Royal Caribbean drops popular port from months of cruises
In an effort to prioritize the safety of its passengers and crew members, Royal Caribbean is continuing to make changes to Caribbean cruise itineraries to remove and replace one key port.
Most of the recent itinerary changes were made at the last minute, which frustrated many cruisers, but now the cruise line is giving passengers more notice.While the news of losing a popular port of call is disappointing for many cruisers, Royal Caribbean is now cushioning the blow by giving passengers more time to get used to the idea of an altered cruise itinerary.
Passengers who booked summer cruises visiting Labadee, Haiti, are now being notified months in advance that their cruise will visit an alternate destination, which gives them more time to plan shore excursions and other port activities accordingly.
Unfortunately, this new development also gives the impression that Royal Caribbean doesn't expect to be able to return to Labadee anytime soon. Labadee is Royal Caribbean's popular but controversial private destination on Haiti's northern coast that has proved problematic over the last year due to growing security concerns in the country.After putting a temporary pause on Labadee stops in April, Royal Caribbean has already decided to cancel multiple visits to Labadee in July and August, according to RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com, an unofficial fan blog not affiliated with the cruise line.
'We have been monitoring the evolving situation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and out of an abundance of caution, we're swapping our visit to Labadee for a Sea Day," Royal Caribbean explained in the email to passengers booked on the July 20 sailing of Oasis of the Seas.
Although Labadee was switched to a sea day, the cruise line added a stop in Nassau, Bahamas toward the end of the cruise itinerary to make up for the dropped port. The Aug. 3 sailing of Oasis of the Seas received a similar adjustment, but added a visit to Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, instead of Nassau.Passengers booked on the July 5 and Aug. 2 sailings of Adventure of the Seas also received similar emails about changes to their cruise itineraries to remove Labadee and add another port of call.
This more proactive approach to Labadee cancellations was shared by Royal Caribbean's sister cruise line Celebrity Cruises, which already replaced Labadee with other cruise ports on cruise itineraries extending into 2026 in an effort to provide 'a better guest experience.'Haiti has been under a state of emergency since March 2024 due to an ongoing conflict with violent gangs who have taken control of much of its capital city, Port-au-Prince.
Royal Caribbean previously suspended visits to Labadee for several months last year due to the conflict, but was able to resume visits in October without issue because Labadee is a secure cruise line facility that's several hours away from Port-au-Prince.Gang violence recently expanded outside of the city, however, causing Royal Caribbean to once again pause calls to Labadee out of an abundance of caution.
On April 13, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued a security alert about rising levels of violence and insecurity in the country, as well as threats and attacks against security forces and prisons, in areas outside of Port-au-Prince. Haiti remains under a Level 4: Do Not Travel Advisory from the U.S. State Department.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
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