Two 4 day cruises; same class ship; CocoCay or Labadee? Your Vote Might Matter

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, MCC retired said:

That is a good point , but onboard activities are subdued while in port.

 

There's enough to do for us but definitely less than a sea day. I'm fine with the trade off.

[LobsterStalker]

1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

You say wasted, I say it gets people off the ship so many of us can treat it like a sea day with less crowds.

 

To each his own.

Exactly... I try to pick less port intensive cruises , so if there is a stop I don't like , no biggee , we just throw a real chill "sea day" into the mix 

[ShillyShally]

On 7/18/2023 at 2:02 PM, Mum2Mercury said:

The ships are very alike: 

 

- They both have Playmakers, which my husband loves.  

 

 

I don't think Liberty has Playmakers, I don't think Liberty has any overall AMPed features.  That said, I loved her when she first sailed and have sailed on her 4 times though it's been almost 10 years since the last time!

[Mum2Mercury]

On 7/18/2023 at 6:18 PM, LobsterStalker said:

Exactly... I try to pick less port intensive cruises , so if there is a stop I don't like , no biggee , we just throw a real chill "sea day" into the mix 

I know I'm being argumentative, but I hate the idea of paying the port tax and NOT using the port.  I have no love of Nassau, so it's a lose-lose choice.  

23 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

I don't think Liberty has Playmakers, I don't think Liberty has any overall AMPed features.  That said, I loved her when she first sailed and have sailed on her 4 times though it's been almost 10 years since the last time!

Maybe?  Can anyone else verify?  As I said, my husband loves Playmakers, especially as we tend to cruise in the fall, which is also NFL season.

[OCSC Mike]

10 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Maybe?  Can anyone else verify?  As I said, my husband loves Playmakers, especially as we tend to cruise in the fall, which is also NFL season.

 

No Playmakers on Liberty.

[Ozzie26]

Coco Cay for sure!!!

Never been on Liberty but sailed many, many times on Indy. I prefer the weekday crowd over the weekend crowd. I also consider Nassau to be a sea day but with less trivia and more deck chairs available. 

[jerseyjjs]

What time of year are you looking to sail?.....if during the football season, then I'd go with the Independence since it has a Playmakers sports bar.  Liberty does not have one.

[OCSC Mike]

55 minutes ago, jerseyjjs said:

What time of year are you looking to sail?.....if during the football season, then I'd go with the Independence since it has a Playmakers sports bar.  Liberty does not have one.

Liberty is M-F. He won’t be missing a ton of football even if is in-season.

[Cruise a holic]

We love cococay- So much better then labadee IMO.  No comparison.

[Merion_Mom]

On 7/17/2023 at 7:29 PM, LMaxwell said:

Looking at two different quick getaways

 

4 Day Monday-Friday on Liberty of the Seas: Sea Day, CocoCay, Nassau  out of Fort Lauderdale

 

4 Day  Wednesday - Sunday on Independence of the Seas: Sea Day, Labadee, Sea Day   out of Miami

 

Since both are Freedom class ships they should have similar, if not identical, amenities and onboard attractions. (Any actual differences?)

 

Prices are nearly identical.  

 

With Independence I only need 3 days off of work versus 4 or 5 (but it really doesn't matter if I block the whole week off anyways). 

 

With Liberty I sail from Fort Lauderdale which is slightly closer to home (but won't make a significant difference in grand scheme of things; driving not flying) 

 

Usually treat Nassau like a Sea day; so I guess it comes down to....CocoCay or Labadee?  Been to both several times.  I recall food being much better at CocoCay; is that still the case post-covid? 

 

What's the condition of these ships like these days? Getting beat up on short cruises or still looking pretty good? Overcrowded or manageable?  Looking to go on an "off" week out of season to just chill out for a few days. 

 

On 7/17/2023 at 10:34 PM, LMaxwell said:

I do love Sea Days; but Nassau is basically a Sea Day for us; so less crowds. 

 

Surprised to learn Liberty is not "Amplified" but for a short getaway cruise it may not matter except for no food eateries near pool deck; both ships have slides, flowrider, other similar attractions. 

 

Nassau has a brand new cruise terminal.  You may enjoy exploring it.  It is a HUGE improvement.

[jakeil7]

Labadee for its laid back vibe as opposed to Coco Cay which is nothing more than a money vaccum for RCL. Yes, I have been to both (on the same cruise, come to think of it!) 

[LMaxwell]

9 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

 

Nassau has a brand new cruise terminal.  You may enjoy exploring it.  It is a HUGE improvement.

Yeah that's true, I can kill an hour and check out the new port area. 

