More Royal Caribbean ships are being re-routed away from its private destination in Haiti, with cancellations extending into August.

The cruise line sent emails out to passengers on a variety of ships with scheduled visits to Labadee that they'll be unable to make the scheduled stop.

Labadee is a private beach stop exclusive to Royal Caribbean ships.

The cruise line hit the pause button on visits there beginning in April when gang violence escalated to a new level and concern about visiting the remote beach necessitated a change in plans.

The difference now is stops are being cancelled up to two months in advance.

Cancelling visits in July and August

Ships scheduled to visit Labadee in July and August 2025 have had their visits changed and shifted away from Haiti.

"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," an email to guests booked on the July 20th sailing of Oasis of the Seas read.

Guests booked on the July 5th sailing of Adventure of the Seas received a similar email.

In both cases, an additional port stop was added in Nassau, Bahamas at the end of the cruise.

Even cruises as far away as August are getting re-routed. The August 3 sailing of Oasis of the Seas added a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay at the end of the sailing.

In addition, the August 2nd sailing of Adventure of the Seas has replaced a visit to Labadee with Grand Cayman.

Up until now, it seemed the cruise line was conducting a "wait and see" approach to visits to its private destination. 

With cancellations extending into August, that will mean at least a three month pause so far, and a shift in how far out they're changing itineraries.

The email apologized for the change, "We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause - your safety is our top priority."  

"While we know it's not the original itinerary we planned, we appreciate your understanding and can't wait to explore this new destination together."

Why Royal Caribbean is skipping Labadee

Haiti is experiencing gang violence that is targeting the country's government.

Ever since the 2021 assassination of Haiti's last president, an alliance of gangs have employed brutal tactics to grow its power.

An estimated 85% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, is controlled by gangs. 

The United States recently designated Haiti's major gangs as terrorist groups, which is intended to isolate the groups, denying them access to financing from U.S. people or companies.

More than 1,600 people were killed in violent clashes in the first three months of this year while over 1 million are internally displaced, according to U.N. estimates.

The U.S. State Department has a the highest level of travel advisory against visiting Haiti for well over a year, which is “Level 4: Do Not Travel." 

What to do in Nassau instead

If you're on one of these cruises that's getting re-routed away from Labadee to Nassau, here are some ideas for how to spend your time.

Nassau gets a lot of criticism for being far from the best Caribbean port, but I think if you plan things out, there's fun opportunities.

My top recommendation is to get a day pass to one of the resorts that you can either walk to or take a short taxi ride. (These are affiliate links, which cost you nothing extra to use!)

• Margaritaville
• Baha Mar waterpark
• British Colonial

There choices to include lunch, and you'll have access to full amenities while visiting.  Plus, the resorts are beautiful and there's plenty for kids to do.

If you're looking for a tour, these are the top rated excursions to book, according to Viator (affiliate links, that cost you nothing extra to use):

• Bites of Nassau Food and Walking Tour
• Pirate Jeep Sightseeing Adventure
• Rum Tasting and Food Walking Tour

Generally, I don't recommend walking around Nassau on foot without a plan as I tend to see the most negative reviews from folks who find the area surrounding the port isn't terrific.

Royal Caribbean is going to open their own private beach club in Nassau, but that doesn't open until late December 2025.

In the meantime, having a good plan for what to do is the right approach for a fun day there.

Royal Caribbean is continuing to pause its visits to one of its private destinations.

Increasing concerns in Haiti as forced the cruise line to halt visits to Labadee in the north part of the country. Haiti has had the highest level of travel advisory for well over a year, which is “Level 4: Do Not Travel." issued by the U.S. State Department.

Royal Caribbean began re-routing its cruise ships away from Haiti last week.

Labadee is a private beach stop exclusive to Royal Caribbean ships, and it's not in a city. The beach is located in a remote area of the country that is inaccessible except by cruise ship. There is a large wall with private security.

Nonetheless, Royal Caribbean has cancelled another visit to the area.

Icon of the Seas to skip Labadee

Guests booked on the May 3rd sailing of Icon of the Seas received an update their ship will not visit Labadee.

"We have been monitoring the evolving situation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and out of an abundance of caution, we’re swapping out our visit to Labadee for a Sea Day," is what the email read.

Any booked shore excursions in Labadee will be refunded.

It appears a replacement port of call for Labadee could not be found, and it will have a sea day instead.  Other ships that skipped Labadee have been re-routed to places like Falmouth, Jamaica or Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Nonetheless, Royal Caribbean is offering onboard credit as a gesture of goodwill since this sailing will have just two port stops.

"While we know it’s not the original itinerary we planned, we’re excited for our journey together! As a token of our appreciation for your understanding, you’ll receive credit to spend onboard per stateroom"

• $75 USD for Interior and Ocean View
• $100 USD for Balcony
• $150 USD for Suites
• Plus, an additional $25 USD for each third or more guest to spend onboard

Other ships that skipped Labadee in the last week or so did not get onboard credit offered, but they did get to visit a replacement port of call.

