Zip Line + Beach Day in Labadee, Haiti

Cruise on Celebrity or Royal Caribbean just to visit the private area of Haiti called Labadee. This was bunny's view from the zip line.

 Before my embarking on my Celebrity cruise with my good friend Bunny in February 2016, people would look at me in a perplexed way when I told them one of our ports of call was Haiti. Haiti excited me. I was in a production of "Once On This Island" in high school that was set in Haiti and I have been curious about the island since. 

On the ship, our day in Haiti didn't start smoothly. Bunny and I were signed up for a parasailing excursion at 11 a.m. and we headed down to the gangway to meet our group on time. 

The weather was quite windy and the water was choppy, so our captain decided to dock the boat on the other side of the pier. This delayed our departure from the boat for one full hour. After sitting on the floor of a common area waiting, and one scary reminder from the captain about the Zika virus and bug repellent, (I was well coated) we finally got off the boat. 

Despite the windy weather, it was 80 degrees and sunny. It was the best weather we had the whole trip. And thankfully because the windy weather, parasailing was canceled. Bunny hopped into the group braving the world’s largest zip line over the ocean and I found a nice spot on the windy beach to watch her and relax. 

On this special part of the island owned by Royal Caribbean and named Labadee, we were the only ship in port. This place was clean, had no trash and had restrooms and bars. At the bars, we could use our sea pass to get a drink, so there was no extra charge with our beverage package.

I watched Bunny fly through the air on the zip line, called Dragon’s Breath Adrenaline, and she greeted me happy and flushed from the adrenaline. She said the cost ($100) was worth the view alone.

Don't hang out at the first beach you come across in Labadee. Take the tram to Nellie's Beach, a calm cove protected from the wind with great swimming.

Seeking a break from the wind, we hopped on a tram to Nellie’s Beach. This cove with its white sand, aquamarine waters, gentle breezes and beach bungalows was the most beautiful place on this earth that I have ever been to. When you picture a tropical vacation, this is it. Bunny and I settled into lounge chairs and grabbed drinks from the nearby bar. 

It was so hot that day, in the 80s, I spent most of the time in the water or sitting in the sand at the water’s edge letting it wash over me. 

We had to get on the boat at 4:30 p.m., and I didn't want to. I didn't want to leave this beautiful place. Bunny wanted to do some shopping, so we walked to the shopping area where she bought a mahogany salad bowl with servers. 

We got back on the boat and grabbed a snack (we missed lunch on the island) and from Deck 14 looked at everything this part of the island had to offer: water playgrounds for kids, the zip line, kayak and paddle board rentals and beautiful beaches to walk. It's all private just for the ship passengers. Labadee is amazing for couples and families. The tram is really convenient, especially for those with mobility issues.

Verdict: I would go back to Haiti in a heartbeat because of the breathtaking green mountainous terrain and lovely tropical beaches. It feels totally surreal. Zika virus or not, book with Royal Caribbean or Celebrity just to experience Labadee. 

Bunny and I decided we were never leaving, but the Everglades and Miami Beach were up next, so we begrudgingly got back on the ship.