Company scheduled to sail with Superstar Cruises have been knowledgeable that the cruise line is canceling deliberate visits to certainly one of its personal locations within the Caribbean.
Superstar Cruises has formally eliminated Labadee, Haiti from a number of itineraries, opting to exchange the port cease with different Caribbean locations. The choice impacts a number of ships within the cruise line’s fleet, and impacted itineraries embody sailings all through 2025 and 2026.
A lot of the impacted itineraries have been aboard Superstar Apex, though cruises on Superstar Past and Superstar Summit have additionally been adjusted to take away Haiti. As well as, Superstar’s web site now not reveals cruises with Labadee, Haiti as a vacation spot. This probably signifies a long-term resolution to take away Labadee, Haiti as a Caribbean vacation spot for Superstar Cruises.
Labadee, Haiti is a non-public vacation spot owned and operated by Royal Caribbean within the Caribbean. The resort space is solely utilized by the cruise line and guarded by a non-public safety drive. Company and crew members will not be allowed to go away the safe space. Labadee is doubly fenced off from the encircling space – and the cruise line maintains the personal vacation spot is secure and self-contained for vacationers.
Even nonetheless, Haiti has been crippled by gang violence, political instability, and financial turmoil within the final yr. In March 2024, unrest and violence within the nation precipitated Royal Caribbean to briefly droop visits to Labadee, Haiti. Sailings didn’t resume till October 2024 – and the cruise line at the moment continues to go to the personal vacation spot.
Superstar Cruises didn’t make clear why port stops in Labadee, Haiti could be faraway from itineraries. As a substitute, the cruise line merely shared the change was made to enhance the cruise expertise for its company.
For instance, in emails despatched to impacted company on the August 17, 2025, crusing aboard Superstar Past, the cruise line states, “We look ahead to welcoming you aboard Superstar Past. Earlier than we set sail, please observe this essential replace to our itinerary. To give you a greater visitor expertise, we have now made the choice to cancel our go to to Labadee, Haiti.”
Different emails accessible on-line present Superstar Cruises used comparable verbiage in regards to the itinerary modifications, solely citing “to raised visitor expertise” because the reasoning behind the cancellation. The impacted itineraries have been swapping Labadee, Haiti for different ports of name within the Caribbean, together with Turks and Caicos, Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), and George City (Grand Cayman).
Curiously, Royal Caribbean – which is owned by the identical mum or dad firm – has not canceled stops to Labadee. This will likely counsel that Superstar’s itineraries to Labadee had decrease demand, as any security considerations to the personal vacation spot would probably apply to Royal Caribbean ships as effectively.
As well as, a few of these impacted itineraries have extra modifications to their sailings. As an example, the January 24, 2026 cruise for Superstar Apex included a further cease in Cozumel, Mexico. Equally, the December 17, 2025 itinerary on Superstar Summit will add a port cease in Philipsburg, St. Maarten.
Some company have been vocal about their considerations relating to cruise visits to Labadee, Haiti. With the continued unrest, political instability, and violence within the nation, some vacationers really feel uneasy about visiting the nation presently.
In November 2024, person @steverk commented on our website’s discussion board in regards to the evolving scenario with Haiti. The cruiser said, “I believe that is out of hand. Whether or not or not you agree that going to Labadee is a safety danger that shouldn’t be taken, it’s a affordable place. 3 plane have been hit by gunfire within the final week.”
“These direct assaults on Individuals are a big and up to date escalation. Many individuals, who will not be comfy with the scenario, are booked on cruises which are previous the ultimate fee date. They’ve solely 2 choices. Take an uncomfortable danger or cancel the cruise with no refund,” continued the poster.
The USA initially banned flights to Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in November 2024 after gangs opened hearth and struck three separate industrial plane. The Federal Aviation Administration has since prolonged the flight restriction, prohibiting U.S. flights to Haiti by means of September 2025.
Moreover, the USA has Haiti listed with a journey advisory of Degree 4: Do Not Journey as a consequence of “kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and restricted well being care.”
Nevertheless, Royal Caribbean maintains that Labadee, Haiti is secure for cruise guests even amid the nation’s turmoil. One visitor, @pattycruise – who sailed aboard Explorer of the Seas in November 2024 – famous that many fellow passengers have been voicing considerations about stopping in Labadee. Some even raised questions on how visiting a Degree 4 advisory nation would possibly affect their journey insurance coverage protection.
To ease the considerations of company, Royal Caribbean shared letters to passengers emphasizing the protection of Labadee, Haiti. In a letter shared on-line, the cruise line confirmed, “We’re conscious of the latest journey advisory in place for Haiti. Please know that the protection and safety of our company is our prime precedence.”
Royal Caribbean additional defined, “In Labadee, we have now our personal safety and managed entry, that means that solely Royal Caribbean staff and company might enter. Kindly observe that the civil unrest going down in Port-au-Prince is 128 miles south of our personal vacation spot, Labadee.”
“The drive, on less-than-ideal street situations, would take greater than six and a half hours from Port-au-Prince to Labadee — equal to the drive time between New York Metropolis and Pittsburgh, Paris and Geneva, or Plymouth and Hull,” continued the letter to company.
Royal Caribbean clarified, “Moreover, the U.S. Embassy has acknowledged Labadee as a cruise-exclusive space with personal safety, low crime, and a spot the place solely commonplace precautions are wanted. We proceed to watch the scenario very carefully alongside native authorities and our safety staff.”