Royal Caribbean also padded the ship's time in Ponce, Puerto Rico to add more time for guests to enjoy time in that port.

Unclear how long the pause will last

No one knows quite how long Royal Caribbean’s Labadee pause will continue. 

Royal Caribbean had previously stopped visits to Labadee between March and October 2024 when the situation in the country initially deteriorated.  But they later resumed visits when it was clear there was no impact to the security of Labadee.

Unlike last year, Royal Caribbean is not sharing any kind of timeline of when they might consider resuming visits.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson has gone on record last week to say simply, "Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily paused our upcoming visits to Labadee. We have already communicated with guests directly."

What's happening in Haiti to cause the change?

Haiti's government is actively fighting back a surge in well-coordinated gang violence that's threatening the country's capital.

Haiti’s transitional government recently declared a nationwide state of emergency in response to the violence.

On April 16, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued a security alert for Port-au-Prince over "widespread protests with potential for violence between police, protestors, and criminal gangs."

Upset cruisers

The cancelled visit by Icon of the Seas exemplifies how some cruisers are upset at the change in plans.

Totally disappointed Royal Caribbean International for adding a sea day in replacement to Labadee instead of another port," wrote Jamie Nguyen on Facebook.

"I book this reservation based on the destination and now I’m quite disappointed for the amount I paid and the lack of destination I will be visiting," the person added in their comment complaining about the cancellation.

"I feel this is total rip off!"

On the Royal Caribbean message boards, TZsavonH described the change as "disgusting" and cancelled the cruise booking despite being well past the final payment date.

"I think it's disgusting... especially when you've spent thousands on excursions and cabanas. "

While the fact Icon is only visiting two ports, the ship is also a floating destination in and of itself, which other cruise fans pointed to as a positive point with the situation.

"The Icon is a destination. Stay on the ship and enjoy," is what one person wrote on Facebook.

Jolene Palmore added, "Would much rather be at sea. The ship is the destination!"

Royal Caribbean is pausing visits to its private destination of Labadee, Haiti due to violence and lawlessness in the country.

An upsurge in gang violence has prompted Royal Caribbean to change scheduled visits, the second time there's been a major pause in visits since last year.

In April 2025, ships began getting re-routed to bypass Labadee and visit other ports instead.

Since then, more visits have been cancelled and ships are avoiding Labadee until at least August 2025.

"We have been monitoring the evolving situation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. While Labadee remains a safe destination to visit, and outside of the areas of concern, we’re swapping out our visit," is what the cruise line told passengers who were booked on a ship scheduled to go there.

Royal Caribbean made similar changes between March and October 2024 when gang violence first became a major issue there. The violence gained worldwide attention because of the tenacity and widespread nature of it.

Labadee is the name of a beach area reserved exclusively for the use of Royal Caribbean ships and its passengers on a peninsula in northern Haiti.  It's walled off from the rest of the country and Royal Caribbean employs a private security force there.

Royal Caribbean has leased the 260-acre site since the 1980s, and it's 130 miles north of Port-au-Prince (about a six-and-a-half-hour drive) and has not been impacted by other periods of unrest in the country.

For a few months in 2024, Royal Caribbean cancelled visits to Labadee "in an abundance of caution", but resumed visits later that year.

Prioritizing the safety of its guests and crew members is why Royal Caribbean made the decision, as it does in any part of the world which faces geopolitical issues.

As the summer 2025 cruise season approaches, many are wondering what is happening with scheduled visits to Labadee and what are the chances it will still occur.

Visits starting to cancel

Royal Caribbean hasn't given any official timeline for how long ships won't visit Labadee, but through emails sent to guests, it's at least until August.

"Your safety is our top priority," is what Royal Caribbean wrote to guests about making these changes.

There is no set timeframe when a stop can be cancelled by, as the change could occur right up to the day the ship is scheduled to visit. We've seen emails go out much sooner than that, but it's important to note itineraries can change at any time.

There have been no safety issues reported or incidents at or near Labadee.

Why Royal Caribbean is pausing visits to Haiti

While there has been no reported incidents of violence in Labadee, an abundance of caution seems to be the primary factor in cancelling calls to Labadee.

Royal Caribbean has a team at headquarters that monitors incidents that could impact their cruise ships.  From severe weather, to political situations, to economic factors, these are all taken into consideration when it comes to the safety of its guests, crew, and ships.

Where are cruise ships are going instead of Labadee?

With Royal Caribbean ships getting re-routed away from Haiti, alternative ports of call are the first choice in trying to update an itinerary.

Depending on which ports are available for a last-minute itinerary change, Royal Caribbean has slipped them in accordingly.

