Visitors scheduled to sail with Celeb Cruises have been knowledgeable that the cruise line is canceling deliberate visits to certainly one of its personal locations within the Caribbean.
Celeb Cruises has formally eliminated Labadee, Haiti from a number of itineraries, opting to exchange the port cease with different Caribbean locations. The choice impacts a number of ships within the cruise line’s fleet, and impacted itineraries embody sailings all through 2025 and 2026.
A lot of the impacted itineraries had been aboard Celeb Apex, though cruises on Celeb Past and Celeb Summit have additionally been adjusted to take away Haiti. As well as, Celeb’s web site now not reveals cruises with Labadee, Haiti as a vacation spot. This doubtlessly signifies a long-term determination to take away Labadee, Haiti as a Caribbean vacation spot for Celeb Cruises.
Labadee, Haiti is a non-public vacation spot owned and operated by Royal Caribbean within the Caribbean. The resort space is completely utilized by the cruise line and guarded by a non-public safety pressure. Visitors and crew members usually are not allowed to go away the safe space. Labadee is doubly fenced off from the encircling space – and the cruise line maintains the personal vacation spot is protected and self-contained for vacationers.
Even nonetheless, Haiti has been crippled by gang violence, political instability, and financial turmoil within the final yr. In March 2024, unrest and violence within the nation brought about Royal Caribbean to quickly droop visits to Labadee, Haiti. Sailings didn’t resume till October 2024 – and the cruise line at the moment continues to go to the personal vacation spot.
Celeb Cruises didn’t make clear why port stops in Labadee, Haiti can be faraway from itineraries. As a substitute, the cruise line merely shared the change was made to enhance the cruise expertise for its company.
For instance, in emails despatched to impacted company on the August 17, 2025, crusing aboard Celeb Past, the cruise line states, “We stay up for welcoming you aboard Celeb Past. Earlier than we set sail, please notice this necessary replace to our itinerary. To give you a greater visitor expertise, we’ve got made the choice to cancel our go to to Labadee, Haiti.”
Different emails accessible on-line present Celeb Cruises used comparable verbiage in regards to the itinerary modifications, solely citing “to raised visitor expertise” because the reasoning behind the cancellation. The impacted itineraries have been swapping Labadee, Haiti for different ports of name within the Caribbean, together with Turks and Caicos, Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), and George City (Grand Cayman).
Curiously, Royal Caribbean – which is owned by the identical mother or father firm – has not canceled stops to Labadee. This will counsel that Celeb’s itineraries to Labadee had decrease demand, as any security issues to the personal vacation spot would doubtless apply to Royal Caribbean ships as properly.
As well as, a few of these impacted itineraries have further modifications to their sailings. For example, the January 24, 2026 cruise for Celeb Apex included a further cease in Cozumel, Mexico. Equally, the December 17, 2025 itinerary on Celeb Summit will add a port cease in Philipsburg, St. Maarten.
Some company have been vocal about their issues relating to cruise visits to Labadee, Haiti. With the continued unrest, political instability, and violence within the nation, some vacationers really feel uneasy about visiting the nation right now.
In November 2024, person @steverk commented on our web site’s discussion board in regards to the evolving state of affairs with Haiti. The cruiser acknowledged, “I believe that is out of hand. Whether or not or not you agree that going to Labadee is a safety threat that shouldn’t be taken, it’s a affordable place. 3 plane have been hit by gunfire within the final week.”
“These direct assaults on People are a major and up to date escalation. Many individuals, who usually are not snug with the state of affairs, are booked on cruises which are previous the ultimate cost date. They’ve solely 2 choices. Take an uncomfortable threat or cancel the cruise with no refund,” continued the poster.
America initially banned flights to Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in November 2024 after gangs opened hearth and struck three separate business plane. The Federal Aviation Administration has since prolonged the flight restriction, prohibiting U.S. flights to Haiti via September 2025.
Moreover, the US has Haiti listed with a journey advisory of Stage 4: Do Not Journey resulting from “kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and restricted well being care.”
Nevertheless, Royal Caribbean maintains that Labadee, Haiti is protected for cruise guests even amid the nation’s turmoil. One visitor, @pattycruise – who sailed aboard Explorer of the Seas in November 2024 – famous that many fellow passengers had been voicing issues about stopping in Labadee. Some even raised questions on how visiting a Stage 4 advisory nation would possibly impression their journey insurance coverage protection.
To ease the issues of company, Royal Caribbean shared letters to passengers emphasizing the security of Labadee, Haiti. In a letter shared on-line, the cruise line confirmed, “We’re conscious of the current journey advisory in place for Haiti. Please know that the security and safety of our company is our high precedence.”
Royal Caribbean additional defined, “In Labadee, we’ve got our personal safety and managed entry, which means that solely Royal Caribbean workers and company might enter. Kindly notice that the civil unrest going down in Port-au-Prince is 128 miles south of our personal vacation spot, Labadee.”
“The drive, on less-than-ideal highway circumstances, would take greater than six and a half hours from Port-au-Prince to Labadee — equal to the drive time between New York Metropolis and Pittsburgh, Paris and Geneva, or Plymouth and Hull,” continued the letter to company.
Royal Caribbean clarified, “Moreover, the U.S. Embassy has acknowledged Labadee as a cruise-exclusive space with personal safety, low crime, and a spot the place solely normal precautions are wanted. We proceed to observe the state of affairs very intently alongside native authorities and our safety workforce.”
