Labadee Cabana Review and some other tidbits

HI all,

Just off the Navigator. Saw an awesome review and figured no need to review again so soon. But I thought I would share my thoughts and opinions.

First of all because of these boards I had a preconceived notion that Labadee would be a throwaway port....Was I EVER WRONG!!!

I will in the future not be swayed too much.... I do want to say I thoroughly enjoyed my day on Labadee. I bet the experience does depend somewhat on the crew of the ship and the activities you choose to participate in.

We paid the extra money and rented the Cabana for the day. IMHO it was worth every penny. You had a large pit group style couch and 2 chaise lounges. The furniture was indoor/outdoor quality and was very very comfortable. It had electric outlets and a nice ceiling fan. You had a cooler with bottled water and the attendant was very professional.

If you decide on a Cabana you are paying for location...the cheaper Cabanas have no views. The Over the Water Cabanas have excellent views and ladder access to the water. NOTE: If you have any physical limitations...the OTW Cabanas have quite a few rugged stairs to navigate. From what I could see there was no way to request a lower level Cabana...it was first come first served. We had a mid level and were fine but our neighbors who walked with canes basically had to cut through our cabana to get down to lunch. Their private stairs were just too much for them to Navigate.

Also the ladder into the water is VERY painful to use. The rungs are just too small and there is no comfortable way to climb in. They basically will dig into your feet. If you have room in your luggage bring a foam noodle with an empty core and cut it into 1ft lengths. Your feet will thank you and you will use the ladder more...which is very convenient.

You also get floating mats for free. They were used and enjoyed. If you drink soda...order them early and put them into your cooler. On our cruise Labadoozies and Sodas ran out before the day was done.

You can fit 6 in a Cabana. So the best use is to make friends and split the cost. Also you get access to the private beach area reserved for suite guests. This also gives you access to the private buffet. The only bonus is you get steak and grilled shrimp in addition to the buffet that everyone else goes to. Also the lines are much shorter if any. I didn't pay that much attention but I'm pretty sure that was the difference between the 2 buffets.

Your attendant does bar service and will make you a plate of food if you like also. We just used his services for drinks. They will also call you a "cab" that will take you anywhere in the area. It will not take you back to the ship. Only to the gate where you would show your sea pass.

We did the zipline. It's half a mile long and takes one minute. My only previous zipline experience was on the Oasis class of ships.

You get a short zip trip and if you don't panic...you then are driven to the big zip trip. All I can say is that I was THRILLED. It was amazing...it was a highlight for sure. Now the sad part. It cost $85 bucks. OUCH...I can't believe I paid that much...but it was quite a thrill to do once if you have never ziplined before. You basically are 500 feet at the top of a hill...and you zip right over the beach coast line...you feet barely miss the crashing waves below you....the view was surreal and they will let you hold your camera...I had an HD cam so I filmed the whole thing. It's just too big to show here..but if I figure out Box . com I will post it there and you can hear me giggle like a child the whole way down.

They had PaddleBoards where you stand on a surfboard type vehicle and try desperately not to fall and wind up on You Tube. Alas, I fell.....but I then tried it on my knees and I was motoring around like a pro. You can also rent Kayaks by the half hour....prices vary....nothing more than say 15 to 30 bucks...and you can put one in a kayak..you just have to tell them you want to be alone.....

They also have those SeaDoos...but it is a guided tour. So no freestyling. It is $95 plus $29 for the second passenger. You stop 3 times to change positions. I won't comment on the price since I paid $85 for a one minute thrill. Hmm I think there lies a joke in my previous statement. Hehehehehehe.

There are vendors there ..but we took the wooded path and avoided that area as we were not in the mood to shop that day. You can also take the trams anywhere in the area if you don't want to do any walking.

Well that's the highlights for now. If you have questions...please ask and I'll check back while this is all fresh in my mind.

Ken

Nice review. I'm glad you enjoyed your day. We loved Labadee also. We did not use the cabanas though. If we had known about all the details, we might have tryed one.

We also did the zipline due to the wave runner tour being cancelled. It was exciting. We still think the Costa Rico zipline has been the best so far. I hope you get a chance to try that.

I wish there would be an overnight stop on Labadee someday. It would be wonderful to stay there for 2 days and enjoy everything the island has to offer...???

Thanks so much for your review on the Cabanas at Labadee. We did have one while on our Allure of the Seas cruise. This was before they became available to book online and were only available for suite guests. I put my name on the list with the Concierge the day we boarded, we weren't staying in a suite that cruise but we are Diamond + C&A members. We had cabana S7 near the buffet and loved it. I booked a cabana online for our upcoming cruise in May on EOS. I still may put our names on the list for the cabanas on Barefoot Beach too. Would prefer to have a cabana there if available. Either way we are guaranteed a cabana which makes for a great day in Labadee in my opinion. Happy Cruising!