So far, ships have been re-routed to Nassau, Bahamas and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Legally, there is no obligation or requirement for the cruise line to replace the scheduled port visit with another port. 

Royal Caribbean is halting visits to Haiti due to security concerns in the country.

At least two cruise ships so far informed passengers that they will skip visits to Labadee, which is the cruise line's private beach destination in Haiti.

Labadee is located in a remote area of the country, far from the turmoil in the that has plagued the capital for years. 

It's a cruise line private destination operated by Royal Caribbean. The resort area is guarded by a private security force.

Passengers on Voyager of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas reported the change on their current sailing.

Announcements were made by the ship's Captain and letters distributed as well with the update, "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."

Thanks to Brian Landstrom for sharing this letter

Voyager of the Seas will head to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic instead.

UPDATE: On Wednesday, Royal Caribbean also informed guests sailing on the Adventure of the Seas May 2 their planned stop in Labadee will be changed.

Instead of Labadee, Adventure will go to Puerto Plata as well.

Thanks to Paul Crow for providing this email

Another ship re-routed away from Haiti on Wednesday is Symphony of the Seas.

The ship is sailing a 9-night Caribbean itinerary and they are skipping Labadee.

Guests that purchased shore excursions in Labadee will be refunded the value to their SeaPass Account as an onboard credit. 

The letter goes onto say, "We’re terribly sorry for the last-minute change."

Some passengers are upset about the change.

One cruiser on Reddit posted, "can’t believe there’s people actually on the ship that is kicking off and saying that they want a full refund of the cruise because they only booked it because they’re going to Haiti."

"Obviously, the safety of the crew staff ships stuff on the island and also the guest is paramount ."

No other cruise lines sail to Haiti.

Gangs claiming more towns

The changes are likely due to an escalation in the gang violence within the beleaguered Caribbean country.

Gangs have formed coalitions in Haiti, and have carried out military-style ambushes, proving themselves to be more mobile and more coordinated that ever before.

On Monday, Haiti's government approved a "war budget" to combat rising gang violence.

Almost half the money is for Haiti’s police and military “to fight the armed groups that threaten national stability."

The civil unrest in Haiti has forced Royal Caribbean's hand in this situation, even if Labadee is not near the areas of conflict.

The latest U.S. State Department Travel Warning is set at "Level 4: Do Not Travel".

There's a litany of reasons why the warning is in place, "Crimes involving firearms are common in Haiti. They include robbery, carjackings, sexual assault, and kidnappings for ransom. Kidnapping is widespread, and U.S. citizens have been victims and have been hurt or killed. Kidnappers may plan carefully or target victims at random, unplanned times. Kidnappers will even target and attack convoys. Kidnapping cases often involve ransom requests. Victims’ families have paid thousands of dollars to rescue their family members. "

More cancellations could be coming

It's not clear if additional cruises will be cancel their visits to Labadee as well.

Reddit user RC-Cruise-Swing shared what the Captain on Voyager of the Seas said, "The captain just said that Royal Caribbean have cancel all stops to Haiti for the next month due to the ongoing situation which is rapidly escalating."

Political and civil strife in Haiti is not new, and the travel warnings have been in places for many years. 

Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private beach area, is a walled-off, exclusive beach on a peninsula in northern Haiti.

It's located 130 miles north of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Royal Caribbean cancelled visits to Haiti in March 2024 and suspended all visits until October 2024.

Sister company Celebrity Cruises announced it would halt visits to Labadee last month.

Since restarting visits, there's been no incidents with the various cruise ships stopping there.

Guests scheduled to sail with Celebrity Cruises have been informed that the cruise line is canceling planned visits to one of its private destinations in the Caribbean.

Celebrity Cruises has officially removed Labadee, Haiti from multiple itineraries, opting to replace the port stop with other Caribbean destinations. The decision affects several ships in the cruise line's fleet, and impacted itineraries include sailings throughout 2025 and 2026. 

Most of the impacted itineraries were aboard Celebrity Apex, although cruises on Celebrity Beyond and Celebrity Summit have also been adjusted to remove Haiti. In addition, Celebrity’s website no longer shows cruises with Labadee, Haiti as a destination. This potentially indicates a long-term decision to remove Labadee, Haiti as a Caribbean destination for Celebrity Cruises. 

Labadee, Haiti is a private destination owned and operated by Royal Caribbean in the Caribbean. The resort area is exclusively used by the cruise line and guarded by a private security force. Guests and crew members are not allowed to leave the secure area. Labadee is doubly fenced off from the surrounding area - and the cruise line maintains the private destination is safe and self-contained for tourists.

Even still, Haiti has been crippled by gang violence, political instability, and economic turmoil in the last year. In March 2024, unrest and violence in the country caused Royal Caribbean to temporarily suspend visits to Labadee, Haiti. Sailings did not resume until October 2024 - and the cruise line currently continues to visit the private destination.

