Royal Caribbean has notified guests on the February 19 sailing of Allure of the Seas that the planned itinerary has been changed due to pier construction delays. This has caused several ports of call to be changed for that sailing.
Pier Construction Delays Force Itinerary Changes
Pier construction at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic has had delays, which means Allure of the Seas – one of the largest cruise ships in the world – is unable to visit as planned during an upcoming 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruise. The 225,282-gross ton cruise ship, which can host 5,484 passengers at double occupancy, will instead visit Labadee, Haiti.
Furthermore, this itinerary change has impacted other ports of call on the February 19, 2022 sailing. According to the email sent to booked guests, “Due to the distance from Haiti, weโve pushed back our visit to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas to Thursday, and replaced our visit to Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis with Nassau, Bahamas on Saturday.“
Allure‘s original itinerary was to have been departing Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, February 19. The first day was a day at sea, followed by Monday in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
Tuesday the ship was to call at St. Thomas, then Wednesday at St. Maarten, and Thursday at St. Kitts. The cruise would then wrap up with two additional days at sea before returning to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, February 27.
The revised itinerary still departs Fort Lauderdale on February 19 and enjoys a first day at sea, but now visits Labadee, Haiti on Monday. Tuesday will be another day at sea, then the ship will visit St. Maarten and St. Thomas on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Friday will be a day at sea, Saturday will be spent in Nassau, and the ship will still return to Fort Lauderdale as scheduled on Sunday.
Visiting Labadee
Guests may be understandably disappointed that the itinerary has changed so much, but Allure of the Seas will still be visiting incredible ports. The very first call, at Labadee on the north coast of Haiti, is the cruise line’s 260-acre private resort destination.
Labadee is home to amazing thrills, including one of the worldโs longest overwater zip lines, speedboat and snorkeling tours, an alpine coaster that reaches speeds up to 30 miles per hour, the Arawak Aqua Park, and much more. Guests can also relax on the pristine beaches, lounge in remote coves, take a historic walking tour, or delve deeper into the island’s traditions and history.
Read More: Labadee, Haiti: What You Need to Know
The island destination has been closed to visitors since the cruise industry shutdown began in March 2020, but Allure of the Seas‘ sister ship, Harmony of the Seas, became the first ship to return to the port just this week, on January 27, 2022, bringing 2,896 eager passengers to Labadee.
Several ships were scheduled to visit Labadee in late 2021, but civil unrest in the area prompted Royal Caribbean to cancel those visits. Fortunately, guests can once again begin looking forward to exploring this amazing port of call, and it is hoped that more ships will soon have the opportunity to call on Labadee.