Labadee
Labadie
Labadee | |
---|---|
Village | |
Coordinates: 19°47′11″N 72°14′44″W / 19.78639°N 72.24556°W | |
Country | Haiti |
Department | Nord |
Arrondissement | Cap-Haïtien |
Labadee (French: Labadie) is a port located on the northern coast of Haiti within the arrondissement of Cap-Haïtien in the Nord department. It is a private resort leased until 2050 to Royal Caribbean Group, for the exclusive use of passengers of its three cruise lines: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara Club Cruises.[1] Royal Caribbean has contributed the largest proportion of tourist revenue to Haiti since 1986[citation needed], employing 300 locals, allowing another 200 to sell their wares on the premises for a fee[2] and paying the Haitian government US$12 per tourist.[3] The resort is completely tourist-oriented and is guarded by a private security force. The site is fenced off from the surrounding area, and passengers cannot leave the property. Food available to tourists is brought from the cruise ships. A controlled group of Haitian merchants are given sole rights to sell merchandise and establish their businesses in the resort. Although sometimes described as an island in advertisements, it is actually a peninsula contiguous with the island of Hispaniola. The cruise ship moors to the pier at Labadee are capable of servicing the Oasis class ships, which was completed in late 2009.[4] The commercial airport that is closest to Labadee is Cap-Haïtien International Airport.
Attractions include a Haitian flea market, beaches, watersports, a water-oriented playground, an alpine coaster, and the largest zip-line over water.[5]
Etymology
The location is named after the Marquis de La Badie, a Frenchman who first settled the area in the 17th century. The peninsula and a village were named Labadie.[6] The cruise company spells the name "Labadee" to make it easier for American English-speakers to pronounce.[6]
History
Labadee is a 260-acre private resort that was leased to Royal Caribbean Cruises in 1986.[7] In the 1990s, it was variously reported that many cruise ship guests who disembarked at the location were unaware that they were in Haiti[2] - at least in part because the cruise company seemed to have a policy of referring only to Hispaniola, not that they were in Haiti.[8][9]
In November 2001, a crew member from the cruise line Royal Caribbean was attacked on Labadee in an apparent robbery. The assailants were arrested by Haitian police.[10]
In February 2004, during the 2004 Haitian coup d'état, Royal Caribbean temporarily suspended use of the stop due to the political unrest in the country.[11]
In 2009, Royal Caribbean made US$55 million in improvements to the facilities, including upgrading port facilities to allow the docking of their largest cruise ships.[12]
In January 2010, just after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Royal Caribbean announced its intention to continue cruise stopovers at the port and use cruise ships to ferry relief supplies and personnel. In addition, it would donate US$1 million to fund relief efforts in Haiti.[12]
In January 2016, Haitians in boats protesting against the Haitian government blocked the port. Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas cancelled their port stop on January 19 as a result.[13]
References
- ^ "Haiti:The island and the outside world". The Economist. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ a b "Could this paradise really be poor, desperate Haiti?". Christian Science Monitor. 25 January 2006. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
- ^ "Haiti's local community to benefit from additional fee from cruise passengers". Haitian Caribbean News Network. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
- ^ "Labadee". www.expedia.com. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ "Labadee". The Washington Post. 2007-01-21. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ a b Cruise Travel, Google Books.
- ^ Birch, Gillian (2021-03-26). "Labadee, Haiti: What You Need to Know". Cruise Hive. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
- ^ AIDS and Accusation: Haiti and the Geography of Blame, Updated with a New ... - Paul Farmer - Google Books.
- ^ Polly Pattullo, Last Resorts: The Cost of Tourism in the Caribbean. Google Books.
- ^ RCI Crew Member Attacked in Labadee
- ^ "CRUISES / Sittin' on the dock of the Gulf". The San Francisco Chronicle. 2004-02-27.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Robert Booth (2010-01-17). "Cruise ships still find a Haitian berth". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Golden, Fran (January 20, 2016). "Cruise ship turns away from Haiti amid protests". USA Today. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
External links
- Labadee at the Royal Caribbean website
- "Labadie" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 13 October 2016.