Labadee is Royal Caribbean’s private, fenced resort on Haiti’s north coast, about six miles from Cap-Haïtien. It sits on a 260-acre peninsula, not a true island.
Ships moor at one deep-water pier and you walk straight off. No cruise ship is calling right now: every Labadee stop is cancelled, with the pause currently open-ended and no return date confirmed.
Where is Labadee on the map?
The map shows Labadee and the places worth seeing. Tap a pin for directions.
- Labadee Tender/Ship PierWhere ships dock
- Buccaneer’s Bay
- Cap-Haïtien
- Citadelle Laferrière
- Sans-Souci Palace
- Royal Caribbean Perfect Day Port (Haiti)
Labadee sits on Haiti’s north coast at Pointe Ste. Honoré, about six miles from Cap-Haïtien. It’s a 260-acre wooded peninsula joined to the Haitian mainland, not an island, whatever the brochures suggest.
Haiti is a Caribbean country on the western part of Hispaniola, the island it shares with the Dominican Republic. Its capital, Port-au-Prince, is on the southern side of the country, roughly 130 miles from Labadee and more than six hours away by road, so don’t read the two as neighbours. Among the islands, Haiti is one of the Greater Antilles cruise ship ports.
On the ground, the cruise ship dock has the Belly Beach pier about 800 m to its south east and the Dhaloo Beach pier about a kilometre beyond that. The beaches and the resort run along the coast from the pier, and Columbus Cove is the farthest point from where you step off.
Are cruise ships still going to Labadee?
No, and not for a while: Royal Caribbean has cancelled every scheduled call to Labadee and extended its pause again, revising 44 itineraries across nine ships. The ships caught in the latest round are Adventure, Allure, Explorer, Freedom, Harmony, Independence, Serenade, Star and Symphony of the Seas, all from Royal Caribbean’s fleet. Sister brand Celebrity Cruises has dropped its Labadee calls too.
The line says it’s continuing to evaluate conditions in Haiti and its ability to deliver the best holidays responsibly, citing the safety and well-being of guests and crew. Earlier rounds were put down to an abundance of caution while Port-au-Prince was watched.
Royal Caribbean president Michael Bayley has said the company hopes to return but can’t until it’s confident the destination is safe, and that this pause has been longer, and followed a more dangerous situation, than the ones before it.
If you had a Labadee call booked, any prepaid Royal Caribbean shore excursion for it is refunded automatically, so there’s nothing to chase. The rest of your itinerary can still move: the booking terms let the line cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing or port of call without prior notice.
One thing to watch: Royal Caribbean’s own Labadee destination page still advertises the beaches, cabanas and bars with no notice that calls are cancelled, so trust your booking confirmation and any letter from the line over the brochure copy.
The pause has a local cost. About 300 Haitians work at the site and roughly 200 more are allowed in to sell goods. Royal Caribbean says it has funded L’Ecole Nouvelle schooling and clean water and sanitation for around 7,000 residents of Labadie Village, gives monthly food donations, and is reassigning Labadee-based team members to fleet and other destination roles while the ships stay away.
What replaces a Labadee call on your itinerary
Most revised itineraries swap Labadee for another Caribbean stop or a sea day. The substitutes in the current schedules include Nassau, Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bimini, Grand Turk, Falmouth, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Puerto Plata, Amber Cove, Samaná, San Juan, Ponce and Ocho Rios, or simply an extra day at sea.
CocoCay is the closest like-for-like: a private beach day run by the same line, and one of a handful of private cruise line destinations in the region. If you’re choosing between sailings that used to include Labadee, the guide to Caribbean cruise ports sets out what each of those substitutes gives you.
Haiti travel advice for cruise passengers
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against all travel to Haiti because of the volatile security situation, and warns that travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against its advice. There are currently no British consular officials in Haiti, so consular help can’t be delivered in person there; British nationals can get assistance from the UK mission in the Dominican Republic.
The US State Department is at Level 4, Do Not Travel, citing crime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest and limited health care, and Haiti remains under a national state of emergency. It warns that local law enforcement has extremely limited ability to respond to serious crime, particularly outside Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien, and that kidnapping is widespread. Canada advises against all travel as well.
What happens when your ship docks at Labadee
Labadee has one berth, a deep-water pier, and no tender: the ship moors alongside and you walk off down the gangway into the resort.
You’re then inside a fenced, guest-only property with its own security, leased and run by Royal Caribbean. Passengers can’t leave the boundary, so Cap-Haïtien, six miles away, and Citadelle Laferrière aren’t part of a Labadee day, however close they look.
