In recent days, escalated
strife in Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince has garnered attention from around
the world. Given the rampant gang violence and a mass prison break on March 3,
the U.S. State Department reiterated its Level
4 Travel Advisory (“Do Not Travel”), while the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince
issued a security alert advising all U.S. citizens to depart the country as
soon as they could.
Yet, amid this
backdrop of turmoil in the capital city, some cruise ships continue to make
port calls at a private resort destination with stringent security measures and
controlled access. This day-use property in Labadee, privately owned by Royal
Caribbean, is situated on a secluded peninsula located approximately 130
miles (about a 6-hour drive) north of Port-au-Prince.
A Royal Caribbean
spokesperson told CNN
Travel that the company is carefully monitoring all activity in the area.
However, Labadee is available exclusively to Royal Caribbean’s guests and
employees. Travelers arrive by ship, disembark directly onto the resort
property and are required to remain within the private destination during their
entire time ashore. All shore excursions are also held within the private
resort area, so none have been canceled.
“The safety of our
guests and crew is our top priority. Our global security teams are closely
monitoring the situation in the area. At all times, we remind guests to remain
aware of their surroundings while ashore and follow all State Department
guidelines. Should any changes be required, guests will be notified directly,” a
Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in a statement.
Scheduled calls
into Labadee in the coming weeks include several prominent Royal Caribbean
ships, such as Independence of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Symphony of the
Seas and Odyssey of the Seas. Additionally, Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of
Royal Caribbean Group, also features Labadee as a port of call for several of its
vessels later in the year, including Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Apex and
Celebrity Ascent.
Still, given the
elevated levels of concern about traveling to the troubled Caribbean
country—whose government declared a state of national emergency after the
escape of thousands of prison inmates earlier this month—should cruise
passengers be concerned about setting foot on Haitian soil (or, sand, rather)?
Guests enjoy the ocean during Wonder of the Seas' first visit to Labadee, Haiti. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
But, Is It Safe?
Cruise Critic’s
Editor-in-Chief, Colleen McDaniel, referred to Labadee as, “Royal Caribbean’s
insulated private destination.” She emphasized, “As a cruise line private
destination, Labadee is only accessible to cruise ship guests, and the
experience is completely owned and run by the cruise line, using the
destination to serve as an extension of the onboard experience.”
“That said, for
any concerned travelers—whether traveling by land, air or sea—it’s always
recommended to familiarize yourself with any travel alerts from your home
country,” McDaniel added, noting that guests who still don’t feel safe with the
onshore arrangements always have the option of staying onboard the ship. Ultimately,
the choice about whether to disembark on Haitian shores is a personal one.
Royal Caribbean
guests who have visited Labadee in recent days seemed to have nothing negative
to say about the private resort destination. Tampa resident Alexandra Graham,
45, told CNN that Labadee was, “very well run and had lots of things to do.” She
said that they didn’t even learn about the jailbreak, which occurred the same
day, until returning to the ship in the evening. She said, “Frankly, we felt
very safe.”
Another recent cruiser
from Tampa, Erica McNamara, 32, called the day in Labadee her “favorite stop of
the entire trip.” She was sailing aboard Odyssey of the Seas on a six-night
cruise from Fort Lauderdale, an itinerary that also included Perfect Day at
Coco Cay (Royal Caribbean’s private resort in the Bahamas) and the Dominican
Republic. “My cousins went snorkeling, my parents did a catamaran trip and my
three-and-a-half-year-old thought the tram was the coolest thing ever,” said
McNamara.
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