Key Aspects:
- Royal Caribbean is cancelling all guest visits to Labadee, Haiti, through the end of 2026.
- Alternative port visits are being arranged wherever possible, but some ships will have extra days at sea.
- There is no timeline for when the cruise line may one day begin visiting Labadee again.
The new year isn’t quite two weeks old, but cruise travelers hoping to add Labadee, Haiti to their “been there, done that” list of port visits in 2026 will now be disappointed.
Royal Caribbean has begun the newest round of notifications removing the port of call from planned itineraries through the entire year, impacting a dozen ships and more than 65 sailings.
Guests booked on various cruises that had originally included Labadee have now started receiving letters informing them of the changes and how their individual itineraries have been impacted.
“We have been monitoring the evolving situation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and out of an abundance of caution, we’re cancelling our visit to Labadee,” the notification emails read.
Different ships have different changes to alternative ports of call whenever possible.
For example, guests booked on the May 2, 2026 departure of Freedom of the Seas now know they will not be visiting Labadee, but they will be going to Nassau instead as part of the 5-night itinerary.
Likewise, the September 12, 2026 departure of Adventure of the Seas will be visiting Grand Turk on that 6-night itinerary instead of Labadee.
Not all ships can be accommodated in alternative ports of call, however. The May 3, 2026 departure of Star of the Seas will enjoy a day at sea rather than the Labadee port visit on the 7-night cruise.
It isn’t surprising that the Icon-class ship will have a sea day rather than another port visit. The options to accommodate one of the largest cruise ships in the world are naturally more limited, but Royal Caribbean is making what arrangements are possible.
Depending on the ship, sailing date, itinerary, and overall port availability, alternative ports can include Nassau, Grand Turk, Grand Cayman, Falmouth, Costa Maya, Cabo Rojo, and more.
If guests had already booked shore excursions for Labadee through Royal Caribbean, those tours will be automatically cancelled and refunded.
Why So Many Cancellations?
Royal Caribbean began cancelling visits to Labadee following severe civil unrest and gang activity that caused a widespread government collapse in 2023 and 2024. While at times some visits have been cautiously resumed, the cruise line has not had a strong presence in Haiti for more than a year.
The US Department of State has Haiti listed as a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory due to kidnapping, crime, potential terrorist activity, and other concerns.
The most severe conditions in Haiti are concentrated around the capital of Port-au-Prince, which is 85 miles south of Labadee.
Because criminal activity is now extending well past the capital city, however, it is best to be cautious and ensure travelers are safe by choosing different destinations.
Various ships do continue to bring humanitarian supplies to Haiti to support the Royal Caribbean crew members based in Labadee. These are operational stops only, however, and guests are not permitted to disembark or enjoy the port visit.
Will Royal Caribbean Abandon Haiti Altogether?
With the civil tension in Haiti unlikely to ease for years, it’s possible that Royal Caribbean might consider pulling out of their private development in Labadee altogether.
Since the cruise line is now developing new private beach clubs and destinations, such as the newly opened Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in the Bahamas as well as the upcoming Perfect Day Mexico in Costa Maya, such a move might be under consideration.
Ultimately, the cruise line is a business and it will make whatever decisions are best for its bottom line, the safety of guests and ships, and the satisfaction of shareholders.
