In Ravaged Haiti, Cruise Ships Still Dock

Passengers jet ski, sunbathe 60 miles from earthquake devastation
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 18, 2010 7:44 AM CST
In Ravaged Haiti, Cruise Ships Still Dock
A cruise ship, background, is seen at a private beach on the Labadee peninsula in Haiti, Friday, March 28, 2008.   (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Despite the fact that the epicenter of Haiti’s deadly earthquake is just 60 miles away, cruise ships are still visiting private Labadee beach. Though Royal Caribbean defended its decision to dock Friday, some customers are “sickened,” the Guardian reports. “I just can't see myself sunning on the beach, eating a barbecue, and enjoying a cocktail while there are tens of thousands of dead people being piled up on the streets,” wrote one.

The ships carry aid supplies, and proceeds are being donated to relief efforts; one exec points out that “hundreds of people rely on Labadee for their livelihood” and insists, “We cannot abandon Haiti now that they need us most.” Some passengers agree: Wrote another on the Internet discussion board, “I'll be there on Tuesday and I plan on enjoying my zip line excursion as well as the time on the beach.”
(More Labadee stories.)

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