News that a Spirit Airlines flight was shot at as it tried to land in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, has many cruise passengers questioning why Royal Caribbean continues to visit its private destination in the struggling country.
Most U.S. airlines suspended their flights to the island nation after the Spirit incident. They had been flying to Haiti against the very strong advice of the U.S. State Department, which updated its Level 4 — Do Not Travel warning for Haiti on Sept. 18.
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The headline made the federal agency's opinion very clear:
"Do not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care," the department urged.
"Since March 2024, Haiti has been under a State of Emergency. Crimes involving firearms are common in Haiti. They include robbery, carjackings, sexual assault, and kidnappings for ransom.
"Kidnapping is widespread, and U.S. citizens have been victims and have been hurt or killed. Kidnappers may plan carefully or target victims at random, unplanned times."
The U.S. has kept personnel in the country, but they are operating under strict rules including not being allowed to leave the embassy after dark. They are also not allowed to walk in Port-au-Prince under any circumstances.
The agency has tried to make clear that Americans should stay away.
"The U.S. government is very limited in its ability to help U.S. citizens in Haiti," the department added. 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 those warnings, I'd be perfectly happy, and not scared at all, to visit Royal Caribbean's private destination in Labadee, Haiti.
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Royal Caribbean still calls on Labadee, Haiti
Royal Caribbean stopped visiting Labadee in March 2024, partly because of the State Department warning and partly because of the optics. It looked bad to be visiting Haiti when its government was in disarray, even if the location of the cruise line's private destination meant visitors there weren't in danger.
The cruise line quietly put Labadee back on its itineraries in October, and it has stopped there regularly since then. Celebrity Cruises has also called on the private destination without incident.
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But after the Spirit incident Royal Caribbean passengers in multiple social-media groups have called on the cruise line to suspend visits to the private destination.
"It is Haiti; if they can break out of a prison, they can break through a fence, and people they perceive as rich Americans are prime targets; no, we will not be going on a cruise with Haiti on the itinerary," wrote Penny P. Hall.
PJ Bright shared a similar fear.
"You’ve got to be crazy. They’re literally shooting at airplanes. Spirit plane shot up coming into the airport not a safe place to be," they wrote.
Why I'm happy to visit Labadee
Labadee is a fenced-off private destination that's a six-hour drive from Port-au-Prince. Amber Cove, a cruise port in the Dominican Republic, is actually slightly closer to the Haitian capital than Labadee is.
Royal Caribbean has said little about its return to Labadee, but the cruise line would not put its passengers, crew and cruise ships at risk.
"The safety and security of our guests, crew, and communities we visit are our top priority," the cruise line shared in October.
Labadee may technically be Haiti, but it's nowhere near where the violence is taking place. It's not near any population of people and it would be easy for Royal Caribbean to track any movement of people toward the private destination.
Having visited Labadee multiple times, I'm not at all concerned about stopping there. Royal Caribbean does not share its safety plan for Labadee (for obvious reasons), but it clearly has one.
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The cruise line, which said that nothing has changed on the island, would simply never do something that put passengers or crew members in danger. Flying into Port-au-Prince clearly goes against the State Department's warning.
Labadee may technically be Haiti, but that's really in name only. It's a fenced-off, guarded private destination that's far removed from any violence or danger.
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