Back in July, the plan was for ships to start calling at Haiti again once June 2027 had passed. That timeline is gone. With Royal Caribbean Labadee closed at least through April 2028, booked guests on nine ships are now getting notices that their Labadee day has been replaced with another port or a day at sea.
As reported by Cruise Hive, the new round of itinerary notices pushes the pause roughly 10 months past the old end date. If your sailing between now and spring 2028 still shows Labadee, expect that stop to change, if it has not already.
How long Royal Caribbean Labadee closed status now lasts
The private beach destination sits on the Cap-Haitien coast in northern Haiti, and Royal Caribbean first paused calls there in March 2024, briefly resumed visits, then halted them again in spring 2025 over security concerns. Since then, the cruise line has extended the pause in steps rather than setting one firm reopening date.
In July 2026, a company spokesperson explained the previous extension this way: “As we continue to evaluate conditions in Haiti and our ability to deliver the best vacations responsibly, we have decided to extend the suspension of ship calls to Labadee through June 2027.” The latest guest notices reach further, to April 2028 at the earliest.
| Update | Labadee calls paused through |
|---|---|
| July 2026 extension | June 2027 |
| Late October 2026 guest notices | At least April 2028 |
Note the wording. April 2028 is the new floor, not a promised return date. Given how this pause has rolled forward before, planning a 2028 trip around Labadee would be a gamble.
Which ships lose their Labadee day
Dozens of departures across nine ships are affected:
- Adventure of the Seas
- Allure of the Seas
- Explorer of the Seas
- Freedom of the Seas
- Harmony of the Seas
- Independence of the Seas
- Serenade of the Seas
- Star of the Seas
- Symphony of the Seas
With Royal Caribbean Labadee closed on all of these ships, anyone booked on a Caribbean trip that originally listed Haiti should treat their printed itinerary as out of date until the revised version shows up in the reservation.
What replaces Labadee on your cruise
There is no single substitute. Two Allure of the Seas departures show how much the swaps vary, even on one ship:
| Sailing | Replacement for Labadee | Other change |
|---|---|---|
| Allure, July 18, 2027 (6 nights from Miami) | Nassau, Bahamas | Sea day moved |
| Allure, February 6, 2028 (7 nights) | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Samana call shifts one day later |
Guests posting on Reddit have described getting Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Cozumel, Samana or an extra sea day instead. What you end up with depends on open berths, the route your ship is already running and how many nights the cruise lasts.
That spread matters for value. A busy port such as San Juan offers a very different day than a sea day, so two cabins that paid similar fares on the same ship class can come away with noticeably different trips.
What to do now if your sailing included Haiti
Check the itinerary in your booking. Log in through Royal Caribbean’s website or app and compare the port list against what you booked. Notices are going out sailing by sailing, so do not assume your departure is untouched because a friend’s was.
Rework your shore plans. Any beach day or excursion you sketched out for Haiti is off the table. A new port like Nassau or Cozumel calls for a different plan, and a sea day frees up time for onboard extras. Our breakdown of what cruise dining includes and what costs extra helps if that extra day at sea pushes you toward a specialty restaurant.
Ask directly about money. Cruise Hive reports that prepaid Labadee shore excursions are refunded automatically to the original form of payment within 14 business days, but nothing so far spells out any onboard credit tied to these changes. If you paid for something at that stop, contact the cruise line or your travel agent and ask how it will be handled.
Still deciding on a Caribbean cruise for 2027 or early 2028? With Royal Caribbean Labadee closed for that whole window, look at the current port list rather than older marketing material, which may still show Haiti. If you plan to pay with rewards, our guide to using points and miles to fund a cruise covers how that works.
What we still don’t know
Royal Caribbean has not given a firm reopening date. It also has not laid out, in anything we have seen, whether the nine-ship list could grow, or whether sailings after April 2028 will keep their Labadee calls. With the Royal Caribbean Labadee closed status renewed in stages so far, more extensions would not be a surprise.
Frequently asked questions
Does Royal Caribbean still go to Labadee?
Not right now. Ship calls have been suspended since spring 2025, and guest notices now push the pause to at least April 2028.
Is Royal Caribbean Labadee closed in 2027?
Yes. Every 2027 call appears affected, since the closure now runs at least through April 2028 on nine ships.
Will I get a refund if Labadee is cancelled on my cruise?
Prepaid Labadee shore excursions are refunded automatically to the original form of payment within 14 business days, according to Cruise Hive. For other prepaid plans tied to that stop, contact Royal Caribbean or your travel agent.
Should you rebook a cruise that counted on Labadee?
If Labadee was the main reason you picked a sailing, having Royal Caribbean Labadee closed into 2028 changes the math, so look at whether the replacement port still makes the trip worth it to you, and talk to Royal Caribbean before final payment locks you in. If you booked for the ship itself, you can likely sit tight and simply plan around the new stop. Either way, assume Haiti stays off the map for now and let any return be a bonus.
