fine. To get a picture of the travel from Port au Prince to the north, a Youtuber, Indigo Traveller attempted to make the trip to Cape Hatien with a guide and was unsuccessful because of the quality of the road and demonstrations along the way. The odds of unrest moving as far as Labadee are pretty much nil because even without people on the road, the quality of it would make the trip much longer than six hours. Cape Hatien, is close to Labadee on the north coast and is known to be much much safer than Port au Prince which is currently in a state of virtual anarchy. Since 2015, I can only recall one instance that Royal suspended stops there, and I believe some striking workers were demonstrating outside the gate to the peninsula. I would have zero issues going to Labadee. The only thing to consider is that some travel insurance policies may not allow for medical claims to be made if the traveler is from a European country and they stopped at Labadee, but always check with the company first. PPPJJ-GCVAB, rjweber3, Jamesszy94 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zacharius Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 4 hours ago, Vacation Crazy said: Haiti's government declared a 72-hour state of emergency on Sunday after armed gangs stormed a major prison. "Government" is a pretty useless term when it comes to Haiti, unfortunately. Especially since their President (who is also their PM, who is also under suspicion for having been part of the plot to kill the former President while PM) is probably out of the country and may or may not ever return, whether by choice or by force. markinct, WAAAYTOOO and FamilyFun 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geezer Of The Seas Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 3 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said: They let prisoners out and are trying to take over the airport. Can trying to take over a ship be far behind? A quick read of the Internet & Wikipedia last night revealed that political situation in Haiti has indeed disrupted port calls to Labadee. 20004 due to a coup and Freedom of the Seas called off a visit in 2016 when boats occupied by citizens blockaded the the entrance to the harbor. Baked Alaska, markinct and MamaShark 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 11 minutes ago, Geezer Of The Seas said: A quick read of the Internet & Wikipedia last night revealed that political situation in Haiti has indeed disrupted port calls to Labadee. 20004 due to a coup and Freedom of the Seas called off a visit in 2016 when boats occupied by citizens blockaded the the entrance to the harbor. The 2016 incident was truly a peaceful protest. No threat of violence at all. It just wasn't a headache RC wanted to force the issue with. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSForbes Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 We enjoy Labadee, and have a back to back coming up going there both times in April. The issue I see is that most insurance policies specifically exclude coverage if travelling to Level 4 advised countries. Both Canada and The U.S. advise no travel to Haiti and to get out if you are there. I understand Labadee is not near where the current problems are, and that the property is guarded, but just be aware of the insurance implications and how it may affect your travel insurance should you need it ! ilove10sandcruising 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tania Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 I've been to Haiti twice in the last 18 months and felt very safe. Going near the marketplace - be prepared for aggressive selling. We left because it was too much. They were very nice - but they didn't give up lol We are going back in August. :) PPPJJ-GCVAB and rjweber3 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markinct Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 I'll be there on Saint Patrick's Day.... or at least scheduled to be there. If we call at Labadee I will go to the beach without a worry. If we divert to a different port or have an extra sea day, well, that's cruising, isn't it? Like the weather, strife is beyond our control. I feel badly for the regular people of Haiti. As @Zacharius has pointed out, their "government" has been a shambles for a long time. And when it wasn't a shambles it seems the only thing it was ever good at was terrorizing its own people. PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 I’m looking forward to my Labadee day in May! This will be my third time and so far I’ve managed to stay away from the vendors’ pushiness! markinct 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markinct Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 1 hour ago, Geezer Of The Seas said: A quick read of the Internet & Wikipedia last night revealed that political situation in Haiti has indeed disrupted port calls to Labadee. 20004 due to a coup and Freedom of the Seas called off a visit in 2016 when boats occupied by citizens blockaded the the entrance to the harbor. I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the fact that you have THE BEST message board handle. EVER. Vancity Cruiser and PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geezer Of The Seas Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 11 minutes ago, markinct said: I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the fact that you have THE BEST message board handle. EVER. And looking at my prior post can see waaaaaaaay into the future. PPPJJ-GCVAB, rjweber3 and markinct 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ditchdoc Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 I am not sure how many times Ive been to Labadee. I think the first time, we tendered in. There was a large picnic shelter that served lunch and a smaller one for cocktails and a couple of beaches. Oh, and a smaller dock for jet skies and such. I think that was it. Never had an issue there except maybe with the weather. MamaShark and PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 We’re supposed to be going to Labadee this week. No indication of a change of itin. PPPJJ-GCVAB and MamaShark 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 I'm in Labadee on the 17th. I assume that port stop happens short of an alien invasion. WAAAYTOOO and FamilyFun 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 1 minute ago, smokeybandit said: I'm in Labadee on the 17th. I assume that port stop happens short of an alien invasion. We should all be going through the Panama Canal that week…. AshleyDillo, PPPJJ-GCVAB, smokeybandit and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMeJoe Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said: We should all be going through the Panama Canal You're going to get that sucker yet! I'd go along, but I don't want to start or end up in Cali . Round trip from FL on Royal; I'm in . WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoomSlayer Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 6 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said: We’re supposed to be going to Labadee this week. No indication of a change of itin. I'll be a few weeks behind you. Symphony was there today. Hopefully it remains calm at the port and does not effect our stops. