Anyone who loves the Caribbean can’t help but be horrified and saddened by the earthquake (and the powerful aftershock) that rocked Haiti in the past week.

I missed much of the initial news reports because I was on a cruise that didn’t have TV, radio or Internet available. But it didn’t take long to catch up on the grim scenes in impoverished Port-au-Prince, which Haitians are fleeing in droves. CNN’s story yesterday of a five-year-old boy who survived being buried in the quake’s rubble is one of the few bright lights in a situation that has been called the ultimate nightmare scenario.

The trade publication Travel Weekly had a very comprehensive story on how the travel community is responding to the tragedy (read the story here) . Check it out, to see how you can donate miles and money to the cause. It’s being updated every day.

Many travel sites, especially those dedicated the cruise industry, have been debating whether or not it’s right that lines such as Royal Caribbean and its sister line, Celebrity Cruises, continue to call in Labadee. CruiseCritic has a good summary of the controversy here.

Personally, I’d feel horrible about being in Haiti as a leisure tourist right now. I wouldn’t be able to go. But I’ve also seen how some of these islands rely tourism, so the argument from  Royal Caribbean’s president and CEO Adam Goldstein that this is not the time to abandon Haiti also rings true. I’m glad the line is bringing in supplies and donating $1 million.

My heart goes out to Haitians and those suffering. I hope the extensive airtime that CNN is devoting to the tragedy continues.