My family recently had a wonderful vacation experience combining two great family vacations in one. We got to experience a trip to Universal Orlando Resort and our first cruise ever- a 7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise aboard the Freedom of the Seas. Thanks to Royal Caribbean International and Universal Orlando Resort for hosting my family on this exciting and relaxing family vacation. All opinions expressed are mine. I hope you find this insight into a Caribbean cruise useful for your family vacation planning. I did a post where I shared what a day at sea aboard a cruise ship is like and now I want to share with you what a day in port can be like. Our first port stop in the Caribbean was Labadee, Haiti, at the Royal Caribbean private beach.
Labadee, Haiti- Royal Caribbean Private Beach Destination
Approaching Labadee, Haiti was really sort of magical. It was misty out as I spotted the island and it was mountainous and covered in beautiful greenery. I also enjoyed the views of Labadee while we ate breakfast in the WindJammer from level 12 of Freedom of the Seas.
What cruise ships go to labadee haiti? Just Royal Carribean! It is has a secluded, private feel.
Labadee, Haiti Beach
Labadee, Haiti is a private beach destination that sits on the north coast of Haiti and its is surrounded by mountain slopes and lush, exotic plants. This port is exclusive to Royal Caribbean so it has a special relaxed, almost quaint feel to it. There are beautiful beaches to relax on, coral reefs to snorkel over, and a market area with lots of locals selling souvenirs of Haiti. Plus there are tons of exciting, optional shore and land excursions in Labadee, Haiti.
Excursions in Labadee, Haiti
I was almost overwhelmed by the number of excursions that Royal Caribbean offers in each port. I found a really helpful feature is to sort the excursions by the categories they offer such as, Active Adventure, Cuisine and Tastings, Culture and Sights, or Family. From cultural tours to a beach bed rental to parasailing- you can find the perfect activity for you.
Dragon’s Tail Coaster, Labadee, Haiti
The Dragon’s Tail Coaster is offered as a single ride or an all day pass. I’d say, go for the all day pass. It is AMAZING. I seriously LOVED it. I want to go again. And again.
I don’t like roller coasters that jerk your neck all over the place with a thousand bumps but the Dragon’s Tail Coaster is a smooth ride. I wasn’t sure what to think of it initially. It is very different from every other coaster I had been on in my life. They are individual coaster carts and you can control the speed to go faster or slower to suit you. That kind of sounded appealing but it also sounded a bit scary but I found it was super easy to control the coaster cart. The coaster cart is moved up, up, up, Santa Maria’s lookout mountain until you reach 680 feet. Then you get to go swishing down a beautiful, scenic coaster ride racing through 360-degree turns all the wile with amazing beach views. Did I mention, I LOVED it? Don’t miss this!
They also have an option for ziplining- Dragon’s Breath.
Arawak Aqua Park, Labadee, Haiti
The Arawak Aqua Park was a fun way to get the kids enjoying the ocean in a whole new way. We felt like we were in some Survivor challenge!
You could bounce on the giant floating trampolines, go down water slides, ride on the rolling log, exploring teeter totter types of water toys, and climb an “iceberg” all while keeping cool and having fun. The Arawak Aqua Park is fun for adults and children- kid and mom tested and approved!
Labadee Beach
The rest of the afternoon, my kids and I enjoyed exploring the rocks along the beach. We spotted brain coral, sea urchins, fish, crabs, and kinds of interesting sea life. It was a very relaxing down time after all the morning’s adventure.
We enjoyed our day at Labadee, Haiti and we finished up Day 3 of our cruise with dinner and more pool time back on Freedom Of The Seas! Have you ever been to Labadee, Haiti? What did you do while you were there?
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Nicole says
This looks like such a fun vacation!