Labadee, cautionary tale...

[Zigggypup]

I always enjoy browsing around the outdoor market. Yes, some of the vendors can be very pushy, but I never felt unsafe. I found that if I look them square in the eye and politely say no thank you, they tone the sales pitch down a notch. In the past I have even had some decent conversations with some of the vendors. I find that it is all how you handle yourself. Whether it be in Labadee or in your own city. If you look and act like wounded prey, well you will get eaten.............lol. And if you are wearing Bermuda shorts, knee high white socks with penny loafers, you will be a feast for the whole village to nosh on.

[Merion_Mom]

My son had an uncomfortable confrontation on Labadee last week. He was walking one of the trails (he is 18 and was alone) that lead to the vendors market and came upon a vendor who asked him into his shop. The vendor gave him a braided bracelet and told him it was free and asked him his name and quickly began carving it on a wine goblet. Now before I get any flames, I agree he should not have taken the bracelet or given the guy his name...but that is not the point of this story.

Now of course the guy wants money for the goblet, and my son doesn't have any with him but he would go to the ship and get some. (Why he stood there while the guy carved his name on something he had no money for is still a mystery). He tells him its $10, and lets him take the goblet with him! Comes back with $15 (just in case) and when he gets back the guy says its $40. My son tells him all he has is $15, so he says (now this is where it gets real sketchy) ok, I'll take $15 but you have to go to the buffet and get me a tray of food. Finally the light dawns, and my son leaves and doesn't return. Now as I said, the details are sketchy, and I have no clue why this all went down. My husband and I were on an excursion and my son was with his grandparents (he left them under a tree on the beach).

As I said, my son is 18 and I really didn't have an issue with him taking a walk on the trails alone. I guess my point is to use caution with your kids walking around the island. In hindsight, that probably shouldn't have been an option but it happened and I hope other parents can take this to heart.

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Bonnie, in my opinion, this is something that needs to be reported to Royal Caribbean.

 

These workers must get approval and "permits" (or whatever the equivalent would be) to participate in the markets at Labadee.

 

If someone is this bad, there are dozens who are eager to take this place.

[tlatrice]

Just this past May, there was an indoor building just past Nellies beach where things were offered in a no-hassle price by low key merchants. There was a man hanging around the door trying (without too much aggression to lure us to the open market area.

 

That guy was there in November too. He 'lured' my son to the side of the building. Which then brought ME to the side of the building. I forgot what he was trying to sell me, but I refused. Although I had to refuse several times. It was a little unnerving.

 

Since I'd read about the pushy people in the open air market I didn't even go in there. Our driver took us through there on the cart but we didn't get out. And even then, they were calling out to us as we went by in the cart. :(

[Toddcan]

The open market is my favourite place to be - but I totally understand that I am in the minority on this one. I speak Haitian Creole, and I've got to the point where I don't speak creole unless I am interested in buying. I agree they are very aggressive. But, for me - it's the Haitian art work - that is truly original, and native to Haiti. Most of the wood work is mass made elsewhere, and you will find the same wooden goblet on many islands - except with different country names engraved in them.

 

The reason they push bracelets and other small trinkets (fridge magnets, small coasters, etc) is that the vendors themselves do not own the wares they are selling -except for these small items, which they make themselves. So, when they sell a goblet for $10 - they get a small % only - the rest goes to the boss man. If they sell a bracelet, they get 100% of the money.

 

But, I will say this - the open air market is VERY easy to avoid. It's tucked away at the back. The rest of Labadee is amazing, and well worth the visit. The market guys used to be right in the open, where you could not avoid them - now, you have a choice to avoid them.

[BillOh]

I've read many interesting posts about your experiences in this area. My last trip there was a lady in our roll call with similar language skills and she came back happy as can be with what she wanted.

 

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[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Translation: These cruises would be so much nicer if they didn't go to foreign countries and we only had to deal with Americans!

 

Oh, I don't know. The situation with street "performers" had gotten so bad in Times Square that there are now signs posted stating that you do NOT have to pay a costumed character for a picture - not that it has stopped all of them from doing things to demand payment. And that's right in NYC. In America.

