Last stop this week is at a Royal Caribbean private cruise resort–Labadee, Haiti. The destination is not actually a private island, as it is located on a peninsula on the northern coast of Haiti. Only one cruise ship at a time can dock at the pier in Buccaneer Bay; however, it can accommodate even the largest Oasis-class cruise ship. The peninsula is owned by the Haitian government and leased by Royal Caribbean as a private resort destination until 2050.
Labadee has four white sand beaches beside the beautiful Caribbean waters making it perfect for swimming and watersports. Guests will find an alpine roller coaster, a water park, and one of the longest zip-lines over water in the world. At the end of the pier, guests can support the local economy and shop with local vendors.
All four beaches on Labadee offer complimentary beach chairs and hammocks–first-come, first-served. The largest beach is Adrenalin Beach with a swim-up floating bar. Columbus Cove is the furthest from the pier, but features the Arawak Water Park. Nellie’s Beach is a small, secluded beach on the south side of the bay. Finally, exclusive to guests in the Grand Suites is Barefoot Beach. Guests can rent a private bungalow, cabana, beach loungers or four-poster beach beds for the day.
There is no shortage of watersports at Labadee. Guests can enjoy kayaking, snorkeling, parasailing, paddleboarding, or just relaxing on a floating mat. The Arawak Water Park features cooling icebergs, water obstacles and trampolines, slides and a smaller scale water park for younger children. There is also a 300-foot-long twisting water slide–Dragon’s Splash–at the water park.
All food and drink served on Labadee is transported from the cruise ship. The complimentary lunch buffet is served at The Dragon’s Café, Café Labadee and Columbus Cove Café. Guests can choose from barbecue, hot dogs, burgers, chicken, salads, tropical fruit, and more. The five bars–Dragon’s Breath Pub, Floating Bar, Schooner Bar, Nellie’s Tavern and Columbus Cove Barr–are positioned throughout the resort. Your drink package will be honored while in Labadee, or you can have your drinks charged to your account.
The 260-acre area is fenced in for safety and guests are required to stay within that area. This means there are no land excursions around the island, but guests can experience a 3-hour cruise on a luxury sailboat, a half-day snorkeling trip at Amiga Island, a fishing charter, a Haitian Village Cultural trip, or a catamaran trip to fishing villages, a fortress and a shipwreck.
The Dragon’s Breath Zipline is one of the longest over-water ziplines in the world. From the shoreline it stretches 2,600 feet over water–that’s almost half a mile! The ride lasts for two minutes and reached speeds of about 35mph. Guests who prefer roller coasters will want to check out the 2-person Dragon’s Tail that drivers can control the speed of for themselves. Get there early to miss the line. Guests looking for a little less of an adrenaline rush will enjoy the paved trails or the free tram around Labadee.
Cruise ships that visit Labadee, Haiti are Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, and Grandeur of the Seas.