Cruise visitors typically select their holidays based mostly on port locations and total itineraries, and a port cancellation is usually a disappointment – particularly when cruises are sometimes booked months prematurely.
Company booked on choose upcoming Royal Caribbean sailings may have that disappointment, nonetheless. The cruise line is now persevering with to cancel visits to its personal vacation spot in Labadee, Haiti, effectively into the summer time months.
For instance, vacationers booked on the July 20, 2025 departure of Oasis of the Seas – a 6-night Western Caribbean crusing from Fort Lauderdale – have been notified that they won’t be visiting Labadee as initially deliberate.
“We have now been monitoring the evolving state of affairs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and out of an abundance of warning, we’re swapping our go to to Labadee for a Sea Day, and we’ll now go to Nassau, Bahamas on Day 6 as an alternative,” the e-mail defined.
On the unique itinerary, Oasis of the Seas was to have spent Day 6, the final day of the crusing, having fun with leisurely time at sea. Now, the ship will go to the capital of the Bahamas as an alternative.
Moreover, Oasis of the Seas‘ go to to Falmouth, Jamaica, on Day 4 (July 23) has additionally been tweaked to allow extra time in port, giving visitors further time to take pleasure in that incredible vacation spot.
In latest weeks, Royal Caribbean has as soon as once more begun cancelling all calls to Labadee as gang violence and different legal exercise escalates within the nation.
Whereas the state of affairs just isn’t unprecedented (a number of months of visits have been cancelled in 2024), as a result of the cruise line is now adjusting itineraries months prematurely, it seems unlikely that visits to the personal vacation spot will resume anytime quickly.
Equally, itineraries in July 2025 for Journey of the Seas, homeported from Port Canaveral, in addition to Liberty of the Seas from New Jersey, are additionally cancelling visits to Labadee.
Even the world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, has been diverted away from the vacation spot in latest weeks.
Royal Caribbean is making an attempt to supply different ports reminiscent of Nassau, Grand Cayman, or CocoCay at any time when doable, however some itineraries should make do with an additional sea day when Labadee is eliminated.
Booked visitors are notified with the precise modifications to their itineraries as quickly as such plans are confirmed.
Why Not Go to Haiti?
To be clear, the capital metropolis of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, is positioned roughly 90 miles due south of Labadee. Due to the nation’s mountainous geography and meandering highway techniques, nonetheless, driving between the 2 can sometimes take 6-7 hours.
As the e-mail states, the cruise line is making these scheduling choices out of an abundance of warning. Not solely does cancelling port visits preserve cruise visitors protected, but it surely additionally ensures that native port staff, tour operators, and different residents of Haiti are usually not in danger to service a visiting ship.
The US Division of State at present has a Stage 4: Do Not Journey advisory for all of Haiti. The advisory particularly notes crime, kidnapping, and civil unrest as issues.
“Since March 2024, Haiti has been beneath a State of Emergency. Crimes involving firearms are frequent in Haiti. They embrace theft, carjackings, sexual assault, and kidnappings for ransom,” the advisory reads. “Kidnapping is widespread, and U.S. residents have been victims and have been harm or killed.”
As lately as Friday, Might 2, 2025, a particular alert was issued by the US Embassy a couple of gunfire incident on Rue Romain in downtown Port-au-Prince. Embassy staff and guests have been requested to keep away from the realm, to not be outdoors after darkish, and to be ready to shelter in place if obligatory.
Learn Additionally: Find out how to Keep Secure and Take pleasure in Your Cruise Trip
Personally, regardless of a number of Royal Caribbean cruises, I’ve by no means managed to make it to Labadee. Violence and tumult just isn’t unusual in Haiti, and on a number of itineraries the port has been dropped from our deliberate sailings.
Whereas I’ve been disenchanted to not but go to what appears to be a stunning and distinctive vacation spot, it’s onerous to argue with security first. I’d somewhat skip the port and you’ll want to have a protected and pleasant cruise!
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