Royal Caribbean recently made a major change to the itinerary of several of their cruise routes. The popular cruise line will no longer be making stops at Labadee, Haiti. Labadee is home to a private beach resort owned by Royal Caribbean.
The change is being made due to the increase in crime, gang activity, and political unrest in Haiti. The U.S. Department of State has given the island nation a level 4 travel advisory, the highest level alert they issue, citing, “Do not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care.”
Royal Caribbean issued a statement and shared with Southern Living via email:
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily paused our upcoming visits to Labadee. We have already communicated with guests directly.”
There are just under a dozen ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet that have itineraries that included Labadee. All but one of those ships departs from three Southern cities: Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Orlando (Port Canaveral).
With Labadee temporarily removed from the routes, it is unclear if a new destination will be added in its place. According to Travel & Leisure, Labadee was very popular with Royal Caribbean customers. “Amenities like a rollercoaster, waterslides, and a water trampoline make this one of the best beaches in the Caribbean for families.”
This is a developing story.
Read the original article on Southern Living
