PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC—Royal Caribbean International says it has temporarily suspended all calls to Labadee, north of here, due to the ongoing unrest in that country. This is to ensure the safety of cruise passengers during their stopover in this French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state.
According to Royal Caribbean, it is contacting customers who have booked cruises with visits to its private destination of Labadee to inform them that visits to the port are being suspended.
The decision follows the recent escape of close to 5,000 inmates from the national penitentiary and the Croix-des-Bouquets prison, in addition to escalating violence across the country.
“Due to the evolving situation in Haiti, and in an abundance of caution, we’re temporarily suspending our visits to Labadee for our entire fleet. We continue to monitor and assess the situation with our Global Security & Intelligence Team,” said Aurora Yera-Rodriguez, Assistant Vice President of Royal Caribbean International.
The last ship to visit Labadee was the Freedom class “Liberty of the Seas,” which had a stopover at the port on Wednesday.
The first ships affected by these port cancellations will be “Oasis of the Seas,” “Symphony of the Seas,” and “Adventure of the Seas,” with visits to Labadee scheduled for Thursday and this coming weekend, respectively.
The company says it will adjust accordingly while the cruises are underway. The three ships will now benefit from an additional day at sea instead of visiting Labadee. Daily activity Programs will add extra activities, games, and shows.
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