Can't begin to express how much we loved the cabana on Labadee. Will rent one again on our cruise end of Oct. We also enjoyed the almost private buffet, no lines and really good food. Not to mention the excellent service when it came to filling our "beer" cooler;).

Ken--very nice review!

I heard they are going to build more cabanas as always a waiting list to rent them.

Thanks so much for your review on the Cabanas at Labadee. We did have one while on our Allure of the Seas cruise. This was before they became available to book online and were only available for suite guests. I put my name on the list with the Concierge the day we boarded, we weren't staying in a suite that cruise but we are Diamond + C&A members. We had cabana S7 near the buffet and loved it. I booked a cabana online for our upcoming cruise in May on EOS. I still may put our names on the list for the cabanas on Barefoot Beach too. Would prefer to have a cabana there if available. Either way we are guaranteed a cabana which makes for a great day in Labadee in my opinion. Happy Cruising!

How soon can you book a cabana on line?? Didn't know they had this available!:confused: We always emailed our concierge a week or two before our cruise and booked it that way.

Online they under the excursions for Labadee and I booked one last month for my upcoming cruise at the end of September. The ones online under the excursions are for anyone to book.

Great review, although we aren't sailing on Allure til Dec we r so excited! Are you able to reserve these online?

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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?tkoth2

Which one is better for a family 7-73 years of age, waterfront or palm?

Online they under the excursions for Labadee and I booked one last month for my upcoming cruise at the end of September. The ones online under the excursions are for anyone to book.

Okay--understand that the cabanas on Barefoot Beach can only be reserved through the Concierge, but other cabanas anyone can reserve!

Thanks

Thanks Ken for the review of Labadee. We are going at the end of the March and I was wondering what the cost is to rent a cabana. I will be traveling with my husband, 2 daughters (ages 10 and 8) and my parents.

If we can't/don't rent a cabana, is there plenty of stuff to do on the beach for us?

Yes, they are building a TON of Cabanas that anyone can rent online. They are considered excursions. I think they are either $175 or $200. The water ones are more. If you have any mobility issues don't get a Water Cabana as some of them have MANY steps that you would have to climb.

There are ones on the ground with no steps.

Get to the beach EARLY if you don't want a cabana. Some of the beaches have what I think are free Tent Like structures....very nice. They are blue and they look like an awning that curves over your chairs. I don't know if those cost money but they went quickly. There are plenty of places to lie down on chaise's and many had umbrellas. I'm assuming they were free, I can't imaging RCCL was charging for that.

Yes, they are building a TON of Cabanas that anyone can rent online. They are considered excursions. I think they are either $175 or $200. The water ones are more. If you have any mobility issues don't get a Water Cabana as some of them have MANY steps that you would have to climb.

There are ones on the ground with no steps.

 

Get to the beach EARLY if you don't want a cabana. Some of the beaches have what I think are free Tent Like structures....very nice. They are blue and they look like an awning that curves over your chairs. I don't know if those cost money but they went quickly. There are plenty of places to lie down on chaise's and many had umbrellas. I'm assuming they were free, I can't imaging RCCL was charging for that.

Do you know if the $175-$200 charge is per person or total for the cabana?

Do you know if the $175-$200 charge is per person or total for the cabana?

Per cabana up to 6 people.

Per cabana up to 6 people.

Excellent, thanks! My mom had me convinced that it was a $200 pp. That seemed a little steep!

Indeed!!!

It is per cabana, we had 4 and we felt we received a good value. It was sooooooo nice and comfy....what a way to relax at the beach. We are spoiled for SURE!!!!!

Indeed!!!

 

It is per cabana, we had 4 and we felt we received a good value. It was sooooooo nice and comfy....what a way to relax at the beach. We are spoiled for SURE!!!!!

I am really looking forward to it!

They had PaddleBoards where you stand on a surfboard type vehicle and try desperately not to fall and wind up on You Tube. Alas, I fell.....but I then tried it on my knees and I was motoring around like a pro.

Ken

Where did you get the paddleboards? We want to try them at Labadee but do not remember seeing them last time.

Thanks:) (I have an over the water cabana reserved this time.)

I just reserved one on Nellie's beach for our September cruise.

I think the waterfront ones were already sold out, but I wanted one up on the hill anyway. We have no problem with steps, and want the view.

(hopefully there is one).

Can't wait. :)

Hi all,

We did reserve online for a cabana on Nellie's Beach (not waterfront). I also emailed the Concierge on EOS for our upcoming cruise in May that I would prefer a cabana at Barefoot Beach and to put my name on the waiting list. We had cabana S7 in January 2012 and loved it. I prefer to be back near the showers, buffet and not a far walk from the bathrooms. I will check with the Concierge when we board to see if I can secure that cabana. And if we do, I'll cancel the Nellie's beach cabana. I promise to take lots of photos to share. Cannot wait! We loved our day in Labadee with the cabana. As others have said, it was money well spent and a great day!!!