Travel warning news: Haiti removed from Royal Caribbean cruises itineraries because of trouble

A cruise company has suspended all trips calling at Haiti because of unrest in the country.

Royal Caribbean owns a private beach called Labadee on the north side of the island. It runs cruises from Florida which stop there, but unrest in Haiti has seen change its plans. It suspended visits in March and has just extended the change.

A spokesperson said: “We have suspended all visits to Labadee fleetwide through May 2024, and we continue to monitor the situation with our Global Security and Intelligence team.”

Haiti’s government has declared a state of emergency until May 3, applying to all areas in the Department de l’Ouest. Under the state of emergency, a curfew for citizens will run from 7pm to 6am every day.

Attacks on key government targets across the capital, Port-au-Prince, began on February 29, orchestrated by powerful gangs pushing for Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s removal. Gunmen have burned police stations, closed the main international airports and raided the country’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates. Many people have been killed, and more than 15,000 people are homeless after escaping neighbourhoods raided by gangs.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against all travel to Haiti. It warns that travel insurance could be invalidated as going would be against FCDO advice, and that there is no in-person consular support - because officials moved to the neighbouring Dominican Republic in 2019. It says that if travellers do go to Haiti, they should avoid all crowds and public events, and take security precautions.