How Big Is Cococay
The island is less than a mile wide from west to east and less than 200 metres from north to south. In terms of walking distance, from the ship to the Arrivals Plaza is a six-minute walk. From here to the waterpark is three minutes and to the Chill Island area is five to ten minutes.
Aerial View of CocoCay
Is Food Included On Royal Caribbean Cruises
Royal Caribbean cruises include meals and snacks in a choice of dining venues. For something special, you can pay an extra fee to dine in one of the many speciality dining venues onboard.
On each ship, you can eat for free in the Main Dining Room, the Windjammer and at least two more free dining venues.
The Thrill Waterpark Is Insane
You guys. You guys. You guys. I cannot reiterate this enough. The Royal Caribbean Cococay Island is what it is because of these water slides. They are batty massive incredible! My son was in his glory. I found Jesus somewhere between the purple and the green one. I didnt dare go on the red. I was too scared!
But you totally should! I mean you MUST! Dont be like me. Dont live a life of fear! Be bold. Be fearless. Live your life to the fullest. I wake up in cold sweats at night in full regret that I didnt do the red slide. WAH!
At the heart of the Royal Carribean CocoCay Island is Thrill Waterpark. Its why you woke up that morning. Trust me. This section was built for people looking for some thrills and BOY do they deliver.
With two brag-worthy towers housing 13 waterslides as well as the Caribbeans largest wave pool and the Adventure Pool with a family-friendly obstacle course, trust me when I say you are going to have fun.
Guests can push their limits on Daredevils Tower by enjoying seven exhilarating single-rider waterslides of various heights, including the 135-foot-tall Daredevils Peak the tallest waterslide in North America. As if that wouldnt be enough, there are also twin Dueling Demons drop slides, launching riders from a vertical position the Manta Raycers, where friends can race down twin open flume slides the high-speed, fully vertical Screeching Serpent and the coiling Green Mamba, a massive aqua tube slide.
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Coco Beach Club Overview
Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas, CocoCay, has beaches, pools, and dining options for everyone to enjoy, but the cruise line decided to add an exclusive, brag-worthy spot for those that like that sort of thing.
The island is designed to handle 9,000 – 12,000 guests, but the CBC has a capacity of just a few hundred people. The idea is to have a place where the number of people are limited, and the offerings included are enhanced.
Here is what admission to the Coco Beach Club includes:
- Light breakfast
- Higher quality pool towels
In addition to a day pass, there are two types of cabanas you can rent, which include admission into the CBC. The Coco Beach Club cabanas are larger than the cabanas outside of the Coco Beach Club, and come with unlimited bottled water, a dining area, four lounge chairs, a sectional sofa, a fridge, a ceiling fan, lockable storage, and a charging outlet.
The standard beach cabanas are located along the beach and accommodate up to eight guests, plus attendant service.
Floating Cabanas are the largest cabanas offered by Royal Caribbean, and even have a a two-person overwater hammock, a slide that plunges right into the ocean, and your own wet bar.
Yes, kids of all ages are allowed into the Coco Beach Club.
Top Food And Drink Spots Near The Cococay Cruise Port
Complimentary food is included in your cruise pass during your cruise to CocoCay island, but other than that, there arent any independent restaurants on CocoCay. Bahama Jacks and Blackbirds are the two buffet style joints on the island, serving barbeque, hot dogs, and other beach day foods. The lunch buffet is only open for a short period from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, so arrive early to beat the rush.
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Where To Eat At Royal Caribbean Cococay
CocoCay is an extension of the cruise experience. The food is complimentary and available all over the island. Youll find soft-serve ice-cream and chocolate chip cookies, places to refill water bottles, and waiters at the pools and on the beach to take drink orders . For lunch, head to the aforementioned Chill Grill or Skippers Grill for sandwiches, tacos, hamburgers, salads, and fruit. Captain Jacks is good for drinks and bar food.
Definitely look for the funnel cake kiosk, a snack that will make your kids face light up. Snack Shack on South Beach serves funnel cake, too. Be sure to give your kids a heads up that the day is ending so they can complete their activity. There is no question that you will all want to come back for another perfect day at CocoCay.
If you choose to dine at Captain Jacks youll pay additional fees for their ala carte menu.
Disclosure: Our writer was invited on a media trip by Royal Caribbean to cover CocoCay to facilitate this article. However, as always her opinions are always entirely her own.
