Here’s an ethical dilemma. The 4,370-berth luxury cruiseliner, Independence of the Seas, owned by Royal Caribbean International, made anchor at a heavily guarded resort on the north coast of Haiti on Friday, just sixty miles from the devastated earthquake zone, so its guests could have rum drinks delivered to their hammocks and frolic in the crystal blue waters.
It sounds sickening—reveling at the beaches of Labadee, the enclave leased by the cruise line, while the dead bodies are piling up. But Royal Caribbean says its ship is carrying some food aid, and it says it will donate all proceeds of the visit to Haiti’s recovery. And Haiti’s UN special envoy argues that Labadee needs the revenue from the stopovers.
On The Informer, our sister blog, Condé Nast Traveler's Kevin Doyle is asking readers: Would you be comfortable drinking a beer and working on your tan on a Haitian beach next week, even if the ship you arrived on was delivering relief supplies?
Have an opinion? Jump on over to The Informer and join the conversation.
Complete Haiti Coverage on Truth.Travel
It sounds sickening—reveling at the beaches of Labadee, the enclave leased by the cruise line, while the dead bodies are piling up. But Royal Caribbean says its ship is carrying some food aid, and it says it will donate all proceeds of the visit to Haiti’s recovery. And Haiti’s UN special envoy argues that Labadee needs the revenue from the stopovers.
On The Informer, our sister blog, Condé Nast Traveler's Kevin Doyle is asking readers: Would you be comfortable drinking a beer and working on your tan on a Haitian beach next week, even if the ship you arrived on was delivering relief supplies?
Have an opinion? Jump on over to The Informer and join the conversation.
Complete Haiti Coverage on Truth.Travel
Claiming to be bringing urgently needed supplies for those suffering is just their way of trying to cover their pathetic asses. Laughable.