Labadee questions for kiddos

[cljenkins07]

Hi! We have a Royal Caribbean excursion to Labadee. I will have my husband and two daughters (7 year old and 2 year old). The two year old is pretty much too young to do anything but go to the the beach. So I was thinking one of us should take the 7 year old to do something fun like the dragon coaster and waterpark or the photo safari. Has anybody else done either of these excursions? Is it worth it?

 

Also, I figured the other person could take the 2 year old to the beach. Do I need to book the excursion through the cruise ship to do the beach? I didn't know how close in proximity to the cruise ship it is. There were a couple of island getaways you could go to that I saw. We won't have a car seat, so I didn't know if that would make a difference. Thanks so much!!

[Pitzel]

Sharing what I have gathered about Labadee:

 

Most of Labadee is beach, so you will have no problem finding a spot for free — no excursion needed.

 

If your older child will be playing at the water park, find a shady spot on Columbus Cove or Nellie’s Beach, which will be nice and close to the water park (and a bit quieter and less rocky than Adrenaline beach).

 

Bring water shoes for both kids, as there may be rocky spots both in and out of the water.

[cb at sea]

Labadee IS a beach day...courtesy of the ship. There is NO CHARGE to use the beach or loungers or have lunch...it's a beach day, pure and simple. There is little reason to pay for excursions there, unless you have money to burn! This is included in your cruise! I think both kids will be happy to run on the beach, play in the water/sand....lots of different areas to walk and run about.

[RMH]

Royal Caribbean has a 'splash zone' play area with lots of squirt toys and splash areas that the 2-year old (and the 7-year old) will probably love. There is no cost to use it whenever you want. Below is a link to a map of Labadee - the splash zone is #26 on the map.

 

The coaster is a lot of fun and you only need one ticket for two passengers, so your husband and 7-year old can go together. If they want to go more than once, it is better to buy an All Day Pass (just one) because it pays for itself after the 2nd ride. The Water Park is also fun, but can be challenging for younger kids (and out of shape adults). You have to swim to each floating thing and then pull yourself up out of the water to get on it, which can be tough. They do issue life jackets and they toys are fun, but almost everyone is worn out before the hour is up. The 'excursion' is for an hour and it basically gives you access to the park for that hour, but you have to swim out to it and then swim from thing to thing.

 

Columbus Cove is the nicest beach with all sand (no rocks). It is the furthest from the ship, but everything is fairly close. Lunch is also served close to the beach here. There is a tram that will take you all around the peninsula free of charge. As another poster said, one of the other beaches, Adrenaline Beach, tends to be rocky so water shoes would be a good idea for that one.

 

No car seat needed. Labadee is a great stop and your kids will love it. Enjoy!

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/e-lite/CEL/CE_Incentive_Meeting_Charters_eSales_Kit/New_Resources/_resource_center/CEL_Private_Destinations_Flyers_Labadee_2014_R2.pdf

[griffy116]

They also have a marketplace with vendors selling merchandise so carry cash if your kids or you want to shop a bit. The kids might both enjoy the tram ride and it will give you an idea if you want to get off and explore the island a bit. We bought a great hand-made Welcome sign for one of our doors made out of scrap metal and painted. We always think of Labadee every summer when we hang it on the door. I like to buy something hand-made on all the islands and Haiti has been hit so bad the last few years they can use the money.