Celebrity Cruises did not clarify why port stops in Labadee, Haiti would be removed from itineraries. Instead, the cruise line simply shared the change was made to improve the cruise experience for its guests.

For example, in emails sent to impacted guests on the August 17, 2025, sailing aboard Celebrity Beyond, the cruise line states, “We look forward to welcoming you aboard Celebrity Beyond. Before we set sail, please note this important update to our itinerary. To provide you with a better guest experience, we have made the decision to cancel our visit to Labadee, Haiti.”

Other emails available online show Celebrity Cruises used similar verbiage about the itinerary changes, only citing “to better guest experience” as the reasoning behind the cancellation. The impacted itineraries have been swapping Labadee, Haiti for other ports of call in the Caribbean, including Turks and Caicos, Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), and George Town (Grand Cayman).

Interestingly, Royal Caribbean - which is owned by the same parent company - has not canceled stops to Labadee. This may suggest that Celebrity's itineraries to Labadee had lower demand, as any safety concerns to the private destination would likely apply to Royal Caribbean ships as well.

In addition, some of these impacted itineraries have additional changes to their sailings. For instance, the January 24, 2026 cruise for Celebrity Apex included an additional stop in Cozumel, Mexico. Similarly, the December 17, 2025 itinerary on Celebrity Summit will add a port stop in Philipsburg, St. Maarten.

Some guests have been vocal about their concerns regarding cruise visits to Labadee, Haiti. With the continued unrest, political instability, and violence in the country, some travelers feel uneasy about visiting the nation at this time. 

In November 2024, user @steverk commented on our site's forum about the evolving situation with Haiti. The cruiser stated, “I think this is out of hand. Whether or not you agree that going to Labadee is a security risk that should not be taken, it is a reasonable position. 3 aircraft have been hit by gunfire in the last week.”

“These direct attacks on Americans are a significant and recent escalation. Many people, who are not comfortable with the situation, are booked on cruises that are past the final payment date. They have only 2 options. Take an uncomfortable risk or cancel the cruise with no refund,” continued the poster.

The United States initially banned flights to Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in November 2024 after gangs opened fire and struck three separate commercial aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration has since extended the flight restriction, prohibiting U.S. flights to Haiti through September 2025.

Additionally, the United States has Haiti listed with a travel advisory of Level 4: Do Not Travel due to “kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care.”

However, Royal Caribbean maintains that Labadee, Haiti is safe for cruise visitors even amid the country’s turmoil. One guest, @pattycruise - who sailed aboard Explorer of the Seas in November 2024 - noted that many fellow passengers were voicing concerns about stopping in Labadee. Some even raised questions about how visiting a Level 4 advisory country might impact their travel insurance coverage.

To ease the concerns of guests, Royal Caribbean shared letters to passengers emphasizing the safety of Labadee, Haiti. In a letter shared online, the cruise line confirmed, “We are aware of the recent travel advisory in place for Haiti. Please know that the safety and security of our guests is our top priority.”

Royal Caribbean further explained, “In Labadee, we have our own security and controlled access, meaning that only Royal Caribbean employees and guests may enter. Kindly note that the civil unrest taking place in Port-au-Prince is 128 miles south of our private destination, Labadee.”

“The drive, on less-than-ideal road conditions, would take more than six and a half hours from Port-au-Prince to Labadee — equivalent to the drive time between New York City and Pittsburgh, Paris and Geneva, or Plymouth and Hull,” continued the letter to guests.

Royal Caribbean clarified, “Additionally, the U.S. Embassy has recognized Labadee as a cruise-exclusive area with private security, low crime, and a place where only standard precautions are needed. We continue to monitor the situation very closely alongside local authorities and our security team.”

Haiti's internal problems continued this week, but that seemingly won't deter Royal Caribbean from stopping at its private beach there.

Royal Caribbean operates a private beach in a remote area of Haiti, and has done so since 1988.

Earlier this week, three planes were hit by gunfire amid gang violence. The result was another in an endless round of travel advisories by the U.S. State Department not to travel to the country.  The Federal Aviation Administration banned flights to the country for 30 days as a result of the gunfire.

Despite these issues, Royal Caribbean hasn't changed its plans to bring cruise ships to its private enclave.

In a statement to a local NBC affiliate in Miami, the cruise line said they will continue to sail there, but are always monitoring the situation.

"The safety and security of our guests, crew, and communities we visit are our top priority. Our Global Security and Intelligence Team continuously monitor the situation in Haiti. Currently, there are no changes to our planned itineraries."

Labadee is in a remote area

Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private beach area, is a walled-off, exclusive beach on a peninsula in northern Haiti. 

It's located 130 miles north of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The cruise line cancelled visits to Labadee in March in "an abundance of caution," but restarted visits there in early October.

Since restarting visits, there's been no incidents with the various cruise ships stopping there.

