Icon of the Seas Guests Miffed as Labadee Calls Still Cancelled
The ongoing suspension of port calls to Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private destination on the north coast of Haiti, continues to frustrate guests booked to sail on ships that were to visit the tropical paradise, including the world’s largest ship, Icon of the Seas.
The cruise line in mid-April 2025 reinstated its cancellation of calls to Labadee, a beachside playground offering sparkling blue waters, a lively waterpark, private cabanas, and multiple dining venues.
The decision is tied to continued civil unrest that began in March 2024 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, even though the private resort is 120-plus miles from the capital city.
Guests booked on Icon of the Seas’ May 3, 2025 cruise, a 7-night roundtrip from PortMiami, were expecting to spend one full day at the private destination on May 8, 2025, the second to last day of the voyage.
However, due to the suspension of calls to Labadee, the ship — the largest cruise ship sailing today — will substitute the call with a day at sea.
“I am sailing on Icon this following Saturday and just now I received the email saying the Labadee [call] got canceled, which I totally understand the reason, but I am frustrated that they just put the day as sailing day and didn’t replace for another location,” one disgruntled guest posted.
The cancellation of the Labadee call leaves just two port calls on the ship’s itinerary; Philipsburg, St. Maarten on May 6, 2025, and Ponce, Puerto Rico, on May 7, 2025.
Another booked guest responded to the post, saying: “They should take us to Coco Cay at least . . . can’t believe 5 days at sea!”
The guest was referring to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s other private island destination in the Bahamas. It isn’t known why the cruise line didn’t swap in CocoCay, but it could be that other ships in the fleet are already slated to call there, and there isn’t room for Icon of the Seas.
The cruise line’s notice to guests pointed out that the decision to continue avoiding Labadee stems from safety concerns.
“We have been monitoring the evolving situation in Port-au-Prince and out of an abundance of caution we’re swapping out our visit to Labadee for a sea day,” the cruise line notice said.
“Additionally, we’ve adjusted our arrival and departure times for Ponce, Puerto Rico, and you’ll now have more time to enjoy everything this beautiful destination has to offer,” the statement added.
Royal Caribbean announced it would provide all staterooms with an onboard credit. Interior and ocean view cabins will receive $75; balcony cabins will get $100; and suite accommodations will receive $150. Also, it will credit $25 for each third or more guests in each stateroom.
Itinerary Already Had Been Changed to Avoid San Juan
One disappointed guest said he had booked the Icon of the Seas sailing specifically because he wanted to visit all three beach destinations on the original itinerary.
But as another commenter noted, there are only so many destinations where Icon of the Seas, at 250,800 gross tons and 1,196 feet long, can dock.
Read Also: Labadee, Haiti: What You Need to Know
In fact, the ship’s initial itinerary already had been altered to avoid San Juan because its Pier 3 is under repair, and it was the port’s only dock that accommodates the giant ship. Booked guests were notified earlier that San Juan was being swapped out for Ponce.
Pier 3 has been out of service since April 2024 when MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia damaged a dolphin mooring structure that secures ships while docked at the port.
Icon of the Seas is among multiple Royal Caribbean ships that have adjusted their itineraries to avoid Labadee, including Voyager of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas.
While some guests sailing on Icon of the Seas’ altered itinerary are disappointed at having only two port calls on their weeklong voyage, they won’t lack for fun things to do onboard the ship.
After all, the ship boats seven pools, six waterslides, the largest waterpark at sea, thrill rides such as the Frightening Bolt and the FlowRider surf simulator, an ice rink, and 40-plus restaurants and bars.
Icon of the Seas Guests Miffed as Labadee Calls Still Cancelled