Even though the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince is currently in chaos over rival gangs battling for control after the forced resignation of President Ariel Henry, the private resort of Labadee on the opposite side of the island had still been seeing at least some visitors as it's nearly six hours away and completely blocked off due to being owned by Royal Caribbean (RCL) .
In the three months since violence broke out, Royal Caribbean has been weighing whether to change the multiple cruise routes that stop at Labadee. Even after the State Department reiterated that its travel advisory for Haiti is at highest "do not travel" level possible, Royal Caribbean waited until mid-March to reroute sailings that were supposed to stop there.
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Affected ships include Oasis of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, and Adventure of the Sea. While the initial wave of cancelations affected March and April sailings, Royal Caribbean just reiterated that it will not be stopping at Labadee until at least the end of May.
Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet
Royal Caribbean says it 'will continue to monitor and assess' the situation in Haiti
Royal Caribbean's "Global Security and Intel Team is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Haiti," the company said in a statement. "The safety and security of our guests, crew, and communities we visit are our top priority. We will continue to monitor and reassess calls as needed, and will communicate updates with guests directly."
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Other affected ships scheduled to stop at Labadee in May include Allure of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas. The most common solution is for passengers to get an additional day at sea but, when possible, Royal Caribbean will reroute to its private Bahamas resort Perfect Day at CocoCay on the day it was supposed to dock in Labadee.
With the political situation in Haiti currently at the most unstable it's been in years, even a completely secluded resort in the country cannot be guaranteed to be safe. There is also an additional public relations element as guests may hesitate to book sailings on which a stop in Labadee is scheduled out of an abundance of caution.
Here is what's going on in Haiti right now
"Kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens," the State Department wrote of the country earlier this year. "Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities, and even convoys have been attacked."
Even so, it is significantly worse for the locals who have been caught in the midst of the violence. On Tuesday morning, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell told a meeting of the United Nations Security Council that the situation in the country was "catastrophic" and getting "worse by the day" while the situation is particularly dire for local children.
"Each day, children are being injured or killed," Russell said. "Some are being recruited, or they are joining armed groups out of sheer desperation. Recent Unicef data indicates that anywhere from 30% to 50% of armed groups in Haiti currently have children within their ranks."
