Amid a worsening national security situation in the Caribbean republic, Royal Caribbean has cancelled all planned cruises to Labadee in Haiti for the entirety of May. The ongoing political turmoil initially caused Royal Caribbean to cancel all cruises starting from mid-March and that decision has now been extended.
Gang violence has worsened for a while now in Haiti, with the US State Department beginning to warn Americans not to travel to parts of Haiti as of July 2023. The situation escalated even further at the end of February when Prime Minister Ariel Henry was travelling to Kenya in order to seal a deal for a multinational security force and has been continuing ever since. A transitional presidential council has been underway since then but its nine members still haven’t been sworn in as its formation keeps getting delayed.
As airports closed down and flights are being cancelled, cruise operator Royal Caribbean has been taking action as well. Even though Labadee has been a private resort leased by Royal Caribbean since the mid-1980s, Haiti still has jurisdiction over the area.
“The Global Security and Intel Team is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Haiti. The safety and security of our guests, crew and communities we visit are our top priority”, a spokesperson from Royal Caribbean said. “We will continue to monitor and reassess calls as needed, and will communicate updates with guests directly.”
According to the Independent, the cruise line’s affected ships include Allure of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas. Itineraries of those ships will therefore be adapted, with some passengers getting an extra day at sea, while others will head to Royal Caribbean’s private resort in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
The turmoil in Haiti has not only touched the tourist industry. According to Unicef, no less than three million children in Haiti are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, is being described as a battlefield and several homes are being burnt down by gangs, while some 4,000 prisoners have been released from prison after gangs stormed the premises. Many inhabitants are facing ongoing hunger and, according to the United Nations, 360,000 people have been displaced by violence.
