Royal Caribbean will continue travel to Haiti, despite warnings

Despite current travel warnings for Haiti, Royal Caribbean will continue to dock in the island.

Countries including the United States and the United Kingdom advise its citizens to not visit the country due to its current state. Haiti currently has a level 4 travel advisory, indicating U.S. citizens should not travel to the island, citing “kidnapping, crime and civil unrest.”

“U.S. citizens should depart Haiti now in light of the current security and health situation and infrastructure challenges,” said the state department in the advisory.

The U.K. foreign office states that Haiti’s security situation “remains highly unpredictable and, given the ongoing political crisis, could worsen further.” It also cites crimes such as armed robbery, purse snatching and pickpocketing as further reasons to refrain from visiting the island.

Over the past year, Haiti has been facing back-to-back crises. The assassination of its president Jovenal Moise in 2021 has led to “turmoil,” according to Express.co.uk. 2022 saw increased gang violence and political distrust, with specific attention on Haiti’s de facto leader, Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Al Jazeera reports that Henry “has faced a crisis of legitimacy, with some Haitian civil society groups urging him to hand power over to an inclusive, transitional government – a demand he has rejected.”

Although safety in Haiti is a concern, Express.co.uk states that Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas cruise ships will continue to stop in Labadee in the upcoming months. Royal Caribbean owns its own private destination in Labadee, which is on the north coast of Haiti.

“The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority,” said a Royal Caribbean spokesperson to Express.co.uk. “We work closely with governmental authorities around the world and are aware of the recent FCDO travel advice for Haiti. At this time, we have made no itinerary changes to our calls into Ladadee. We continuously monitor the situation on the ground and make adjustments as needed to ensure the wellbeing of our guests and staff.”

For those who chose to travel to Haiti, the U.S. Department of State advises tourists to avoid crowds, travel in groups and exercise caution and alertness, among other precautions. Visit travel.state.gov for more information.

Roshae Hemmings is an arts and culture magazine journalist from St. Louis, MO. A graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism, Roshae has bylines in the Columbia Missourian, Vox Magazine and 5280 Magazine discussing topics ranging from pop culture, social justice and eat and drink. She is a foodie at heart and enjoys eating food as much as learning about the story behind it. When she’s not working on a story, Roshae enjoys cooking, watching and analyzing reality TV, and spending time with family and friends.