Royal Caribbean Extends Labadee Closure Through April 2028

Royal Caribbean has once again extended the suspension of cruise calls to its private destination, Labadee, in Haiti, this time through April 2028. The cruise line has begun notifying guests booked on affected sailings that their itineraries will be adjusted, with alternative ports substituted in place of the long-closed beach destination.

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The latest extension pushes back an earlier timeline announced in July 2026, when Royal Caribbean said cancellations would run through June 2027. The new notifications add roughly another ten months to that closure, meaning guests will not have been able to visit Labadee for at least three years if calls do eventually resume as planned in 2028.

Which Sailings Are Affected

According to Cruise Hive, dozens of sailings across nine different Royal Caribbean ships are impacted by the change. The specific adjustments vary from sailing to sailing, even on the same vessel. On one Allure of the Seas departure in 2027, for instance, guests will visit Nassau, Bahamas instead of Labadee as part of a Caribbean cruise from Miami, with a sea day shifted to accommodate the switch. On a different Allure of the Seas sailing in early 2028, San Juan, Puerto Rico will replace the Labadee stop, with a separate port visit also moved by a day.

Guests discussing their own notifications online have reported a range of substitute ports being offered in place of Labadee, including Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Cozumel, and Samana, as well as additional sea days. Which port, if any, is swapped in appears to depend on factors such as berth availability, the ship’s overall route, and the length of the cruise.

What It Means for Booked Guests

For passengers who had been looking forward to a Labadee beach day, the news means a different port experience instead, though Royal Caribbean has said it is working to keep shore excursion plans intact. Any pre-paid excursions booked for Labadee will be automatically refunded, while pre-paid excursions for other now-cancelled stops will be rescheduled where possible. Tours that cannot be rebooked will be cancelled and refunded to the original payment method within 14 business days, according to the cancellation notice shared with guests.

“Our Shore Excursions team will automatically refund any pre-paid Royal Caribbean shore excursions in Labadee and reschedule any other impacted pre-paid Royal Caribbean shore excursions,” the line said in the notification.

Why Labadee Remains Closed

Labadee calls were first suspended for several months beginning in March 2024 amid widespread gang violence, a mass jailbreak in Port-au-Prince, and broader political instability in Haiti. Visits briefly resumed in late 2024 and early 2025, but were suspended again starting in May 2025, and no regular guest calls have taken place since. The U.S. Department of State continues to maintain a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti, citing ongoing risks including crime, gang violence, kidnapping, and civil unrest.

While guests are not currently able to go ashore, Royal Caribbean has said some ships still make brief, unannounced stops at Labadee to deliver supplies to the local staff who live there and depend on the port’s operations. Guests remain onboard during these stops, and the ship departs as soon as unloading is complete.

Royal Caribbean has not issued any broader statement about the long-term future of Labadee beyond confirming the extended suspension. For now, travelers with upcoming cruises that originally included a Labadee stop should watch for direct communication from the cruise line regarding their specific itinerary, and can expect an alternative Caribbean port or an extra sea day in its place.