A complimentary tram circles the resort, which matters because the distances are longer than they look: Columbus Cove is about a 15-minute walk from the pier. Beach chairs and hammocks are free and first come, first served. Bring your SeaPass card, which covers Royal Caribbean purchases ashore and works with the drinks package at the bars.
Labadee’s five beaches and which one suits you
Royal Caribbean counts five beaches on the peninsula, and they’re not interchangeable. One is the shortest walk from the gangway, one is the rockiest underfoot, one is the quietest and sandiest, and one is closed to anyone without a suite or a cabana.
| Beach | What it is | Pick it for |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon’s Beach | Closest to the ship, running under the zip line | The shortest walk off the gangway |
| Nellie’s Beach | Overwater, waterfront and beach cabanas, each with an attendant | Booking a cabana for the day |
| Adrenaline Beach | Ocean side, the rockiest of the five, little natural shade, floating bar offshore | The coaster, the sports courts and the floating bar |
| Columbus Cove | Calm water, sandy entry, waterslide and Arawak Aqua Park, farthest from the pier | Families and easy swimming |
| Barefoot Beach Club | Pinnacle Club members, top-tier suite guests and cabana buyers; upgraded BBQ lunch and floating mats | Suite and top-tier guests |
Adrenaline Beach is the one to think about before you commit. It faces the open ocean, it’s the rockiest of the five, and there are sea urchins in the shallows. Shade is scarce, which is why clamshells and cabanas go early.
Columbus Cove is the opposite: the sandiest way into the water, the calmest, and the longest walk. Nellie’s and Barefoot also have rocks, coral and shells underfoot, so the water-shoe rule applies to three of the five beaches, not one.
Where to eat near Labadee cruise port
All the food at Labadee comes from Royal Caribbean, is included in your fare and is served only to cruise guests. The complimentary beachside buffets are at Dragon’s Café, Labadee Café and Columbus Café, spread out so you eat near the beach you settled on rather than trekking to a central canteen.
- Labadoozie – the signature frozen cocktail, blended from orange, pineapple and papaya juice with coconut cream, dark rum, coconut rum and grenadine, and made without alcohol if you ask. The classic version comes from the Floating Bar off Adrenaline Beach, but the bars around the resort all pour it.
- Beachside buffet lunch – burgers, barbecue and salads at Dragon’s Café, Labadee Café and Columbus Café. No booking, no charge.
- Barefoot Beach Club barbecue – an upgraded lunch that comes with the club, for Pinnacle Club members, top-tier suite guests and cabana buyers.
Your drinks package works ashore at the bars, and the SeaPass card covers everything Royal Caribbean sells.
Things to do at Labadee beyond the beach
Labadee is built as a beach day, and the headline draws are all on the water or above it. Royal Caribbean lists five beaches, 23 excursions, four places to eat, five bars and 38 cabanas across the peninsula.
Before you sail
- Book the Dragon's Breath zip line or a cabana before you sail, as both sell out
- Check your booking confirmation, as all Labadee calls are currently cancelled
- Bring your SeaPass card for purchases and the drinks package ashore
Short port day: under 6 hours
- On dockingWalk off onto Dragon's BeachWalk-off pierNo tender or shuttle here. You step off the gangway straight onto the resort's closest beach.
- +30 minDragon's Breath Flight LineBook aheadThe half-mile overwater zip line sells out, so a pre-booked slot or the onboard excursions desk is the only way in.
- +1 hr 30 minTram to Nellie's BeachA short tram ride to the cabana beach; free chairs and hammocks are first come, first served if no cabana is booked.
- +2 hrs 30 minBeachside buffet lunchIncluded in fareBurgers, barbecue and salads at the nearest beach café, no booking or extra charge needed.
- +3 hrs 30 minTown Square Artisan's MarketBring SeaPassBrowse crafts from local vendors; it's the one part of the resort that's theirs rather than the cruise line's.
- All-aboard minus 1 hrBack at the pierTake the tram back and walk up the gangway; there's no transfer to time your return around.
The time on the map is the whole walk, every stop added together.
Open this walking route in Google Maps
If plans change: If cabanas or the zip line are sold out, free beach chairs and hammocks are available first come, first served.
Long port day: 8 hours or more
- On dockingWalk off onto Dragon's BeachWalk-off pierNo tender here. You step off the gangway straight onto the resort's closest beach, under the zip line.
- +30 minDragon's Breath Flight LineBook aheadThe half-mile overwater zip line sells out, so book before sailing or ask the shore excursions desk early.
