Changes to RCL stops in Labadee

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, PompeySailor said:

an upgraded offering compared to the other buffet

 

Low bar based on the food I've seen in videos.

[PompeySailor]

1 minute ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Low bar based on the food I've seen in videos.

I know- it’s nothing special last time we were there Sept 2022

I think we got some shrimp and a tail or two of lobster and the usual BBQ offerings 

You never go hungry but it’s nothing to write home about 😎

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, Rackham said:

 

They had these large, coconut macaroons during summer 2022 that were better than anything on the desert table at CocoCay (I've only visited Labadee once). The rest was alright, but CocoCay's lunch spread was generally better.

If you go to Labadee on Celebrity the lunch spread is better than RC's at Labadee. 

[monorail81]

16 minutes ago, PompeySailor said:

I know at Barefoot beach they have an upgraded offering compared to the other buffet 

 

Nope. Not when we sailed. It was the EXACT same as the regular buffets. I was disappointed since it had been billed as upgraded. 

[OCSC Mike]

15 minutes ago, PompeySailor said:

I think we got some shrimp and a tail or two of lobster and the usual BBQ offerings

 

It beats hot dogs and hamburgers.

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, monorail81 said:

Nope. Not when we sailed. It was the EXACT same as the regular buffets. I was disappointed since it had been billed as upgraded. 

When I was at Barefoot Beach a few years ago it was not he same. It was an upgrade with shrimp etc.  but it would not surprise me if they had cut it back. I have not been there this year. 

[A&L_Ont]

1 hour ago, PompeySailor said:

I know- it’s nothing special last time we were there Sept 2022

I think we got some shrimp and a tail or two of lobster and the usual BBQ offerings 

You never go hungry but it’s nothing to write home about 😎

Espically with no wifi. 😜

[Toddcan]

Was just at Labadee in August.  And just like the 4-5 other times I've been there, there is no guest wifi on the compound. Never has been.   Now, if you stand at the end of the pier, "in Labadee" you might be clinging onto the final threads of that ship's wifi signal. Some ppl have reported getting ship wifi signal a little further out, but make no mistake  - there is no wifi on Labadee.  

[monorail81]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

When I was at Barefoot Beach a few years ago it was not he same. It was an upgrade with shrimp etc.  but it would not surprise me if they had cut it back. I have not been there this year. 

I have a strong suspicion it varies with the ship, too. I was on Allure in an Owner’s Suite - probably our only time as we treated ourselves last October since it was our first cruise back.  We had looked forward to Barefoot access and the better food. When we got there, I was surprised to see normal burgers and hot dogs. I thought it was strange and if that was upgraded, what did the regular buffets have. So, we went to look. It was the exact same. Not one thing special about Barefoot when we were there. But, a few weeks later, I saw someone on a different ship with what I would have expected. Oh well for us. 

[sailor05]

13 hours ago, orville99 said:

And yet, we have used the guest internet on every stop here this year, and booked excursions that visited the mainland that are no longer being offered today.

Sounds more like Coco Cay and not Labadee

[soremekun]

Reasons why I think Labadee is not developed like Coco Cay:

-Government instability

-Land is leased, not owned

[Ocean Boy]

12 hours ago, monorail81 said:

We are not beach people, either.  My husband insists we get off the ship each and every time we stop there. So, we lather up with our sunscreen and are usually back on the ship in about an hour - we just go down in our normal clothes and not swimsuits.  We wait until there are no lines at the gangway.  We’ll walk down to Dragon’s Breath and then down to the Artisan market.  There is a “nature” trail, which is a short walk up a hill, which we usually “hike”.  We eat lunch back on the ship. It is much more calm and cooler than the buffets on Labadee. IMO, I don’t think you’ll be missing anything if you take a walk and head back to the ship. We’ve never felt like we’ve missed anything. FWIW, CocoCay has MUCH better food than Labadee. 

Your day at Labadee sounds a lot like my day at Labadee.

[Ocean Boy]

12 hours ago, rolloman said:

This is old news/not news at all. I have been to Labadee going back to the days of no pier. Labadee is a country located on the huge shared (DR) island of Hispaniola, so there is no "taking an excursion into the mainland". It is all mainland which consists of a beach area which is fenced in, guarded and you may not leave the compound unless it is a near shore water activity such as the wave runner. I also have never had internet. 

Labadee is not a country. It is part of Haiti.

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Have been blessed to sail Royal since the late 1980s and to Labadee countless times over the years. Occasionally the ship would not visit due to political instability and we were always told not to venture out of the compound so as has been previously posted perhaps they are just providing reminders. As for internet I carry my phone on silent and rarely look at it in port and generally only in the am and pm when on holiday. All the best and enjoy!

[rolloman]

44 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Labadee is not a country. It is part of Haiti.

LOL...sometimes just an accidental omit  of one small word makes a difference. "in"

[not-enough-cruising]

Nothing to see here folks, keep moving!  

[OCSC Mike]

15 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Nothing to see here folks, keep moving!  

 

Hey, there's my hijacked part asking about the lousy food and what to do or not do there. 🤣

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

Labadee is not a country. It is part of Haiti.

With its isolation from the real Haiti, it might as well be a different country.

[not-enough-cruising]

17 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Hey, there's my hijacked part asking about the lousy food and what to do or not do there. 🤣

I stand corrected.

LOL

[robmtx]

 

 

This was from our Cruise Planner in January 2023. So that hasn't changed.

 

 

 

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

With its isolation from the real Haiti, it might as well be a different country.

Well, it does have a border wall (fence).

[monorail81]

3 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Your day at Labadee sounds a lot like my day at Labadee.

And a fine day it is!

[lovesthebeach2]

Funny I always thought wifi was not available on the island….coco cay yes, Labadee no

[lovesthebeach2]

On 10/9/2023 at 10:14 AM, OCSC Mike said:

I'll semi-hijack this thread (apologies in advance). We'll be there in 19 days.

 

If you're not a beach person and have no desire to do any of the activities or excursions there, is there really any reason to spend time there other than checking it out?

 

The last time I watched a video of the food it looked mostly hot dogs and burgers, so that's not a reason either unless the food has been changed.

 

We haven't been there in forever so we'll likely get off the ship just to take a walk but don't think we'll be staying long unless someone tells me I'm missing something. TIA!

 

P.S. I'm not looking to be convinced that I should enjoy a relaxing day on the beach there. If you enjoy that, great, everyone has their own preferences, it's just not our thing unless there's good food to get in between lounging like on CocoCay.

 

if you don’t want to hang on the beach or do the couple of $$ things like zip, then IMO stay on the ship.  The one time we were in a GS and allowed on that beach, the food was the same stuff that’s on the other beaches, and it’s not good. Again, my opinion. I had been told we would get upgraded food, we didn’t that time. The food had flies buzzing around and landing on the burgers, salad and everything else that wasn’t in a sealed container. 
We do like the beach but don’t eat there anymore. We stay in the morning and leave at lunchtime and eat in WJ.

[Lakelife4me]

Last time I was at Labadee, well the only time I have been there, was in 2017 on a Celebrity cruise. 

 

The food and drinks were meh at best. We spent most of our time just hanging out on the beach and loved that.

 

I did the zipline and based on the heavily armed soldiers holding back the locals on motor bikes at the top, no way I would even THINK about venturing off the compound.

 

If I ever find myself there again, I will probably spend a little time on the beach, maybe take a stroll to explore and then head back to the ship.