The past week has seen a dizzying array of itinerary changes, cancellations, and ships stuck at sea. Passengers have been unsure as to whether their cruises would leave as planned or return as scheduled.
It was a time of great uncertainty and some questions have yet to be answered. Some ships are 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 past 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 scrap any plans they'd made. In many cases, skipped port days were replaced with sea days, although sometimes new ports were subbed in.
When that happens, the new ports rarely seem an improvement over the ones missed. You often seem to lose an interesting destination and get Nassau or Cozumel. Nothing about those ports is bad, 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 more than seven months.
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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 U.S. 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 warned on its website.
In reality, Royal Caribbean closed Labadee because of optics. When U.S. airlines stopped flying to Port-au-Prince, it became a bad look for the cruise line to keep stopping there.
Visitors to Labadee were never in danger, as the site is Haiti but not really Haiti. The cruise ship destination is about a seven-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 U.S. 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 the 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 (plus an inflatable water park).
"Beachside meets mountainside on the shores of Labadee — a Royal Caribbean private destination on Haiti’s northern coast," the cruise line's website says. "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."
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The return to Labadee happened a day before Royal Caribbean surprisingly disclosed 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," Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley said in a statement.
"We look forward to revealing more soon.”
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