After three airplanes were shot at in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the U.S, State Department and the Federal Aviation Administration have issued new warnings for the island nation.
The FAA has banned all flights for 30 days while the State Department has updated its Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for Haiti.
"Do not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care," the warning is headlined.
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"The U.S. government is very limited in its ability to help U.S. citizens in Haiti," it warned. "Local police and other first responders often lack the resources to respond to emergencies or serious crime.
"Shortages of gasoline, electricity, medicine, and medical supplies are common throughout the country. Public and private medical clinics and hospitals often lack trained staff and basic resources. In addition, they require prepayment for services in cash."
Despite the dire situation in Haiti, Royal Caribbean continues to call on its Labadee, Haiti, private destination. The cruise line explained the situation in a recent letter to passengers on board Explorer of the Seas.
Image source: Daniel Kline/ComeCruiseWith.com
Royal Caribbean says Labadee is safe
Port-au-Prince and the populated parts of Haiti are nowhere near Royal Caribbean's Labadee beach resort. The cruise line has private security discreetly monitoring its fenced-off resort, and it has resources to make sure no groups make their way toward Labadee.
“The U.S. Embassy has recognized Labadee as a cruise-exclusive area with private security, low crime, and a place where only standard precautions are needed,” Royal Caribbean told CruiseHive.
That would make Labadee a Level 1: Exercise Normal Caution destination. Many cruise ports where Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines stop are under Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution travel advisories.
Still, Royal Caribbean took steps on Explorer of the Seas to make sure passengers understood that Labadee was a safe place to stop.
“Kindly note that the civil unrest taking place in Port-au-Prince is 128 miles south of our private destination, Labadee. The drive, on less-than-idea road conditions, would take more than six and a half hours,” reads a letter left in guest's cabins before the port call.
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Royal Caribbean stopped sailing to Labadee last March but resumed making stops there in August. It promised passengers on Explorer of the Seas that it was actively watching the situation.
“We continue to monitor the situation very closely alongside local authorities and our security team … [The] safety of our guests remains our top priority,” the letter said.
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