Happy New Year!
With all of the snow in North America and Europe, I thought I would begin the year by focusing on a destination with a much more pleasant climate, Royal Caribbean’s private resort Labadee.
While Labadee is in the northern hemisphere, it is in the Caribbean and thus the winter weather there is warm but not unpleasantly hot. Refreshing cool water laps against the protected beaches on the south side of the Labadee peninsula while one can watch impressive waves roll in from the white sand beach on the northern side.
There is considerable natural beauty at Labadee. Rolling hills covered in tropical vegetation overlook the peninsula and provide a nice back drop to the resort. There are also rock outcroppings on the peninsula that create a contrast to the vegetation and to the white sand. At the tip of the peninsula the coast is rocky and the waves coming in from the sea crash against the rocks in an awesome spectacle.
Labadee is a frequent port of call for Royal Caribbean ships doing Caribbean cruises. The ships arrive early in the day and leave as darkness starts to descend.
Royal Caribbean has done much to make Labadee into a tropical paradise for its guests. It has built dining and drinking facilities as well as populated the area with sun loungers, hammocks, wave runners, kayaks, and other watercraft. It has built attractions such as a 2,800 foot zip line, a roller coaster, an aqua park, and a kids park. There is also a luxury section for the guests staying in the suites on the ships.
Labadee is in Haiti and Royal Caribbean has done much to help that troubled country. In addition to employing local people and making a significant contribution to the local economy, its ships carried over a million dollars worth of relief supplies to Haiti after the recent earthquake. In addition, Royal highlights Haitian culture at the resort, offering a venue for local performers and a place for local artisans to sell their works.
Unlike most cruise line private destinations, guests do not have to tender in the ship’s boats to reach the resort. Rather, Royal Caribbean has constructed a pier at the resort so that guests can just walk ashore. This creates a unique situation whereby guests can easily go to and from the ship during the course of the day. As a result, a guest can go ashore for awhile, come back to the ship for an activity and then return to the resort.
My photo essay on Labadee appears at http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-Labadee.html
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