Just 135 km from the widespread devastation and death in Port-au-Prince, passengers from a Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ship anchored off Labadee Beach frolic in the sea while discussing their dinner choices of filet mignon and lobster. (AP Photo)
Labadee, Ladeedah
January 20, 2010
by shf
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (FASTLAUGH.com) – Royal Caribbean International fired back at its critics today for challenging its decision to continue port calls on its private Labadee resort located just 135 km from the horrific scenes of death and devastation in Port-au-Prince.
Royal Caribbean’s President and CEO, Adam Goldstein, in defending his company’s strategic direction today, emphasized that his cruise line had long been propping up the Haitian economy anyway before the disaster.
He further insisted that, “People enjoying themselves in Labadee helps with relief… Our pampered cruisers are leaving cash and clear consciences behind in Haiti after sunning on the beach, frolicking in the sea, and enjoying barbeque and cocktails in an insular, sanitized environment where they don’t have to witness tens of thousands of dead people being piled up on the streets, or stunned and injured survivors desperately searching for food, water, and family members.”
Goldstein expressed remorse that one of his cruise ship’s guests, a rather mean-spirited satirist who had been gulping jumbo mojitos all day long at the swim-up bar, bellowed some very insensitive lyrics during poolside karaoke to “Labadee, Ladeedah,” an ill-timed parody set to the tune of The Beatles, “Obladi, Oblada,” that regrettably has Desmond and his barrow not faring well at all in a Port-au-Prince marketplace.
Royal Caribbean’s Disaster Zone Cruises to Haiti are proving to be such a big hit with guests that company executives are rapidly formulating possible itineraries for this year’s Caribbean hurricane season, as well as for this year’s typhoon season in the Indian Ocean — adding a port of call in Bangladesh.
Disaster Zone Cruising appears to be a positive trend in the cruise industry, with Holland America Lines — one of Royal Caribbean’s chief competitors — having had great success using its aging SS Veendam for Mexican Riviera Hurricane Cruises this past October.