[BamaGuy44]

Translation: These cruises would be so much nicer if they didn't go to foreign countries and we only had to deal with Americans!

 

Um, that is ridiculous, how did you come up with that gem of a "translation"? Not wanting your teenage son to be bullied and scammed doesn't indicate some kind of American snobbery or Xenophobia. :rolleyes:

[TBone2K]

...I speak Haitian Creole, and I've got to the point where I don't speak creole unless I am interested in buying...

 

I find anywhere you go if you speak the language, you suddenly become less of a tourist. (More an observation, not that I speak any other languages enough to do anything other than order lunch.)

 

Anyway more to the topic of the OP, I read a similar story on this board a couple of years ago. Same deal with the bracelet as a lure and asking the child's name. In that story, the child had wandered ahead a little and parents suddenly couldn't find her. Very scary.

[Pipo]

I took the jetski (waverunner as they call it) tour in Labadee, it was a group of about 12 people, plus two guides. The guide drove us to a bay on the south part of the complex, out of sight from the ship, where some locals, about four, were waiting for us in kayaks selling wooden made crafts. One of the sellers approached and showed me a kind of totem, very exotic, but I told him that nobody was carrying money (it was a water activity). So he offered his craft in exchange for my watch, a cheap used Casio. I saw desperation in his eyes, but I declined the offer. Despite they were not aggressive, I felt some what uncomfortable of being there watching those guys trying to get at least a dollar. I have no idea if somebody has purchased something from them, but it's hard to sell something when most of people is not carrying cash. But it's Haiti, that's probably the best or only chance they have to earn some money.

[Langley Cruisers]

That guy was there in November too. He 'lured' my son to the side of the building....

 

Bonnie, in my opinion, this is something that needs to be reported to Royal Caribbean.... These workers must get approval and "permits" (or whatever the equivalent would be) to participate in the markets at Labadee.... If someone is this bad, there are dozens who are eager to take this place.

 

Yes, I am inclined to agree. I don't think this should be dropped - I think it needs to be reported and followed up on.

[Lionesss]

I took the jetski (waverunner as they call it) tour in Labadee, it was a group of about 12 people, plus two guides. The guide drove us to a bay on the south part of the complex, out of sight from the ship, where some locals, about four, were waiting for us in kayaks selling wooden made crafts. One of the sellers approached and showed me a kind of totem, very exotic, but I told him that nobody was carrying money (it was a water activity). So he offered his craft in exchange for my watch, a cheap used Casio. I saw desperation in his eyes, but I declined the offer. Despite they were not aggressive, I felt some what uncomfortable of being there watching those guys trying to get at least a dollar. I have no idea if somebody has purchased something from them, but it's hard to sell something when most of people is not carrying cash. But it's Haiti, that's probably the best or only chance they have to earn some money.

 

 

 

We too have done the jet skis now 3 times in total.

 

And every time on the second to the last leg of the trip back you go into the alcove and the kayak locals come out.

The last time we were told by them to purchase and when you get back to the beach you could get money and give it to the attendant at the jet ski check in.

 

I felt sorry for them, but one of them wanted $15 for a shell bracelet.

 

We told them no, and just kept away from them as best we could.

 

Poverty is obvious here.

 

Like I posted earlier we do buy some stuff from the locals, and usually at the building from the vendors.

 

Safe travels.

[Eslader]

Translation: These cruises would be so much nicer if they didn't go to foreign countries and we only had to deal with Americans!

 

That's not the translation at all. I'd actually enjoy the cruises more if they stayed longer in the foreign countries so that I could explore and immerse myself more into the culture. This is why I don't go on a cruise every vacation - you get a much better sense of a place if you aren't going there on a ship that will carry you away again less than 12 hours later.

 

There are plenty of vendor markets elsewhere in the region that don't swarm you and try to trick you with BS scams. The one at Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica just has a bunch of shopkeepers sitting outside their stalls inviting you over, but there's no pressure to buy.

 

The Labadee market frustrates me because that country and almost everyone in it is desperately poor and has been to one degree or another since Columbus pillaged it, and the earthquake a few years back took an already bad situation and made it desperate. They really could use the injection of money. Unfortunately, the shopkeepers don't realize that the aggressive "marketing strategy" is driving away business.

