Compare Coco Cay to Labadee for me

[TwoWeebles]

Am I right in saying the Labadee is a Royal Caribbean private island like CocoCay. We stopped in CocoCay earlier this year and our next cruise may include Labadee. We absolutely loved CocoCay and I was hoping to hear from those of you who have been to both. Please do a comparison of CocoCay and Labadee for me. Thanks!!

[Merion_Mom]

Am I right in saying the Labadee is a Royal Caribbean private island like CocoCay. We stopped in CocoCay earlier this year and our next cruise may include Labadee. We absolutely loved CocoCay and I was hoping to hear from those of you who have been to both. Please do a comparison of CocoCay and Labadee for me. Thanks!!

 

Labadee is a private area (peninsula) on the island of Hispaniola, in the country of Haiti. It functions like a private island, however. It is fenced off from the rest of the country.

 

They have been improving, upgrading and expanding the beach areas while building a docking pier in anticipation of the arrival of the Oasis of the Seas. Someone has posted more recent pictures than I have.

 

It is an absolutely beautiful place with nice facilities that will be even nicer with the renovations.

 

It is spacious with several places to have your "BBQ" lunch.

 

There are two stretches of beach: one on the side where the ship comes in, and one on the other side. It is calmer on the ship side, with some nice waves on the other side. There is a "water park" with inflated things for climbing. "Dragon's Breath Point" is a lovely spot to visit, and that's where the zipline is.

 

If you are mobility-impaired, or just lazy, there are jeep-like vehicles that drive around to take you from place to place, but it's just not that big.

 

There are native craftsmen selling both very interesting local Haitian work, and some selling cr#p. It's a much larger and more genuine area than the one on CocoCay.

 

It's just a matter of personal preference, but I have found the lunches on CocoCay to be FAR superior to the ones on Labadee.

 

When the pier is completed, and the ships no longer have to tender the passengers to shore, I will return to the ship for lunch rather than stay on Labadee for the meal.

 

But that's just me.

 

Otherwise, Labadee is a WONDERFUL "island day", just like CocoCay.

 

:)

[CruisinCJ]

Just wanted to add: On Coco Cay, you feel like

you are truly on an island. It's just different, more quaint and

very colorful.

 

Carol

[Willbcruisin]

Labadee has Labadoozies and Coco Cay has Coco Loco's:p

 

I have been to both and LOVE them both. They are each beautiful in their own way. These two private Islands are our favorite stops while cruising.

 

If you enjoyed Coco Cay you will also enjoy Labadee!!

[DonnaK]

We absolutely LOVE Labadee - it's our favorite port in the Caribbean. The landscape is much different than most Caribbean Islands - very lush and mountainous. Much more interesting than CocoCay! The beaches on the bayside (facing the ship) are gorgeous and make for the perfect beach day. The markets are more vast than CocoCay. If the high pressure bargaining atmosphere feels too stressful, there is a fixed-priced Artesan's Market that sells most of the same items.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I really enjoy both Coco Cay and Labadee. What I like at Labadee is the scenery with the mountains in the background. Gotta confess that the zipline detracts a little from that heavenly scenery because it looks like electrical high tension wires. I remember Labadee from before the zipline was built. It has been a very popular feature, however.

 

Coco Cay seems more tranquil. I am not sure why and I agree with the other person here that said the lunch at Coco Cay is better. We did go back to the ship last time on Labadee but were surprised to discover that only a part of the dining room was open. The Windjammer was actually closed! Talk about shocked!

 

At Labadee we never fail to take a ride around the area on the Labadee train. It is free. It is kind of fun. There are lots of shady palm trees.

 

I don't know what Labadee will be like when all the new features have been added. Right now a lot of construction is going on. Progress I guess.

 

I guess I prefer Coco Cay but there is always the risk the ship cannot stop there if the weather is bad or the current is too strong. Labadee has much safer odds of stopping, especially when the new dock is complete.

[Merion_Mom]

I really enjoy both Coco Cay and Labadee. What I like at Labadee is the scenery with the mountains in the background. Gotta confess that the zipline detracts a little from that heavenly scenery because it looks like electrical high tension wires. I remember Labadee from before the zipline was built. It has been a very popular feature, however.

 

Coco Cay seems more tranquil. I am not sure why and I agree with the other person here that said the lunch at Coco Cay is better. We did go back to the ship last time on Labadee but were surprised to discover that only a part of the dining room was open. The Windjammer was actually closed! Talk about shocked!

 

WJ is closed because all of the WJ personnel are on Labadee, serving the lunch there! :)

[tomko2]

We have been to both and slightly prefer Labadee. I love the paintings for sale and manage to buy one or two when we go to Labadee. Both have lots of places to relax on a lounger or hammock and both offer a great beach experience.

Photos of both in the link below.

Kathy:)