Coco Cay versus Labadee

[33tekfan]

Interested to know about the market (if there is one) on Coco Cay. How does it compare to the one on Labadee? Personally, I find the one on Labadee to be very aggressive. 

[island lady]

Not even close.  Indeed Labadee is over the top aggressive if you get close enough.  In Coco Cay they are more laid back...different country...different people.  

[bouhunter]

We were in Labadee last winter and the vendors seemed much less aggressive.  Enough so I wondered if they'd been told to tone it down.  Even if so, I suppose that might not last 🙂

 

[livingonthebeach]

I’ve been to both.  I would say that Coco Cay after it’s reno has a lot more to offer. 

 

[lauren0309]

You are not harrassed in CoCo Cay as you are in Labadee. I dont like walking through the market in Labadee. The people are very aggressive and nasty and yell at you. I feel intimidated walking through there.

[livingonthebeach]

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2273

 

Point of reference - updated since the expansion on Coco Cay.

[island lady]

46 minutes ago, lauren0309 said:

You are not harrassed in CoCo Cay as you are in Labadee. I dont like walking through the market in Labadee. The people are very aggressive and nasty and yell at you. I feel intimidated walking through there.

 

Agree with that....I don't go anywhere near that area.  It used to be even worse before they put them in the back area, making them stay within their market.  Probably why they have to yell at you if you are not close enough.  😮 

[jalves]

We have done both and there is no question that the markets on CoCo Cay are much more laid-back.  There was no effort at all by the locals to come into their shop.  They were happy to help you find things/sizes.  

[soremekun]

I wonder if the level of desperation / economic hardship has a direct relationship with the intensity of the sales efforts.

[lenquixote66]

4 hours ago, island lady said:

Not even close.  Indeed Labadee is over the top aggressive if you get close enough.  In Coco Cay they are more laid back...different country...different people.  

We have been to Labadee 10 times .The first time I bought a Labadee tee shirt and have worn it every time we went back to Labadee .No aggressive people because I point to the shirt .

[brillohead]

The workers on Coco Cay don't own / run the shops at the marketplace on Coco Cay.  

They are just employees of some corporation, whether it's Royal or a vendor that leases from Royal.  They are probably just getting an hourly wage.  They just sit or stand there waiting for you to come up to buy something. 

None of the items in any of the shops appeared to be local or handmade -- just typical souvenir stuff made in China (t-shirts, shot glasses, fridge magnets, flip-flops, ball caps, etc.) like you get anywhere else, only much higher priced than you'd see in Nassau or Cozumel or similar.  

[island lady]

11 hours ago, brillohead said:

The workers on Coco Cay don't own / run the shops at the marketplace on Coco Cay.  

They are just employees of some corporation, whether it's Royal or a vendor that leases from Royal.  They are probably just getting an hourly wage.  They just sit or stand there waiting for you to come up to buy something. 

None of the items in any of the shops appeared to be local or handmade -- just typical souvenir stuff made in China (t-shirts, shot glasses, fridge magnets, flip-flops, ball caps, etc.) like you get anywhere else, only much higher priced than you'd see in Nassau or Cozumel or similar.  

 

From the RCI blog:

 

Do you pay with cash or with you ship card?

These vendors only accept cash.  They come over by boat from nearby islands and are Bahamian residents not affiliated with Royal so no way to charge a SeaPass card.

There are also two Royal Logo Shop kiosks that have Royal branded merchandise where SeaPass is accepted.  They charge Bahamian VAT at the Royal kiosks.

[brillohead]

9 hours ago, island lady said:

 

From the RCI blog:

 

Do you pay with cash or with you ship card?

These vendors only accept cash.  They come over by boat from nearby islands and are Bahamian residents not affiliated with Royal so no way to charge a SeaPass card.

There are also two Royal Logo Shop kiosks that have Royal branded merchandise where SeaPass is accepted.  They charge Bahamian VAT at the Royal kiosks.

When I was there in September, all the shop workers were wearing identical polo shirts with a screen-printed (or embroidered, I didn't really pay attention) company name on them.  Hardly sounds like independent vendors to me.  

They may be Bahamian residents who boat in daily to work there, but they certainly look and behave like shop employees making an hourly wage, not owners.  And the vibe of the new marketplace is very much "souvenir shop" rather than the straw market of before.  

[parrotfeathers]

Vendors at Coco Cay last year were very friendly.  No one was aggressive and they do try to help.  I 'm going back to Labadee in 2021 and have no plans to walk toward the market.  Too much for me.