Key Facets:
- Royal Caribbean is cancelling all visitor visits to Labadee, Haiti, via the tip of 2026.
- Various port visits are being organized wherever potential, however some ships could have additional days at sea.
- There is no such thing as a timeline for when the cruise line could at some point start visiting Labadee once more.
The brand new 12 months isn’t fairly two weeks previous, however cruise vacationers hoping so as to add Labadee, Haiti to their “been there, achieved that” listing of port visits in 2026 will now be dissatisfied.
Royal Caribbean has begun the most recent spherical of notifications eradicating the port of name from deliberate itineraries via your entire 12 months, impacting a dozen ships and greater than 65 sailings.
Friends booked on numerous cruises that had initially included Labadee have now began receiving letters informing them of the modifications and the way their particular person itineraries have been impacted.
“We’ve been monitoring the evolving state of affairs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and out of an abundance of warning, we’re cancelling our go to to Labadee,” the notification emails learn.
Completely different ships have completely different modifications to different ports of name each time potential.
For instance, friends booked on the Could 2, 2026 departure of Freedom of the Seas now know they won’t be visiting Labadee, however they are going to be going to Nassau as an alternative as a part of the 5-night itinerary.
Likewise, the September 12, 2026 departure of Journey of the Seas will likely be visiting Grand Turk on that 6-night itinerary as an alternative of Labadee.
Not all ships may be accommodated in different ports of name, nevertheless. The Could 3, 2026 departure of Star of the Seas will get pleasure from a day at sea reasonably than the Labadee port go to on the 7-night cruise.
It isn’t shocking that the Icon-class ship could have a sea day reasonably than one other port go to. The choices to accommodate one of many largest cruise ships on this planet are naturally extra restricted, however Royal Caribbean is making what preparations are potential.
Relying on the ship, crusing date, itinerary, and total port availability, different ports can embrace Nassau, Grand Turk, Grand Cayman, Falmouth, Costa Maya, Cabo Rojo, and extra.
If friends had already booked shore excursions for Labadee via Royal Caribbean, these excursions will likely be robotically cancelled and refunded.
Why So Many Cancellations?
Royal Caribbean started cancelling visits to Labadee following extreme civil unrest and gang exercise that brought about a widespread authorities collapse in 2023 and 2024. Whereas at instances some visits have been cautiously resumed, the cruise line has not had a robust presence in Haiti for greater than a 12 months.
The US Division of State has Haiti listed as a Degree 4: Do Not Journey advisory as a consequence of kidnapping, crime, potential terrorist exercise, and different considerations.
Probably the most extreme situations in Haiti are concentrated across the capital of Port-au-Prince, which is 85 miles south of Labadee.
As a result of legal exercise is now extending effectively previous the capital metropolis, nevertheless, it’s best to be cautious and guarantee vacationers are secure by selecting completely different locations.
Numerous ships do proceed to convey humanitarian provides to Haiti to assist the Royal Caribbean crew members primarily based in Labadee. These are operational stops solely, nevertheless, and friends usually are not permitted to disembark or benefit from the port go to.
Will Royal Caribbean Abandon Haiti Altogether?
With the civil pressure in Haiti unlikely to ease for years, it’s potential that Royal Caribbean may think about pulling out of their non-public improvement in Labadee altogether.
Because the cruise line is now creating new non-public seaside golf equipment and locations, such because the newly opened Royal Seaside Membership Paradise Island within the Bahamas in addition to the upcoming Good Day Mexico in Costa Maya, such a transfer may be into consideration.
Finally, the cruise line is a enterprise and it’ll make no matter selections are greatest for its backside line, the protection of friends and ships, and the satisfaction of shareholders.
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