Labadee Haiti Cruise: Best Cruises to Haiti

Table Of Content

• Don’t forget your Seapass Card
• Cabanas, bungalows, beach loungers, and beach beds in Labadee
• Beverage Packages
• Royal Caribbean Extends Cancellations for Labadee Through May 2024
• Dragon Breath Flight Line – The World’s Longest Overwater Zipline
• People think Labadee is an island, but it’s not
• Shop at the Artisan Market

The Dragon’s Breath zipline is a must-do activity for thrill-seekers, spanning the entire length of Labadee. Whether you’re an experienced zipliner or a beginner, you’ll never forget the island and ocean views from this nearly 3,000-foot zipline adventure. On a Southern Caribbean cruise to Haiti, you’ll experience a private island experience unlike any other. Unwind in the tucked-away paradise of Labadee, where pristine beaches, frozen cocktails, and sparkling blue waters await.

Don’t forget your Seapass Card

You can enjoy a BBQ buffet lunch for free, as well as access the beaches and ride the trams around the island. Renting beach chairs or cabanas, or taking part in any of the activities does cost extra. Labadee features a range of dining and shopping options for visitors to enjoy, ranging from casual beachside dining to more formal restaurants. All of the food and drink on Labadee is prepared onboard your cruise ship and transported ashore, ensuring consistency and quality. Although the private resort is fenced off from Haiti, 100's of local residents are employed by Royal Caribbean to work at the resort.

Cabanas, bungalows, beach loungers, and beach beds in Labadee

From the beach, you have a view of the ship, waterpark, and a bunch of fishing boats and jet skis. The view felt very cluttered and detracted from my vision of a relaxing beach day. Beach lounging is also a popular activity at Labadee, and visitors can relax on the beautiful white sand beaches that line the peninsula. The resort features four beaches—Adrenaline Beach, Columbus Cove, Nellie’s Beach, and Barefoot Beach—each offering its own character and distinct experience. Celebrity Cruises offers as many 19 shore excursions and Royal Caribbean lists 43 cruise excursions. You can sign up for this activity onboard but you can also do it at the resort because there’s always space.

Beverage Packages

A complimentary splash pad area with sprinklers, fountains and buckets of water is perfect for kids who aren’t comfortable in the ocean. The zip line and roller coaster are perfect activities for adrenaline-junkies who want a little more than just lying on the beach. These three offer the same type of BBQ buffet  lunch fare – chicken or ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, fresh fruit, etc. Interestingly, Royal Caribbean, on their website, states the cuisine as being “local,” and with the exception perhaps of rice and beans, nothing really jumps out as being native of Haiti. Most reviews of the food are that the food is “adequate” but at least it was included in the price of the cruise.

I mentioned above that the food, beaches, and sunbeds are complimentary in Labadee for all cruise ship passengers. These are all offered by the cruise line, so you can’t book any activity or excursion with an independent tour operator. Glide 400 feet above Labadee tied to a colorful parachute while visiting the island.

The beach also features a floating aqua park, where visitors can jump, slide and bounce on a variety of inflatable structures. Labadee is on the north coast of Haiti, 32 miles (51.3 km) west of the Dominican Republic. The closest cruise port to Labadee is Grand Turk, around 134 miles (215 km) to the north. However, the Grand Turk cruise terminal is a Carnival Corporation development, and Royal Caribbean cruise ships do not include it in their itineraries.

While there is decent snorkeling in Labadee, I recommend saving it for better snorkeling ports such as Roatan Honduras or Cozumel Mexico. In my opinion, this is expensive for a short excursion, but is definitely worth it to some. You can usually save some money by pre-booking the excursion before you cruise departs.

People think Labadee is an island, but it’s not

Labadee offers many amusement activities for both adults and kids, and those are for an extra charge. The most popular activities are Dragon’s Flight Zipline, Fire Flight Zipline (head-first), Dragon’s Coaster, Dragon’s Waterslide, Aqua Park, Kayak ride, Jet-ski ride, and a few others. There are also shore excursions that you can book if you want to explore the surrounding area (Labadee is a private resort secured by guards and guests cannot leave it on their own).

Shop at the Artisan Market

This also applies to hammocks found throughout the beaches in Labadee. Unlike what you may read in less accurate reviews, Labadee is not an island. The cruise port of Labadee is in an enclosed peninsula in Haiti with a vast area that is, in reality, a gatted resort for the exclusive privilege of passengers of Royal Caribbean. Labadee coaster is another must-do activity in Labadee, as it goes through the lush forest and offers unmatched views of Labadee (Haiti) once you are at the top. Dragon’s Tail Coaster sign-up hut is at the end of Adrenaline beach, near Café Labadee and the Floating bar. This activity is suitable for families, as 2 people can ride in one cart (one is the driver, another one is the passenger).

The seating is better quality than a beach chair and you will get improved service. For an extra charge, you can rent private cabanas and daybeds in Labadee. They are a splurge, but provide a nice “home base” during your port day. While this is a pricey excursion (coming in around $89), it is Labadee’s “claim to fame,” and, for adrenaline lovers, is well worth the cost. If you like thrills, be sure to also check out Dragon’s Tail roller coaster (this alpine coaster is a bit cheaper at $22 for one rider with a second rider free).

Royal Caribbean Suspends All Visits to Labadee, Haiti - Cruise Hive

Royal Caribbean Suspends All Visits to Labadee, Haiti.

Posted: Thu, 14 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

There is limited availability on these tours so I suggest you book it as soon as possible if you want to do the activity. Getting to see the island up close is great, but one of the best views in the Caribbean is from the water. From a kayak, you will see the entire island with the mountains and beaches all at once.

This speedboat leaves right from the coast of Labadee and will return you to the same area, so you are not far from the port itself. There is also a rolling log that you can try your skills at and a floating trampoline that allows you to jump on the water. There is also a water slide for those who want a smaller version of the Dragon’s Tail Coaster without the high speeds.

Whether you choose to explore the market, sample delicious Haitian cuisine, or simply relax on the beach and take in the breathtaking scenery, you are sure to enjoy your time ashore. Zip-lining is one of the most popular activities at Labadee—with over 2,800 feet of line, the resort features what was once the longest zipline over water in the world. The Dragon’s Breath zip-line starts 450 feet atop a hill and takes visitors on a thrilling ride over the water, providing breathtaking views of the surrounding area. One of the main attractions of Labadee is its range of activities and excursions.

At Columbus Cove Beach, you can get your time in the sun without the crowds. This beach is located on the farthest side of the island, as most people don’t want to take the longer walking trip to get there. However, with a complimentary ferry ride to the area, you can get there in less time and hit the water sooner. Labadee is a private resort where only cruise guests and employed locals are permitted entry. There’s a fence and a private security force preventing anyone else from Haiti from entering.