Royal Caribbean has as soon as once more suspended visits to its non-public seashore vacation spot in Labadee, Haiti, because the cruise line takes precautions amid a worsening safety disaster within the nation.
Passengers aboard Voyager of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas have been notified this week that their itineraries had modified and Labadee could be skipped “out of an abundance of warning.” The bulletins, made via letters and shipwide notifications, come as violent gang exercise continues to destabilize Haiti, particularly in and across the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Though Labadee lies roughly 209 kilometers north of the capital and is fenced off with non-public safety, Royal Caribbean is just not taking any dangers. The cruise line has opted to reroute Oasis of the Seas to Nassau, Bahamas, and Voyager of the Seas to Puerto Plata within the Dominican Republic.
“We’re terribly sorry for the last-minute change,” reads a letter despatched to passengers aboard Oasis of the Seas. “As beforehand introduced by our Captain, out of an abundance of warning, as an alternative of visiting Labadee on Thursday, we’ll take pleasure in an attractive day in Nassau, Bahamas, on Friday.”
Visitors who bought shore excursions in Labadee might be refunded within the type of onboard credit score to their SeaPass accounts.
– Commercial –
It stays unclear how lengthy Royal Caribbean will keep away from calling at Labadee. This isn’t the primary time the cruise line has suspended visits to the 260-acre resort. In 2024, following a surge of gang assaults on police stations and authorities buildings in Haiti, Royal Caribbean halted Labadee stops for six months earlier than resuming in October.
The present suspension comes amid heightened concern throughout the journey business. Earlier this yr, america extended its ban on flights to Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, till no less than September 8 as a consequence of escalating gang violence. JetBlue additionally introduced it might be extending its suspension of flights to Haiti’s Toussaint Louverture Worldwide Airport in Port-au-Prince till no less than June 11, 2025.
Labadee, which is accessible solely to Royal Caribbean cruise passengers, stays below tight safety. Nevertheless, Canada’s authorities continues to advise in opposition to all journey to Haiti, citing widespread gang violence, the specter of kidnappings, and the potential for civil unrest.
As Haiti’s safety state of affairs stays risky, cruise traces and airways alike are treading cautiously, rerouting vacationers and adjusting operations to prioritize security.
