smokeybandit Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 At captains corner, the captain noted RC is going to deliver some diesel to the area for humanitarian relief. Neesa and aubtfan 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 8 minutes ago, smokeybandit said: At captains corner, the captain noted RC is going to deliver some diesel to the area for humanitarian relief. This little corner of Haiti has prospered from the presence of Royal and the Labadee private destination. Somewhere around 400 locals are employed. Royal built a school in the local village. Housing tends to be better built with real construction material. This community is not your typical Haiti village and they know that. Like any small town with a large employer the community tends to be very pro-company. I can see why Royal would want to maintain that sentiment. It's in their long term interest to see the local community gets some relief and their standing maintained. The local community must be really feeling the lack of ship visits. Their livelihoods once snatched away from them just like it was during the pandemic. Innocent victims out of work facing incredible hardship supporting families. All thanks to distant gang violence. Cactus527, CruiseGus and Neesa 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 The captain hinted (my interpretation) that the decision to ditch labadee for now is purely PR because people don't understand Haitian geography. Neesa and TexanTwoStep 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 6 minutes ago, smokeybandit said: The captain hinted (my interpretation) that the decision to ditch labadee for now is purely PR because people don't understand Haitian geography. Yes. The optics of sitting on a beach enjoying a Labradoozie doesn't work well on social media when gangs are killing innocent people in the streets a nearly impossible drive away. ScottD, Butters530, WAAAYTOOO and 3 others 2 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottD Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 30 minutes ago, smokeybandit said: The captain hinted (my interpretation) that the decision to ditch labadee for now is purely PR because people don't understand Haitian geography. That's exactly what I've assumed this was. There's still no real threat to that area, but people see Haiti and that's enough to want to keep out. TexanTwoStep 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexanTwoStep Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 On 3/21/2024 at 2:33 PM, AshleyDillo said: If the cancelation doesn't happen in enough time before the Cruise Planner closes, the refund will appear as OBC on the ship. The most recent announcements of port changes have been well in advance of the Cruise Planner closure for their respective sailings, but the refund process could take weeks. You can jump start the process of the refund by proactively canceling your Labadee excursions if you have any booked. Thanks, you explained it a lot more eloquently than I did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisingLife Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 Just got an email from Royal, our May 9th cruise on Liberty is going to Puerto Plata instead of Labadee. DoomSlayer, WAAAYTOOO and jbrinkm 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpicyCherry Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 Just got an email for our May 16 Symphony sailing out of Jersey….Labadee cancelled…..Nassau, here we come!! OH JOY jbrinkm, PPPJJ-GCVAB, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 1 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 I assume that means they've canceled now through May instead of just through April. PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobroo Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 I've heard from diverted Labadee passengers that they have not received any additional port fees, taxes, or expenses because their sailing stopped in someplace other than Haiti. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoomSlayer Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 45 minutes ago, bobroo said: I've heard from diverted Labadee passengers that they have not received any additional port fees, taxes, or expenses because their sailing stopped in someplace other than Haiti. I am sure Royal is eating those fees and costs in the short run as a lot of customers booked cruises because of the Labadee stop. They are wisely avoiding the "I didn't sign up to go there" argument for ports that were changed. They are still profiting big time on some of their replacements too. For example, I am about to leave on Symphony this weekend. We were originally was scheduled to call on Labadee. Labadee was replaced with Coco Cay. My excursions purchased at Black Friday prices for Labadee were canceled and refunded. But excursions for Coco Cay are following the dynamic pricing model and is extremely expensive because two oasis class ships will be there that day. Hideaway beach prices are a good example where it is $70.99 now and on another trip it was only $23. PPPJJ-GCVAB and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butters530 Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 Wonder when they are going to cancel June? We leave on Adventure on the 1st Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babsy47 Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 My Labadee excursions/cabana were cancelled by RC and amounts have already been refunded to my card,so I’m not sure folks need to worry about