Royal Caribbean Just Cancelled Every Single Labadee Stop Through 2026—Here’s What That Means for Your Caribbean Cruise

If you’ve got a Royal Caribbean cruise booked this year and Labadee was supposed to be one of your ports, that stop is officially gone. The cruise line just extended its Labadee suspension through the end of December 2026—and there’s no sign it’s coming back anytime soon.

This isn’t a minor itinerary tweak. Labadee is one of Royal Caribbean’s most popular private destinations, and twelve ships across the fleet are now being rerouted for the entire year. If you’re sailing on Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Legend of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Star of the Seas, or Utopia of the Seas in 2026, your itinerary just changed.

According to the Royal Caribbean Blog, the cruise line confirmed on January 13, 2026, “Out of an abundance of caution, we have extended our pause to Labadee through December 2026.”

Why Royal Caribbean Is Staying Away

Labadee is located on Haiti’s northern coast, and while it operates as a gated private resort leased by Royal Caribbean, the wider situation in Haiti has made the cruise line decide it’s not worth the risk.

Haiti has been under a U.S. State Department Level 4 travel advisory since March 2024—the highest warning level, which explicitly states “Do not travel.” Gang violence, kidnappings, and civil instability have plagued the country for nearly two years, and there’s no clear timeline for when conditions might stabilize.

The U.S. Coast Guard has also raised security concerns about Haitian ports, and Royal Caribbean hasn’t sent a ship to Labadee since April 2025. Originally, the cruise line had only cancelled stops through April 2026, but the January announcement extended that suspension for the full year.

This decision isn’t just about guest safety. Royal Caribbean reported in its Q4 2025 earnings that the Labadee closure negatively impacted earnings by approximately five cents per share. That’s a measurable financial hit, which tells you how reluctant they were to make this call—and how serious the situation must be for them to keep the destination closed.

What Happens to Your Itinerary

If Labadee was on your cruise, your ship is being rerouted to alternative Caribbean ports. The most common substitutions include Nassau in the Bahamas, Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos, Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, Cozumel in Mexico, and San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Royal Caribbean is arranging these alternatives wherever possible, but some sailings may end up with an extra sea day instead of a port replacement. The cruise line should notify affected passengers directly, but if you’re sailing in 2026, it’s worth double-checking your itinerary online to see if your ports have changed.

You won’t get a refund or compensation just because Labadee was removed—cruise lines have broad discretion to modify itineraries for operational or safety reasons, and that’s spelled out in the fine print when you book. But if the change is significant enough that you no longer want to sail, you may have options depending on when you booked and what kind of fare you purchased.

The Bigger Picture

Labadee has been part of Royal Caribbean’s Caribbean strategy since 1986, offering a controlled, private beach experience that’s been a major selling point for the cruise line’s Western Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean itineraries. Losing access to it for an entire year—and potentially longer—forces Royal Caribbean to rely more heavily on other private destinations like Perfect Day at CocoCay and Cozumel’s beach clubs.

The closure also raises questions about the long-term viability of Labadee as a destination. If Haiti’s security situation doesn’t improve, Royal Caribbean may eventually need to rethink whether it’s worth maintaining the lease and infrastructure there, or whether it makes more sense to invest in alternative private islands elsewhere in the Caribbean.

For now, the cruise line is staying vague about what happens after 2026. There’s no announced reopening date, and given that they’ve already extended the closure once, it wouldn’t be surprising if 2027 itineraries also start getting revised.

What You Should Do

If you’re booked on a 2026 Royal Caribbean cruise and Labadee was part of your itinerary, check your booking online or call Royal Caribbean to confirm what port has replaced it. You should receive an email notification if your itinerary changed, but it’s worth verifying directly.

If the change significantly alters your cruise experience and you no longer want to go, contact Royal Caribbean to discuss your options. Depending on your fare type and how far out your sailing is, you may be able to rebook for a different itinerary or receive a future cruise credit.

And if you’re booking a new Caribbean cruise for late 2026 or 2027, assume Labadee won’t be back anytime soon. Royal Caribbean isn’t advertising Labadee on any new itineraries, and until Haiti’s security situation stabilizes, that’s unlikely to change.

The Bottom Line

Royal Caribbean’s Labadee closure isn’t temporary anymore—it’s looking increasingly permanent, at least for the foreseeable future. Twelve ships, hundreds of sailings, and tens of thousands of passengers are now being rerouted to alternative ports, and there’s no clear path to reopening.

If Labadee was a major reason you booked your cruise, that’s worth reconsidering. But if you’re flexible about your Caribbean ports and just want a solid beach day somewhere warm, the substitute destinations should still deliver a good experience.

The bigger question is what this means for Royal Caribbean’s long-term private destination strategy—and whether Labadee will ever return to the rotation.