Royal Caribbean ignores serious travel warning and you should too
The cruise line takes passengers to a location Americans are warned not to visit.
Royal Caribbean has built much of its business around its private destinations.
Perfect Day at CocoCay has routinely been its highest-rated stop with passengers. The cruise line plans to duplicate that magic with the upcoming Perfect Day Mexico in Costa Maya and planned added-fee beach clubs in Cozumel and Nassau (CocoCay is included in your cruise fare).
Related: Royal Caribbean crew captures cruise ship stowaways
The cruise line, however, also has a different kind of private destination in Labadee, Haiti. That's a destination that gives a lot of passengers pause as Haiti currently has a "Level 4: Do Not Travel" warning from the U.S. State Department.
In reality, Labadee is very far — about six hours via vehicle — from Port-au-Prince and the population centers where fighting has occurred. Labadee is safe for Royal Caribbean passengers, and it's a lovely beach experience.
It's also very different from Perfect Day at CocoCay and Come Cruise With Me Executive Editor Dan Kline and PostCard Travel Planning's talk about the differences between the two places.
Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Image source: Daniel Kline/ComeCruiseWith.com
Perfect Day at CocoCay vs. Labadee, Haiti
Transcript:
Daniel Kline: Good afternoon, cruisers.
I am Dan Kline, executive editor of Come Cruise With Me. That is comecruisewith.com or comecruisewith.me.
But you probably know that because you're already here watching this video.
I am with Dennis Post, our travel agent partner, and we are in beautiful Labadee, Haiti. This is a Royal Caribbean private destination, but it's a little bit different than CocoCay.
So at Coco Cay, they've built the beach club. They've built Hideaway. They've built a pool. It's not really a natural paradise the way it used to be.
Now, there's still a lot of areas that are left untouched. But Dennis, why don't you talk a little bit about what's here in Labadee and how it's a little bit different than sort of the new model for cruise line private islands.
Dennis Post: Yeah, this is a peninsula in Haiti, beautiful, right off the side of a mountain, very controlled, very serene. This is all-natural behind us. And then over here, in front of us, there's rocks and coral and just a beautiful beach area.
But right behind us, there's coming out of straight out of the mountain. You might see zip-liners going by. This is just paradise.
They just worked on a joint venture with Haiti and created this beautiful paradise for Royal Caribbean.
Kline: So mostly you have three sides of beaches. We're actually sitting in the pavilion where there's a barbecue.
I've always complained there's no Haitian food.
I'd like to try a little griot, a little more authentic Haitian food rather than a burger. But that's that's a minor complaint. You've got beaches on three sides.
There's an inflatable water park. There is a dragon roller coaster, which isn't really a roller coaster. You're kind of sitting on like a little you control it like pad with wheels and brakes.
My son really loved it. And there's a water slide. But for the most part, it is a beautiful beach day.
And I know it is a level four do not travel from the U.S. State Department. But we are nowhere near Port-au-Prince or where the danger is happening. There's actually you're significantly closer if you're at the Carnival Port in the Dominican Republic, which is also perfectly safe.
But that is much closer to Port-au-Prince. So this is a private destination. You have to be on a Royal Caribbean ship to come here.
And it is absolutely safe. I am Dan Kline. He is Dennis Post.
We will have more from Labadee, Haiti.
Post: Stay safe, everyone. We got zip liners coming. Pretty awesome.
You can come in and try it out.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com, or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
