A Visit To Labadee In Haiti by: Clint Leung

The first port for our Royal Caribbean cruise of the western Caribbean was Labadee, Hispaniola, which is a part of Haiti. This specific port is leased out to Royal Caribbean so that their cruise ships come here. Labadee is actually a peninsula with a few beaches. Getting to the ground Cruiseship is tender.

There is a small section for children with false floating icebergs to climb and water slides, but they receive a fee for admission. Flotation mattresses are also available for rent for those who just want to float in the ocean. There are also people who help them get with beach chairs for you, but they expect tips. So things here are a collector of money. The Cruiseship visits were made optional for snorkeling, parasailing, kayaking and WAVERUNNER Tours but we thought they were too. Most passengers just spent the day relaxing around the beaches. The area around Labadee was pleasant enough but the beaches and shores themselves were fairly rocky so wearing sandals in the water, it would be advisable. Royal Caribbean held a barbecue on the beach outdoor facilities picnic that was correct but nothing special. There is a market composed of two buildings. One is a shop where souvenirs and items have marked prices and other construction materials is like your typical market where people try to force you to do business. The premises inside the market were aggressive but polite. If you do not mind haggling, you could get a lot of bargains, but if you do not like this type of atmosphere insisting, then you better avoid the market, except for the fixed price store.

A big difference between this port compared to others is that since it is very well be used as a private beach, you will not be hassled by the local population. Vendors ahead with drinks at the beach are actually Royal Caribbean staff places if you want to buy a drink, Cruiseship the passcard is all that is needed. As for concerns to be in Haiti given the poverty and political situation, Labadee was not a problem because the whole site is separated by a steel fence high. Other passengers later told us that they wandering around the large perimeter of the site and saw many Haitians along the fence begging and distribute food. The fencing was mostly concealed in the distance from the main tourist areas.

We found Labadee in general to be a bit of a waste of time for us. The beaches were too rocky and we did not have access to inexpensive activities since everything is managed by Royal Caribbean. If we just wanted to go lie on the beach all day and not much else, then Labadee would be a suitable place. For those who want to experience some culture, do water sports without going through the Cruiseship, or shop duty free, Labadee would not be the place to go. We decided to stay on board the vessel after the BBQ lunch for the rest of the afternoon. I like Royal Caribbean Cruise and certainly with them again but would not go on a route that included Labadee in the future.

About the author


Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca Gallery, an online gallery specializing in Inuit Eskimo and the Northwest United States, including sculptures of art, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Aboriginal art and postcards.