Cruise passengers worried about safety after unexpected diversion to Haiti

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Updated  November 29, 2024 7:34pm EST
FOX 35 Orlando
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Cruise passengers worried about safety in Haiti

Cruise concerns are escalating for passengers who are unexpectedly heading to Haiti. The country is currently under a Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory by the U.S. State Department. The FAA also banned planes from landing in parts of Haiti after bullets hit a Spirit plane trying to land there earlier this month.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Cruise concerns are escalating for passengers who are unexpectedly heading to Haiti, which is currently under a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory by the U.S. State Department.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also banned planes from landing in parts of Haiti after bullets hit a Spirit plane trying to land there earlier this month. 

Cruise lines are still allowed to dock on the island, and some passengers aren’t happy about it.

The U.S. Coast Guard says Port San Juan isn’t safe for cruise ships to dock right now, so it’s closed. This means ships are changing course.

Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas ship will now visit Haiti as some passengers sound the alarm for safety. 

"I don’t want to go into a war zone for my vacation, right," said Florida cruiser, Yvette Avila, who’s very worried about her family’s safety on their upcoming cruise.

The mother is extremely stressed about setting sail on Sunday after receiving the unexpected news. 

They were supposed to visit San Juan, Puerto Rico, but days before her cruise, Royal Caribbean changed their trip.

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"We have to travel to a FAA federally banned country," she said. 

Symphony of the Seas will now dock in Haiti on a 7-day cruise, but Yvette doesn’t plan to leave the ship.

"We’re not going to probably get off for our own safety reasons," she said. 

Since March 2024, Haiti’s been under a State of Emergency. The U.S. State Department has the country on a "Do Not Travel" list for Americans due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and limited health care.

"This isn’t a vacation," said the worried cruiser. On Friday, FOX 35’s Esther Bower caught up with her as she was buying anti-stress supplements and medicine to help her deal with the changes. 

FOX 35 took her concerns to The Cruise Guy. Stewart Chiron says the port is safe and far away from danger.

"It is a fenced-in, 24-hour secured facility, in the north," said the expert. "Labadee is about 8.5 hours north of Port-au-Prince."

Royal Caribbean also told FOX 35 in a statement:

"The safety and security of our guests, crew, and communities we visit are our top priority. Our global security and intelligence team continuously monitor the situation in Haiti. Currently, there are no changes to our planned itineraries."

Yvette says she would feel better spending a day at sea instead or even rescheduling her family's vacation altogether.

She feels forced to set sail this weekend because she doesn’t want to lose the $10,000 they already paid.

"We’re just taking you to Labadee, and you can take it, or you’re going to lose your money," Yvette concluded. 

It's important to note, Royal Caribbean has no say over what’s happening at the port in San Juan. 

At this time, there is no word from the Coast Guard on when that port will re-open to large cruise ships, so more passengers could see changes to their upcoming cruises.  

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