Labadee???

[scapino]

I did try a search and couldn't find info anywhere else so I thought I'd try here. Does Labadee have any Suite perks? I thought I saw something about a private beach area. I'm not looking to "snob" myself, but was simply curious.

[tserface]

I think Barefoot Beach is reserved for suite guests. It is for RCCL so I think Celebrity does it that way as well.

 

Tom

 

I did try a search and couldn't find info anywhere else so I thought I'd try here. Does Labadee have any Suite perks? I thought I saw something about a private beach area. I'm not looking to "snob" myself, but was simply curious.

[scapino]

Does anyone have pictures of barefoot beach?

[jdvmd]

I did try a search and couldn't find info anywhere else so I thought I'd try here. Does Labadee have any Suite perks? I thought I saw something about a private beach area. I'm not looking to "snob" myself, but was simply curious.

 

Posted last month from Gonzo70:

Project Gal is correct. Since Labadee was not a regular port for Celebrity since RCI began using Barefoot Beach as a special area for suite guests it is unknown if Barefoot Beach will be reserved for suite guests on Celebrity as well. Unless Celebrity releases information about this, we will not know until the first upcoming Celebrity cruise calls upon Labadee and somebody reports back what occurred. I would not automatically assume Celebrity will reserve Barefoot Beach for suite guests, as currently RCI and Celebrity have more differences than similarities in what types of perks suite guests receive.

 

And from dkjretired:

This has come up several times recently with other threads and the posters are correct. Right now no one can say if this will be a suite perk until Celebrity goes to Labadee.From the other threads, it has not been a perk on Celebrity in the past....

[scapino]

It's unfortunate that Celebrity's customer service is clueless about this

[dkjretired]

It's unfortunate that Celebrity's customer service is clueless about this

 

Just out of curiosity, did you check your account on Celebrity and see if it is offered...

[scapino]

Yes I did and no it isn't

[2SeaWithMe]

Barefoot beach was available to suite guests, but the staff was a little confused and there were definitely other people just walking up and going in.

 

We rented a cabana, but it came with none of the Royal perks so I'm not confident the amount was worth it, but really a lovely day and having transportation around the island was a nice touch.

 

There was no private buffet and our attendant seemed more focused on discouraging us from asking for anything than getting anything for us. The cabanas have possibly been rebuilt since the brochures that stated they were over water. They were more over beach most of the day with no water access. Even with the slight disappointments, I would rent one again but only if I could use it for longer.

[jdvmd]

Barefoot beach was available to suite guests, but the staff was a little confused and there were definitely other people just walking up and going in.

 

We rented a cabana, but it came with none of the Royal perks so I'm not confident the amount was worth it, but really a lovely day and having transportation around the island was a nice touch.

 

There was no private buffet and our attendant seemed more focused on discouraging us from asking for anything than getting anything for us. The cabanas have possibly been rebuilt since the brochures that stated they were over water. They were more over beach most of the day with no water access. Even with the slight disappointments, I would rent one again but only if I could use it for longer.

 

Thanks for commenting about your experience. How much does one of these cabanas cost? Are they air conditioned?

[The Big Booper]

Thanks for commenting about your experience. How much does one of these cabanas cost? Are they air conditioned?

 

From pictures shown on Royal's board they are open on one side to the front so I doubt they could be air conditioned. The price of $150 for the cabana, including your guests rings a bell in my mind.

[SusieV]

Barefoot beach was available to suite guests, but the staff was a little confused and there were definitely other people just walking up and going in.

 

We rented a cabana, but it came with none of the Royal perks so I'm not confident the amount was worth it, but really a lovely day and having transportation around the island was a nice touch.

 

There was no private buffet and our attendant seemed more focused on discouraging us from asking for anything than getting anything for us. The cabanas have possibly been rebuilt since the brochures that stated they were over water. They were more over beach most of the day with no water access. Even with the slight disappointments, I would rent one again but only if I could use it for longer.

 

That sounds disappointing. We wanted to rent one if it came with the Royal perks but sounds like it may not be worth it otherwise.

[The Big Booper]

This is taken from "Radio's" "Live on the Explorer" thread from last month.

