Carnival Addresses Port Visits to Hispaniola After Haiti Violence

Carnival Cruise Line has been keeping close watch on the situation in Haiti and has addressed guest concerns about port of call visits to Amber Cove in neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

This comes as Royal Caribbean International has now suspended all visits to their private destination in Haiti, Labadee, due to ongoing violence and civil unrest.

Carnival Cruise Line Still Visiting the Dominican Republic

In light of continuing violence in Haiti that has now led to Royal Caribbean International suspending all calls to Labadee, Carnival Cruise Line has been fielding questions from concerned guests about visits to the neighboring port of Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador John Heald has addressed the situation, reassuring guests that their visits to Amber Cove are safe and the destination is ready and eager to welcome visitors.

“I am writing about Haiti because so many of you were asking me if this will affect the calls in Dominican Republic, specifically Amber Cove?” Heald explained. “The answer is no. Our ports of call in the Dominican Republic are located significant distances from the border with Haiti.”

Carnival Cruise Line visits not only Amber Cove, but also occasionally La Romana. Like Labadee, Amber Cove is located on the northern coast of Hispaniola, but across the border in the Dominican Republic rather than in Haiti.

The recent prison break, during which approximately 4,000 criminals escaped from facilities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is 226 miles (365 kilometers) from Amber Cove, which would be a roughly 9 hour drive, depending on the route. Furthermore, crossing the border from Haiti into the Dominican Republic is challenging due to heavy security at the border.

“The border is monitored by law enforcement,” Heald confirmed.

As for Carnival Cruise Line’s visits to La Romana, that port of call is even further away, on the island’s southeastern coast, 270 miles (433 km) from Port-au-Prince.

“We monitor the local destinations our ships visit, relying on government and law enforcement expertise,” Heald explained. “Our security team has determined that we can continue with our planned visits to the Dominican Republic as there is no threat to public safety.”

Undoubtedly, Carnival Cruise Line – and all cruise lines with port visits in the Dominican Republic – will keep a close eye on the situation in Haiti in case of any escalation that might require a reassessment of itineraries.

This is no different than cruise lines monitoring the situation in the Red Sea and making adjustments as needed to ensure all their guests, crew members, and ships are safe no matter where in the world they are sailing.

Which Carnival Ships Visit the Dominican Republic?

Amber Cove is the most popular destination in the Dominican Republic that Carnival cruise ships visit, which is not surprising considering the 30-acre development is an exclusive port for Carnival Cruise Line, developed and built to welcome ships from Carnival Corporation & plc. The port opened in 2015 after an investment of $85 million (USD), and includes retail space, cabanas, pools, a water park, and much more.

Read Also: Amber Cove, Dominican Republic – Everything You Need to Know

Many Carnival ships enjoy visits to Amber Cove as part of Eastern Caribbean and Southern Caribbean itineraries, depending on the overall sailing route and other destinations on individual itineraries.

La Romana is much further out of the way, and is less frequently visited due to distance. Throughout 2024, Carnival Horizon and Carnival Magic will both visit La Romana several times as part of Southern Caribbean cruises. Those same sailings will also visit Amber Cove.