In fact, Royal Caribbean re-routed a few ships to Labadee to avoid hurricanes.

What do passengers think?

Like many subjects, Royal Caribbean fans are split on the issue of if it makes sense for ships to continue to stop at Labadee.

On the Royal Caribbean message boards, Geezer of the Seas wrote, "Personally,  I think Royal (and any other cruise line with stops in Haiti) is playing with fire."

"An aircraft on a 'slow' landing approach is like shooting fish in a barrel. So, what happens when/if these bad actors come into possession of high performance boats and start busting caps at a cruise ship?"

Reigert2008 added, "I’ve been to Labadeee several times and have always felt safe during the visit, but no one wants to be on the first cruise that has an issue."

"I think it’s reasonable for people to ask questions about these things especially when new events occur."

Smokeybandit retorted that post by pointing out Labadee hasn't been a site of problems, "As you noted, Haiti has had issues forever, yet never any real problems at Labadee."

Southern Dan added, "I am looking forward to my beach day in Labadee in two weeks!"

Opinion: I would welcome a cruise to Labadee, Haiti

I've been cruising to Labadee for years, and if I had a cruise that went there this week, I'd gladly go.

Haiti has had problems for a long time, and the unfortunate truth is the country has struggled for a long time with civil strife, political inability, and lack of infrastructure.

While shooting at an airplane is indeed disturbing, it also occurred in Port-au-Prince, and that's an important distinction.

Labadee is walled off from the rest of the country in a remote area. It can best be described as being in the middle of nowhere.

I think painting with a wide brush in the case of Labadee versus the rest of the country doesn't make sense. After all, Haiti still had a level 4 travel warning last week, and cruise ships and airplanes were visiting the country then. I don't think the country was inherently safer then.

Of course, there's risk in continuing to visit Haiti, but there's risk everywhere. Royal Caribbean know better than anyone the issues of risk management, and putting their ships and customers in harm's way would have a significant effect on their bottom line.  

As the cruise line monitors the situation in and around its private beach operation, until there's a change in the safety of its operation in Labadee, cruise ships should continue stopping there.

For the first time in seven months, Royal Caribbean reopened to its private beach destination in Haiti, and the timing couldn't have been better.

Labadee is the name of its private beach, which was closed since early March because of civil unrest in Haiti. 

Read more: Guide to exploring Labadee, Haiti

As Hurricane Milton approached Florida, it wreaked havoc with cruise ships plans.  As Royal Caribbean scrambled to find new places to visit, a few ships went to Labadee.

One ship was Utopia of the Seas, which made its first-ever visit to Labadee. The ship was originally scheduled to visit Nassau, Bahamas before the itinerary update. Instead an extra day was added and the ship sailed to Labadee.

What does Labadee look and feel like after sitting empty for most of 2024? One Royal Caribbean Blog reader, Alex, called it, "better than ever." 

Alex shared their thoughts with us on what it was like to re-visit Labadee.

Seeing Labadee again

All the features and amenities that were there before the shutdown are still there, and the staffing seemed to be at normal levels. 

It was understandable that many would-be guests expected the worst and were apprehensive about coming here, but the people we saw visiting from our cruise ship seemed to love it. 

When the announcement was made on Wednesday at 2pm that we would go to Labadee instead of Nassau, I was completely surprised. The announcement was met with a roar of approval on the pool deck as the Plunge Party was just beginning.

My only prior visit there was a terrible weather day in December 2023, and we felt like we didn’t truly get to experience it properly. So the opportunity to go back, was welcome news. 

At the same time, I was concerned that the port might not be totally ready or the way it was meant to be yet. I assumed there could be staffing issues, certain amenities might not be ready, or that any damage or wear might not have been fully addressed yet. 

I was excited to go, but mentally prepared for disappointment, even if just a little. 

Thankfully, my concerns were unwarranted. Plenty of staff, everything working, plenty of amenities, food, drink, etc. Dozens upon dozens of entertainers and performers were out dancing and singing. I was also surprised by how many photographers Royal Caribbean had out and about. 

It was as though we were at any other beach stop at a private destination and the entertainment was just as visible as the last time we were here nearly a year ago. Also, this stop by Utopia was just second ship to port here since Royal Caribbean made the decision to return.

Many guests have been skeptical about returning here given the U.S. State Department’s “Do Not Travel” status listed for Haiti.

While there has been much discussion and concern online given the political unrest that forced the cruise line to stop visiting Labadee in the first place, cruisers can take comfort in knowing that the port is far removed from the heartbreaking challenges seen on the southern side of the country, some of which persist still to this day. 

While Labadee is not an island (it's a peninsula on the northern coast of the country), it is important to remember that the Labadee is privately operated and controlled by Royal Caribbean, so it is heavily secured. Guests are not permitted to venture beyond the fencing that surrounds the property, and only cruise passengers and employees are permitted inside.

