The past week has been a dizzying array of itinerary changes, cancellations, and ships stuck at sea. Passengers have been unsure as to whether their cruise would leave as planned or return as scheduled.
It was a great time of uncertainty and some questions have yet to be answered. There are ships still stuck at sea and many people on those ships have questions about their homes, their cars, and their loved ones.
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For people who spent the last few days at sea, no itinerary was safe, Some ports were canceled due to weather while others were skipped in order to give ships time to get to safety.
Basically, anyone who was sailing in the Caribbean had to accept that any plans they had were unlikely to happen. In many cases, skipped port days were replaced with sead days, but sometimes new ports were subbed in.
When that happens, it seems like the new port is rarely an improvement over the one missed. It often seems like you lose an interesting destination and get Nassau or Cozumel. There’s nothing bad about those ports, but any experienced cruiser has been to both many times.
Some Royal Caribbean ships, however, saw their schedules change in a positive way bringing back a beloved port that had been closed for over 7 months.
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Labadee is a private Royal Caribbean destination.
Image source: Daniel Kline/ComeCruiseWith.com
Why Royal Caribbean closed Labadee
While Perfect Day at CocoCay gets most of the attention, Royal Caribbean does have a second private destination in the Caribbean. That port has been closed for about seven months due to political unrest in Haiti.
The United States State Department has not been subtle in its warning on visiting Haiti.
“Do not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care,” it shared on its website.
In reality, however, Royal Caribbean closed Labadee because of optics. When US airlines stopped flying to Port-au-Prince, it became a bad look for the cruise line to keep stopping there.
There was never any danger to Labadee visitors as it’s Haiti, but not really Haiti. The cruise ship destination is about a 7-hour drive from the areas where fighting was taking place. It’s a fenced-off destination that does not offer excursions outside the resort.
As US airlines resumed limited flights to Port-au-Prince, Royal Caribbean quietly made plans to return.
Royal Caribbean calls on Labadee
Adventure of the Seas made a planned stop in Labadee on Oct. 8. That marked the cruise line’s first return to its private destination in seven months. Symphony of Seas was expected to make an unplanned stop at Labadee on Thursday, Oct. 10,
While it’s not an island, Labadee is considered a sister destination to Perfect Day at CocoCay. It’s a similar offering, albeit a bit more basic.
Labadee does not offer pools, a Beach Club, or an adults-only area like CocoCay. It has a more nature-based offering (albeit with an inflatable waterpark).
“Beachside meets mountainside on the shores of Labadee — a Royal Caribbean private destination on Haiti’s northern coast. Here you’ll find pristine sands, coral reefs, and jungle-covered hilltops nestling lagoon-like bays. There’s no shortage of places to relax and recharge across five stretches of beach,” the cruise line shared on its website.
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The return to Labadee happened a day before Royal Caribbean surprisingly shared plans for a new private destination, Perfect Day Mexico. Opening in 2027, the destination will be built using a lot of what the cruise line has learned from CocoCay.
“Destinations are a big part of why families and adventurers vacation with Royal Caribbean, and in collaboration with Mexico’s state of Quintana Roo, we are unlocking new and unparalleled ways to make memories in a destination known and loved for its natural beauty, warm culture, and prime location. We look forward to revealing more soon,” shared Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley.
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