Caribbean Cruise Destination Declares State of Emergency

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After a weekend of violence, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (GOTT) has officially declared a country-wide state of emergency for the popular cruise destination as of December 30, 2024.

Several people lost their lives in the final weekend of the year, which brought the murder total to 623 for 2024 – with an estimated 42.6% of the killings connected to gang activity. This unprecedented tally means Trinidad and Tobago has one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In response to the quickly growing concern about reprisal attacks from gang members using assault weapons, the president of the twin island republic, Christine Carla Kangaloo, declared a state of emergency under the guidance of Prime Minister Keith Rowley.

“I am satisfied that a public emergency has risen as a result of the occurrence of action that has been taken or is immediately threatened by a person, of such a nature and on so extensive a scale, as to be likely to endanger the public safety,” President Kangaloo said in a proclamation.

Under the emergency order, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) will have the authority to arrest individuals on suspicion of involvement in illegal activities and to detain individuals without charge(s) for 48 hours and to search properties without warrants.

Per the US Embassy, cruise guests visiting in the near future will likely notice an increased police and military presence.

At this time, no curfew has been put in place for the 1.5 million residents or visitors from the US – but government personnel are forbidden from visiting beaches, the downtown Port of Spain, Fort George, and Queen’s Park Savannah after dark.

This is a developing situation and rules and restrictions are subject to change. US citizens traveling to the troubled country are encouraged to sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive current alerts and updates surrounding their trip.

How Will the State of Emergency Impact Cruising?

As of July 2, 2024, The US Government has had Trinidad and Tobago set a Level 3 Travel Advisory, which means that visitors should “reconsider travel” due to violent crime, including murder, robbery, assault, home invasion, and kidnapping.

“Reconsider travel to Trinidad and Tobago due to crime. Exercise increased caution in Trinidad and Tobago due to terrorism and kidnapping. Some areas have increased risk…Violence and shootings occur regularly in some areas of Port of Spain,” the advisory reads as of January 1, 2025.

It’s unclear if the advisory will be updated due to the newly declared state of emergency.

That said, the travel advisory hasn’t yet stopped the cruise lines from including the Caribbean country on their itineraries – with Holland America Line’s Volendam visiting as recently as December 28, 2024.

Port of Spain in Trinidad & Tobago (Photo Credit: maloff)

Currently, several cruise lines call on the dual island nation through three ports. The primary cruise port is the Port of Spain, which is the capital of the nation and located in Trinidad. That said, many cruise ships do dock at Scarborough and Charlotteville on Tobago.

Read Also: How to Stay Safe and Enjoy Your Cruise Vacation

Nine different cruise lines have planned calls on one of these three ports in January 2025 alone. In addition to Holland America Line, mainstream brands like Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Oceania Cruises, and Costa Cruises are on the port schedules.

But now that a state of emergency has been declared, it’s possible that at least some of these ships will reroute out of an abundance of caution – as cruise lines always have to put guest and crew safety first.

When a state of emergency was declared in Haiti last year, for example, Royal Caribbean suspended sailings to its private destination, Labadee, Haiti – not returning for months. It wouldn’t be surprising if the cruise lines decided a hiatus was in everyone’s best interest once again.

Cruise guests who do visit Trinidad and Tobago should take extra precautions while in port, such as by remaining extra vigilant and aware of one’s surroundings, using caution while walking or driving at night, and making an effort to not display overt signs of wealth through their outfit or belongings.

If guests do not feel safe entering the port, there is also nothing wrong with staying on their ship and enjoying the onboard amenities available to them.

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