Labadee? Is this a fun island?

[MsKatee]

We will be on the Explorer in May and one of the stops is the island of Labadee. I think this is next to Haiti. Is this the penisular on the south west side of the island and how much fun is this stop. I know it is a private section of Hispanolia but is it really safe or is it ok because there are guards and we are not there at night.

If anyone has been there please let us know what it is about as I don't see much on it on the boards.

thanks.

Mskatee

[HurricaneSally]

No need to worry about safety on this island. They have a great big fence so that the locals can't get in. Don't worry, you can't see it. It's a great beach day and you will have a great time on this little gem. It reminds me of Gilligan's Island.

[JENANDGENE]

I have been to Labadee twice. I had a good time both times I went. The section of the island that RCI owns is guarded and I have felt perfectly safe. It is very pretty with nice beaches. The locals market is not too bad either, I found them less pushy than on some other islands I have been on.

 

There is not much to do though, more of a Gilligan's Island beach day, which is great if you like to lounge around on a beach all day :) The snorkeling stinks however....there are not many fish, and May will probably be fine....I have gone both times in the fall which is jelly-fish season and there have been TONS of jelly fish with lots of people getting stung. Apparently they are rather mild ones because the people I saw that got stung were only mildly uncomfortable but they still scare the daylights out of me !!

 

I did however hear when I went this past September fellow cruise mates talking about someone who went walking off the beaten path and got somehow out of the guarded area and got robbed at knifepoint.... I don't know how much of this was true and how much was gossip....you know how stories change as they travel from person to person..... just stay around others and you should have fun :)

[glen tev]

We have been to Labadee twice and never had any problems.The only people that seem to have problems are the ones going looking for it.It's a simple beach day,beer ,barbecue and hammocks under palm trees.They have a nice little slash park in the center of the island which is great for kids,Labadee is one of our favorite spots,so go have a drink and just relax and you'll have a good time.:cool:

[medicmel]

When we were there 2 weeks ago the Locals rioted and broke into the RCCL compound and held the passenger's hostage until the ransom was paid. The ransom was 100 RCCL keychains! J/K:eek: Its a beautiful island unfortunately when we were there it was the most rain they had seen in 4.5 years!:cool:

[GMoney]

I did however hear when I went this past September fellow cruise mates talking about someone who went walking off the beaten path and got somehow out of the guarded area and got robbed at knifepoint.... I don't know how much of this was true and how much was gossip....you know how stories change as they travel from person to person..... just stay around others and you should have fun :)

 

You really have to work to get outside the guarded area in Labadee. Granted, Haiti is the poorest nation in the hemisphere, and our govt considers it one of the 10 most dangerous places to visit in the world, but the story of your cruisemates aounds like a lot of "sea lore."

 

Yes, Labadee is safe.

 

Haiti + Dominican Republic = Hispanola

 

FYI, RCI has a small contingent that remains on the island.

[ShadoWdrummer]

I was there last year and they have these little huts that you can buy stuff from. MAN O MAN you just wanna punch most of em in the face cus they bug you so much! on the other hand you can heckle them and get some pretty fantastic deals! I got a wood mask and a wood cane both hand carved for 20 bucks! (I had 40 but they didnt know that ;) ) Some of the people sat there quietly which was the little hut things i went too. you think the other people would get the hint but...whateva!

[GMoney]

Sorry - forgot 1 thing - when there is unrest on the island, which happens occasionally, RCI simply cancels the stop.

 

Haiti just elected a new president, and fortunately, things seems to be quiet. I always pay attention to what's going on in Haiti before a crusie going the to get a sense of whether the stop is at risk of cancellation. Or you can check these boards!

[PeterR717]

I'm going on the Explorer on 6/2 and will also be stopping at Labadee. Would you say it's better to do an excursion at this stop (such as parasailing) as opposed to at another port (and as opposed to just going on your own) since there is little else to do?

 

Would anyone suggest staying on the ship near the pool this day to avoid the crowds at the (jellyfish laden?) beach?

[GMoney]

I'm going on the Explorer on 6/2 and will also be stopping at Labadee. Would you say it's better to do an excursion at this stop (such as parasailing) as opposed to at another port (and as opposed to just going on your own) since there is little else to do?

 

Would anyone suggest staying on the ship near the pool this day to avoid the crowds at the (jellyfish laden?) beach?

 

Excursions are a double edged sword: they are good to do at Laba b/c it's very easy (logisitics-wise), the excursions are of good, reputable quality, and it helps pass the day b/c it's not like you can grab a cab and see the rest of the island. :) The downside is that they are a bit pricier than in other ports. My recommendation: if there's something you're dying to do, and don't mind spending a few extra $, do it in Labadee so you are not disappointed. If you're flexible, then do some research on your excurison of choice and see if it's offered elsewhere and for how much.

 

As far as the sealife, RCI will warn you about jellyfish, sea snakes, sea spiders, urchins, assorted dragons, monsters and the like, but generally, you will not have a problem. Some times of the year and some beaches are more susceptible than others. Just keep your eyes open and listen to any announcements / info RCI may offer.

 

But I do think Laba makes a great ship day. The only problem with that is lunch; on my recent Voayger cruises, they close the Jammer and JRs, so you have to go to the dining room. :(

[hdawson]

I've enjoyed Labadee four times. I've never encountered jellyfish nor have I felt the least bit at risk. It's a beautiful piece of paradise. Mist shrowded mountains down to beautiful beaches. Parasailing, jet skis, banana boat rides. Plenty of loungers and hammocks. CAUTION: Use plenty of sunscreen. I speak from experience.