For those that haven’t been, picture a more mountainous version of Coco Cay. It has plenty of beachfront with the same seats, umbrellas, and cabanas that you see in Coco Cay. But it also has hiking trails and significantly more souvenir shopping. 

Your drink package works here just like Coco Cay, which is great since there are several bars in Labadee and often with relaxing, comfortable seating areas (try their signature frozen drink, the “Labadoozie” and thank me later!). Be forewarned that there is no WiFi coverage around the island. 

The food options are excellent and free to all guests, with numerous delicious offerings not found onboard (try the Grandma Chocolate Sponge Cake and thank me a second time!) 

There are also numerous photographers throughout Labadee and as you can see in this post, photo-friendly spots are plentiful.

Truth be told, not only is it comfortable, enjoyable, and my wife and I felt perfectly safe to be here. In fact, we actually prefer it over Coco Cay, if for no other reason than it’s a different port that’s more rare to visit. 

Weekend cruises from Florida can’t make it to Labadee and back, meaning finding itineraries that stop here are less common. We find the service fast and friendly, and quality of the overall product here to be excellent 

We are excited about future visits here now that Royal Caribbean has made its return and anyone curious or interested should be just as excited and ready when their day comes. 

Advice for anyone visiting Labadee soon

If you have a visit coming up to Labadee, here's what I would recommend.

First, don’t be afraid. Every social media post bout Labadee you’ll find people speaking negatively and afraid of the unrest to the south affecting your safety. I feel this is completely unfounded at this point. 

Also, treat it like a visit you’re planning for Coco Cay. What do you like to do on the island? Virtually everything you can do there you can also do in Labadee, so give it some thought for activities and excursion purposes. Cabanas, daybeds, water sports, all fully available. There are more beach chairs here than people on the ship, it feels like, so you don’t even need to rush out early to get a good one. 

Be aware that lunch is only served from 11:30am to 1:30pm, so be sure to plan accordingly. 

Also bring cash for the local vendors. Labadee has tons and many have nice souvenirs. 

After six months on pause, Royal Caribbean is now cruising to Labadee, Haiti again.

In March 2024, the cruise line cut visits to its private beach due to internal strife within Haiti.

Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private beach area, is a walled-off, exclusive beach on a peninsula in northern Haiti. 

Located 130 miles north of the capital, Port-au-Prince, Labadee has been closed out of "an abundance of caution," according to the cruise line.

Photo by Andrew Lyon

Royal Caribbean announced that the decision was intended to prioritize the safety of its guests and crew members.

"Please know that the safety and comfort of our guests are always our highest priority," it announced. "Our Global Security and Intel Team is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Haiti."

The cruise line has teams that carefully observe the geopolitical situations in all its destinations to ensure guest and employee safety.

After closely monitoring the situation in Haiti, Royal Caribbean has prepared for a return to Labadee this fall.

Cruise ships will begin sailing to the region on October 8th.

"We have no further changes to our sailings at this time," the cruise line confirmed.

Adventure of the Seas visited first

Adventure of the Seas departed from Port Canaveral, Florida on October 5th on a a 6-day, round-trip, Eastern Caribbean and Perfect Day at CocoCay cruise.

She visited Labadee, Haiti today, October 8th.

Adventure of the Seas is the first Royal Caribbean ship to visit Haiti since March 2024.

Guests on the sailing reported things looked great, and no concerns.

Photo by Andrew Lyon

"Labadee was beautiful. The staff was great and super appreciative to see us," Tom Knotek wrote on Facebook.

Koritney Ashmore wrote, "We went and ventured around. Feels safe to me! Nothing alarming at all!"

Lisa Hively-Knotek added, "Felt safe and it's beautiful."

Other Royal Caribbean ships scheduled to visit the port soon include Freedom of the Seas and Independence of the Seas.

Freedom of the Seas is currently on a 7-night Western Caribbean sailing, scheduled to call upon Labadee on October 9th and to return to Fort Lauderdale on October 13th.

Independence of the Seas will visit Labadee on October 12th as part of a 4-night short Caribbean cruise out of Miami, Florida.

Royal Caribbean currently has no plans to cancel cruises to Haiti.

Haiti is still under a Do Not Travel advisory

Haiti has been under the U.S.'s highest travel advisory possible since March when unrest in the form of crime, kidnappings, and killings began. The U.S. State Department renewed its Level 4 Travel Advisory this September, still telling citizens the country can not help if they fall victim to a crime.

According to the State Department, protests, demonstrations, and road blocks are common.

"Do not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care," the website states.

"The U.S. government is very limited in its ability to help U.S. citizens in Haiti. Local police and other first responders often lack the resources to respond to emergencies or serious crime."

Earlier this year, armed gangs protesting the political unrest coordinated attacks on police stations, prisons, and the international airport in Port-au-Prince.

