Key Aspects:
- Royal Caribbean will continue to avoid Labadee, Haiti, through June 2027 due to ongoing safety concerns.
- 62 port calls were scheduled for the first half of next year, including from the newest Icon-class ships.
- Labadee is being replaced with other destinations throughout the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
Royal Caribbean will continue to steer clear of its private destination at Labadee, Haiti, through at least the first half of 2027.
In January, the cruise line made the decision to cancel all Labadee visits for the remainder of 2026 due to ongoing unrest in Haiti. This lengthy hiatus is now being extended until June of 2027.
Royal Caribbean confirmed the decision in a statement that was sent to Cruise Hive:
“As we continue to evaluate conditions in Haiti and our ability to deliver the best vacations responsibly, we have decided to extend the suspension of ship calls to Labadee through June 2027. This decision was made with the safety and well-being of our guests and crew members in mind. We have communicated these changes directly with guests.”
All sailings to Labadee before July of 2027 have already been removed from Royal Caribbean’s website, but the cruise line originally had 62 ship calls scheduled for the first half of next year.
Some of the most exciting ships in the fleet were on the original schedule, including the newest additions to the Icon-class, Legend of the Seas (2026) and Star of the Seas (2025).
Familiar favorites were also slated to visit the exclusive destination, including Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, and Odyssey of the Seas.
Guests Notified of Itinerary Changes
As of July 14, 2026, the thousands of impacted passengers were being notified of changes to their itineraries.
Labadee is being replaced with new destinations whenever possible, but these swaps depend on the ship, sailing dates, overall port availability, and the impact to the rest of the originally scheduled itineraries.
Based on letters circulating on social media, replacements have included Nassau, Bahamas; Puerto Plata and Samana in the Dominican Republic; Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico; Ponce, Puerto Rico; and Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas.
For example, one letter to guests booked on Star of the Seas’ May 2, 2027, sailing received the following letter:
“As you prepare for your vacation, we wanted to share an update to your May 2, 2027, itinerary. We’ve reviewed our sailing plans and made an adjustment to the ports of call we will visit. Instead of visiting Labadee, we’ll now enjoy a day in Perfect Day at CocoCay.”
Notably, the 5,610-guest Legend of the Seas will be dropping several of its visits to Falmouth, Jamaica, in addition to Labadee. While not confirmed by the cruise line, this is likely a casualty of swapping out the temporarily off-limits resort.
In a letter to passengers booked on Legend of the Seas’ March 28, 2027 sailing, Royal Caribbean wrote the following:
“Instead of visiting Labadee, we’ll now enjoy a day in Samana Port, Dominican Republic…Additionally, we’ll now visit Ponce, Puerto Rico from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM instead of Falmouth, Jamaica.”
The recently debuted vessel also saw both ports dropped from its February 14, 2027, voyage, with the destinations replaced by Costa Maya and Cozumel.
All Royal Caribbean shore excursions booked for Labadee (and Falmouth when applicable) will be automatically cancelled and refunded without guests needing to lift a finger.
The letters conclude with the cruise line apologizing for the inconvenience and reaffirming that safety is the brand’s top priority.
Is Labadee Dangerous?
Royal Caribbean started cancelling visits to Labadee following severe civil unrest and gang activity that caused a widespread government collapse in 2024, though the political, economic, and social crisis really began to escalate in 2018.
Relatedly, the US Department of State has Haiti listed as a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory due to the risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest, and limited access to health care.
The majority of the unrest is concentrated around Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince, which is around 134 miles away from Labadee. Given the less-than-ideal road conditions, it would take over six hours to make the trek from Port-au-Prince to the private resort.
Between the distance, protective fencing, and a private security detail that guards the 260-acre resort, Labadee is likely safer than the rest of the country. But either way, Royal Caribbean isn’t taking any chances.