[LMaxwell]

4 hours ago, jakeil7 said:

Labadee for its laid back vibe as opposed to Coco Cay which is nothing more than a money vaccum for RCL. Yes, I have been to both (on the same cruise, come to think of it!) 

Their money hoovering tricks don't work too well on me.  We always hoof it to the other side of the island and grab some lounge chairs and umbrella near a snack shack at CocoCay. 

 

I will say this; my last visit to Labadee I listened to crew/staff on those gas golf carts and diesel tractors going back and forth past the beach chairs constantly. Even near the end of the ocean facing beach. Not talking about the tram service, but staff just constantly driving every which way. Felt like laying out in a construction zone. Was only time Labadee was ever like that for me, so maybe it was a one off. 

[OCSC Mike]

4 hours ago, jakeil7 said:

Coco Cay which is nothing more than a money vaccum for RCL

 

To many of us it's a great day to enjoy a beach, pool, great food, and drinks without spending a penny extra (besides tipping for D drinks).

 

I'm glad Royal is profiting greatly from it and don't begrudge anyone who chooses to spend their money there... it's their money.

 

To each his own.

[dwp10mm]

I've also done both on the same cruise.  The only way I choose Labadee over Coco Cay would be time of year.  The water can be rather cold at Coco Cay Jan/Feb.  So in that situation Labadee may be the better option.  Labadee also has the better zipline, the dragon coaster, and feels more remote.  But for actual beach and food, Coco Cay by a mile.

[RoyalC]

7 hours ago, dwp10mm said:

I've also done both on the same cruise.  The only way I choose Labadee over Coco Cay would be time of year.  The water can be rather cold at Coco Cay Jan/Feb.  So in that situation Labadee may be the better option.  Labadee also has the better zipline, the dragon coaster, and feels more remote.  But for actual beach and food, Coco Cay by a mile.

I was just about to post that no one here seems to understand that Coco Cay can be cold in Jan/Feb (and part of Dec and March), not only sea temp but air. The answer would be Coco Cay outside these dates. Otherwise Labadee is great too.

[OCSC Mike]

30 minutes ago, RoyalC said:

I was just about to post that no one here seems to understand that Coco Cay can be cold in Jan/Feb (and part of Dec and March), not only sea temp but air. The answer would be Coco Cay outside these dates. Otherwise Labadee is great too.

The food is still 100x better on CocoCay. Give me the “cold.” 😋 

[Jerseygirl1416]

On 7/20/2023 at 5:06 PM, Mum2Mercury said:

I know I'm being argumentative, but I hate the idea of paying the port tax and NOT using the port.  I have no love of Nassau, so it's a lose-lose choice.  

Maybe?  Can anyone else verify?  As I said, my husband loves Playmakers, especially as we tend to cruise in the fall, which is also NFL season.

No Playmakers on Liberty.

[Jerseygirl1416]

On 7/17/2023 at 10:34 PM, LMaxwell said:

I do love Sea Days; but Nassau is basically a Sea Day for us; so less crowds. 

 

Surprised to learn Liberty is not "Amplified" but for a short getaway cruise it may not matter except for no food eateries near pool deck; both ships have slides, flowrider, other similar attractions. 

Liberty does have Johnny Rockets one deck above pool deck

[Jerseygirl1416]

Just now, Jerseygirl1416 said:

Liberty does have Johnny Rockets one deck above pool deck

Actually it could’ve been the same level. It’s back by the flow rider

[LMaxwell]

10 hours ago, Jerseygirl1416 said:

Liberty does have Johnny Rockets one deck above pool deck

Is there still a Diamond discount for a shake? I won't pay for a hamburger on any cruise line

[Jerseygirl1416]

29 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

Is there still a Diamond discount for a shake? I won't pay for a hamburger on any cruise line

Yes. I didn’t eat there but I think it’s BOGO?

[lcpagejr]

22 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

Their money hoovering tricks don't work too well on me.  We always hoof it to the other side of the island and grab some lounge chairs and umbrella near a snack shack at CocoCay. 

 

I will say this; my last visit to Labadee I listened to crew/staff on those gas golf carts and diesel tractors going back and forth past the beach chairs constantly. Even near the end of the ocean facing beach. Not talking about the tram service, but staff just constantly driving every which way. Felt like laying out in a construction zone. Was only time Labadee was ever like that for me, so maybe it was a one off. 

Where were you sitting...LOL.... Plenty of little enclaves and other small beaches. I was there earlier this year and while I did see transportation carts....those were when we walked by the paths...sitting on beach herad nothing other than the occasional scream of zipliners