Violence has besieged the area since, causing over 53,000 people to flee the capital city.

Haiti declared a state of emergency on March 3rd, and the country's Prime Minister resigned on March 12th.

Since then, food shortages and violent crimes are still taking place across the island.

Is it safe to cruise to Labadee?

These warnings and news reports mostly center around the capital of Port-au-Prince, which is more than a six-hour drive away from Labadee.

Labadee is a private beach located in a remote area on the northern coast of Haiti.

Most of the unrest is occurring further south, near the capital and other populated cities.

Read more: The crew member only beach at Labadee and it's where no passengers can go

Royal Caribbean also employs a private security force on its private beach area and promises guests that safety is a priority.

Guests aren't permitted to leave the area, and won't be able to book third-party excursions.

Guests visiting ports such as Nassau, Bahamas, or Cozumel, Mexico can book outside shore excursions or even explore on their own. However, Labadee is more similar to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.

All excursions in Labadee must be reserved directly through Royal Caribbean, but that doesn't mean options are limited. Passengers can experience waterslides, roller coasters, beach cabanas, kayak adventures, and speedboat tours on the 260-acre site.

The cruise line also brings all its food and supplies onshore from the ship, rather than importing them from elsewhere on the island.

More cruise ships will skip a visit to Royal Caribbean's private beach in Haiti.

Guests booked on cruises in the summer and early fall are getting notifications from Royal Caribbean, that their visits to Labadee have been cancelled.

Following on cancellations that began in March due to civil unrest in Haiti, the cruise line has been forced to cancel more cruises into September 2024.

Royal Caribbean had previously cancelled visits to Labadee through the end of May 2024.

Read more: Is Royal Caribbean still going to Labadee, Haiti?

More Labadee cancellations

On Tuesday, cruisers began to share updates they received from Royal Caribbean that their itineraries have been updated to drop Labadee and replace it with another port or a sea day.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog has spotted different cruises cancelled in June, August, and even September.

In most cases, ships are being re-routed to Grand Turk in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

As an example, the Adventure of the Seas September 21st sailing has had her visit to Labadee replaced with a visit to Grand Turk.

"Due to the continuing situation in Haiti, we'll now visit Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, instead of Labadee, Haiti," the statement said in an email to booked passengers.

"We're sorry for the change - your safety is our top priority."

Similar emails have been sent to guests booked on cruises with scheduled stops in Labadee throughout summer 2024.

Guests who had any shore excursions booked for their visit to Labadee will automatically receive a refund to their onboard accounts.

The cancellations affect ships such as Adventure of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas all due to visit Labadee in the summer.

No other cruise lines sail to Haiti.

Understandable disappointment

Guests have already started sharing the news and their opinions on the change.

"For the folks looking forward to Labadee, for the folks in Labadee, and for Royal, I am sorry this has been so tough," wrote WAYNO on the RoyalCaribbeanBlog message boards.

"Understandable but sad as I was pumped to visit both private destinations in a single sailing," wrote tntornadox on another message board.

A necessary change

The civil unrest in Haiti has forced Royal Caribbean's hand in this situation, even if Labadee is not near the areas of conflict.

Located on the north coast of Haiti, Labadee is a walled-off private enclave for Royal Caribbean cruise guests. It's at least a 6-and-a-half hour drive from Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Royal Caribbean started cancelling visits to Labadee following the fallout of a siege of the government by gangs that began in mid-March. Since then, the country has experienced a major upheaval with a new government, prison break, and many deaths.

More than 53,000 people have fled Port-au-Prince and food shortages are taking place across the island, according to reports.

A state of emergency was declared on March 3, followed by the prime minister’s resignation on March 12. 

In July 2023, the US State Department raised the security threat to a Level 4 due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure.

Where is Labadee?

Labadee is located on the northern coast of Haiti, whereas the majority of the violence is occurring further south in more populated areas.

In short, it's walled off from the rest of the country and is in a remote area. It's guarded by a private security force. Guests aren't permitted to leave the area. 

Unlike other ports, such as Cozumel or Nassau, you won't be able to book a third-party excursion. Instead, all tours in Labadee have to be reserved directly through Royal Caribbean. Moreover, all food and supplies are brought ashore from the ship, rather than from elsewhere in Haiti. 

Royal Caribbean announced further cancelations for cruises sailing to Labadee, Haiti due to unrest in the country, citing safety concerns.

The cruise line announced today, March 19, that guests sailing to Labadee, Haiti within the next few weeks will have itinerary changes. Guests and travel partners of the cruise line received major updates regarding Caribbean itineraries that were planning visits to Royal Caribbean’s private destination, Labadee.

It appears that cruises through at least mid-April are impacted, although the situation continues to evolve. While Haiti has been under travel advisory warnings for years, Royal Caribbean’s private destination has always been secured given its distance from the country’s troubled capital of Port-au-Prince.

