Haiti as a cruise stop ?

[RnD]

We are on a January 5th sailing on the Silhouette. We have not taken Celebrity in a bit, but have been to every port on this trip many times. The one exception is Haiti.

 

At this juncture our Caribbean trips(40+) are for the relaxation of cruising rather than the ports-many of which look the same, however our experience with cruise lines "private islands," generally has been good.

 

A number of people we have spoken to advised us to stay on the ship in Haiti, and we wondered what your experiences have been.

[Gonzo70]

I loved Labadee when I stopped there with RCI a few years ago, but it has become a tad commercialized since then with the addition of zip lines and what not. If you enjoy having a beach day, definitely stop there. It is beautiful and has nice beaches and swimming. The cruise line will serve lunch at the beach. You are not really visiting Haiti; while technically you will be in Haiti RCCL has leased Labadee (a peninsula in Haiti) and it is walled off from the rest of Haiti. You will simply be at a private beach rather than in a Haitian town or city, so do not expect to get a feel for what Haiti is like (though some locals are employed by RCCL to work on Labadee and there is a straw market set up if you like that king of thing. We did purchase an oil painting from the market. I am glad to see Celebrity calling upon Labadee and would be happy to do an itinerary that stops there. Makes for a really nice (and inexpensive) beach day.

[dkjretired]

I loved Labadee when I stopped there with RCI a few years ago, but it has become a tad commercialized since then with the addition of zip lines and what not. If you enjoy having a beach day, definitely stop there. It is beautiful and has nice beaches and swimming. The cruise line will serve lunch at the beach. You are not really visiting Haiti; while technically you will be in Haiti RCCL has leased Labadee (a peninsula in Haiti) and it is walled off from the rest of Haiti. You will simply be at a private beach rather than in a Haitian town or city, so do not expect to get a feel for what Haiti is like (though some locals are employed by RCCL to work on Labadee and there is a straw market set up if you like that king of thing. We did purchase an oil painting from the market. I am glad to see Celebrity calling upon Labadee and would be happy to do an itinerary that stops there. Makes for a really nice (and inexpensive) beach day.

 

Agree completely with Gonzo, remember also that you will be helping those people in Haiti which count on Celebrity and RCI for jobs. Consider it another beach day...If you were getting off in Haiti proper which cruise ships used to do, I would have reservations...

 

There were a lot of complaints after the earthquake that Celebrity and RCI were going to Labadee when the rest of the island was suffering. This was somewhat alleviated because the ships were actually bringing tons of much needed supplies to the island..

[noriboating]

Can you walk to the beach?

[cb at sea]

While Labadee is in the country of Haiti, you will NOT be in the country proper....it's a private beach area....completely fenced off.....no Haitian can come in (unless they are hired by RCI) and you cannot leave the beach area. It's totally private. You are in no danger there. At any rate, all of the Haitian "unrest" is on the southern side of the country....your private beach is on the northern side. No worries! Get off the ship and enjoy this lovely spot!

When you get off the ship, you will BE on the beach!

[Oville]

It is not true you cannot leave the beach area. There are a number of excursions that do just that and we've been on a number of them. A few years ago we were on a boat tour and we're overwhelmed by the poverty of the region. In November, we went to a private beach in an area of private homes and a park for visitors. There is a ship's tour of the local town that has been there long before RCCL. Also, many of the tour operators (if not all) come from Cap Haitian, the second largest city in Haiti, which is an hour's drive away.

[RodPat]

Was just at Labadee on Silhouette sailing Nov. 18. Royal has built a nice pier to dock at and it is easy on and off the ship. The beaches are beautiful with lots of chairs and unbrellas. Nice bars and buffets set up for lunch. You can do all the extras at a charge but no one says you have to do that. My friend and I sat at one of the bars and watched people come down the zip line. It was a very relaxing day. When the ship was ready to leave. The Hatians came down to the pier with a band all dressed up in uniforms. Little children were dancing in pretty dresses. It was a wonderful site and no one was begging for money so you could just tell they were glad we came by to visit.

 

Pat

[Gonzo70]

Can you walk to the beach?

 

Labadee is basically just that, a beach.

[The Big Booper]

Labadee is a large bay with beaches. There are sand wheelchairs available for those who have trouble walking and those with scooters can get off and power themselves as far as the zip-line beach. That is where the paved sidewalks end. After that you are on the dirt main roads used by the trams and the scooters will burn charge just trying to go up and down the inclines.