Tips For The Perfect Family Day At Royal Caribbean Cococay
Looking for the perfect family getaway? Consider taking a Royal Caribbean cruise to their new, $250 million private island known as Perfect Day at CocoCay. Experiences at private islands in the Bahamas have become popular cruise activities these days and the Royal Caribbean International cruise line decided to get in the game in a very big way. A tropical utopia for kids, Royal Caribbean CocoCay has a lot to offer, whether your family is adventurous or just looking for a relaxed day at the beach.
Theres a water park featuring the tallest waterslide in North America, Daredevils Peak. The slide includes a 135-foot plummet that will have adrenaline junkies telling tales of courage long afterwards. A 1,600-foot long zip line stretches across the island in several directions. The Up, Up, and Away, a helium balloon ride providing guests the highest vantage points in The Bahamas. The island also boasts the largest freshwater pool and the largest wave pool in the Caribbean. If the beach scene is your thing, the CocoCay Beach Club is great for families.
Here are some handy planning tips for making the most your day at Royal Caribbean CoCoCay. After all, there is a lot to do on the island and you wont be able to do everything!
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Culture & History Of The Cococay Cruise Port
Previously, the island that is now CocoCay was called Little Stirrup Cay. CocoCay has been privately owned by Royal Caribbean since 1999, when they made substantial updates and renovations to make the island an exclusive getaway for passengers. Today, CocoCay is ever-expanding with even more effort made to build up a cruise terminal, improve infrastructure, and provide even more activities for passengers on their one day stopover on the island.
Pool Areas And Lounge Chairs
This might seem obvious, but hanging out by the pool on a lounge chair is a pretty great way to spend a sea day. Poolside games, line dancing, and other pool deck activities are included with your cruise.
Many cruise ships have both a main pool area, and an adult pool area if you prefer a more quiet atmosphere.
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Our Final Take: Is It Worth It
If you booked a Royal Caribbean cruise, the Perfect Day at Cococay is hard to beat.
Its got everything from pristine beaches to friendly staff, major waterpark thrills for both kids and adults, and enough drinks and food to go around!
So, what is our final take?
Yes, we highly recommend booking a cruise with a stop at Cococay, it will hands down be the highlight of your next cruise!
Cruise Private Island Beach Days
If you love an easy beach day, many cruse lines offer a private island experience on their Caribbean Itineraries. Youll experience is a beautiful beach, lounge chairs, and a beach BBQ lunch.
Theres no need to pay anything extra on the private island, unless you want to for optional additional activities.
Princess Cruises has the gorgeous Princess Cays in Eleuthra, Bahamas. Holland America and Carnival use Half Moon Cay .
NCL has the Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Cay. Disney has the magical Castaway Cay.
Royal Caribbean has Labadee, a peninsula off the coast of Haiti with beaches, a zipline and more! And finally, Royal Caribbean has the amazing newly updated Perfect Day Coco Cay.
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What Is Extra On The Cruise Private Islands
Most private islands have activities such as a glass bottom boat tour or banana boating as an optional excursion or activity.
However, each cruise and private island offers different experiences.
Perfect Day Coco Cay in particular , has the ultimate choice of extra activities, and some come with extra fees.
Coco Cay does have a pool, beach and play park for kids that are included with your cruise fare.
However, there are some things that are really upgraded special experiences, such as a huge water slide/park and activities like a hot air balloon.
Like all cruise extras, budget accordingly if this is of interest to you.
Tip: Consider bringing your own snorkeling equipment from home and using it at several cruise ports.
Is Cococay Free On Royal Caribbean
Complimentary venues and activities The good news is most of the experiences Royal Caribbean is offering at Perfect Day at CocoCay are complimentary and included with your cruise fare. To go along with your fun in the sun, there are five new complimentary dining venues located throughout the island.
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Whats The Difference Between The Old Cococay And The New Version
To put it simply, just about everything.
The old version of the island had some amenities and entertainment, but it was primarily a place to hang out by the beach and maybe do some water activities like snorkel or kayak.
Perfect Day at CocoCay now has tons of activities. While the main beach is still there, practically everything else is new within the past several years. Where there was once just jungle brush now sits an entire waterpark. The cruise line also built the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean and the tallest waterslide in North America. And did we mention the helium balloon that can take you up 450 feet in the air?
The closest analogy we can think of is Las Vegas when it was a sleepy town in the desert with a few casinos compared to Las Vegas today.