OBC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoomSlayer Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 1 hour ago, Babsy47 said: My Labadee excursions/cabana were cancelled by RC and amounts have already been refunded to my card,so I’m not sure folks need to worry about OBC. And the refunds happened quick too. I was pleasantly surprised that I was refunded in a couple of days vs weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_resh_uh Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 They've cancelled through May. Just went on to try to book a trip to Labadee and first available itinerary was June 10th on Independence. I've got a Labor Day weekend trip planned on Independence, so I'm curious to see what moves they make for this summer. I'd welcome another port like Grand Turk or Grand Cayman, but will be disappointed if we just end up on Nassau and PDCC for a four night cruise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHiester Posted April 14 Report Share Posted April 14 Any news on Labadee? Are cruises still not going there? Have a cruise planned with the family, it is still a few months away, but I am wondering if I should just change my sailing all together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted April 14 Report Share Posted April 14 4 minutes ago, KHiester said: Any news on Labadee? Are cruises still not going there? Have a cruise planned with the family, it is still a few months away, but I am wondering if I should just change my sailing all together. No news, they are not going there at this time. If your trip revolves around being able to go to Labadee, then maybe you'll want to change it. However any sailing can miss any port at any time, so keep that in mind. There's never a guarantee that you'll make it into any port. Personally, I wouldn't change it, as any other sailing will likely cost you significantly more. RCIfan1912 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Someone_else Posted April 14 Report Share Posted April 14 Going to the ABCs islands on Grandeur OFT in November... In your opinion, would they replace with another port? If so, where, most likely? Don't really want a sea day. RCIfan1912 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted April 14 Report Share Posted April 14 3 minutes ago, Someone_else said: Going to the ABCs islands on Grandeur OFT in November... In your opinion, would they replace with another port? If so, where, most likely? Don't really want a sea day. They seem to try to give you a replacement port. Grandeur could get DR, Turks and Caicos, or maybe Jamaica. November is a long way off though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeWhoWaits Posted April 14 Report Share Posted April 14 45 minutes ago, Someone_else said: Going to the ABCs islands on Grandeur OFT in November... In your opinion, would they replace with another port? If so, where, most likely? Don't really want a sea day. We had a ABC itinerary that had to replace Bonaire with another stop. Grand Cayman was the replacement, so that's another possible replacement for Labadee if ships still aren't going there on your scheduled trip. Someone_else 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Someone_else Posted April 14 Report Share Posted April 14 54 minutes ago, smokeybandit said: They seem to try to give you a replacement port. Grandeur could get DR, Turks and Caicos, or maybe Jamaica. November is a long way off though. I'd be happy with any port at this point, just would like to not have a sea day Turks and Caicos would be amazing, but still hopeful for Labadee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted April 14 Report Share Posted April 14 My guess is they'll restart Haiti in June, as long as there are no additional escalations of violence. The decision to stop was more PR than actual safety concerns to begin with. CruiseGus and RCIfan1912 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted April 14 Report Share Posted April 14 Yeah, I wouldn't even start worrying about a November sailing yet. But that's my level of tolerance. I love the ABC islands, and I'd need another sea day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Someone_else Posted April 14 Report Share Posted April 14 1 hour ago, smokeybandit said: My guess is they'll restart Haiti in June, as long as there are no additional escalations of violence. The decision to stop was more PR than actual safety concerns to begin with. One of my employee is from Haiti and he said that they are greatly affected by the lack of tourism currently. He does not think that the lack of tourism will be sustainable in the long term. He thinks like you - June/July will be when things start back again, otherwise, bigger concerns and troubles are ahead for Haiti. I do feel for the locals though. When people ask me 'why do you love cruising so much, employees are not well paid while you live your best life'. I love cruising for this exact reason! I get to know the history of our room steward, our servers and love hearing ehat they have to say. I get to tip them well. I am part of them having a job. If there was no crusing, what would these people do? Travelling is one of the greatest school of life and this is why we immersed our kids very early on. CanHardlyWait and OCSC Mike 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanHardlyWait Posted April 14 Report Share Posted April 14 12 minutes ago, Someone_else said: One of my employee is from Haiti and he said that they are greatly affected by the lack of tourism currently. He does not think that the lack of tourism will be sustainable in the long term. He thinks