Cruise lines’ private Caribbean islands create exotic idyllic settings of beautiful beaches, swaying palm trees and gentle trade winds. These private Caribbean islands extend a cruise experience and may be included in your itinerary: Labadee, Castaway Cay, CocoCay, Half Moon Bay, Catalina Island and Princess Cay.
Labadee, Royal Caribbean International Cruise Lines’ private Caribbean island
Royal Caribbean International’s private Caribbean island, Labadee, on the north coast of Haiti offers travelers fun and sun on several beaches with a holiday picnic atmosphere. Ride the 2,800-foot-long Dragon’s Breath Flight Line, the world’s longest zip-line, over the water. For guests not interested in zip-lining, you can watch others for free. On this cruise lines’ private Caribbean island, there are five walking paths leading to a local artisan’s market, a roller coaster thrill ride, Haitian Cultural Museum and aqua park with slides and see saws for children Guests enjoy the beach with complimentary beach chairs and lunch on the cruise lines’ private island. Some enjoy floating in the sea on a mat. Dragon’s Beach rock is a short walk from the beach, rewarding you with views of the waves pressing through the hole in the rocks.
Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Lines’ private Caribbean island
Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Line’s private Caribbean island, is a 1,000-acre tropical setting on Abacos, the Bahamas. It has family, adults-only, and teen beaches. Spring-a-Leak, a family splash park, and Scuttle’s Cove are two fun water activities for kids on this cruise lines’ private island. Pelican Plunge, a floating platform, with water cannons and two large slides, is within swimming distance of shore. Guests may choose to swim with stingrays or look for sunken treasure.
Castaway has two buffet-style restaurants and a castaway-themed beach bar with nautical rope, muted pastels and tattered sail cloths. Guests’ postcards mailed from Castaway Cay post office are postmarked, “Castaway Cay.” You might see Captain Hook, Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters walking around.
With their own private beach, private mini-Bahamian house cabanas are available for rent on the cruise lines’ private island. Each is complete with an outdoor shower, sun deck and views across the bay. It has a dining area, plush lounge chairs, lockable storage and fridge inside.
Castaway Cay has received good marks from guests for its barbecue food, beaches and biking through the woods. Some guests even wished for more time on Castaway Cay. On the way back to the ship, crew members were giving out ice-cold face cloths to wipe your face and neck.
CocoCay, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ private Caribbean island
Royal Caribbean International’s uninhabited private Caribbean island, CocoCay, is located on a 138-acre island in the Bahamas’ Berry Islands. Guests have several activities to choose from: sun bathing on the beach, floating on mats, playing volleyball and entering limbo contests. Or, lounging in a hammock or lounge chair are possibilities on the cruise lines private island. You can snorkel with the possibility of seeing stingrays, barracudas and many different kinds of colorful fish. Very large friendly iguanas run wild.
Half Moon Bay, Holland America Line’s private Caribbean island
Port Hole Magazine’s rates Half Moon Bay in the Bahamas on Little San Salvador Island as the “Best Private Island.” Half Moon Bay is Holland America Line’s private Caribbean island and lies 100 miles southeast of Nassau, between southern Eleuthera and Cat Island. Carnival Cruise Lines also uses Half Moon Bay.
If you wish to renew wedding vows, Half Moon Bay is a picturesque cruise lines’ private island retreat with its seaside chapel. Half Moon Bay is considered an international bird sanctuary. The crescent shaped one-mile beach fronts a protected bay where guests snorkel, swim, sail and enjoy a beachside massage. Kids enjoy climbing on two large pirate ships. A three-mile nature trail starts and loops back to the marina going past a lagoon, a stingray park and horse corral. Getting from the ship, guests are tendered. Being tendered means the ship anchors out in the ocean, since there is no dock, and small boats or tenders bring guests in to Half Moon Bay.
Costa Cruises and P&O; Cruises use Catalina Island, just off the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic, as a private beach resort. It is not a private Caribbean island owned by Costa Cruises or P&O; Cruises; but Costa has an arrangement with the Dominican Republic. Catalina Island, a reserve, offers snorkeling and private beach amenities such as umbrellas and sun beds. Guests are tendered in to Catalina Island, while the cruise ship sits at anchor. Guests grab a beach lounge chair and prepare for a day in the sun. Buffet food is served, but without long lines. Beachside massages are available on this private Caribbean island.
Princess Cay, Princess Cruises’ private Caribbean island
Princess Cruises’ Princess Cay, a cruise lines’ private Caribbean island in the Bahamas, is located on the southern part of Eleuthera Island. It is two miles wide and 100 miles long. Costa Cruises and Regent Seven Seas also visit Princess Cay. Guests are tendered in. Water sports including sailboats are available for rental along with aqua bikes and clear-hull kayaks for exploring the beautiful waters. Princess Cay, a cruise lines’ private island, also has a small swimming pool, as well as a children’s playground area. Guests are pleasantly impressed with Princess Cay’s beautiful beaches and turquoise waters; and say, “it is an island not to be missed.”
