Photo courtesy Royal Caribbean InternationalROYAL CARIBBEAN
RESPONDS TO
HAITI EARTHQUAKE
On January 12, 2010, a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck 16 miles west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the capital of the country. Current estimates indicate that about three million people were affected by the quake with as many as 200,000 people believed to be dead. The earthquake caused major damage to Port-au-Prince significantly damaging or destroying most major landmarks, including the Presidential Palace.
For almost 30 years, Royal Caribbean International has been an important foreign investor in Haiti. Their private beach destination in Haiti, Labadee®, was undamaged by this week's massive earthquake in the country. This privately-run retreat offers passengers beaches, watersports, a Haitian flea market and a zip-line. Labadee® is the biggest provider of tourist revenue in the country and employs hundreds of Haitians.
Immediate Response to Earthquake
Royal Caribbean announced today its plans to provide at least $1 million in humanitarian relief to Haiti in response to the catastrophic earthquake. They will be partnering with charitable organizations such as Food for the Poor, Pan American Development Foundation, and the Solano Foundation, the company's foundation in Haiti to provide additional assistance to the people of Haiti. Royal Caribbean will also be delivering much needed goods and supplies to Haiti via their cruise ships.
The following ships will be delivering goods to Haiti, such as: rice, dried beans, powdered milk, water, canned goods and other supplies. When the supplies arrive in Labadee®, they will be transported to an offsite location to be distributed by Food for the Poor, a long time partner of Royal Caribbean in Haiti.
- Independence of the Seas® - Friday, January 15th
- Navigator of the Seas® - Monday, January 18th
- Liberty of the Seas® - Tuesday, January 19th
- Celebrity Solstice® - Friday, January 22nd
Guests can Contribute
Guests sailing onboard Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises will be able to make a donation to Food for the Poor's Haiti Relief Fund, via a charge to their onboard account.
We are saddened by the devastation in Haiti this week and are concerned for those living and traveling there. As a service to our readers, here is a partial list of organizations that have offered assistance to the people of Haiti.
To learn how you can contribute immediately, visit one of the following websites:
www.foodforthepoor.org/royalcaribbean
Pan American Development Foundation
American Red Cross
Catholic Relief Services - Haiti
The United Nations World Food Program
The Salvation Army
Project HOPE
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