Royal Caribbean nears pier deal in Haiti

When Royal Caribbean Cruises launches the world's largest cruise ship -- the 220,000-ton Genesis -- late next year, passengers traveling onboard to Labadee, Haiti, will get an added bonus: They'll no longer have to be ferried across the idyllic sea.

After months of negotiations, the Haitian government and the Miami-based cruise line have signed an agreement to build an 800-foot long, $27 million pier that will allow cruise passengers easier access to the secluded beach.

Haitian President René Préval's government also has agreed to extend the company's current lease of the 260-acre luscious peninsula along Haiti's north coast from the year 2026, when it was due to expire, to 2050.

''This is a big thing for Haiti, a really big thing, and we are hopeful this will be somewhat of a catalyst to get the government to understand the potential for viable tourism in Haiti,'' said Craig Milan, president of Royal Celebrity Tours, which arranges land-based excursions in conjunction with cruises on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruise lines....