Cruise & Ferry
Royal Caribbean cancels 23 more cruises

Royal Caribbean has extended its suspension of visits to Labadee, Haiti, through October, affecting 23 additional cruise itineraries as safety concerns continue mounting in the Caribbean nation. The decision impacts passengers aboard five of the cruise line’s ships who had planned to visit what was once considered one of the most popular private destinations in the Caribbean.
The extended cancellations represent a significant operational challenge for the cruise industry’s second-largest operator, which must now modify planned routes and manage passenger expectations for thousands of travelers. Many cruise passengers specifically select their voyages based on planned port visits, making these last-minute changes particularly disappointing for those eager to experience Caribbean destinations.
The U.S. State Department currently maintains a Level 4 travel advisory for Haiti, the highest warning level issued by the government agency. This designation advises American citizens to avoid travel to the region entirely due to escalating security risks and deteriorating conditions throughout the country.
Safety concerns drive operational decisions
Haiti has experienced a dramatic increase in criminal violence, kidnapping incidents, civil unrest, and what authorities describe as terrorist activity throughout 2024. The State Department reports that crimes involving firearms have become commonplace, including armed robbery, carjackings, sexual assault, and kidnappings conducted for ransom purposes.
The Caribbean nation has operated under a declared State of Emergency since March 2024, reflecting the severity of the ongoing crisis. Gang violence has particular expanded throughout various regions, creating unpredictable security situations that make cruise ship visits extremely risky for both passengers and crew members.
Royal Caribbean initially canceled Labadee visits during the spring months as conditions deteriorated, and the latest extension demonstrates that improvements in Haiti’s security situation have not materialized as hoped. The cruise line must balance passenger safety with commercial interests while navigating an increasingly complex regional security environment.
Fleet operations require extensive modifications
The 23 affected cruises span five major vessels in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, including Adventure of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, and Oasis of the Seas. Each ship requires individual itinerary adjustments that maintain cruise duration while providing alternative experiences for passengers.
Some modified itineraries will substitute Labadee visits with stops at alternative Caribbean destinations including Nassau in the Bahamas or Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands. These replacement ports offer similar tropical experiences with beach access and shore excursion opportunities, though they lack the exclusive private destination appeal that Labadee provided.
Other affected cruises will receive additional sea days rather than replacement port visits, fundamentally altering the cruise experience for passengers who had specifically chosen Caribbean itineraries for their multiple destination visits. These sea days typically feature enhanced onboard programming and activities to compensate for missed port experiences.
The operational complexity of these changes extends beyond simple route modifications, requiring coordination with port authorities, shore excursion providers, provisioning schedules, and passenger communication systems across multiple markets and departure dates.
Industry implications and passenger impact
Royal Caribbean has not provided definitive timelines for resuming Labadee operations, though November represents the earliest possible return date based on current assessments. This uncertainty creates ongoing challenges for future cruise planning and marketing efforts, particularly for Caribbean itineraries that have historically featured the private destination as a key selling point.
The situation highlights broader challenges facing the cruise industry as it navigates political instability and security concerns in various global destinations. Private cruise destinations like Labadee typically offer controlled environments that enhance passenger safety while providing economic benefits to local communities through employment and infrastructure development.
Passengers affected by these changes typically receive compensation through onboard credits, future cruise discounts, or alternative shore excursion options, though these measures may not fully address disappointment over missed destinations. The cruise line’s handling of these disruptions can significantly impact customer satisfaction and future booking decisions.
The extended Labadee cancellations underscore the complex relationship between international travel, political stability, and commercial operations in the modern cruise industry, where companies must continuously adapt to changing global conditions while maintaining passenger safety and satisfaction.
Cruise & Ferry
Producer of missing Amy Lynn Bradley Netflix doc reveal new leads since series aired & believe she is alive 27 years on

THE producer of the hit Netflix documentary about a missing woman who vanished on a family cruise more than 27 years ago says they have received new tips related to her case.
Amy Lynn Bradley disappeared without a trace in March 1998 after boarding the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas with her parents, Ron and Iva, and her younger brother Brad.
The family trip began in Puerto Rico and first stopped in Aruba.
Just three days into the trip, on March 23, Amy disappeared after spending the night socializing and dancing at the ship’s nightclub until the early hours of the morning.
She was last seen asleep on the balcony in the family’s shared cabin, but no evidence suggests she fell or jumped from the railing.
When her father woke up, he couldn’t find his daughter and alerted the ship’s security crew, but they found no sign of her, and cameras failed to capture any last movements.
The case has gripped the true crime community for years, and alleged witnesses speak out in the documentary to suggest she may have been sex-trafficked.
She was last seen dancing with a bass player who was performing with a band on the trip, Alister Douglas, whose nickname was “Yellow,” although he has always maintained his innocence.
His daughter, Amica, suspects her father was involved in Amy’s disappearance and is seen in the three-part Netflix series grilling him during a tense phone call, in which he insists he has nothing to hide.
Filmmaker Ari Mark, who worked with fellow producer Phil Lott on the series, spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun after it became a Top 10 show on the streamer.