 

We've all done the tourism thing a lot. We all buy stupid junk we'd never buy back home, just because we're buying it somewhere else. Heck, Jackalope is an entire store complex the size of several big box stores in Santa Fe that made its owner stinking rich off of the "sell stupid crap to tourists" business model.

 

I'd have no problem buying lots of stuff from those guys if they weren't so pushy, and while yes I do find it irritating, I also find it somewhat depressing.

 

For the record, I'm neither racist nor do I buy into the "America is the greatest, we're all superior" garbage mentality. It is possible to find one individual element of a foreign location to be annoying/frustrating without being the "ugly American."

[10th Anniversary]

We have been to Labadee before and have always bought trinkets from the vendors... before but this past trip in August 2015 was the worst.

 

My husband likes to visit the vendors and look around. The people inside the building were nice, not aggressive, and answered questions people had. The vendors in the open market... man that was a different story. My husband and son walked ahead of me and my daughter and the next thing I know. One vendor had my son by the hand pulling him into his booth and was giving him a "free" bracelet and another vendor had my husband and was giving him a "free" necklace. Then it was time to carve names in the wood. My husband was already trying to back track and politely decline, my son didn't know what to think. I immediately started saying no...no thank you.. no thanks... and began handing everything back to them. The guy kept telling us "its' free. You take it. Yours to keep." We never gave any names so we didn't get any carvings... but we did kept the bracelet my son had, the necklace my husband had, and got 4 more bracelets and another necklace along with a wooden shot glass. My husband gave the guy $20 for the shot glass since everything else was "free" :D and thanked him. The guy was super happy and was ready to sell us some more and so was his neighbor vendors who were watching and waiting for their turn. We had had enough excitement within those 10 minutes and quickly retreated back to the center of path where it was safe and headed out. Stating to ourselves... man that was crazy.

 

We also saw something with the buffet lunch we have never seen before...

While eating the buffet lunch... several vendors (probably 8 or so ... women and men) got in line at the buffet and sat that the picnic table next to us. They each came to the table with at least 3 plates piled high... each had a different food item. Once they set down... they would nibble on a food item while proceeding to dump all of the other plates into backpacks or large beach bags. Plates of burgers, fruit, cookies, corn, buns, etc... each had at least 2 bags. They kept looking around and quickly got up and left. Once again, we found ourselves stating... man that was crazy. We saw several more vendors get in line to eat and most of them just got a normal plate and didn't bring backpacks to fill up.

 

We love Labadee and will be visiting again in May... maybe will try the open market again... or maybe we'll just stick with the building vendors. Depends on how adventurous we feel that day. :)

[Langley Cruisers]

While eating the buffet lunch... several vendors (probably 8 or so ... women and men) got in line at the buffet and sat that the picnic table next to us. They each came to the table with at least 3 plates piled high...

 

Wow, I wouldn't have thought the vendors were permitted to eat from the guests' buffet line. They probably are not allowed, but no one stopped them. :o

[jakenashleysmom]

Um, that is ridiculous, how did you come up with that gem of a "translation"? Not wanting your teenage son to be bullied and scammed doesn't indicate some kind of American snobbery or Xenophobia. :rolleyes:

 

Thank you! My post was simply to warn parents that may let their kids walk about the island....nothing more, nothing less. I have not reported it because I don't really have actual details. I wasn't there, if I were it would never have happened. It has nothing to do with any language or cultural differences, it's simply a warning to be careful. I love Labadee and will continue to go there, and I do enjoy shopping in the building when I have time.

 

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[jakenashleysmom]

No flaming from me; appreciate the heads up to be wary of these aggressive vendors. These sorts of warnings pop up on the site every few months or so.

 

One question though; if the vendor said $10 why did he return with $15? That's sort of the "What's this repair going to cost; I only have $300..." "Oh, the repair happens to cost $300..."

 

I agree with others, this was a relatively low cost but valuable lesson, thank you for sharing with the forum.

