Labadee?

[sfaaa]

9 hours ago, BND said:

I don't think some understand exactly where Labadee is in relation to the really populated areas and how far it i from Port Au Prince.   It's 130 miles.

It's in the same country that has zero police protection and a nonfunctioning government. How long would it take for some heavily armed gangs to travel 130 miles by truck? In less than a day.

[BND]

1 minute ago, sfaaa said:

It's in the same country that has zero police protection and a nonfunctioning government. How long would it take for some heavily armed gangs to travel 130 miles by truck? In less than a day.

If you feel unsafe, don't go.  It's that simple.  Do you know how the roads are there?  lol.  It's not a paved highway by a long shot.

[kathy49]

State of Emergency declared today. Not sure cruise ships will continue to go in there. I think this is a major escalation and some desperate people on the loose.

[not-enough-cruising]

3 hours ago, gavvy said:

No they do not, and almost all UK travel insurance do not cover travel to any country where the FCO advises against travel.

 

Most also void the entire policy if you visit a country on the no-travel list as well, something I only found out recently.

 

 

Thank god for US travel insurance. 

[sfaaa]

12 minutes ago, kathy49 said:

State of Emergency declared today. Not sure cruise ships will continue to go in there. I think this is a major escalation and some desperate people on the loose.

It is now a full blown insurgency with the aim to overflow the government. These are no longer just hood gangs. The national gang leader (an ex policeman) wants the whole country and the president throne.

[Harrisonkid]

For Years,  if you got far enough up the hill you would see armed guards in the trees..IMO sadly, Labadee is safer then DC or NYC 

[A&L_Ont]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I'm not sure that would count. Granted when they medivac from the ship in Labadee you get taken to the DR (happened recently I think), but I would think access to medical services would be part of the reason to not cover Haiti visits.

In 2016 they went to DR by chopper. We watched this chopper land and take a teen who had a compound fracture from a fall the day previous.  From there he was transferred by plane to Miami. 
 

 

[kitkat343]

It does appear that things are getting worse 

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/04/haiti-declares-state-of-emergency-amid-double-jailbreak-gang-violence.html 

 

According to cruise timetables, a ship was scheduled to dock there yesterday and the next scheduled ship is:

5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship Explorer Of The Seas 

 

which is scheduled to dock on 3/6.  I guess we'll know on Wed if RC will need to temporarily redeploy its fleet.  

[prmssk]

2 minutes ago, kitkat343 said:

It does appear that things are getting worse 

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/04/haiti-declares-state-of-emergency-amid-double-jailbreak-gang-violence.html 

 

According to cruise timetables, a ship was scheduled to dock there yesterday and the next scheduled ship is:

5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship Explorer Of The Seas 

 

which is scheduled to dock on 3/6.  I guess we'll know on Wed if RC will need to temporarily redeploy its fleet.  

The Symphony of the Seas is headed there currently and scheduled to dock tomorrow morning.  

 

I agree that everything I'm reading sounds like this is an escalation from what we have seen before.  I do trust RC though to make the right call.  They have way too much at stake to make the wrong call.  

[White Rodent]

Well, it is like this.  The gangs want money and power.  If they get control of the country, they aren’t going to overrun Labadee.  They are going to shakedown Royal Caribbean for protection cash and they are going to shakedown all the local suppliers.  They aren’t going to kill the goose that laid the golden egg.  While they are evil thugs, they are also smart business people.  
 

Things will likely get much worse for the people of Haiti, and that is heartbreaking. Truly it is. It is and will continue to be hell for the people of Haiti.  But cruise passengers on the other side of the armed gate will be in paradise like they have been for several years while there is suffering on the other side. 

 

[Ocean Boy]

9 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

And the crime there is very opportunistic. While you can't say never, the benefit of trying to cross the country to storm a fortified beach really isn't there for them.

Fortified beach?

[smokeybandit]

Just now, Ocean Boy said:

Fortified beach?

Yeah, re-reading it sounds like Labadee is Normandy.

 

[sfaaa]

2 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

There really is not that much infrastructure at Labadee. I can't foresee RCI hanging around and dealing with thugs. Any attempt to shake down RCI and I'm pretty sure they would be out.

That would be smart. Can you imagine the financial, legal and other negative implications to RCCL if some cruise passengers are harmed or kidnapped by these armed gangs at Labadee?  