 

Hello everyone ! I can’t think of a better day to have as a last port day than a Sunny Day in Labadee !

We left the ship today at 9AM to grab our Labadee Limo (Golf Cart) that would take us to our Cabana on Barefoot beach.

 

Today was spectacular. . . To be in Labadee was one thing. . . But to spend the day on Barefoot Beach with friends in Labadee was the best.

There were a lot of people on our Roll Call in Barefoot beach in Cabana’s. I think I was able to say hello to all of them. They are all a bunch of great people.

 

 

Our Cabana was S-6, and was very shady. It was very hot today, so I am glad we had a lot of shade. The walk to the beach area was not far at all. The beach area was lovely, and the water was warm. Water shoes are recommended by me for this area. . . I did not have any and there were no problems, but if I come here again I will invest in a pair. The Floats, Snorkel gear, and vest were included in the Cabana price for the day. Each Cabana was also provided with a large cooler filled with Ice and several bottles of water. You are not required to bring towels from the ship as towels are provided in the Cabana.

 

 

Barefoot Beach will provide your Cabana with a Cabana Attendant that will cater to you, and provide services for you during the stay. Our attendant (Regis) brought extra lounge chairs, kept the cabana clean while we were in the water, and made sure that everyone had beverages and ice when needed. He lived across the small harbor in Labadee Village. He was a good guy !

Picture of the Cabana -

 

 

http://cruisingwithradio.com/pics/EXPLORER2011/V10A.JPG

[2SeaWithMe]

Thanks for commenting about your experience. How much does one of these cabanas cost? Are they air conditioned?

 

They have a ceiling fan and also an additional outlet for anything you might need. The over-water (i.e. over beach) cabanas were $200, the hillside were $175, and the beach were $150. They can accommodate six, but I would say four would be more reasonable. There are two lounge chairs and than in the shaded area there is a sofa & footstools. I will post pictures maybe the next week or so...I just got back from our cruise today! :)

 

We didn't arrive at Labadee until 10am. We were initially told the golf carts would pick us up at the end of the gangway of the ship at the port, so we waited 20 minutes...only to find out they couldn't/wouldn't come that far. The dock itself is a pretty good length, and it was a hot day, so when the activities manager finally got everyone collected, they were walking much too fast for me to keep up. They went ahead and than we waited for her to return by the main entrance to Labadee. Her assistant had told us there was an issue with the security at the beach and we needed to be escorted in...but they just loaded us into a golf cart. It was their first time in that port, so there was a lot of confusion and uncertainty. Not really anyone's fault, just annoying. So we basically got to the cabana after 11, and the ship left at 4pm, all aboard by 3:45. It was enough of a crowd so we tried to get ahead by leaving a little after 3 but I wasn't he only one with that idea! :) :p

 

So basically...cabana and view beautiful, the ceiling fan really was very cooling. The water & beach itself were also lovely and calm. There is a significant amount of shells and coral and shoes are a necessity. You are also given a floating beach mat for every person in the cabana. They also have a cooler with two bottles of water. The day we went there was no private lunch but the buffet they put out was more than adequate. I think if you had an attendant that would get lunch for you, it would be better. It seemed to be hit or miss on which attendants went, and which did not.

 

I think it makes a beach day much nicer, and stress-free as far as finding an ideal spot and a place to relax that is semi-private. I don't think the $200 for four hours, for myself personally, is a good value but would probably spend slightly less for the same amount of time. I'd spend the $200 for better service and a longer beach day.

[2SeaWithMe]

I wanted to add that I think a good portion of any disappointment was my own fault as far as the cabanas go. I assumed that they would be handled by Celebrity the same as Royal, as they use the same staff on the island and are the same company. While they had pricing and some overhead 'maps' of the locations, the staff hadn't been and couldn't really answer questions. So I booked based on what I had heard.

 

No ones fault but my own. Really the only disappointment that was not my own fault was the whole confusion at the pier with being told to wait, no don't wait, no wait, actually just go...lol. It wasted about an hour and I did feel slightly like I was paying for someone else's learning experience.