[sunsetme]

My husband was very reluctant to go ashore, but we both enjoyed it very much.

Loved the beach, don't hesitate to try it.

[tip]

The previous posters are right on target. We visited Labadee 2 1/2 years ago on the Independence of the Seas. It is similiar to other line's "private islands" although as others have noted, it is on a peninsula of Haiti. We did not care for the construction that was happening as they had closed the nicest area, Barefoot Beach, which I believe has now become a private section for suite guests and were developing a section for a roller coaster. They also were constructing a pier and as a result you no longer have to tender. That is a good thing. The straw market had the most aggresive vendors that we have ever encountered, but we attribute that to the extreme poverty of the locals. You don't have to visit the straw market and the locals are not allowed to walk up and down the beach pushing their wares.

 

We were provided with a very nice barbeque lunch and had time to relax on the beach. We felt safe and would recommend that you at least get off the ship to visit.

 

I do remember the uproar following the earthquake a couple of years ago and RCCL is to be commended for their contibutions to relief efforts. I feel that much of the criticism directed to RCCL at the time was unwarranted.

[tserface]

We were in Labadee last March and it was wonderful. Good BBQ, great beach, and we were able to help some of the people that live there by purchasing their wares in a very nice open market area. We're going back again this next March on Silhouette and it's one of the places I'm looking most forward to.

 

Tom

 

We are on a January 5th sailing on the Silhouette. We have not taken Celebrity in a bit, but have been to every port on this trip many times. The one exception is Haiti.

 

At this juncture our Caribbean trips(40+) are for the relaxation of cruising rather than the ports-many of which look the same, however our experience with cruise lines "private islands," generally has been good.

 

A number of people we have spoken to advised us to stay on the ship in Haiti, and we wondered what your experiences have been.

[gelo7]

While Labadee is in the country of Haiti, you will NOT be in the country proper....it's a private beach area....completely fenced off.....no Haitian can come in (unless they are hired by RCI) and you cannot leave the beach area. It's totally private. You are in no danger there. At any rate, all of the Haitian "unrest" is on the southern side of the country....your private beach is on the northern side. No worries! Get off the ship and enjoy this lovely spot!

When you get off the ship, you will BE on the beach!

Ditto...

[grammy2]

We are on a January 5th sailing on the Silhouette. We have not taken Celebrity in a bit, but have been to every port on this trip many times. The one exception is Haiti.

 

At this juncture our Caribbean trips(40+) are for the relaxation of cruising rather than the ports-many of which look the same, however our experience with cruise lines "private islands," generally has been good.

 

A number of people we have spoken to advised us to stay on the ship in Haiti, and we wondered what your experiences have been.

 

We have been to Labadee 4 times. It is a beautiful island and the beaches are wonderful. It is certainly a safe island to go to. In addition to enjoying the beaches, you will get a barbeque lunch. Enjoy!

[dolittle]

When ever someone tells you to stay on the ship DONT! Almost always they are parnoid types who dont know what they are talking about.

[scapino]

Agree completely with Gonzo, remember also that you will be helping those people in Haiti which count on Celebrity and RCI for jobs. Consider it another beach day...If you were getting off in Haiti proper which cruise ships used to do, I would have reservations...

 

There were a lot of complaints after the earthquake that Celebrity and RCI were going to Labadee when the rest of the island was suffering. This was somewhat alleviated because the ships were actually bringing tons of much needed supplies to the island..

 

You're mistaken. Presidents Clinton and Bush have been bringing 10's of millions to Haiti since their devistation and the money does not reach the people. It's a horribly corrupt country. The country looks the same as it did prior to the earthquake. Pres Clinton himself, says that.

 

Enjoy your beach day. Unfortunately, we are not making a difference.

[scapino]

My husband was very reluctant to go ashore, but we both enjoyed it very much.

Loved the beach, don't hesitate to try it.

 

Reluctant???? For what possible reason??? It's a walled off beach in the middle of the ocean.

[scapino]

We have been to Labadee 4 times. It is a beautiful island and the beaches are wonderful. It is certainly a safe island to go to. In addition to enjoying the beaches, you will get a barbeque lunch. Enjoy!

 

Just a very small beach on a VERY large Island. Actually, the largest in the Carribean. The Island encompasses both Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

[willysgrandma]

Labadee is my favorite private island of any of the cruise lines. Get off the ship and enjoy the beach. And do tip the guys working there that bring the beach chairs to you.