Have you ever wanted to experience the most perfect day? Does it involve sun, sand, or a drink in your hand? Did you know Royal Caribbean can help you make that happen? Come experience the most perfect day at Coco Cay!

CocoCay is Royal Caribbean’s private island located in the Bahamas. It is a private destination exclusive for Royal Caribbean guests. The island recently went under a major renovation and now, there is something for everyone on this little island of paradise! Perfect Day at CocoCay is now included on most itineraries when sailing with Royal Caribbean on both Bahamas and Caribbean cruise destinations. This destination takes adventure to an entirely new level, and I’m so happy I finally got to experience Perfect Day at CocoCay!

When docking at CocoCay, your ship time will vary depending on your sailing, but we arrived at 8 AM and were due back on the ship at 5 PM. I knew I wanted to get a head start on the day, so as soon as we were cleared to get off the boat, we did. By 8:30 AM, we had our beach chair and umbrella picked out on South Beach and I definitely suggest doing this! Yes, it was super early, but it was totally worth it! By 10 AM, most of the beach chairs were accounted for. We had a front-row spot on the beach, got to enjoy the Swim-Up Tiki bar all to ourselves, as well as get some great photos without anyone in them. I highly recommend waking up early, getting a good spot, and enjoying the island while it’s still quiet! You can nap on your beach chair under the umbrella later in the day! 😉

Beaches:

Chill Island: This beach includes cabanas, beautiful clear water, and FUN. Since this beach is closest to the ships and one of the biggest, this is going to be the most crowded.

Breezy Bay at Chill Island: This beach has day beds that you can rent for a fee. This is attached to the Chill Island beach, so it is still pretty crowded in this location, but because they only offer a limited number of day beds, it is slightly less busy.

Harbor Beach: This beach is much smaller because it surrounds Harbor Lagoon. The water is generally calm at all beaches, but especially this one because it is in a lagoon. You also get great views of the ships as well as the zipline!

South Beach: This was where we went! It’s a bit further from the rest of the beaches (don’t let that fool you- it will get busy during the day!) This beach also has a sports court as well as cabanas nearby that you can also rent for a fee

Attractions:

Thrill Waterpark: Admission to the waterpark includes all slides and pools in the park. You can enjoy a 135-foot waterslide, swim in the largest wave pool in the Caribbean, or enjoy the Daredevil’s Tower waterslides as well as the Splash summit waterslides! Children under 14 must be accompanied by a ticketed guests age 14 or older to enter Thrill Water Park All guests 4 years of age and older must pay for entrance to Thrill waterpark. Thrill Water Park will be the busiest midday, so plan to get there before 10 AM to beat the lines. Keep in mind there are height requirements for some of these rides, so be sure to check them.

Captain Jill’s Galleon: Found at the entrance to Perfect Day at CocoCay, this is a pirate ship full of water cannons and more for the littles to enjoy.

Splashaway Bar: This is a complimentary water park with waterslides, fountains, pools, and drench buckets also available for littles to enjoy.

Zip Line Takeoff: Zipline over the island and take in the sights in a fun and different way. I did feel like this was a bit overpriced for the quality and length of the zipline. We did the Labadee zipline on a previous Royal Caribbean cruise, so I couldn’t stomach spending more than $100 a person for this smaller zipline course. If you’re looking for something different, this is a great alternative!

Up, Up, and Away! This is a 10-minute helium balloon experience that can take up to 30 guests up to 450 feet in the sky with the highest vantage point available in the Bahamas. We had purchased this shore excursion to do first thing in the morning, but because of the high winds that day, we weren’t able to do it. I was super bummed but knew that these types of balloons (there is one very similar at Disney Springs) can’t sustain high winds. It was no problem to get a refund for the balloon, but it was a disappointment because it was something that was more on the cheaper end that was new and made for a fun and different experience. If you book this excursion, just know that it really depends on the wind speeds. Being in the Caribbean, the winds tend to be heavier anyhow, so just keep that in mind when you book.

Dining:

I was really impressed with the quality and the number of options available on the island during the day. In the past, CocoCay had 1 food option and it was served buffet style with TONS of flies flying all over the place (YUCK). I’m not a fan of buffets, so we would never eat on the island when we visited and would go back to the ship. Now, I’m happy to say that there were made to order grill options which made it so great to be able to eat lunch and not have to deal with tons of people and buffets.

Chill Grill: Complimentary beachside BBQ, fresh salads, and more along with self-serve beer (for an additional cost)

Skipper’s Grill: Complimentary BBQ, fresh salads, tacos, and self-serve beer (for an additional cost) along with Harbor Views found on Harbor Beach.

Snack Shack: This is where we ate! There are 3 locations that serve burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, funnel cakes (YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT), French fries, mozzarella sticks, and more! I loved that the food came hot off the grill/fryer, so knowing it was fresh was great too. Snack Shack is located at Thrill Waterpark, Oasis Lagoon, and South Beach (This is the location where we ate!)

