News Americas, MIAMI, FL, Mon. March 24, 2024: In response to heightened violence and unrest in the region, Royal Caribbean has halted visits to Labadee, its private resort on Haiti’s northern coast. The decision comes following a travel advisory issued by the U.S. State Department, urging individuals to avoid travel to Haiti and ranking the country at a Level Four advisory, aligning it with nations like Russia, Syria, and Burkina Faso.
People walk past burned bodies and an armed police officer monitoring a street after gang violence in the neighborhood on the evening of March 21, 2024, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 22, 2024. More than 33,000 people fled Port-au-Prince this month as the Haitian capital was overrun by well-armed gangs triggering political chaos in the impoverished Caribbean nation, the United Nations has said. (Photo by CLARENS SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images)
In a statement reported by Cruiseindustrynews.com, Royal Caribbean announced the temporary suspension of visits to Labadee across its entire fleet, citing an abundance of caution amidst the evolving situation in Haiti. The company emphasized its ongoing monitoring and assessment of the situation in collaboration with its Global Security & Intelligence Team.
Labadee, Haiti.
Notably, Royal Caribbean clarified that neither passengers nor crew members have encountered violence or threats during previous visits to Labadee.
With several ships scheduled to visit Labadee in the upcoming days, Royal Caribbean has opted for alternative arrangements. Instead of docking at Labadee, ships will either spend an additional day at sea or extend their stay at other destinations, such as Falmouth, Jamaica, Nassau in the Bahamas, or Perfect Day at CocoCay, another resort owned by the company.
Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, which itself is under a Level 2 travel advisory, urging visitors to exercise increased caution.
The decision to suspend visits to Labadee follows previous travel advisories issued for Haiti, including a do-not-travel alert in July 2023. The State Department cited concerns over kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure. Subsequently, in the same month, the U.S. government ordered the evacuation of family members of U.S. government employees and non-emergency personnel from Haiti. Restrictions were also imposed on the movement of American government personnel within the country, limiting their activities to confined areas around the Embassy and imposing curfews and travel restrictions.
Royal Caribbean’s suspension of visits to Labadee underscores the challenges posed by escalating violence and instability in the region, prompting adjustments to ensure the safety and security of its passengers and crew.