[jebl]

One of the neatest features on Labadee are the wheelchairs with huge wheels. My DH has trouble walking, especially in sand. As we headed to the barbeque, one of the attendants put him in the chair an off they went. I had to almost run to keep up. There is no set charge, just tip them. We tipped $5 each way, to the food pavillion and then back to the tender.

 

Wish they had the same service on Coc Cay. Guess that is why he likes Labadee better.

[hac82]

My DW/I were there last July with Voyager and we found this stop to be an true oxymoron. It was "Paradise on Earth" located in one of the poorest countries. We felt completely safe and are looking forward to returning with Explorer this year. We did not do any shopping and were not pressured to do so.

 

We stayed at Barefoot Beach and had a wonderful view of the ship during our stay. The comment about the sunscreen is worth noting because it can get quite strong in the sun. We were able to get on the beach early so we got a spot in under some trees.

 

I believe that RCCL will make sure that everyone will be notified of anything that is needed to be known.

 

If you want to see a satellite picture of Labadee, look here:

http://perljam.net/google-satellite-maps/id/4576/Haiti///Royal_Caribbeans_Labadee

 

You can zoom in and out with this shot. You will see that it is located on the North coast of Haiti. Zoom into the next to last level and you will see a long red building. That is the tender dock. The beaches to the left are Nells, Barefoot and Hideaway. There is also another beach straight ahead on the ocean side but I understand it is a little rocky. The splash park is not in the picture but is is just a short walk to the left of the tender dock.

 

If you happen to move the picture to the center of the cove, you will see the anchorage for the cruise ships. There are two of them. That will give you a great idea of the ship location while anchored.

 

Enjoy it, It is a great stop

[GMoney]

Great post - thank you Howard. I tried looking form some jellyfish and some coco locos. :)

[hac82]

Ah the Coco Loco's. Someone we were sailing with got one that was so full there was no room for the rum. The person selling them said "Not a problem, drink down some and I will fill it back up with the rum." Well it was dropped about 2 inches and yup, it was filled back up with the rum. It was amazing that the guy got back to the ship after drinking it. :)

[jwlane]

the island of Labadee.

It's not an island.

[Ocean Boy]

It isn't one of my favorite stops as it is just a forced beach day. I can walk down the street and go to the beach any day during the summer. I prefer other ports as folks who want to go to the beach have the option to do so and those who do not want to go to the beach have the option to do other things.

[GMoney]

Ocean Boy, are you related to Aqua Man? :D

[cb at sea]

We love both Labadee and Coco Cay! Beautiful places. Since I'm a beach lover, these stops are my favorites!

[KelJ]

Do you have kids cruising with you? My boys (10 and 13) LOVED Labadee. The water park was a lot of fun, but their favorite was the water slide. They can play in the water park for an hour (they weren't strict about this the day we were there). They can use the water slide all day and, believe me, they did! Luckily we had lounge chairs very close to the bottom of the slide so we could relax and watch them at the same time (and drink a few Coco Locos!). Actually, many adults do the water park (we did!) and the slide as well.

Also, if you have younger kids, Luc's Splash Bash will be great for them. They are supposed to be able to play there for two hours, but the day we were there they were letting the kids play all day if they wanted to. The beach by Luc's is very rocky. Water shoes would be a must.

We were on the eastern itinerary. We have booked the western this time, being sure to choose a western itinerary that includes Labadee.

Have a great cruise!:D

[crusinmama06]

Sounds like paradise to me! Loved the sat map! Thanks!

[OliverTheCat]

One of the neatest features on Labadee are the wheelchairs with huge wheels. My DH has trouble walking, especially in sand. As we headed to the barbeque, one of the attendants put him in the chair an off they went. I had to almost run to keep up. There is no set charge, just tip them. We tipped $5 each way, to the food pavillion and then back to the tender.

 

Wish they had the same service on Coc Cay. Guess that is why he likes Labadee better.

 

When I tipped my attendant $5 he still had his hand out for more. I said thank you and he still had hand out... very awkward. It was interesting because we had a hard time finding an attendant to wheel me back to tender after that. I would have never tipped then more than $5 for a 3 minute ride...$5 is really too much when I think about it.

[megr1125]

I didn't love it when we were there in Oct. Could have been the not-so-sunny day, the HIGH amount of jellyfish and the locals who were hounding me.

 

Some others on our cruise didn't like it either. I love the beach but wasn't impressed. However, it's just my opinion, so go with an open mind and see for yourself.

[pacbreak]

Ah the Coco Loco's. Someone we were sailing with got one that was so full there was no room for the rum. The person selling them said "Not a problem, drink down some and I will fill it back up with the rum." Well it was dropped about 2 inches and yup, it was filled back up with the rum. It was amazing that the guy got back to the ship after drinking it. :)

 

What is the Coco Loco?

[kitty1]

We were there in November. Not the best of days. Foggy when we arrived and we considered staying on the ship, but the fog lifted so we went ashore. Had on and off tropical showers, but only lasted about 5 mins at a time. Did not see any jelly fish like another poster did, but the water was very stirred up due to earlier storms.. Had an enjoyable day despite not being all that sunny. It was a nice relaxing beach day. Did not experience any problems with the locals. Need to negotiate the straw market. One guy tried to sell us maraccas for $20 when everyone else inside the building was selling them for $2. We told him everyone else was selling them for $2 and he came way down on his price. The first price for everything was usually way way too high.

 

I have long hair and am usually a target for being bothered by the hair braiders, but I was not even approached on the island. They had them in a separate area and unless you approaced them they did not bother you. That was a delightful relief from other places I've been.

 

I think if the weather was nicer, we would have really had a nice day at the beach. The island is beautiful.