Labadee, Haiti ?????

[kenholt]

I will cruising this Sept 2nd on the FOS. As i looked over the excursion info for Labadee, Haiti. I noticed that they charde for what seems to be every lil fun thing there is to do. For example, $10 for a mat and there is $20 to use the water trampilyne. I would like to know isd there any fun activities to be had with out having to pay 10 here 20 there?

[scubaran]

I will cruising this Sept 2nd on the FOS. As i looked over the excursion info for Labadee, Haiti. I noticed that they charde for what seems to be every lil fun thing there is to do. For example, $10 for a mat and there is $20 to use the water trampilyne. I would like to know isd there any fun activities to be had with out having to pay 10 here 20 there?

 

Labadee is a just like a private island. There's a beach and some small shops. As such, Royal provides all the water equipment. If you don't want to pay for the day use, about the only choice you have is to bring your own.

 

Randall

[lovetocruise99]

Labadee is all about swimming or laying on the beach. Take advantage of that and enjoy your day. We love Labadee and it is by far our favorite cruise private island. We also enjoy shopping at the market and have bought several unique things there to bring back to teachers, etc., such as hand-carved globes and metal artwork.

 

Here are some photos of the beach and the marketplace area.

 

http://www.familytravelfun.com/labadeephoto.html

http://www.familytravelfun.com/labadeepicture.html

[bbaileyfamily]

Sure, there are plenty of things to do that don't cost. The beach is superb and beautiful. There are many coves and areas to go to hang for the day. The beach chairs are all free and there are tons of 'em. There are areas by the water, under coconut trees, in the sun, over on north side where people aren't around. It's a great island for hiking, lounging, reading a book, sunning, swimming, etc.... You can sit close to the band and listen to the music being played.

 

My main activity is snorkeling and I have my own gear. So, I don't pay for that. The lunch on the island is free. The only thing I pay for is the rum drinks.

 

If you go to Labadee with an "it's an amusement park, entertain me" type attitude, yeah, you can run up a huge bill. If you are going with the intention of enjoying the heck out of a beautiful beach and tropical island, then you can do it with very little cost.

[DonnaK]

Last time we went to Labadee, we stayed all day for free! We found chairs in the shade, and either lounged or swam in the ocean. The lunch was free and so was a walk around. It isn't necessary to do any excursions. We brought our own inflatible beach mats (purchased for $1 in Walgreens) and then gave them to the children in the marketplace when we were finshed with them.

[czcruiser13]

After a few Labadoozies it won't matter. Enjoy the day.:)

[cruising grandma]

We just returned from Labadee........one of my favorite ports! As others have said, you can pay nothing, and have a great day. There is a new attraction here, which my husband and I tried and would do again and again! It is the Dragon's Breath Flight Line....cost was $65 PP, and is the longest over water zipline in the world. There is a longer zipline through trees somewhere, but this one is over water. The fire dance show is complimentary, but you can tip the performers. The buffet lunch is complimentary. The children's on land water park is free........I played around in there, at the end of the day, beats standing in line to board the tender. If you want to "trade" something of yours in exchange for some local crafts, that was done by some from our cruise. Labadoozies are the drink of the day, and include nice plastic souvenir glasses with lids and straws. ($5.95 plus gratuity.......2 for $13.69...incuding tips)

 

Enjoy your Labadee day...........it is beautiful! Whether you spend nothing, or $100's........we did!

[A Sixth?]

....My main activity is snorkeling and I have my own gear. So, I don't pay for that.

 

 

Was the snorkeling there worth lugging your gear with you? It will be our only "snorkel stop"

[Britany]

Labadee is also one of my favorite ports. It's nice to have a day to just relax on the beach. However, if you do spend a little $$, you should do the banana boat ride. I don't remember how much it costs, but they're so much fun!!

[kiwiwoman]

I have read here that there are local people that work for tips to move a lounge chair for you. Do they bug you to death on the beach?

[Britany]

I have read here that there are local people that work for tips to move a lounge chair for you. Do they bug you to death on the beach?

 

 

No one has ever bothered us.

[Langley Cruisers]

I have read here that there are local people that work for tips to move a lounge chair for you. Do they bug you to death on the beach?

