KLA Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 Just off of Indy today - this actually happened to me in Labadee a couple of days ago. It rained just about the entire day we were in Labadee, aside for a couple of sunny patches where we checked in to see if we'd be able to do the zipline (we were scheduled at 10 AM and we were cancelled due to rain) - it was shut down frequently during the day due to rain. So, a couple of hours before the ship left Labadee, we tried our luck and were able to successfully complete the mini zipline, and headed up the hill to the main attraction. On the way up the hill, it started raining again so we weren't sure we were going to make it down. In a combination of nerves and adrenaline, I volunteered my fiance and I to go down the zipline in the first group. As we stepped up to get strapped in, it started pouring. Despite this, the attendant pulled the line and we were off! It started out really fun, the view is GORGEOUS... though, the rain started feeling pretty painful and it became difficult to see as we picked up speed.. and then the wind started. I could feel myself being blown sideways due to how much the wind had picked up.... and then realized we were quickly losing speed. All five of us on the zipline stopped short of the end, and wound up dangling over the ocean... in a rainstorm, with the waves picking up beneath us. At this point, I wasn't really sure how they were going to get us down... but I was wet and cold and didn't know what to do. I started yelling 'HELP' at one point and then quickly realized that was an unreasonable reaction. We found that swinging in a particular way would inch us along the line towards the end, so we tried that for a little bit. Eventually, the workers who were waiting for us at the end grabbed a rope, and dove through the waves to toss it to us - they got pulled under the water quite a bit in this process. We tossed the rope in a line between all five of us, and three or so workers helped pull us to safety. The whole ordeal lasted around ten minutes. SO - that's my super exciting vacation story! The employees who helped get us down were fantastic, and it was really appreciated. We were also given a full refund for the experience. Evidently, this happens once or twice a year. After this whole experience, I was "Laba-done" and pretty excited to get back on the ship and in some dry clothes. I would definitely do this again, and am looking forward to trying again sometime - I was freaked out, but I can't say I ever felt truly unsafe. Now, if there is rain in the forecast, I would definitely recommend maybe saving this activity for your next Royal Caribbean cruise. I'm planning to write up a full review of my experience on the Independence of the Seas in the next couple of days. On a side note... there was a pretty large crowd that had gathered to take pictures of this as it was happening. If anyone happens to have any of those pictures... please let me know. :D Matt, Jerel, dejagatkins and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerel Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 That's a awesome story, sounds like quite the experience. The good thing is you seemed to have a great attutide about it, can't let these things P you off, just roll with it and find the humor in it. That said I'd be Laba-done too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 Wow, that is certainly an unique story. Glad you are alright and now have a great story to share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Quackinup Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 My brother-in-law actually made it to the end but wasn't caught and bounced back out. In his case they threw the rope over the line at the platform and holding both ends walked it out to him rather than throw it over when they got there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 So glad you are OK. I would have been terrified. Can't wait to hear the rest of the cruise review ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaSetter Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 I had a similar experience last year at Labadee, although not with the rain added in thankfully. We had 9:30 reservations for the zip line and it was VERY windy with the water all churned up. The forecast was for the wind to die down throughout the day so we were told to come back at 11 to see if they would be doing the zip line. When we got there at 11 it was still windy and they were turning some people away, but we did not know why at that time. They looked at my DH & I next in line and said we were OK to go, and before we knew it we had been through the mini zip line and were heading up to the top for the big one with a group of 15 people. They asked the largest folks in the group to go first and told them not to sit up but to lie back flat like a knife so that they would make it to the platform at the end without the wind slowing them down. They made it no problem. The next group went, again the largest people that were left...they also made it but one or two got slightly turned from the wind. Now it was time for the last 5 of us to go and that is when I realized that they had set a weight limit of 150 to be able to go down. No one had asked my weight prior to the moment when they hooked my harness up to the zip line, and that is when they realized that while I am tall I only weighed 125 and shouldn't have been allowed. Another woman in the party was also "underweight". We were willing so they decided to let us go and they gave us some extra instructions on keeping the harness straight to not allow the wind to slow us down. They also put us on the lines closest to the beach. Away we went and it was so-o-o much fun! I watched the 3 heavier people, including my DH, take off and go so much faster then the other woman & I were going and they all made it to the end. About half way down I noticed that the whirring noise of the zip line as we descended was slowing up and then we were both hit by a huge gust of wind that spun us all the way around, even while we were fighting the harnesses to stay straight. That killed all our forward momentum and we stopped, the two of us dangling over the white capped water, bobbing up and down on the zip line and waving to the folks watching from thebeach. Luckily for us it wasn't raining as you had. I actually enjoyed the wonderful view and got to know the other woman hanging out with me, LOL. They ran a long rope along the beach to where we were and one of the guys swam out to bring it to us, then they dragged us back. The zip line was closed the rest of the day. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, and am actually looking for a cruise to book this winter that goes to Labadee so I can go again :) although this time I'd like to sit up so I can see LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLA Posted August 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2016 Bumping this to the top since it came up on this evening's Matt and Michael Periscope. Matt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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