Threatened by Gangsters, Cruise Ship Cancels Sailing Caribbean
Royal Caribbean cruise ship. (REUTERS/MARIA ALEJANDRA CARDONA)
Labadee - Royal Caribbean cruise ship canceled plans to sail to Labadee in Haiti following ongoing political unrest and high levels of gangster violence.
According to the Independent, Friday (26/4/2024), Royal Caribbean actually suspended sailings to the peninsula in mid-March. And now it has extended the cancellation until the end of May.
A company spokesperson said that Royal Caribbean is temporarily making adjustments to cruises that visit Labadee. In addition, the global security and intelligence team is also closely monitoring the developing situation.
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"The safety and security of our guests, crew and the communities we visit is our top priority," explained a spokesperson.
"We will continue to monitor and reassess calls as needed, and will communicate the latest information with guests directly," he continued.
Several travel plans that will be disrupted include the ships Allure of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas which are scheduled to dock in Labadee in May.
The Express explains that passengers can enjoy an additional day at sea or can go to Royal Caribbean's private resort in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Labadee is a private resort that Royal Caribbean has rented since the mid-1980s. But Haiti is the area that has jurisdiction over the peninsula. Haiti itself is currently in turmoil amid the resignation of prime minister Ariel Henry and a spike in violence perpetrated by gangsters.
Rising levels of violence have led to many deaths and several states are on the verge of collapse.
Meanwhile, countries such as the UK are advising against travel to Haiti due to the worrying security situation.
"If you choose to travel to or stay in Haiti against FCDO advice, try to avoid all crowds and public events, and take appropriate safety precautions," the British Foreign Office said.
Diancam Gangster, Kapal Pesiar Batal Berlayar ke Karibia
Kapal pesiar Royal Caribbean. (REUTERS/MARIA ALEJANDRA CARDONA)
Labadee - Kapal pesiar Royal Caribbean membatalkan rencana berlayar ke Labadee di Haiti setelah gejolak politik yang tengah berlangsung dan tingginya kekerasan para gangster.
Melansir Independent, Jumat (26/4/2024), Royal Caribbean sebenarnya telah menangguhkan pelayaran ke semenanjung tersebut pada pertengahan Maret. Dan kini telah memperpanjang pembatalan sampai akhir Mei.
Juru bicara perusahaan mengatakan bahwa Royal Caribbean sementara waktu melakukan penyesuaian terhadap pelayaran yang mengunjungi Labadee. Selain itu, tim keamanan dan intelijen global juga memantau dengan seksama situasi yang berkembang.
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"Keselamatan dan keamanan para tamu, kru, dan komunitas yang kami kunjungi adalah prioritas utama kami," terang seorang juru bicara.
"Kami akan terus memantau dan menilai kembali panggilan sesuai kebutuhan, dan akan mengkomunikasikan informasi terbaru dengan para tamu secara langsung," sambungnya.
Adapun beberapa rencana perjalanan yang akan terganggu misalnya kapal Allure of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, dan Symphony of the Seas yang dijadwalkan berlabuh di Labadee pada Mei.
The Express menerangkan bahwa penumpang dapat menikmati satu hari tambahan di laut atau dapat pergi ke resor pribadi Royal Caribbean di Bahama, Perfect Day di CocoCay.
Adapun Labadee adalah resor pribadi yang disewa Royal Caribbean sejak pertengahan 1980-an. Tetapi Haiti adalah daerah yang memiliki yurisdiksi atas semenanjanjung tersebut. Haiti sendiri tengah dilanda kekacauan di tengah pengunduran diri perdana menteri Ariel Henry dan lonjakan kekerasan yang dilakukan para gangster.
Meningkatnya tingkat kekerasan menyebabkan banyak kematian dan beberapa negara bagian tersebut diambang kehancuran.
Sementara itu, negara seperti Inggris menyarankan untuk tidak melakukan perjalanan ke Haiti karena situasi keamanan yang mengkhawatirkan.
"Jika Anda memilih untuk melakukan perjalanan ke atau tinggal di Haiti bertentangan dengan saran FCDO, cobalah untuk menghindari semua kerumunan dan acara publik, dan lakukan tindakan pencegahan keamanan yang sesuai," ujar Kementerian Luar Negeri Inggris.