 

 

In the Cruise Compass, it's written that the locals are not to be paid for their service; RCI clears them and (I assume) employs them to be of service to their guests, but there is no obligation to tip them. Once they set up your chair, you won't see them again.

[luvdmouse]

Our kids are 8 and 11. Would they have fun at the water park? How deep is the water and is it hard to manuver? I thought I also read that you get 1 hour to use it. If this is true, when would you recommend going to it? If we don't do the water park, would the kid's play area that is free be too babyish for them?

[bklyndg]

I know that the question was regarding what to do for free, but I just got back from my cruise and I have to say that the new tour, the snorkel safari at Labadee was incredible. I have been on a few cruises and tried snorkeling in other ports, but this was the best. They brought us to this incredible location in the middle of the water. There was a fantastic coral reef on one side and a sand bar on the other. So you can actually stand in the middle of the ocean. The view was gorgeous! The staff was so friendly and fun, and after we finished snorkeling, we had a drink on the boat. We really had a great time and I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in snorkeling!

[Britany]

I know that the question was regarding what to do for free, but I just got back from my cruise and I have to say that the new tour, the snorkel safari at Labadee was incredible. I have been on a few cruises and tried snorkeling in other ports, but this was the best. They brought us to this incredible location in the middle of the water. There was a fantastic coral reef on one side and a sand bar on the other. So you can actually stand in the middle of the ocean. The view was gorgeous! The staff was so friendly and fun, and after we finished snorkeling, we had a drink on the boat. We really had a great time and I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in snorkeling!

 

 

Sounds like fun! Did you have time to go back and hang out at the beach for a little bit, or did that pretty much take up your whole day?

[Britany]

I know that the question was regarding what to do for free, but I just got back from my cruise and I have to say that the new tour, the snorkel safari at Labadee was incredible. I have been on a few cruises and tried snorkeling in other ports, but this was the best. They brought us to this incredible location in the middle of the water. There was a fantastic coral reef on one side and a sand bar on the other. So you can actually stand in the middle of the ocean. The view was gorgeous! The staff was so friendly and fun, and after we finished snorkeling, we had a drink on the boat. We really had a great time and I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in snorkeling!

 

 

Sounds like fun! Did you have time to go back and hang out at the beach for a little bit, or did that pretty much take up your whole day?

[dolfinmusic]

After a few Labadoozies it won't matter. Enjoy the day.:)

 

What is this??? Sounds yummy!!!! :D

 

 

Question about the market - are they pushy? Thanks!

[bkrickles]

Our kids are 8 and 11. Would they have fun at the water park? How deep is the water and is it hard to manuver? I thought I also read that you get 1 hour to use it. If this is true, when would you recommend going to it? If we don't do the water park, would the kid's play area that is free be too babyish for them?

I was in Labadee on 8/27 on the LOS with my wife and 7 year old daughter. I did the Aqua Park with my daughter and she loved it. If I had not done it with her, I think it would have been a problem. There is a tremendous amount of climbing involved and she needed my help boosting her up. Your 11 year old will have no problem and if your 8 year old is a boy, he should also have no problem. It is an hour long and believe me that is long enough. We signed up for 12 noon and built up a good appetite for the bbq. We also did the water slide and I believe my daughter liked that better than the Aqua Park.

[luvdmouse]

I was in Labadee on 8/27 on the LOS with my wife and 7 year old daughter. I did the Aqua Park with my daughter and she loved it. If I had not done it with her, I think it would have been a problem. There is a tremendous amount of climbing involved and she needed my help boosting her up. Your 11 year old will have no problem and if your 8 year old is a boy, he should also have no problem. It is an hour long and believe me that is long enough. We signed up for 12 noon and built up a good appetite for the bbq. We also did the water slide and I believe my daughter liked that better than the Aqua Park.

 

Thanks. Did you see the free kid's area and if you did, what age would you say it was appropiate for?

[bklyndg]

Sounds like fun! Did you have time to go back and hang out at the beach for a little bit, or did that pretty much take up your whole day?

 

Oh yea, we pretty much had the whole day. It's a 2 hour tour, and it take you right back to the middle of everything. Definitely something to consider.