[taglovestocruise]

2 hours ago, White Rodent said:

 

Labadee is a walled fortress.  You can only book excursions inside the fortified privately owned area.  
 

 

You have a loose definition of a walled fortress. This is the backside of Labadee.

 

        

 

   

[rolloman]

10 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

And the crime there is very opportunistic. While you can't say never, the benefit of trying to cross the country to storm a fortified beach really isn't there for them.

They seem to easily storm across the ocean and cross our borders so I am pretty sure they can make it the 120 miles on land. I would have to say they are on the run to get away from city. Therefore, I would not be surprised if a few showed up to sell some trinkets they made while in jail. 

[Ocean Boy]

3 minutes ago, rolloman said:

 Therefore, I would not be surprised if a few showed up to sell some trinkets they made while in jail. 

At least they would be legit and not made in China.

[LobsterStalker]

13 hours ago, BND said:

I don't think some understand exactly where Labadee is in relation to the really populated areas and how far it i from Port Au Prince.   It's 130 miles.

ya , and with 3500 prisoners on the run , Noone would ever stray 130 miles ?

 

Cheers

[smokeybandit]

If storming Labadee was something that the gangs thought they could profit from, they'd already have tried.

 

[LobsterStalker]

12 hours ago, mashisback said:

I get that, and im not overly worried personally, 

however.... it sounds like it has become lawless over their and with 1000's of prisoners escaping and gangs running the show, surely it would be ignorant to think things could not effect somewhere in the same country just because there are walls and guards.

 

Dont get me wrong I am far from knowledgable in this... but after seeing some of the most advanced places breaking into wars etc, my perception of safe and stable areas has changed.

Exactly

There is also a government and Police force in the city . How are they making out ?

I do not think there is a huge likelihood of problems in Labadee , but that said ,I find it humorous how many think that a few guards and some walls would be any match for the gangs, (And now add 3500 more) , that have been terrorizing the city for years .

 

 

[not-enough-cruising]

7 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said:

Exactly

There is also a government and Police force in the city . How are they making out ?

I do not think there is a huge likelihood of problems in Labadee , but that said ,I find it humorous how many think that a few guards and some walls would be any match for the gangs, (And now add 3500 more) , that have been terrorizing the city for years .

 

 

Terrorizing the city for years and have yet to make it to Labadee. I don’t think there’s much chance that’s going to change 

[LobsterStalker]

2 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

11 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said:

Exactly

There is also a government and Police force in the city . How are they making out ?

I do not think there is a huge likelihood of problems in Labadee , but that said ,I find it humorous how many think that a few guards and some walls would be any match for the gangs, (And now add 3500 more) , that have been terrorizing the city for years .

 

 

Terrorizing the city for years and have yet to make it to Labadee. I don’t think there’s much chance that’s going to change

I stated the same. My point is not about the likelihood , rather that so many seem to think because (it's so heavily fortified) , that it would be an impossibility. 

Glad so many are happy with their heads in the sand

 

Cheers

[firefly333]

54 minutes ago, rolloman said:

They seem to easily storm across the ocean and cross our borders so I am pretty sure they can make it the 120 miles on land. I would have to say they are on the run to get away from city. Therefore, I would not be surprised if a few showed up to sell some trinkets they made while in jail. 

Oh great. I hadnt even thought about them coming across our southern border. Didnt need that in my head. 

[Pochi Hanaki]

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Oh great. I hadnt even thought about them coming across our southern border. Didnt need that in my head. 

Southern border? Florida is right there with zero borders. Nothing like trying to scare people.

[Harrisonkid]

The sad truth is that Haiti has an uprisings every year. This is not news . They have many political power struggles and this is just another one  and Royal has been through all of them ...not a worry for cruisers but maybe a problem for the good people of Haiti ☹️

[BND]

10 hours ago, LobsterStalker said:

ya , and with 3500 prisoners on the run , Noone would ever stray 130 miles ?

 

Cheers

Do you realize how many criminals they haven't imprisoned that are already running free?   We've been going to Labadee since about 2010 and have never felt unsafe.  Hassled by vendors, yes, unsafe, no.  Haiti has been an almost lawless country for years.  Every time the US says not to travelto Haiti someone starts a "sky is falling" thread.  Labadee is heavily guarded.  

Edited March 5 by BND