Labadee - NOT Haiti

I'm going on my first cruise this summer and am looking forward to it.
I got a catalog in the mail from Royal Caribbean containing all there
Caribbean cruises. One of the islands I will be visiting is
Hispaniola(Labadee). But, I'm a little shocked. All thru the book they
list Labadee as part of Hispaniola and not HAITI! Now, correct me if I'm
wrong but isn't Labadee in Haiti? I don't think they mention the word Haiti
once in the whole catalog. What a pathetic thing to do. Hispaniola? Isn't
that word from the Christopher Columbus days? Oh, I did see the words
"Haitian culture" twice. But no Haiti. What's wrong? Maybe hey think no
one would want to visit the Labadee island if they knew it was on the island
with those Haitians we see on CNN? Is this racism? Ignorance? Probably
both.

Hispanola is the name of the island Haiti and the Dominican Republic share.
Labadee is on the Haitian side, although it is very isolated. Given recent
news coverage about Haiti, I'm not too surprised that RCI is trying to
obscure the fact that Labadee is in fact in Haiti.

Tom Smith

"Von Fourche" wrote in message
link.net...

I'm going on my first cruise this summer and am looking forward to it.
I got a catalog in the mail from Royal Caribbean containing all there
Caribbean cruises. One of the islands I will be visiting is
Hispaniola(Labadee). But, I'm a little shocked. All thru the book they
list Labadee as part of Hispaniola and not HAITI! Now, correct me if I'm
wrong but isn't Labadee in Haiti? I don't think they mention the word
Haiti
once in the whole catalog. What a pathetic thing to do. Hispaniola?
Isn't
that word from the Christopher Columbus days? Oh, I did see the words
"Haitian culture" twice. But no Haiti. What's wrong? Maybe hey think no
one would want to visit the Labadee island if they knew it was on the
island
with those Haitians we see on CNN? Is this racism? Ignorance? Probably
both.

"Von Fourche" wrote in message
link.net...

I'm going on my first cruise this summer and am looking forward to it.
I got a catalog in the mail from Royal Caribbean containing all there
Caribbean cruises. One of the islands I will be visiting is
Hispaniola(Labadee). But, I'm a little shocked. All thru the book they
list Labadee as part of Hispaniola and not HAITI! Now, correct me if I'm
wrong but isn't Labadee in Haiti? I don't think they mention the word
Haiti
once in the whole catalog. What a pathetic thing to do. Hispaniola?
Isn't
that word from the Christopher Columbus days? Oh, I did see the words
"Haitian culture" twice. But no Haiti. What's wrong? Maybe hey think no
one would want to visit the Labadee island if they knew it was on the
island
with those Haitians we see on CNN? Is this racism? Ignorance?

Neither...

It's Marketing.

--Tom


Probably
both.

Here's another issue about Haiti.

Haitian Police Take Back Rebel Town

Updated 9:39 PM ET February 9, 2004


By Marco Trujillo

SAINT MARC, Haiti (Reuters) - Haitian police took back a city from armed
gangs on Monday, delivering the government its first victory in a 5-day-old
armed revolt that has presented President Jean-Bertrand Aristide with his
most dangerous challenge in months of protests.

Shortly after police secured control of the port city of Saint Marc, 65
miles north of the capital, Port-au-Prince, Prime Minister Yvon Neptune flew
in by helicopter to the occasional shout of support for Aristide.

Surrounded by police in helmets, balaclavas and body armor, some of whom
belonged to a special presidential guard, he said there had been little
resistance and assured residents the government wanted to seek peace through
dialogue, not force.

"What we are doing is to make sure that peace is re-established. We are
encouraging the police to get together with the population so that the cycle
of violence can cease, " Neptune told reporters.

A Reuters Television cameraman saw bullets on the ground and one dead
civilian in Saint Marc. There was no sign of the armed gangs who torched its
police station on Saturday after driving out police, and who then looted
containers in the port and riddled the streets with barricades.

Haiti's army was disbanded when Aristide was restored to power in 1994 by a
U.S.-led invasion after having been deposed in a coup soon after he became
the poor Caribbean country's first elected leader.

In the past few days, the police have been beaten back in some areas as the
rebellion rolled through provincial towns, leaving at least 23 people dead.

Several policemen were killed between Thursday and Saturday when the latest
revolt began in Gonaives, the city where Haiti declared its independence in
1804 after former slaves defeated Napoleon's French army.

The rebels in Gonaives, who once belonged to a pro-Aristide band known as
the Cannibal Army, appeared to have remained in control of that city on
Monday.

ARISTIDE DETERMINED TO STAY

Aristide, a former Roman Catholic priest once hailed as a champion of
Haiti's fragile democracy, has faced rising pressure to resign since
disputed parliamentary elections in 2000, and now faces accusations from
opponents of corruption and political thuggery.

Dismissing anti-government demonstrations in recent months as the work of a
mulatto elite opposed to rule by the black majority, Aristide says he
intends to serve out his second term to 2006.

The United States, saying the violence "concerned us greatly," called on all
Haitians on Monday to respect the law. "The problems of Haiti will not be
solved by violence and retribution," State Department spokesman Richard
Boucher said.

In pro-government enclaves in the dirt-poor provinces of the country of 8
million, some community leaders said they were "fortifying" towns against
expected attacks from insurgents, and some opposition leaders warned of
anarchy.

