Royal Caribbean Suspends Visits to Haiti Due to Worsening Unrest
Is history repeating itself? Royal Caribbean fans won’t soon forget how the cruise line avoided its private destination on Labadee, Haiti, for seven months in 2024.
But after successfully resuming cruises to Labadee in October of last year and reassuring guests of the destination’s safety, the cruise line is once again removing the exclusive port from itineraries due to unrest in the Caribbean nation – at least temporarily.
So far, current guests onboard Voyager of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas have reported that the destination has been switched out – with one guest saying that Royal Caribbean would be avoiding Labadee for the next month.
“The captain has just come over the Tano and said that Royal Caribbean have [cancelled] all stops to Haiti for the next month due to the ongoing situation which is rapidly escalating. We are now going to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic,” one current guest onboard Voyager of the Seas shared.
The Voyager-class flagship is currently operating a 5-night Eastern Caribbean cruise that embarked from Port Canaveral, Florida, on April 14, 2025. The only other port call on the original itinerary is Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas, which is unimpacted.
Letters to impacted guests onboard Oasis of the Seas also reflect that the sudden change was made due to potential safety concerns.
“As previously announced by our Captain, out of an abundance of caution, instead of visiting Labadee on Thursday, we’ll enjoy a beautiful day in Nassau, Bahamas, on Friday,” reads a letter from the cruise line, in part.
This update was sent to guests of the current 6-night Western Caribbean voyage that embarked from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 13, 2025. The sailing also includes calls on CocoCay and Falmouth, Jamaica, which have not been affected.
Are More Changes Coming?
With initial reports suggesting that Royal Caribbean will be avoiding Labadee for the next month, more itinerary changes are likely forthcoming.
Both Voyager of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas are scheduled to visit Labadee several more times in April and May, as are other ships like Adventure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, and Grandeur of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean’s announcement also comes after a dozen sailings from Celebrity Cruises, which is owned by Royal Caribbean Group, were modified to skip Labadee.
At the time, Celebrity Cruises did not provide a reason for the change, but many in the cruise community suspected that it had to do with unrest throughout other parts of Haiti.
Read Also: Labadee, Haiti: What You Need to Know
It’s true that the country is under a Level 4: Do Not Travel Advisory from the US government, which is the most severe warning – with the reasons behind the alert listed as kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited healthcare.
However, most of the unrest has been in other parts of Haiti, namely the capital city of Port-au-Prince. As Labadee is over 100 miles away (or a more than six hour drive) from the worst of the unrest, and is a controlled access area with private security, Royal Caribbean had chosen to resume visits to the 260-acre resort.
The only changes that guests had noticed upon the reopening were that shore excursions that required guests to leave the safety of the controlled cruise port had been temporarily suspended.
“The only thing different about this cruise is Royal has canceled the excursions that leave the area right about the pier/compound,” one guest who recently visited the private destination observed.
But with outlets like the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross reporting that the violence and humanitarian crisis throughout Haiti is worsening, it is likely best to steer clear of Labadee for the time being.
Royal Caribbean Suspends Visits to Haiti Due to Worsening Unrest