The recent news that Royal Caribbean suspends voyages on his private beach in Labadee, Haiti, is just the latest in a series of recent travel warnings and problems that have hit island tourist destinations this year.
Royal Caribbean announced March 14 that its cruise ships would not stop at its private beach as the country grapples with rampant gang violence and political unrest.
“Due to the evolving situation in Haiti, and out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily suspending our visits to Labadee for our entire fleet,” Assistant Vice President Aurora Yera-Rodriguez said in a statement. statement. “We continue to monitor and assess the situation with our global security and intelligence team.”
The decision comes after the American embassy in Haiti urged American citizens not to travel to Haiti and that all citizens currently present in the country leave as soon as possible.
In Haiti, anti-government gangs fought against police and were shut down. the country's two international airports. On March 3, a mass prison escape in Port-au-Prince led the government to declare a state of emergency after the escape of thousands of detainees.
But Haiti isn't the only vacation destination that's been the subject of travel warnings from the U.S. government (although it's arguably the most dangerous of all to visit right now).
At the end of February, the American embassy and consulates in Mexico issued a warning for anyone planning to visit the country during spring break, highlighting a list of potential threats including violent crime, unregulated drug or alcohol use, and counterfeit medications.
While noting that the “vast majority” of people who travel to Mexico do so safely, the embassy emphasized in its warning that crime, “including violent crime, can occur anywhere in Mexico, including in popular tourist destinations.”
“US citizens should exercise increased caution in the city centers of popular spring break locations, including Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum, especially after dark,” the warning said.
Back at the end of Januarythe United States government published a safety warning and travel advisory for the Bahamas, saying the country is unsafe for tourists due to high levels of crime, particularly in the capital Nassau.
“Murders took place at all hours, including in broad daylight, in the streets,” the ministry said. The US Embassy in Nassau said in a statement, pointing out that 18 murders have taken place in the capital since the start of the year. “Gang retaliation was the main motive for the 2024 killings.”
Before that, the US Department of State has published a Level 3 “reconsider travel” advisory for Jamaica on January 23saying travelers should rethink their trip to Jamaica due to high crime and lack of adequate medical services.
The notice said that “violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common” in the country today, and that “sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts.”
Leaders of Jamaica and the Bahamas repulsed against these warnings, saying their respective countries remain “safe and secure” destinations for tourists.
“Sometimes the unintended consequences of policies are that they cause serious damage and undermine the stability and security of other countries,” said Edmund Bartlett, the country's tourism minister. the Miami Herald in February.
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism said the advisory does not “reflect the general safety in The Bahamas, a country of 16 tourist destinations and many other islands.”