"They (the opposition) all have one rallying cry. They're tired of
Aristide," Leslie Maximilien, president of the opposition National Forum for
the Salvation of Haiti, said.

"But if they win the day, then they will probably break up into small pieces
again and we'll be even worse off than we are now," said Maximilien.

Andre Apaid, an Arab-Haitian businessman who has been at the forefront of
the so-called Group of 184 opposition coalition, condemned the violence but
said it sprang from despair.

"If it (the violence) has one value, it is that it's attracting world
attention on the fact that what is here today is bigger than what was there
yesterday in terms of trouble, and that it is smaller today than it will be
tomorrow if the world does not address this very quickly," he said.
(Additional reporting by Michael Christie and Amy Bracken in Port-au-Prince)


"Thomas Smith" -NO-SPAM wrote in message
...
Hispanola is the name of the island Haiti and the Dominican Republic
share.
Labadee is on the Haitian side, although it is very isolated. Given
recent
news coverage about Haiti, I'm not too surprised that RCI is trying to
obscure the fact that Labadee is in fact in Haiti.

Tom Smith

"Von Fourche" wrote in message
link.net...

I'm going on my first cruise this summer and am looking forward to
it.
I got a catalog in the mail from Royal Caribbean containing all there
Caribbean cruises. One of the islands I will be visiting is
Hispaniola(Labadee). But, I'm a little shocked. All thru the book they
list Labadee as part of Hispaniola and not HAITI! Now, correct me if
I'm
wrong but isn't Labadee in Haiti? I don't think they mention the word
Haiti
once in the whole catalog. What a pathetic thing to do. Hispaniola?
Isn't
that word from the Christopher Columbus days? Oh, I did see the words
"Haitian culture" twice. But no Haiti. What's wrong? Maybe hey think
no
one would want to visit the Labadee island if they knew it was on the
island
with those Haitians we see on CNN? Is this racism? Ignorance?
Probably
both.

As you return from your cruise, you will be instructed by RCI to
complete your USA immigration/customs debarkation form by including
"Haiti" under countries your vessel visited [and this will be the first
official mention by RCI of the fact that you actually stopped in Haiti]!

Personally, I'm a little surprised that Royal Caribbean is still
stopping at Labadee, in the light of the current situation in Haiti.

Thomas Smith wrote:
Hispanola is the name of the island Haiti and the Dominican Republic share.
Labadee is on the Haitian side, although it is very isolated. Given recent
news coverage about Haiti, I'm not too surprised that RCI is trying to
obscure the fact that Labadee is in fact in Haiti.

This is not a recent thing by Royal. They've been referring to the stop as
"Labadee" since they started going there. For a long time, the word "Haiti" has
not had a good connotation, and it has never been used regarding this port.
Years ago you'd have been hard-pressed to know where you were at all. I've
found that over time they've been more open about it, if anything.

Tom's right...it's marketing.

~ Peri

On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 08:08:18 -0500, MiamiCruiser
wrote:

Personally, I'm a little surprised that Royal Caribbean is still
stopping at Labadee, in the light of the current situation in Haiti.

Hi,

FWIW, RCL management has suspended port of calls at Labadee in the
past when they felt it was unsafe.

Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com

" What's wrong? Maybe hey think no one would want to visit the Labadee
island if they knew it was on the island with those Haitians we see on
CNN? Is this racism? Ignorance? Probably both."

Why does it always have to be 'racism'?
It is MARKETING..... pure and simple....good business...

'Is it racism?'........ That is pathetic

Hi,

We went on Voyager of the Seas to Labadee 2 yrs ago...............of all the
ports on that cruise Labadee was BY FAR the best stop we made. It's
absolutely breathtaking, peaceful, beautiful..........you will have a
wonderful time. It's not sleazy like a lot of the other islands because
it's RC's "private island". There is no development, the actual island is
blocked off from any locals except those they permit in to sell a few little
trinkets in huts, and everything (staff, activities, rental equipment) is
ALL RC's. It really was the NICEST port of call on our whole cruise. I
would go back there again in a heartbeat, my whole family of 26 LOVED it. I
would worry more about Ochos Rios, Jamaica if your stopping there like we
did..............now that was a sleaze fest. Dirty, yucky, and a little
unnerving to be walking around with armed guards everywhere. NOT a nice
port...................really though, you'll LOVE Labadee, enjoy it!!!

Kristen

"Von Fourche" wrote in message
link.net...

I'm going on my first cruise this summer and am looking forward to it.
I got a catalog in the mail from Royal Caribbean containing all there
Caribbean cruises. One of the islands I will be visiting is
Hispaniola(Labadee). But, I'm a little shocked. All thru the book they
list Labadee as part of Hispaniola and not HAITI! Now, correct me if I'm
wrong but isn't Labadee in Haiti? I don't think they mention the word
Haiti
once in the whole catalog. What a pathetic thing to do. Hispaniola?
Isn't
that word from the Christopher Columbus days? Oh, I did see the words
"Haitian culture" twice. But no Haiti. What's wrong? Maybe hey think no
one would want to visit the Labadee island if they knew it was on the
island
with those Haitians we see on CNN? Is this racism? Ignorance? Probably
both.