like you - June/July will be when things start back again, otherwise, bigger concerns and troubles are ahead for Haiti. I do feel for the locals though. When people ask me 'why do you love cruising so much, employees are not well paid while you live your best life'. I love cruising for this exact reason! I get to know the history of our room steward, our servers and love hearing ehat they have to say. I get to tip them well. I am part of them having a job. If there was no crusing, what would these people do? Travelling is one of the greatest school of life and this is why we immersed our kids very early on. I can get on board with that train of thought. Well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butters530 Posted April 17 Report Share Posted April 17 On 4/14/2024 at 9:16 AM, smokeybandit said: My guess is they'll restart Haiti in June, as long as there are no additional escalations of violence. The decision to stop was more PR than actual safety concerns to begin with. I don’t think PR had too much of a role - the insurance companies have the most weight in these situations. PhillyLady 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted April 17 Report Share Posted April 17 1 minute ago, Butters530 said: I don’t think PR had too much of a role - the insurance companies have the most weight in these situations. At a recent Captain's corner, the captain all but said it was a PR thing because people don't understand how far Labadee is from Port Au Prince and how difficult the trek would be to get there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted April 17 Report Share Posted April 17 On 3/26/2024 at 5:46 PM, bobroo said: I've heard from diverted Labadee passengers that they have not received any additional port fees, taxes, or expenses because their sailing stopped in someplace other than Haiti. We did not have any additional fees when we were diverted to Falmouth. We also got our Labadee excursions refunded to credit card very quickly, even though they made the decision to cancel the day after our planners closed (this was for a late March cruise). I really thought it would be OBC because it was two days before the sailing, but it was a direct refund. bobroo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted Tuesday at 12:15 AM Report Share Posted Tuesday at 12:15 AM The Grand Turk port schedule has RC ships there through September. Though I could see those being placeholders, not an indication of RC canceling Labadee that deep into the year. https://www.grandturkcc.com/Port-Schedule.aspx Butters530 and Va4fam 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted Tuesday at 02:01 PM Report Share Posted Tuesday at 02:01 PM Well, I was wrong about June. RC just started canceling June stops at Labadee. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted Tuesday at 02:02 PM Report Share Posted Tuesday at 02:02 PM And through to the end of July as well. Just got this for our Adventure sailing 7/27/2024 WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted Tuesday at 02:25 PM Report Share Posted Tuesday at 02:25 PM Maybe that Grand Turk port schedule wasn't just for contingencies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAYNO Posted Tuesday at 02:35 PM Report Share Posted Tuesday at 02:35 PM For the folks looking forward to Labadee, for the folks in Labadee, and for Royal, I am sorry this has been so tough. But to add a Port not routinely visited, is a win, for me. Butters530, HeWhoWaits and WAAAYTOOO 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMeJoe Posted Tuesday at 03:46 PM Report Share Posted Tuesday at 03:46 PM 1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: And through to the end of July as well. And through Aug... WAAAYTOOO and Lovetocruise2002 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_resh_uh Posted Tuesday at 04:06 PM Report Share Posted Tuesday at 04:06 PM Haven't gotten anything yet for our late August sailing on Independence. Sucks to have to divert, but if we do, would prefer a port not oft visited to echo @WAYNO WAYNO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMeJoe Posted Tuesday at 04:08 PM Report Share Posted Tuesday at 04:08 PM Just got one for Sep as well. Not looking good for Labadee WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butters530 Posted Tuesday at 04:10 PM Report Share Posted Tuesday at 04:10 PM Glad we have the information, instead of wondering. WAYNO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_resh_uh Posted Tuesday at 10:59 PM Report Share Posted Tuesday at 10:59 PM Got the email 90 minutes ago. 08/29 sailing on Independence routed to Coco Cay... Really disappointed it wasn't a more interesting alternative, but I guess swapping one RCL private stop for another makes sense. PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted Wednesday at 02:02 AM Report Share Posted Wednesday at 02:02 AM We got PDCC for both of my Indy cruises (June and August) [yawn]. JustMeJoe and AshleyDillo 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruzOnBye Posted Wednesday at 01:04 PM Report Share Posted Wednesday at 01:04 PM Are they offering an option to change ships/itineraries instead without penalty, or are they just rerouting you guys to new ports with no option to make change? Just curious. Two years ago we had an itinerary change with Odyssey and they sent an email stating we could change ships/itineraries with no issue if we weren't happy with the updated itinerary, but in our situation they cut us from 7 nights to 6 nights and we lost Labadee port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.