 

I did hear the other beaches were nearly impossible to swim on because of some harsh waves, so that alone might be a big incentive for those who like quiet beaches.

[hancock]

Just east of Barefoot Beach is Nellie's Beach. It's the next cove over. It's very nice for swimming. Go early as it gets crowded.

[cookmg40]

I wanted to add that I think a good portion of any disappointment was my own fault as far as the cabanas go. I assumed that they would be handled by Celebrity the same as Royal, as they use the same staff on the island and are the same company. While they had pricing and some overhead 'maps' of the locations, the staff hadn't been and couldn't really answer questions. So I booked based on what I had heard.

 

No ones fault but my own. Really the only disappointment that was not my own fault was the whole confusion at the pier with being told to wait, no don't wait, no wait, actually just go...lol. It wasted about an hour and I did feel slightly like I was paying for someone else's learning experience.

 

I did hear the other beaches were nearly impossible to swim on because of some harsh waves, so that alone might be a big incentive for those who like quiet beaches.

 

Hi - were you able to book your cabana before boarding the ship or did you book it while onboard? Just curious, because I want to reserve one of the over-water cabanas but there are only 4 of them. Would like to confirm the reservation before boarding our cruise. Thanks!

[2SeaWithMe]

Hi - were you able to book your cabana before boarding the ship or did you book it while onboard? Just curious, because I want to reserve one of the over-water cabanas but there are only 4 of them. Would like to confirm the reservation before boarding our cruise. Thanks!

 

It was the first thing I did when I got onboard. I received the first choice as every single one was open. I chose cabana number '1' but I would recommend 3 or 4. Cabana's 1 & 2 are built completely side by side with minimal privacy and are set back further from the water. The others are more over the water and when the tide seemed to come in after 2, they were 'over water'. They also appeared from my vantage point to be set a little away from each other so they had significantly more privacy.

 

The hillsides looked to be the very coolest ones, but those steps looked like murder...giant slanted slabs of rock. But very private.

[jdvmd]

Thanks so much for all the great information. We have been to Labadee several times but not since the cabanas have been built. The last time we were there, we just stayed on the Oasis to enjoy the ship. Will likely try to rent a villa when we are there.

[Oville]

We rented one last May on the water's edge and it was wonderful but $200. In November we went to Malfini beach and had again a wonderful time.

 

Barefoot Beach is only available to suites' guests and I think Diamond plus members on RCI. Guest staying in suites get first dibs on the Cabanas and they seem to sell out. Others use the same uncomfortable lounges as the rest of the island. You have to show your SeaPass card to get in. There is a private BBQ lunch with a few upscale items. The Cabana attendants are very attentive, no complaints from us.

 

To be honest, we really enjoyed Malfini, so if we can get one of the waterside cabanas will happily return to this very private beach.

 

Who knows what X will do, but my guess is they will save this spot for suites.

[cruisegirl1]

Barefoot Beach on Labadee is NOT available to RCCL Diamond Plus passengers unless they are also booked in a suite or and rent a cabana ( should one be available after offered to suite guests. ) It is a suite perk only. The beach is very nice, but as noted , the beach next to it also nice and is basically the same.

 

Enjoy

M

[Oville]

Cruisegirl1, thanks I wasn't sure about D+.

[2SeaWithMe]

Celebrity is handling it entirely differently, it seems. No snorkeling equipment, no lunch, and I was booked in AQ and received the first cabana.

[QuietTraveller]

My first time in Labadee. Which beaches are available to Celebrity guest w/o extra cost? Are they worth visiting? How far is the walk? What;s wotrth the $$$ for a lazy day?

[Wehwalt]

I was there on my RCL trip. It is a peninsula about a mile long, I guess. At the land end there is a gate that you can't go through and shouldn't want to, it goes to the rest of Haiti. Near the gate there are a couple of buildings with vendors selling the usual junk, plus Haitian products like coffee and rum. The cruise ship dock was still under construction when I was there; we tendered. There are plenty of beaches on both sides of the peninsula. There is no cost for those. I rather liked the hammocks, easily large enough for two! Used it alone, though. :(