So I'm on the phone with my sister the other night and laughing my butt off. When there are no distractions, she and I have the BEST conversations and I find myself being utterly ridiculous and acting like a loon. It's great!
So we're talking and she's telling me how her son is on a cruise right now with his girlfriend - it's a Royal Caribbean cruise or Carnival, one of them - and how they stopped in Haiti. I'm like "Stupid, inconsiderate Americans!" thinking that I'm being funny and she's like "That's exactly what the newspaper said!"
Seriously, I'm not following all of the specifics about the relief effort in Haiti - what happened there is horrible. What I cannot believe is that a cruise ship would STOP there while there is so much devastation going on! It's like "Oh, sorry that you are all homeless and hungry but attention cruise passengers! The all-you-can-eat lobster buffet is being served on the Leto deck!" I was horrified at that.
Okay, here's a thought: If they can get a CRUISE SHIP in there for funsy sake, why not load up one of those bad-boys with relief supplies? Quit doing the bunny-hop around the pool and doing the limbo and help these people.
Personally, I just found it to be extremely inconsiderate.
*Today's Examiner.com article is the final part of our 50 states field trip series. You can read it HERE. Thanks!*
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11 comments:
We went on a cruise several years ago and one of the stops was Haiti. It only stopped for a few hours and you could take a boat to the beach. We stayed on the boat. If it were today, I would totally get the captain to stay and make everybody get off and help out for the day. Maybe even set up the buffet on the beach and invite the locals for lunch. That's what they should be doing.
When I first read about cruise ships going to Haiti, initially I felt the same way, outraged! But then after I thought about it for a little, my opinion changed. The dollars the country gets from tourism are desperately needed right now, and to cut off the country's only real industry would be criminal, and after reading some news articles, I found that the ships actually are bringing supplies for the Red Cross. And I have to believe that the people who are traveling to the country for leisure would be implored to spend more there and feel a better connection to the country, and only good can come of that.
Yeah, I had the same reaction, and then I thought about it. The whole island isn't devastated, right? What if they stop at a port where they need the tourism? What if that is their only real form of cash flowing into the area? Then I would say that it is appropriate for the ships to continue stopping there, letting the folks flood some badly needed cash into Haiti. In a way, that is a way of helping too.
According to what I have read the money that the tourists spend can help the Haitian people.
I would think its a good thing. Because the tourists bring in much needed $$$. :) A lot of places like that depend on the money they get that way.
The response from Royal Carribean was very enlightening. They are bringing relief supplies, as well as stimulating the local economy. Would it be better for them to go somewhere else with all the tourist dollars?
Well, actually, and this is sad, too. Royal Caribbean takes it ships to an area it developed, Labadee, Haiti. It is totally isolated from the rest of Haiti and, from what I understand, passengers have no access to the REAL Haiti and Haitians, other than the few employed there, cannot enter Labadee. Labadee is somewhat like the "private" islands in the Bahamas that the cruise ships develop for their cruise passengers to have for a day of fun and sun.
I thought that Royal Caribbean, since it does have a clinic, two doctors and usually four nurses on a ship, should have cancelled a couple of weeks cruises and offered ships for humanitarian purposed. I've done 77 Royal Caribbean cruise in the last 15 years, all over the world and I know it would disrupt people's planned vacations but you'd think the airlines would cooperate and the cruise lines could put folks on other itineraries.
Very interesting perspectives. I was thinking the same thing that Oilfield Wife and Lin were until I read RNSANE's comment. If what she's saying is true then the dollars aren't really reaching where it's truly needed. On the other hand, it could be that some of those who need have family members working in that area where the cruise ship docks so that may help. It would have been fabulous for everything to be arranged so the cruise ships could assist in the relief by bringing supplies and workers, etc. SIGH... Regardless of how everything goes there is always something that could have been done better. We still have to keep our country and others in our thoughts and prayers.
I guess it is lucky that the ship didn't get looted and pillaged by angry and desperate locals...
I could not agree more. Where are peoples since of humanity?
I am completely with you, not only inconsiderate, but EXTREMELY ridiculous some of these stories that are being told in light of what you just said.
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