In general, Americans need to take warnings from the U.S. Department of State seriously. When those warnings reach Level 3, "Reconsider Travel," or Level 4, "Do Not Travel," that's generally a loud warning bell to stay away.
Currently, the State Department has issued a Level 4: Do Not Travel warning/advisory for Haiti and a Level 3: Reconsider Travel for Honduras, both countries that Royal Caribbean visits, while Carnival Cruise Line calls on Roatan as well as a Dominican Republic port close to Haiti's capital.
Related: What the US government’s Bahamas travel warning means for cruises
The cruise line has a private destination in Labadee, Haiti, and makes port calls in Roatan, Honduras. It's still calling on both destinations, which has many passengers concerned, especially when they hear reports of American airplanes being shot at as they land in or take off from Port au Prince, Haiti.
Many passengers have called on Royal Caribbean to stop visiting Haiti. The situation in Roatan is more recent, and fewer passengers know about it, but many are likely to question both cruise lines for continuing to visit Honduras despite the Level 3: Reconsider Travel warning.
The reality is that the two stops are very different, and one is perfectly safe while the other requires some caution.
Here's everything you need to know if you will be on a Royal Caribbean or Carnival ship that's headed to either destination and why these warnings are different than the lower-level advisories issued for ports including Nassau.
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Labadee is a safe destination
The State Department's warning about Haiti does not mince words.
"Do not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care," the agency posted.
That's entirely true if you plan to visit any of the popular parts of Haiti.
Labadee, however, is an isolated section of Haiti and is not the place where the fighting is happening. Yes, it's Haiti, but so is the Haitian Embassy in Washington (all embassies in the U.S. are considered sovereign land for their countries).
Labadee is a walled-off destination with significant security measures in place. Worrying about traveling there is a bit like being concerned about safety issues in the World Showcase at Epcot at Walt Disney World.
Port au Prince and the population of Haiti are actually much closer to the cruise port Puerto Plata cruise port Carnival uses in the Dominican Republic, a country that shares the same island with Haiti.
Visiting Labadee is visiting Haiti only in name, and the State Department has said that Royal Caribbean is safe to continue calling on the port.
Cruisers should be wary in Roatan, Honduras
Royal Caribbean docks in a Roatan port that has self-contained shops. The port area itself has visible security, and aside from the pushy vendors who are typical in most cruise ports, you have very little to worry about.
If you opt to leave the port area, however, it's important to heed the State Department warning.
"Violent crime, such as homicide, armed robbery, and kidnapping, remains common," the agency wrote. "Violent gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, narcotics, and human trafficking, is widespread. Local authorities may lack sufficient resources to respond effectively to serious crime incidents."
The travel advisory offered a caveat for cruisers.
"Around resort areas in the Bay Islands, which include Rotan, Utila, and Guanaja, there is a concentration of resources, and these areas are better policed," it added.
When you leave the port area, a military presence is very visible, but there's little within a couple of miles of the port. There are some shops with limited merchandise, local restaurants with sparse offerings and, oddly enough, the nicest Bojangles (a fast food chain) I have ever seen.
In visiting Roatan before the warning was issued, I walked outside the port and was repeatedly solicited to buy both drugs and sex. That's fairly common in Nassau now as well, but even before the State Department said to "Reconsider Travel," I reconsidered getting off the ship in Roatan.
Related: Mexico cruise port under ‘do not travel’ US State Dept. warning
If you stick to the port area and cruise-line-sanctioned cruises, you will almost certainly be fine. Roatan, however, is not a port to self-explore or simply hop in a taxi.
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Come Cruise With Me that the cruise line has not changed any of its planned stops in Roatan.
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