He said, “[We’re] very pleased with very pleased with how the series has been received. The ‘buzz’ around the show is incredible.
“That’s what we want. The more people that know Amy’s story – the better.”
Asked if the team had received any possible leads since its release that have been passed on to police or the FBI, he said they had, but they don’t want to get their hopes up just yet.
“We have had a few leads come in, but I can’t discuss them and they’re not verified yet, so they may very likely be false leads,” he said, as they can get hoax calls, or people getting information wrong.
“This was always about one thing: finding Amy,” he went on.
“But to ensure that the audience is activated, they have to want to help.
“To use Iva Bradley’s words, they are ‘over the moon’ that Amy’s story is finally getting this level of attention. Everyone in the world now knows her name.
“I prefer to believe that Amy is alive. But there’s so little tangible official ‘evidence’ in this case that it’s impossible to know.
“So much gray area, especially when it comes to timelines.
“Remember, no cell phones and virtually no cameras, so we really can’t track people’s whereabouts, which means we can’t take anything as fact.”
SEX WORKER MYSTERY
One of the aspects only briefly touched on in the documentary is how the family’s cabin was cleaned before the police were able to look for evidence and deem it a potential crime scene.
Mark admitted the cleaner’s identity remains unknown, and it is unclear whether a small table on the balcony could have been moved closer to the railing.
Her sandals were placed side by side, and a t-shirt was lying on the arm of the chair she’d been sitting on, while her cigarettes were missing, and only an ashtray remained on the table.
“Allegedly, ‘cruise security’ was responsible for questioning their crew,” Mark said.
He added that they did search for evidence that Amy had jumped or fallen into the water, saying, “They absolutely looked and came up with nothing.
“They did find Amy’s fingerprints around the cabin, but the whole family’s fingerprints were all over the room, so it wasn’t really ‘evidence.'”
One of the most shocking parts of the documentary saw experts review photographs published on a sex worker website years later that showed a woman clad in lingerie.
The woman had strikingly similar features to Amy, and her family said they fear it could be her years on.
Asked his opinion on the legitimacy of the photographs, Mark said, “I really don’t know. We tend to air on the side of something happened to her vs accident.
“One thing we do know with missing person cases is that there usually is some elusive piece of evidence out there, but the universe needs to align to bring that thing or person forward.”
FBI REWARD
Asked about the theory that Douglas could have been involved in her disappearance, Mark confirmed his lie detector test was “inconclusive” despite reports he passed, but he was cleared by police.
Mark simply said, “I feel awful for the Douglas family and what they’ve had to endure all these years.”
Does he have any advice for anyone who has information but is terrified to come forward?
He said, “I would say to them: look at this family. Look at the pain this has caused. And look at the millions of people that want to help.
“That has to be enough for someone to muster the courage to speak out.”
He added that Amy’s family is “understandably shattered and lives in a constant state of not knowing.”
Mark added, “Gaining their trust has been a journey, but their warmth, sense of family, and strength has been something that everyone who worked on this show has admired and rallied behind.”
Timeline of Amy Lynn Bradley’s last hours before her disappearance
March 23, 1998, evening Amy Lynn Bradley and her brother, Brad, attended a dance party at the ship’s disco, where they were seen with members of the ship’s band. The ship was sailing from Aruba to Curaçao.
March 24, 1998, 3:35 a.m. Brad Bradley returned to the family cabin, followed five minutes later by Amy, after a night of dancing and drinking. They sat on the balcony and talked before Brad went to sleep.
March 24, 1998, 5:15 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. Amy’s father, Ron Bradley, woke up briefly and saw Amy asleep on a lounge chair on their cabin’s balcony. This is the last confirmed sighting of her by her family.
March 24, 1998, 5:30 a.m. to 5:45 a.m. Three witnesses later claimed to have seen Amy on an upper deck of the ship with Alister “Yellow” Douglas, a member of the ship’s band, and said he was seen leaving alone shortly after 6 a.m.
March 24, 1998, 6:00 a.m. When Ron Bradley woke up again, Amy was no longer on the balcony, but her shoes were still in the cabin, and her cigarettes and lighter were missing. He began to search the ship for her.
March 24, 1998, 6:30 a.m. The family reported Amy missing to the ship’s crew and asked that passengers be prevented from disembarking, but their request was denied. The ship had already docked in Curaçao.
March 24, 1998, 7:50 a.m. The ship made a public announcement for Amy to come to the purser’s desk, but by this time, many of the passengers had already disembarked. A full ship search was conducted later in the day, but no sign of Amy was found.
March 24-27, 1998 The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard conducted a four-day air and sea search for Amy around Curaçao and Aruba, but no trace of her was ever found. Authorities initially considered the possibility that she fell overboard, but this theory was later dismissed.
The FBI has a page dedicated to Amy’s disappearance and a separate website that features images of what she could potentially look like today.
The page states, “The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the recovery of Amy Lynn Bradley and information that leads to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person(s) responsible for her disappearance.”
She is described as standing at 5-feet-6-inches, and weighing 120 pounds with green eyes and short brown hair.
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