 

Why he went back at all was my question lol! Who knows, he clearly felt intimidated enough to return in the first place, who knows why he brought more money😄

 

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[thewilfords]

Yes, it's aggressive. I won't be taking my kids back there in 2 weeks. Also, if you Dunns River Falls, after you exit, you go through a similar market with just as aggressive locals selling stuff. My husband, being black, was hounded and insulted in both places, that he was "treating them worse than the white man", since he wasn't interested in buying anything. They really laid into him in Jamaica walking through there. Interestingly, my husband's mother was born and raised in Jamaica.

[jtdlmc]

We never went near the "other market" when we were there a few weeks ago because I had read about the aggressiveness of the salespeople on this board before we went. There were some guys standing at the end of a path calling us to go up there one time when we passed and I assumed that was the other market. We did go in the building and had no issues at all with anyone. Even when we were looking at their goods, nobody pestered us in anyway.

[3CatsInMA]

Translation: These cruises would be so much nicer if they didn't go to foreign countries and we only had to deal with Americans!

 

I think your translator is broken.

[cjdixon4]

The OP will get no flaming from me. For goodness sake, who wouldn't assume that RCI's private island wouldn't have that sort of thing under control, especially if you've never been there before? Frankly, I'm thankful for the report; hubby and I will be visiting Labadee for the first time in May. Even though we're from the Chi (and we've seen almost everything crazy imaginable), I'm not trying to be bothered with that aggressive stuff on vacation. :rolleyes: And that goes for the beach lounge chairs also. But that's a whole 'nother thread, LOL

[KPfromCT]

The open market is my favourite place to be - but I totally understand that I am in the minority on this one. I speak Haitian Creole, and I've got to the point where I don't speak creole unless I am interested in buying. I agree they are very aggressive. But, for me - it's the Haitian art work - that is truly original, and native to Haiti. Most of the wood work is mass made elsewhere, and you will find the same wooden goblet on many islands - except with different country names engraved in them.

 

The reason they push bracelets and other small trinkets (fridge magnets, small coasters, etc) is that the vendors themselves do not own the wares they are selling -except for these small items, which they make themselves. So, when they sell a goblet for $10 - they get a small % only - the rest goes to the boss man. If they sell a bracelet, they get 100% of the money.

 

But, I will say this - the open air market is VERY easy to avoid. It's tucked away at the back. The rest of Labadee is amazing, and well worth the visit. The market guys used to be right in the open, where you could not avoid them - now, you have a choice to avoid them.

 

This is great to hear! We are going on our first Royal cruise in June, on the Oasis, and was just going to ask if you are "forced" to walk through that area.

Up until now, Antigua has had the pushiest vendors, and they were BAD!!!!

 

Glad to hear it is avoidable!! Thanks!!!:D

[John Reid]

Translation: These cruises would be so much nicer if they didn't go to foreign countries and we only had to deal with Americans!

 

A deeply profound insight. You can rest now.

[Charger2008]

I received a "free" bracelet and the vendor asked my name and proceeded to carve it in a shot glass (gotta give him props, he knew how to spell it) but after "Ed" I said, "I am so NOT paying for that so you might as well stop carving". He looked crestfallen and said "$5" so I gave him the five bucks and I still have the "Ed" shot glass on a shelf in my kitchen:D.

 

Further into the vendor stands were the "artists" and one told me that his daughter was going to be very upset if I didn't buy one of her paintings and my response was "well, your daughter is going to be pissed because I am not buying anything" :D

[mrpayroll]

I don't know why RCCL has so many vendors on that road. Doesn't seem like they could make enough money for all of them to survive. That is why they are so aggressive.....

[Hotel CA]

The Labadee souvenir market is obnoxious. Honestly I'd probably go up there and buy stuff just to inject money into the economy if the shopkeepers didn't pester people so incessantly.

 

If you must get a souvenir there, it's best to confine your shopping to the building down below, and stay away from the open-air market.

 

Actually your son learned a good lesson in a relatively safe place (one heads up to the ship would have ended the incident since RCCL controls who gets access there). You'll find similar money-grabbing trickery in the New Orleans French Quarter, but there's much less protection around you when you refuse to give the guy who squirts Windex on your shoe any money.

 

Always good to learn the "politely and firmly say no" lesson as early as possible.

 

Well said -- Agree