- +1 hr 30 minTram to Columbus CoveAbout a 15 minute walk or a short tram ride to the sandiest, calmest beach, with the Arawak Aqua Park.
- +3 hrsBarbecue buffet lunchIncluded in fareA free buffet of burgers, barbecue and salads at the beachside café by Columbus Cove.
- +4 hrsTram to Adrenaline BeachWater shoesThe rockiest beach, with the Dragon's Tail Coaster, sports courts and the floating Labadoozie bar offshore.
- +5 hrs 30 minTown Square Artisan's MarketBring SeaPassBrowse crafts from local vendors on the walk back towards the pier.
- All-aboard minus 1 hrBack at the pierTake the tram the rest of the way and walk up the gangway in good time.
The time on the map is the whole walk, every stop added together.
Open this walking route in Google Maps
If plans change: If the zip line is fully booked, ask the shore excursions desk on board for released slots or add more time at Columbus Cove.
- Dragon’s Breath Flight Line – a half-mile overwater zip line, the biggest thrill on the property, with a superman-style flight on offer and views over Haiti’s north coast.
- Dragon’s Tail Alpine Coaster – runs down the mountainside from Adrenaline Beach and is the most photogenic ride there.
- Dragon’s Splash Waterslide and Arawak Aqua Park – a 300 ft slide and the water park, both at Columbus Cove.
- Buccaneer’s Bay – the base for boat trips, with Wave Jets, parasailing and speedboats.
- Sports at Adrenaline Beach – basketball, pickleball and bocce ball, with the floating bar offshore.
Cabanas and the zip line are sold as shore excursions, and the cabanas sell out. The work-around is to book before you sail, or to ask at the shore excursions desk as soon as you’re on board, because the desk can only sell what’s left.
The Town Square and Artisan’s Market is where local vendors sell crafts, and it’s the one part of the peninsula that’s theirs rather than the line’s. Bring small cash for it, since your SeaPass card only works for purchases the cruise line runs.
What to wear in Labadee: outfit ideas for a port day
Water shoes are the one thing that changes the day. Adrenaline, Nellie’s and Barefoot all have rocks, coral, shells and sea urchins underfoot, and only Columbus Cove has a properly sandy entry, so surf shoes or closed water sandals get you into the sea without picking your way. Pack them rather than hoping to sort something out on the beach.
Wear shoes on land too. The sand and the walkways get very hot, and the tram stops and the paths between beaches are a proper walk in the middle of the day.
Adrenaline Beach has almost no natural shade, so a hat and a cover-up earn their place, or book a clamshell or cabana if you plan to sit for hours. It’s a beach day inside a resort and there’s no dress code to meet, so swimwear plus a cover-up for the buffet and the market is enough. For more inspiration, see these Caribbean cruise outfit ideas.
Best photo spots in Labadee
Columbus Cove gives the best of it: a calm, lagoon-like bay with the beach-to-mountain backdrop Royal Caribbean uses in its own pictures. The overwater cabanas at Nellie’s Beach are the second, and the swings and platforms over the sea at Adrenaline Beach are the third.
For height, ride the Dragon’s Breath Flight Line, which shows you the whole north coast and the beaches from above, or the Dragon’s Tail Coaster on the mountainside, which is the most photogenic ride on the peninsula. The light changes through the day, so pick your moment when you’re there.
If you want the beach-by-beach plan on your phone, save this port day plan to Pinterest.
Labadee cruise port FAQs
Does Royal Caribbean still go to Labadee?
No: every call is cancelled and the line has extended the pause again, revising 44 itineraries on nine ships. Celebrity Cruises, part of the same group, has cancelled its Labadee visits as well.
How big a ship can dock at Labadee?
The single pier is about 1,300 ft long with 30 to 45 ft of water alongside, which is why Oasis-class ships and the rest of the biggest Royal Caribbean vessels can moor there rather than tendering passengers in.
When will Labadee reopen?
Royal Caribbean hasn’t set a reopening date. It says it will return once it’s confident Labadee is safe for guests and crew.
Is Labadee leased long-term by Royal Caribbean?
Yes, the resort is leased and run by Royal Caribbean on a long-term lease, which is why the property is maintained and staffed even while the ships stay away.
What is the nearest airport to Labadee?
Cap-Haïtien International is the closest, about six miles from the peninsula. Cruise passengers don’t use it for a Labadee call, because everyone arrives and leaves by ship.
Is Labadee the only cruise port in Haiti?
It’s the one most passengers know, but Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, sits on the southern side of the country, and the Castaway at Malfini catamaran trip is the beach day from that coast.
Last Updated: 2 November 2026