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoppyDee Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 I’m on a May 4th sailing where this is a port stop. This will be my first time. I think I’d feel more secure just making that a ship day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanHardlyWait Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 To me, aside from being incredibly dangerous right now. Getting off there for a day of fun in the sun, seems like dancing on a grave right now. I find the situation to sad and it would feel just wrong to enjoy. FamilyFun and ilove10sandcruising 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 Just left the Top Tier Event on Oasis. we are heading for Labadee right now....and an announcement was made during the event that we are still calling at Labadee. That could change but it isn't anticipated. MamaShark, FamilyFun and DoomSlayer 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zacharius Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 2 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said: To me, aside from being incredibly dangerous right now. Getting off there for a day of fun in the sun, seems like dancing on a grave right now. I find the situation to sad and it would feel just wrong to enjoy. It's a real "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. Labadee helps the people working there...they get money in a country that has an incredibly high unemployment rate, and those people would be significantly worse off without Royal Caribbean. People will suffer in Haiti with or without ships stopping at Labadee, but there will be ever so slightly less suffering with ships coming. However, it does also open Royal Caribbean passengers up to security concerns (whether big or small, they're still there more than some other places) and can also help a government that may not be worth helping. There's no good solution. It also has been all but confirmed that Henry is in Puerto Rico and, as I said earlier, may or may not ever make it back to Haiti. WAAAYTOOO and jeffmw 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_resh_uh Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 Really sad all this is happening in Haiti, but unfortunately, if you know the history of the island, it's more of the norm than anything else. First time we went to Labadee, I was amazed with how beautiful Haiti was and still is. Sailing in August there again and plan to enjoy the beach and tip the workers well. MamaShark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanHardlyWait Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 36 minutes ago, Zacharius said: It's a real "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. Labadee helps the people working there...they get money in a country that has an incredibly high unemployment rate, and those people would be significantly worse off without Royal Caribbean. People will suffer in Haiti with or without ships stopping at Labadee, but there will be ever so slightly less suffering with ships coming. However, it does also open Royal Caribbean passengers up to security concerns (whether big or small, they're still there more than some other places) and can also help a government that may not be worth helping. There's no good solution. It also has been all but confirmed that Henry is in Puerto Rico and, as I said earlier, may or may not ever make it back to Haiti. Ultimately that's more responsibility than I want on a vacation. And I just can't party when I know people are being randomly killed in the streets miles away. FamilyFun and ilove10sandcruising 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjweber3 Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 19 hours ago, Ditchdoc said: I am not sure how many times Ive been to Labadee. I think the first time, we tendered in. There was a large picnic shelter that served lunch and a smaller one for cocktails and a couple of beaches. Oh, and a smaller dock for jet skies and such. I think that was it. Never had an issue there except maybe with the weather. I remember tendering to Labadee. Somewhere I have a photo of the beach with waiters in swim trunks and Tuxedo shirts and coats wading out to serve drinks. I wouldn't expect that today. The changes there have been amazing since 2000! But even than the vendors were a pain. MamaShark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeWhoWaits Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 24 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait said: Ultimately that's more responsibility than I want on a vacation. And I just can't party when I know people are being randomly killed in the streets miles away. Then you probably shouldn't board a ship in Miami. CrimsonCruiser, Carlos A., Vancity Cruiser and 2 others 3 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ditchdoc Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 20 minutes ago, rjweber3 said: I remember tendering to Labadee. Somewhere I have a photo of the beach with waiters in swim trunks and Tuxedo shirts and coats wading out to serve drinks. I wouldn't expect that today. The changes there have been amazing since 2000! But even than the vendors were a pain. Vendors can be obnoxious. Back then they were not in the nice building they are now. There was just a line of of 15-20 stalls lined up next to some trees near the 'back' away from the beaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vancity Cruiser Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 49 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait said: Ultimately that's more responsibility than I want on a vacation. And I just can't party when I know people are being randomly killed in the streets miles away. In that case you probably shouldn't party anywhere. Not trying to be snarky but murder and crime have been a part of humanity since civilizations have been formed. Sometimes by individuals, sometimes by groups, and sometimes by those in authority. This occurs in every country in the world no matter how 'civilized'. That doesn't mean as fellow humans we should not feel empathy and want to help but I also believe we are allowed to enjoy ourselves as well. The risk of violence happening at Labadee is no higher than it is in anywhere in the US. jeffmw 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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