Labadee

Quality 0.50 · 2 views · Updated 2 months ago

title: "Labadee" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["bays-of-haiti", "populated-places-in-nord-(haitian-department)", "royal-caribbean-international"] topic_path: "general/bays-of-haiti" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labadee" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
official_nameLabadie
other_nameLabadee
native_name
settlement_typeVillage
image_skylineFile:Labadee, Haiti II.jpg
imagesize250px
dot_x
pushpin_mapHaiti
pushpin_label_positiontop
pushpin_map_captionThe nation of Haiti, showing Labadie
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameHaiti
subdivision_type1Department
subdivision_name1Nord
subdivision_type2Arrondissement
subdivision_name2Cap-Haïtien
leader_title1
established_title
established_title2
established_title3
unit_pref
timezoneEST
utc_offset-05:00
timezone_DSTEDT
utc_offset_DST-04:00
coordinates
elevation_footnotestags --
postal_code_type
::

|official_name = Labadie |other_name = Labadee |native_name =
|nickname = |settlement_type = Village |motto = |image_skyline = File:Labadee, Haiti II.jpg |imagesize = 250px |image_caption = |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |city_logo = |citylogo_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = |image_map1 = |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 = |image_dot_map = |dot_mapsize = |dot_map_caption = |dot_x = |dot_y = |pushpin_map = Haiti |pushpin_label_position = top |pushpin_map_caption = The nation of Haiti, showing Labadie |pushpin_mapsize = |subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Haiti | subdivision_type1 = Department | subdivision_name1 = Nord |subdivision_type2 = Arrondissement |subdivision_name2 = Cap-Haïtien |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 = |subdivision_type4 = |subdivision_name4 = |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |leader_title1 =
|leader_name1 = |leader_title2 = |leader_name2 = |leader_title3 = |leader_name3 = |leader_title4 = |leader_name4 = |established_title =
|established_date = |established_title2 =
|established_date2 = |established_title3 =
|established_date3 = |area_magnitude = |unit_pref = |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 = |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |population_as_of = |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_urban = |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_density_urban_sq_mi = |population_blank1_title = |population_blank1 = |population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_density_blank1_sq_mi = | timezone = EST | utc_offset = -05:00 | timezone_DST = EDT | utc_offset_DST = -04:00 |coordinates = |elevation_footnotes = tags -- |elevation_m = |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type =
|postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes = ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Labadee,_Haiti_I.jpg" caption="Beach in Labadee, Haiti"] ::

Labadee () is a private resort located on the northern coast of Haiti within the arrondissement of Cap-Haïtien in the Nord department. In 1985 the government of Haiti under the leadership of the dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier leased the area to Royal Caribbean Group, for the exclusive use of passengers of its three cruise lines: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara Club Cruises. The lease was later extended to 2050. The resort is completely tourist-oriented and is guarded by a private security force. The site is doubly fenced off from the surrounding area; passengers cannot leave the property and locals cannot enter. Food available to tourists is brought from the cruise ships. A controlled group of Haitian merchants are given sole rights to sell merchandise and establish their businesses in the resort. Although sometimes described as an island in advertisements, it is actually a peninsula contiguous with the island of Hispaniola. The cruise ship moors to the pier at Labadee are capable of servicing the Oasis class ships, which was completed in late 2009. The commercial airport that is closest to Labadee is Cap-Haïtien International Airport.

Attractions include a Haitian flea market, beaches, watersports, a water-oriented playground, an alpine coaster, and the largest zip-line over water.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011900555.html |title=Labadee |newspaper=The Washington Post |accessdate=2007-08-02 | date=2007-01-21

Etymology

The location is named after Marquis de La Badie, a Frenchman who first settled the area in the 17th century. The peninsula and a village were named Labadie. The cruise company spells the name "Labadee" to make it easier for American English-speakers to pronounce.

History

In the 18th century, the bay was known as Port François, with the peninsula (Point Labadie) known as Point de Port François. It was not to be confused with Cap Français, then the name of todays Cap-Haitien, on the other side of the Labadie Forest.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Cruise_ship_Labadee_Haïti.jpg" caption="''Freedom of the Seas'']] moored in Labadee"] ::

Labadee is a 260-acre private resort that was leased to Royal Caribbean Cruises in 1986. In the 1990s, it was variously reported that many cruise ship guests who disembarked at the location were unaware that they were in Haiti - at least in part because the cruise company seemed to have a policy of referring only to Hispaniola, not that they were in Haiti. The area's separation from the rest of Haiti has also been criticized as presenting an "island fantasy" excluding Haitians and their culture with little benefit in return, despite the visitor fee that the Haitian government receives.

In November 2001, a crew member from the cruise line Royal Caribbean was attacked on Labadee in an apparent robbery. The assailants were arrested by Haitian police.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Beach_in_Labadee_(Jan_2019).jpg" caption="Beach in Labadee (Jan 2019)" alt="Beach in Labadee (Jan 2019)"] ::

In February 2004, during the 2004 Haitian coup d'état, Royal Caribbean temporarily suspended use of the stop due to the political unrest in the country.

In 2009, Royal Caribbean made US$55 million in improvements to the facilities, including upgrading port facilities to allow the docking of their largest cruise ships.

In January 2010, just after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Royal Caribbean announced its intention to continue cruise stopovers at the port and use cruise ships to ferry relief supplies and personnel. In addition, it would donate US$1 million to fund relief efforts in Haiti.

In January 2016, Haitians in boats protesting against the Haitian government blocked the port. Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas cancelled their port stop on January 19 as a result.

On March 14, 2024, Royal Caribbean suspended cruise calls to Labadee due to widespread gang violence and political upheaval in Haiti. The company resumed port calls in October.

In September 2025, Royal Caribbean suspended cruise calls to Labadee indefinitely due to widespread violence and travel advisories in Haiti.

References

References

  1. . (12 February 2009). ["Haiti:The island and the outside world"](https://www.economist.com/news/2009/02/12/the-island-and-the-outside-world). *[[The Economist]]*.
  2. "Labadee". www.expedia.com.
  3. [https://books.google.com/books?id=gjADAAAAMBAJ&dq=labadee&pg=PA22 Cruise Travel], Google Books.
  4. Birch, Gillian. (2021-03-26). "Labadee, Haiti: What You Need to Know".
  5. (25 January 2006). "Could this paradise really be poor, desperate Haiti?". Christian Science Monitor.
  6. [https://books.google.com/books?id=9TctWjHHOeEC&dq=labadee&pg=PA238 AIDS and Accusation: Haiti and the Geography of Blame, Updated with a New ... - Paul Farmer - Google Books.]
  7. [[Polly Pattullo]], [https://books.google.com/books?id=yBUk0w-kXs0C&dq=labadee&pg=PA164 ''Last Resorts: The Cost of Tourism in the Caribbean'']. Google Books.
  8. (22 January 2020). "Front and Back Stage of Tourism Performance: Imaginaries and Bucket List Venues". Routledge.
  9. (1 September 2016). "The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Travel and Tourism". SAGE Publications.
  10. [http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=403 RCI Crew Member Attacked in Labadee]
  11. (May 2023). "CRUISES / Sittin' on the dock of the Gulf". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  12. Robert Booth. (2010-01-17). "Cruise ships still find a Haitian berth". The Guardian.
  13. Golden, Fran. (January 20, 2016). "Cruise ship turns away from Haiti amid protests". [[USA Today]].
  14. (14 March 2024). "Royal Caribbean suspends cruise visits to Haiti's Labadee amid gang violence". Reuters.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

bays-of-haitipopulated-places-in-nord-(haitian-department)royal-caribbean-international