Why Royal Caribbean Stopped Going To Labadee, Haiti

UN warns of 'severe human rights abuses' in Haiti, illegal flow of weapons

The U.N. is warning of "severe human rights abuses" in Haiti and blames a rise in violence on the flow of illegal weapons into the nation.

Royal Caribbean is again suspending visits to its private destination in Haiti amid ongoing violence in the country. 

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily paused our upcoming visits to Labadee,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in a statement. “We have already communicated with guests directly."  

The cruise line suspended Labadee visits last summer. At the time, a spokesperson told USA TODAY, “The safety and security of our guests, crew, and communities we visit are our top priority. Our Global Security and Intel Team is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Haiti, and in an abundance of caution we have suspended all visits to Labadee fleetwide through September 2024.” 

Here’s what cruise travelers should know. 

Many reports of safety concerns in Haiti have been centered around the capital of Port-au-Prince, which is more than six hours away from Labadee by car. 

However, State Department travel advisories have listed the entire country as Level 4 – Do Not Travel  for over a  year “due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care.”   

Haiti's transitional presidential council approved a "war time budget" on Monday to address what it called a security and social emergency, as armed gangs have taken control of nearly all of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. On Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued a security alert warning over “widespread protests with potential for violence between police, protestors, and criminal gangs.” 

It’s not clear when Royal Caribbean will sail to Labadee again. The cruise line notes the suspension is temporary.  

Impacted guests will sail to an alternate destination instead, varying by sailing.  

Royal Caribbean’s sister line Celebrity Cruises had already adjusted itineraries that included Labadee weeks ago, for unrelated reasons. Labadee is not currently listed as a Caribbean port of call on Celebrity’s website. 

Contributing:  Nathan Diller, USA TODAY; Reuters