Heres a picture of what the island used to look like before the renovation:
And here are some images of how it looks now:
Where To Eat At Perfect Day At Cococay
Complimentary meals are included on the island at Skippers Grill, Chill Grill, or any of the three Snack Shacks. These are all buffet style so lunch wont take up too much of your fun time on the island. While Captain Jacks is a la carte with an additional fee we heard the wings and fries were too good not to try. We definitely agree, my five year old may just have eaten 10 wings on her own! Our favorite flavors were the mango habanero and bourbon barbeque.
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Are Shows Included On Royal Caribbean Cruises
The performances in the Royal Theater, as well as the Aquatheater and Two70) are included in your cruise fare. Likewise, comedy shows, magic shows, live music, audience participation shows and more are included as well. Even the Broadway shows on Royal Caribbean ships are included in your cruise fare.
Where To Eat Drink And Shop
There are four dining locations around the island that serve up complimentary fareincluding sandwiches, BBQ, and saladssourced and prepared by the ship’s culinary crew. The bars and dining spots at CocoCay honor Royal Caribbeans beverage packages. Note that the eateries only serve lunch .
There are a surprising number of shops at the islands Straw Market and other locations. Items include CocoCay-branded T-shirts, hats, and other merchandise, as well as Bahamian crafts and beach gear.
Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
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Food & Drink At Cococay
One thing Jeremy and I really enjoyed about the experience on the island is that pretty much all of the food is included. There are various locations around the island to enjoy crispy chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, mozzarella sticks, funnel cake, chocolate chip cookies, soft serve ice cream, and more!
Most food locations open at 11:00am and the food is hot and ready right when it opens! We never experienced long lines and the service was excellent.
The Snack Shack opened even earlier than expected when a severe thunderstorm rolled through. We were cold and wet and looking for something to warm us up.
We opted for two crispy chicken sandwiches, fries, chocolate chip cookies, and washed it down with strawberry kiwi juice. Everything was delicious!
To order, you just walk up to the window and ask for anything that you would like. No credit card or seapass needed. It is a pretty cool experience 🙂
Note that your drink packages from the ship will carry over to the island. If you did not purchase a deluxe drink package, there are complementary juice and water stations around to keep everyone hydrated.
Later in the afternoon we decided to check out what the Skippers Grill had to offer which is located in the middle of the island. They were serving up tacos, BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, salads and more. You can also find unlimited soft serve ice cream here to cool off from the hot sun.
Is Food Included At Cococay
Yes, there are five complimentary dining options on the island which are great for lunch and snacks:
- Skippers Grill Enjoy burgers, tacos, salads, sandwiches, desserts and unlimited ice cream
- Chill Grill Favourites include the jerk chicken sandwich, shaved rib eye cheesesteak and the Portobello and mozzarella sandwich
- Snack Shack The three Snack Shacks each serve hot dogs, mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce, crispy fries and salads
Speciality dining is also available at Captain Jacks which has an a la carte menu.
Plus, if you have admission to Coco Beach Club you can enjoy an elevated menu as well as morning pastries and snacks all day.
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How Is Cococay Pronounced
Great question! Cay looks like it should sound like the letter k. However, the locals pronounce it like the word, key. So, if you want to get technical about it it should sound like CoCoKEY.
I TRULY hope that you book a trip with Royal Carribean and that the ship takes you to CocoCay. It was the best time EVER!! We had an absolute blast and I know your family will enjoy it as well. I am so thankful that Royal Carribean invited me on board to review their ship and The CocoCay Island. It is a vacation I will not forget.
Cococay Tips And Tricks
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How To Get To Cococay Bahamas
Since CocoCay is a private island in the Bahamas, owned by Royal Caribbean, you can only get here on a Royal Caribbean cruise. If you want to visit youll need to book a ship sailing to the Bahamas, Caribbean or Bermuda. You can check Royal Caribbeans website.
Thankfully Royal Caribbeans renovation budget including adding a pier to CocoCay island. Previously guests had to tender onto the island, meaning the ship was anchored in the ocean and small boats took guests to and from the dock. This is a major improvement as now you can just walk on and off the ship as you please.
Whats Included In A Royal Caribbean Cruise
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When you book a Royal Caribbean cruise, its not always obvious what the cruise fare included. Whats included in a Royal Caribbean cruise is one of the most common questions that I get asked in the DMs on .
So, Ive written this thorough guide which explains what a Royal Caribbean cruise includes, as well as exactly how much it costs for everything else. This should help you to budget for your trip.
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