On the Dock at Labadee

So, you're wondering... has Cruise Diva lost her mind? There's no dock at Royal Caribbean's private island Labadee! Stick with me. This story is satisfying, but not long.

Most passengers don’t select an itinerary based solely upon whether their chosen ship calls at a private island, established to provide a beach break on an island (or part of one) reserved for their exclusive use, but usually consider the stop a highlight of their cruise vacation. With the exception of Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay, where a dock was built to greet passengers from day one, all other private island destinations are reached by shore tender.

While researching updates for the 2009 edition of Fodor's Caribbean Ports of Call, I came across an article on on the Haiti Innovation web site that discusses a deal between Royal Caribbean and the Haitian Government to significantly expand the cruise line's operations in Haiti--including the building of docking facilities. What's Haiti Innovation? They describe their organization as "a non profit and non-political consultancy committed to Haiti. Created by former Peace Corps Volunteers, the Haiti Innovation team offers both technical expertise and in depth knowledge of the developmental and humanitarian challenges facing Haiti."

After making inquiries at Royal Caribbean, I was told, "We are indeed building a dock at Labadee. It is estimated to be completed in September 2009."

That's great news for passengers, especially those with mobility issues and the thousands of passengers arriving on large ships where the waiting period to tender ashore can be drawn out. And, remember--you heard it confirmed here first.

For more private island information, see Your Caribbean Place In The Sun at CruiseDiva.com.