Royal Caribbean suspends cruise stops to resort in Haiti amid violence and uncertainty

Royal Caribbean has canceled cruise ship stops to a private area in Haiti as the nation faces ongoing violence and rising political uncertainty.

The Miami-based cruise company, which has a resort in Haiti called Labadee, said on Thursday that it has suspended stops there for the next several days.

Passengers and crew haven’t faced violence or threats, and the move is a preventive measure, the company said.

“We have not had any security concerns; this was done out of abundance of caution,” Jonathon Fishman, director of corporate and incident communications for The Royal Caribbean Group, said in a statement sent to the Miami Herald on Thursday.

READ MORE: Flight suspensions between Haiti and South Florida extended. Here’s what you need to know

Over the past several weeks, Haiti has faced a new phase of civil unrest as gangs unleashed havoc, blocked airports and shut down the main port, making it difficult for needed supplies to reach Haitians. Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced he would resign from his post. He had backed a plan for a presidential council that would select the country’s next leader, but other Haitian political leaders rejected that plan, creating more uncertainty.

Royal Caribbean said that its global security and intel team is closely monitoring the situation in Haiti, and that “we are temporarily making adjustments to sailings visiting Labadee.”

Labadee is a resort in the north of Haiti, far from the gang violence and civil unrest in major cities Cap-Haitien and Port-au-Prince. The resort is fenced and has its own security.

Haiti maintains sovereignty over Labadee, but leased it to Royal Caribbean in 1985 for its exclusive use as a resort for cruise passengers.

The ships affected by the carrier’s decision to suspend all calls to Labadee are the following, according to the company:

▪ Oasis of the Seas – 3/10 and 3/17 sailings

▪ Symphony of the Seas – 3/9 and 3/17 sailings

▪ Adventure of the Seas – 3/15 sailing

▪ Mariner of the Seas – 3/16 sailing

▪ Explorer of the Seas – 3/17 sailing

▪ Grandeur of the Seas – 3/18 sailing

“We will continue to monitor and reassess calls as needed, and will communicate updates with guests directly,” the company said.

Meanwhile, airlines on Thursday continued to cancel flights between South Florida and Haiti citing security concerns. They had started doing so in early March as armed gangs surrounded Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. The airport has effectively been closed since then.

American Airlines extended its suspension of flights between Miami Port-au-Prince through March 25, spokeswoman Bri Harper told the Miami Herald on Thursday.

JetBlue Airways has canceled flights through March 22, said senior manager of corporate communications Derek Dombrowski. The airline has daily service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port-au-Prince. Spirit, which also flies out of Fort Lauderdale, has put flights to Haiti — to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien — on hold “until further notice,” spokeswoman Nicole Aguiar said.

Freight companies, air and sea, have also been affected as the country’s main port was closed.

For the second straight week, Amerijet canceled its two regularly scheduled cargo flights between Miami International Airport and Port-au-Prince. The flights normally leave Miami on Monday and Thursday. Other cargo companies have also put shipments on hold.

This story was originally published March 14, 2024 at 2:05 PM.