Day 3– Tuesday, May 25

Port of Call – Labadee, Haiti

"Ring . . .Ring went the telephone.

“Hello?” May I speak to Pepper?
”May I ask who is calling”
”This is Reggie (from Kansas City). Get up! It’s time to go to Haiti!”
”Reggie, What time is it?
“8:00 a.m.”

Boy, was I tempted to hang up on him! All we wanted to do was turn over and go back to bed but we also wanted to go to Labadee so we brushed off the sleepy bug and got dressed for breakfast.

The captain announced we had arrived in Labadee. Some went to eat breakfast, others went straight to the island for fun in the sun. Some never heard the announcement because they were unconscious. The identity of one particular individual will be revealed later.

Breakfast was worth getting up for. We had a choice of sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, made-to-order omelets, potatoes prepared in a variety of ways, fruit, grits, donuts, pastries, juice, coffee and more.

Buy Someting from Me

The sky was cloudy, dark and hazy but the sun was still hot. We could tell a storm was forthcoming but it did not look like it would arrive any time while we were on the island. We had to take a Tender (a smaller bi-level boat that transports passengers from a larger ocean vessel to land when a ship-to-land connection cannot be made). We arrived on the island and went our separate ways to shop, watch a show or relax on the beach.

The natives who owned the outdoor shops were eagerly awaiting the American dollars. Their aggressive sales approach made shopping for all of us somewhat unpleasant. We coerced and pulled (not physically) in different directions by the islanders, each vendor hoping we would purchase one or more of the items they had on display. "I know what you want, buy something from me" was the phrase of the day. The Haitian economy had taken a large dip and this was the second American Tourist ship they had encountered in months. With that said, their aggressiveness was understood although unnerving.

Meanwhile, away from the market, the Haitians treated us with live entertainment. They danced, sang, played music and even ate fire. Kylah Preston (Detroit) was called to the stage by a 350 lb. islander (150 of which was belly) who wanted to teach her a few moves and she was ready (see photo). He put on a show for her . . .he showed her how to “bump and grind” Haitian style. Kylah participated but she had to draw the line when he motioned to her that he wanted her to try to eat fire from the flaming stick.

Bar-B-Que Kylah was not on the menu but free BBQ ribs and chicken were, compliments of Royal Caribbean. After eating, we headed to the beach for fun in the almost present sun. Kylah had to cool off from her hot experience by taking a relaxing swim in the Caribbean.

Back to the Ship - The Unconscious Revealed
Upon return to the ship, we ran into Shelly (Annapolis, MD) and in casual conversation we asked, “What did you think of Haiti”? Shelly’s response was “Haiti? Uhhhh, I never saw it. I just woke up!” It was Five 0’Clock in the afternoon and Miss “Party All Night” from the night before, had been unconscious the entire day. Does she get a partial refund? I think not.

Queen of the Greedy Bunch
Some of us headed back to the Windjammer for dinner before dinner at the formal dining room. The Windjammer was a nice place to relax and eat. Each time we came in, we were greeted by two ladies who directed us to the part of the dining room that was open. They welcomed us with a soulful song and dance that was capped off by them pointing and chanting "This Way" or "That Way".

A bunch of pigs we were. The food was free so what can I say? Queen of the Greedy Bunch was Pepper (Columbus, OH). Pepper ate about six meals per day. There were days when she would eat, leave the dining room, run into other skaters on board who were just heading to eat and she would turn around and go back to eat with them. She struggled to get in those size 4 jeans by the time we got off the boat. We almost had to roll her off.

Tragedy in the Caribbean
After sailing for a few hours, we found out that soon after we departed from the coast of Haiti, a terrible tragedy occurred. Torrential floods hit the islands of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, washing out everything in it's path, leaving a death toll of nearly 1000 with the possibility of the count reaching as high as 2000. Workers, soldiers and villagers struggled to save the living and bury the dead. The greatest losses were in Haiti, making it one of the world’s worst natural disasters in Caribbean history.

The Evening Festivities
As the night sky fell, we participated in many of the activities that the ship had provided for our entertainment pleasure such as: Gambling, Bingo, Ice Skating, an art auction, Circuit Training, a Broadway show and more.

Lamont (New Jersey) had the time of his life Tuesday night. He was one of the head party people in the crew. The skaters were headed to the Dragon’s Lair (dance club) to finish off what they had started the night before. This time, they did not make it to the club before they cut loose. The casino, which is next to the Lair, has a stairway that connects to the club. Lamont and his crew started a Soul Train Line in the casino. Enticing people from the slot machines to join in, they danced their way through the casino and down into the club! Now that’s a Soul Train Line. Once again, they shut the club down early in the wee hours of the morning.

"There are plenty of party animals amongst the skaters, myself included. We shut the dance club down on the ship every night from the first to the last. Some of the die-hard dancers included; Reggie, Min, Shelly, Carol, Carl, Debra, Sherri, Pepper, Tonya and me, Wanda. Carl (Columbus) was the life of the party and made sure everyone had a good time. We didn't miss a beat. This is just some of us because I can't remember everybody's name. That's why some of us were so tired that when we docked on the islands, certain people slept half the day and missed their excursions. I will let them remain anonymous. As for myself I missed the second formal dinner because it was either eat and sleep or sleep and skate and of course being the true skateaholic that I am you know I slept and skated. Des, we had a ball didn't we?"

Wanda
Suitland, MD

The night still wasn’t over. At 4:00 a.m., the tired and aching legs from dancing, walked up to Deck 11 to relax in the hot tubs and swimming pools.