Pools:

The Oasis Lagoon is the Caribbean’s largest freshwater pool that offers different coves, 3 swim-up islands with in-water seating, a swim-up bar and music underwater!

 

Bars: Of course you’ll have no problem finding any bar options located all over the island!

Captain Jacks: Full-service bar, live music, water views, as well as food available!

Oasis Lagoon Bar: A Swim-up bar with 23 in-water seats, where you can enjoy cocktails, beer, and the very delicious Coco Loco (CocoCay’s signature drink!)

Wacky Seagull Bar: Serves cocktails, beer, and other drinks

South Beach Floating Bar: Definitely a must-visit! It’s worth enduring the cold water (since it’s only for a couple of seconds!) Enjoy this floating bar on South Beach. They serve cocktails, beer, and other beverages. It does get much more crowded later in the day, so get there early to enjoy the peacefulness of it all!

South Beach Bar: Full-service bar serving cocktails, beer, and other beverages. I told Dan I wanted a bar this size in my backyard because it was awesome 😉

Coconut Willie’s Bar: Close to the sports courts on South Beach, you can find cocktails, beer, and other beverages here as well.

Activities & Rentals:

Shore Excursions can be booked and rented on the island. It’s better to book in advance, but if there is something you want to do last minute like a jet ski tour, this is the place to be able to do that!

Kayak Tours

Snorkel Shack: Find all of your snorkel equipment that you’ll need to rent

Diver’s Den: Offers scuba tours and programs

Beach Rentals: Rent a floating mat or cabana

Beach Games: Volleyball court, cornhole, table tennis

Sports Court: Hard and sand courts for basketball, volleyball, cornhole

Sports Pavilion: Rent Floating mats and lockers here as well as exchange your towels from the ship!

Shopping:

Shopping is limited on the island. However, if you must partake, there are a couple of options to choose from.

CocoCay Shop: Find CocoCay souvenirs and beach day necessities here

CocoCay Island Market: Shop from the Bahamian markets and use your SeaPass card or cash to buy

Hair Braiders: Have your hair braided by a local!

Coco Beach Club:

This is all about luxury. Don’t be fooled- that luxury comes with a price! Lounge in the oceanfront infinity pool, enjoy upscale dining and enjoy the first floating cabanas in the Bahamas. (Think Bora Bora, but not as fancy). Enjoy the BAR, which is exclusive to Coco Beach Club that offers cocktails, beer, and other beverages. The restaurant at the beach club features upscale dining and is complimentary when you purchase entry into Coco Beach Club. Just know this comes for a HEFTY PRICE TAG. For such a short amount of time on the island, I have a hard time believing it would be worth it unless you have just come ready to spend all the money. 😊

Transportation:

There is a Tram Service that runs every 15 minutes from Thrill Waterpark, South Beach, Coco Beach Club, and Oasis Lagoon. This will get you around the island in a short amount of time. The entire island is walkable, but this just makes it easy to get around. The main tram route can be found on the CocoCay map.

What to Bring to CocoCay:

SeaPass Card: This will allow you ship access when coming and going from the ship, straw market purchases, and bar purchases if you don’t have the Unlimited Beverage package.

Perfect Day Map: You can find the map through the Royal Caribbean App

Beach Towels: You can ONLY exchange beach towels onshore if they get wet. Otherwise, you need to bring your towel from the ship and make sure you return it back to the ship so that way you don’t get charged for a missing towel.

Towel Clips: You can purchase these off Amazon or from Bed Bath and Beyond. They are super cheap, lightweight, and take up barely any room in your beach bag. It’s super windy on the beach and keeps your towel in place making it much more comfortable and easy for your towel to stay in place.

Sunscreen: The island sun is strong, so make sure you bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat!

Closed Toed Shoes: If you plan to zip line, these are a requirement!

Cash: If you plan to shop at the island market for local gifts and items, you will need cash, otherwise it is not required!

To be honest, the main reason we booked this cruise was to check out Perfect Day at CocoCay. (Yes, we also celebrated our wedding anniversary) but I had been wanting to see the transformation ever since it was revealed. I think this is a great island and Royal Caribbean did a wonderful job creating an experience that is great for everyone. Yes, the perfect day could be impacted due to weather conditions, but if you are lucky to have a sunny day, it will be perfect! Remember, the Caribbean can change at the drop of a hat, so it could be cloudy and stormy one minute and sunny the next. When planning to visit during the summer, remember afternoon thunderstorms are pretty common, so start your day early that way you can get enjoy the island as long as possible! I’m already dreaming of going back and planning a trip to CocoCay, and know everyone else would enjoy this island as well! It really is the Perfectday at CocoCay!

Love and Travel Dust,

Molly