Roatan, which is the largest island in the Bay Islands of Honduras, is an extremely popular destination for cruisers.
In 2024, it welcomed 1.7 million cruise passengers, making it the most visited cruise destination in Central America last year.
Beyond its stunning beaches and rich cultural heritage, Roatan offers unique wildlife encounters that have become wildly popular with tourists — especially cruise passengers.
The island has become particularly notable for its monkeys and sloths — so much so that many cruise lines offer specialized excursions to see these animals up close.
Here is the bad news — as of March 1, 2025, Honduras has doubled down on its new policies that protect local wildlife classified as vulnerable and endangered species.
This initially began on January 14, 2025, when five specimens of sloth bears were rescued after being illegally sent to Roatan.
On January 24, 2025, Honduras issued an official document detailing measures aimed at combating wildlife trafficking and ensuring the safety of endangered animals.
Honduras’ National Institute of Forest Conservation shared the cause of these changes, citing, “The drastic increase in the frequency of illegal trafficking, mismanagement and OVERMANIPULATION OF WILDLIFE observed in recent years on Roatan Island.”
Overmanipulation in this case is defined as “carrying and holding animals for exhibition and taking photographs.”
This applies to the critically endangered or rare wildlife species — including 2 and 3 clawed sloth bears, parrots, and monkeys, among others.
Visitors will no longer be able to handle or hold wildlife — but will still be able to observe them and even take a Sloth Selfie. Unfortunately for cruisers, one of the most recommended experiences in Roatan is about to change.
Impact on Roatan Cruise Excursions
Seeing that Roatan is popular among cruises, eight cruise lines currently offer itineraries that stop at the island.
This includes Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Virgin Voyages, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises, and Holland America Line.
Several of these cruise lines offer excursions and opportunities to visit wildlife sanctuaries — however, offerings may be changing amid the new guidelines.
Carnival Cruise Line currently offers a Monkeys, Sloths & Macaws excursion starting at $99.99 a person.
The current description of the excursion simply states that passengers visit monkeys, sloths, and macaws at their first stop. However, Carnival advises not to touch, disturb, or buy souvenirs made from marine life while on the island to support conservation efforts.
Norwegian Cruise Line also offers a Monkeys, Sloths & Macaws excursion beginning at $99 a person — a whopping $0.99 cheaper than Carnival!
Unlike Carnival Cruise Line’s excursion, which explores the island via bus, Norwegian Cruise Line’s tour takes place on boats cruising through the French Harbour.
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This excursion is focused on sharing information about the local mangroves and also visits an animal sanctuary — featuring the monkeys, sloths, macaws, and various other species.
It is likely excursions like the ones Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line offer will not be affected — unless the animal sanctuaries they visit are found guilty of mishandling their animals.
There are three popular locations in Roatan among cruise goers where you can — or could — interact with sloths and monkeys.
Daniel Johnson’s Monkey and Sloth Hangout, AJ’s Monkey and Sloth Tour, and Jungle Top Animal Park are all known for their extremely interactive animal experiences — including playing with monkeys and holding the sloths.
Unfortunately, for passengers seeking to interact with this wildlife instead of going on the cruise excursions, they may find that with the new regulations put in place, interactions will be more limited.
By respecting these restrictions and choosing responsible excursions, visitors can actively support Honduras’ conservation efforts and protect Roatan’s unique wildlife.
