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Is Labadee/Barefoot Beach worth getting off the ship???


Drewtastic86

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I have been to Labadee once on a past Celebrity Cruise I have done.  I was there over 10 years ago so I imagine there is a lot more to do.  Debating whether this would be a place for us to go to.  We are doing Star so I know we have access to Barefoot Beach.  Cabana or no cabana?  Input is much appreciated!  We love planning this vacation even if it is a year and a month away lol.  I think everyone on this blog needs a cruise vacation!

 

Drew

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If you like beach days, Labadee is totally worth getting off the ship. If you can score an on-/over-the-water cabana for a good price, it’s a fantastic time off the ship.

They have the Dragon’s Breath zip line, Dragon’s Tail alpine coaster, the various beaches, and some walking trails to explore. Also some shore excursions if you want to go to some other areas, but as Star Class you have the included drink package and I’d just recommend staying in Labadee itself to take full advantage! ?

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If Hubby and my younger daughter were answering this question, they would say yes, even without the cabana. Like @JLMoran mentioned, they are beach people and Hubby loves the BBQ lunch so it makes no difference to them. My older daughter and I will not get off the ship in Labadee without a cabana. That would be a deal breaker. ?

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Yes definitely worth it. We are not water people but value the privacy and space to call our own for the day.  We had a great day in our OTW cabana. The cabana attendants will take good care of you. There are 3 cabana categories...hilltop, beach and OTW.  We avoided the hill top cabana for fear of critters ?.  I had a run in with an aggressive? trying to takeover our cabana at Disney Castaway Cay. All I will say is there was screaming involved and our concierge attendant came running. LOL  Definitely don’t want a repeat! LOL 

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5 minutes ago, Jax said:

One other bit of advice....be sure to try the Labbadoozie ? 

That good huh?  I wonder how far in advance we can reserve a cabana.  Would I do that through my genie or Cruise Planner?  Do they ever go on a special price? Do they deliver drinks and food to cabana?

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1 hour ago, Drewtastic86 said:

That good huh?  I wonder how far in advance we can reserve a cabana.  Would I do that through my genie or Cruise Planner?  Do they ever go on a special price? Do they deliver drinks and food to cabana?

Our original itinerary was Coco Cay (pretty sure genies can’t reserve cabanas at Coco Cay ) so I booked a chill island cabana through cruise planner about a year in advance and paid $509.  This was a good deal at the time considering it was a Christmas cruise and Coco Beach Club wasn’t open yet.  Due to weather we had an itinerary change to Labadee.  Our genie was instrumental in securing us an OTW cabana through the shore excursions manager prior to them being made available to all guests.  The cost was $695 and we were responsible for the difference.  

Yes drinks are delivered. The cabana attendants check in frequently. 
I don’t think food delivery is an option but I am not ? sure on this ... there is a food shack within the suites area where you go. Based on our bad experience with ? and food we now avoid all food in our cabana! 
 
@Lovetocruise2002knows the process for booking and pricing/sales 

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39 minutes ago, Drewtastic86 said:

That good huh?  I wonder how far in advance we can reserve a cabana.  Would I do that through my genie or Cruise Planner?  Do they ever go on a special price? Do they deliver drinks and food to cabana?

Labadee Barefoot beach cabanas are reserved only through the Genie or Suite concierge. The earliest you can reserve one is upon the initial Genie email about a month out from sail date. Genies reserve cabanas for their guests first and then about a week out from sail date, the suite concierge reserves for the rest of the sky class guests. There is a cabana attendant. They will deliver drinks to your cabana if you want. The lunch there is a BBQ lunch buffet and most people just go and help themselves. Unsure how covid will change this.  

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33 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Labadee Barefoot beach cabanas are reserved only through the Genie or Suite concierge

Thanks for clarifying this....due to our itinerary change I wasn’t sure how similar or different the reservation process was for cabanas at Labadee vs Coco Cay. I didn’t realize you weren’t able to book through cruise planner. Good to know for next time.  I have edited that part of my reply. 

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Labadee is one of our favorite beach ports.  We will attempt to be the first ones off the ship and hurry to Nellie's Beach and snag our favorite spot...Close to the bar but under one of the few palm trees that provide a little shade...Not that that we sit much but spend most of the day in the water.  However, close to a bar is important.

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I used to be "meh" with Labadee - but it is now one of our favourite, beach-do-absolutely-nothing-but-chill-out-and-relax days (where we don't feel guilty like we "should have" done some exploring or gotten out and done something).   The beaches are easy to get to - so there's no stress about making it back to the ship on time.   Food and beverage is everywhere and is included in your cruise price, the water is amazing, tonnes of chairs whether you want sun, shade, or a cabana.   Love it here.   Kids too.   And if you WANT to do stuff - there are things to keep you busy and active.

If we sail on our December cruise in 2021 (gawd willing this virus is calmer and we can go), we will be in Labadee for a day - I didn't realise that the suite beach can only be booked by genies and on board - this answers a lot of questions for me - so a big thanks to @Lovetocruise2002 for that little nugget.   We're really looking forward to our SLS on Harmony and I've been trying to figure out barefoot beach.  Good to know our Genie will handle it all :).

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23 hours ago, Drewtastic86 said:

I have been to Labadee once on a past Celebrity Cruise I have done.  I was there over 10 years ago so I imagine there is a lot more to do.  Debating whether this would be a place for us to go to.  We are doing Star so I know we have access to Barefoot Beach.  Cabana or no cabana?  Input is much appreciated!  We love planning this vacation even if it is a year and a month away lol.  I think everyone on this blog needs a cruise vacation!

 

Drew

It’s worth it for sure. Bring water shoes as there are sharp shells blanketing the beach. I would recommend skipping the cabana (much better options at coco cay). 

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16 hours ago, tonyfsu21 said:

It’s worth it for sure. Bring water shoes as there are sharp shells blanketing the beach. I would recommend skipping the cabana (much better options at coco cay). 

Ditto the water shoes. But we love the cabanas. They are reasonably priced compared to Coco Cay. IMHO the cabanas at CC are prohibitively expensive for just a couple. Drinks served at the cabana are the best. Also includes cold water in a cooler. 

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I'm not a beach person either, but i would not miss a chance to get off the ship at Labadee.  Even without a cabana or the special suite beach there is quite a bit to see and do there, that is if you don't mind walking around.  Avoid the craft area like the plague though.

As for the Labbadoozie ?  make sure you get one early, because the will run out.

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  • 1 month later...
On 1/4/2021 at 5:28 PM, tonyfsu21 said:

It’s worth it for sure. Bring water shoes as there are sharp shells blanketing the beach. I would recommend skipping the cabana (much better options at coco cay). 

The beach in view from the pier generally has a sandy bottom but the beach under the zip line is rocky unless you go to the area near the shelter house or beyond.

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  • 2 months later...

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