US gives ‘do not travel’ warning to popular Caribbean destination | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

While Royal Caribbean’s (RCL) efforts to build out Labadee as a cruise ship destination go back to the 1980s, a string of violence and political unrest in the country has put a damper on those plans even if the island remains a gated community that is a six-hour drive away from the capital.

In March 2024, one of Haiti’s most biggest gang leaders staged an armed rebellion that took down sitting Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

Attempts to seize power and violence between warring guerrilla groups have since continued to roil the country and forced both airlines and cruise lines to exit it entirely — the FAA ban on flying into Haiti put in place after Spirit (SAVE) and JetBlue (JBLU) planes coming in from Florida were both hit by gang gunfire when attempting to land at Port-Au-Prince Airport in November 2024 has recently been extended into September 2025.

While Royal Caribbean has periodically tried to restart cruise stops in Labadee, a recent uptick in violence forced it to once again suspend the destination for the rest of the year.

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‘Do not travel for any reason’: advisory stays at Level 4

In a renewed travel warning put out on July 15, the U.S. State Department reiterated that Haiti remains under the “do not travel” advisory level and updated the warning to indicate threats of terrorism.

“Do not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest, and limited health care,” the advisory reads. “[…] Haiti has been under a State of Emergency since March 2024. Crimes involving firearms are common in Haiti. They include robbery, carjackings, sexual assault, and kidnappings for ransom. Do not travel to Haiti for any reason.”

The highest level of travel advisory is assigned to active war zones, countries with which the United States has no diplomatic relations and in some cases countries where a developing situation unfolding rapidly — amid an exchange of strikes between Israel, the State Department issued a similar advisory for Israel at the start of June.

Labadee was designed as a gated community isolated from the rest of the country.

Image source&colon; Daniel Kline/TravelHost&period;com

‘Substantial risk of being hit by stray bullets’

The updated advisory also focuses on terrorist threats within Haiti that come as a result of warring gang groups. Areas around the main airport as well as near the border with the Dominican Republic are at particular risk as individual gangs often control specific swaths of territory.

“The escalation of clashes between armed groups has led to a rise in sporadic gunfire incidents,” it reads. “There is a substantial risk of being struck by stray bullets, even for individuals not directly involved in the violence. There is risk of terrorist violence, including attacks and other violent gang activity in Haiti. There are gangs that are designated as terrorist organizations present in Haiti.”

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Ports and open waters around Haiti are also singled out as a risk for kidnapping and piracy — a warning that will create alarm among Royal Caribbean travelers concerned about the Labadee port long after stops there resume.

“The U.S. Coast Guard has concerns about security in the ports of Haiti,” the government agency states further. “Until those are addressed, the Coast Guard advises mariners and passengers traveling through the ports of Haiti to exercise caution.”