Royal Caribbean International’s Assistant Vice President of Guest Experiences wrote in the communication to guests sailing on the April 14 sailing of Explorer of the Seas, “Due to the evolving situation in Haiti, we’ll now visit Perfect Day at CocoCay instead of Labadee, Haiti. We’re terribly sorry for the last-minute change – your safety is our top priority.”

In addition, guests on this impacted itinerary for Explorer of the Seas will enjoy more time in Falmouth, Jamaica. Although changing a cruise ship’s itinerary can be disappointing, it appears that Royal Caribbean is doing its best to replace Labadee with an alternative port of call.

Based on circulating communication shared online, Royal Caribbean has been replacing Labadee, Haiti with various Caribbean ports, including its alternative private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. Other itineraries impacted have rerouted plans to visit Grand Cayman, Bimini, Grand Turk, and St. Maarten.

Many of Royal Caribbean’s ships have Labadee, Haiti as a scheduled port of call in the coming weeks and months. For example, Adventure of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas are all scheduled to visit Labadee in April 2024 and May 2024.

Temporary suspension

While the news is disappointing for itinerary changes, the cancelation of Labadee is not unsurprising.

In an announcement last week, Royal Caribbean temporarily suspended visits to Labadee, Haiti for its entire fleet. The decision was made “out of an abundance of caution” due to the evolving situation in Haiti.

At the time, guests onboard Adventure of of the Seas’ March 14 sailing were re-routed from Labadee to Grand Turk, which is located in Turks and Caicos. The port island is used mostly by Carnival Cruise Line, meaning Royal Caribbean ships do not often stop here.

Additionally, guests sailing on Symphony of the Seas’ March 14 sailing were notified that their itinerary would have an additional sea day with extended time in Falmouth, Jamaica. The cruise line announced, “We’ve also added extra time to our visit to Falmouth, Jamaica, so you'll have more time to enjoy everything this beautiful destination has to offer.” 

At the time of Royal Caribbean’s original announcement, the cruise line said it would reevaluate the situation every three days.

Excursion refunds

Similar to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean offers a variety of excursions for guests to book in Labadee. All excursions in Labadee must be booked directly with Royal Caribbean since the port of call is a private destination.

Some of these excursions include beach scapes, visits to nearby Haitian villages, zip-lining, snorkeling cruises, sport fishing, yacht sailing, aqua waterpark, kayaking, jet skiing, and more. Royal Caribbean has daybeds available for renting, along with a number of amenities for guests to utilize during their visit.

Guests with impacted itineraries will receive an automatic refund for any pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursion booked for Labadee in the form of an onboard credit to SeaPass cards. These credits can be used anywhere onboard the ship during the cruise.

Any remaining amount at the end of the sailing will be reimbursed to credit cards on file upon disembarkation, according to the announcement provided to guests with impacted itineraries.

Trouble in Haiti

Royal Caribbean’s private destination is located 130 miles from the capital Port-au-Prince, which has been overtaken by gang violence in recent weeks.

Major violence in Haiti erupted on February 29 when the nation’s prime minister flew to Kenya to push for a deployment of police force to help fight the country’s gangs. In an act of protest, the gangs of Haiti have joined forces to fight against the government. Haiti made global headlines when a mass prison break escalated the already-elevating violence in its capital city.

A state of emergency was declared on March 3, followed by the prime minister’s resignation on March 12. The US Embassy has advices that all US citizens evacuate the country as soon as possible due to the deteriorating state of the small Caribbean nation.

However, the safety of travel within Haiti has been discouraged for a while. In July 2023, the US State Department raised the security threat to a Level 4 due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure.

Thousands of citizens have been forced to flee their homes due to the violence of the armed gangs.

Royal Caribbean Haiti history

While the cruise line’s operations have historically not been impacted by the trouble, the escalation of gang violence has caused Royal Caribbean to pull the plug. In fact, Royal Caribbean has been operating in Labadee since 1986.

The private destination is a 260-acre resort located on Haiti’s northern peninsula. The area is only accessible by Royal Caribbean Group’s employees and guests of the cruise line’s ships. Labadee is heavily guarded and located in a remote area, essentially isolating the destination from the rest of the country.

Royal Caribbean has a huge fence that protects Labadee from the rest of the country. However, many of the employees that work in Labadee are local citizens that live in remote villages near the port area.

Since Royal Caribbean first began operations in Haiti, there have been a few safety instances. In November 2001, a crew member from Royal Caribbean was attacked on Labadee in an apparent robbery. In February 2004, Royal Caribbean temporarily suspended its visits to Haiti due to the political unrest in the country caused by a coup.

When Haiti was struck by an earthquake in 2010, Royal Caribbean announced at the time that it would continue operations in the port. In addition, the cruise line would provide relief supplies and personnel. Royal Caribbean also planned to help fund relief efforts in the country from the earthquake damage.