Coco Cay, The Bahamas
If you are looking for a private Island that is heavily developed and has a great Water Park Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at Coco Cay is a great option for you. The Island is located in The Bahamas and many Royal Caribbean cruises offer a stop at Coco Cay. As of the writing of this article we have visited it only once in late December of 2023.
Island Information
Perfect Day at Coco Cay (Coco Cay) was originally known as Little Stirrup Cay and is in the sparsely populated Berry Islands District in The Bahamas. The Berry Islands are around 50 miles North of Nassau and around 140 miles to Miami. The population of the Berry Islands is less than one thousand people and most live on Great Harbour Cay. Coco Cay is not a large Island at under a mile long and has been leased from The Bahamas since the 1970s. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Great Stirrup Cay Private Island is right next door to Coco Cay. Being in The Bahamas its generally warm but the water can be fairly cool as we found in the winter time. We got used to the coolness of the water as we swam more. As would be expected the only way to get to the Island is to go on a Royal Caribbean branded cruise.
Country Information
The Bahamas do not require US citizens to get a visa before visiting. The visa is on arrival and granted for 90 days. The Bahamas are in the Atlantic Ocean but are closely associated with Caribbean Nations. As one would expect the climate is one similar to other Caribbean Nations. It is warm pretty much all year round so you can swim in the winter just as you would in the summer. The national language is English as The Bahamas were part of the British empire up until 1973. The national currency is the Bahamian Dollar and it is always equal to the US Dollar in value. So any price you see in The Bahamas is basically in US Dollars. Because of this the US Dollar is accepted pretty much everywhere we have been in The Bahamas.
Costs on the Island
Most of the costs are included with your cruise fare but you do have the option to purchase specialty food items such as fancy coffee and ice cream that not included in the normal dinning. That is done with your cruise card and not with Cash. Alcoholic beverages are of course available as either part of your beverage package if you purchased one or you can buy them with your card as well. There is a gift shop on the island that takes your cruise card as well. The only cash that would be needed is if you want to buy any souvenirs from the locals of the Berry Islands in the Straw Market on the island. The other costs will be if you want to go on a shore excursion such as a snorkel or a traditional Bahamian “swimming with the pigs” that will cost extra. There are also cabanas including ones over the water that you can rent but it will cost you from a couple hundred to a few thousand dollars. The water park is also not free and will cost over one hundred a person for a day pass.
Amenities on the Island
Coco Cay has more to do on the island than pretty much any other the cruise line private islands that I have been to. The island reminds you a bit of a theme park with different areas such as “Chill Island” for example. The Thrill Waterpark boasts multiple different slides and the tallest slide in North America. This island also has a nice large pool that is included for everyone as wonderful beaches. There are several different beaches to choose from with the calmer Chill Island or more secluded beaches where we found only a life guard there. There is a tram that will take you to multiple spots around the island and the driver gives a little tour as you ride. There is a large buffet area and bars where some had live music going on. There are places where you can rent snorkeling gear and other water sports items. You can rent kayaks as well. There is a fairly large area of small huts that are the shops of the locals of the Berry Islands. There are multiple very nice restrooms around the island and plenty of shower areas to get all the sand out. We went snorkeling on Chill Island and they have a fake sunken ship with cannons that we found full of tropical fish. They say there is a sunken plane as well but that area wasn’t open due to the strong waves that day. The food on the island was pretty good with mostly burgers, hotdogs and taco type food to eat. There was an assortment of desserts and soft serve ice cream. There is a nice kids play area that includes a pirate ship and plenty of water fountains/splash pad to play in. There is also a helium tethered balloon that will take you high above The Bahamas if the winds are right. It was closed due to renovations when we were there. There is also a nature trail with native plants marked with information about them.
What we thought about the Island
We had a great time on Coco Cay and we decided to take no excursions as we have taken snorkel excursions and have swam with the pigs in the past. The Thrill Water Park looked great and for families I think it would be wonderful be we opted not to spend the extra money for it. We felt the extra activities were a bit expensive. We just went to the buffet for food and we did not buy any of the extras. We had our own snorkel gear with us as well. We spent our time exploring the island, buying a few things from the locals and walking through the nature trail. After our exploration and riding the tram we settled down and snorkeled and then just sat and read while sitting in one of the abundant beach loungers and umbrellas that were available. We got a small lunch and then headed back on the ship a bit early. The beaches are beautiful and the sunken ship was a great snorkeling site. I could see this being a great destination for families with all the activities. We had a relaxing day on the island and would go back for sure.
If you are Interested in this trip:
Contact Donna Miller and she can help you book your dream trip today including cruises to CoCo Cay. Her travel planning services are completely free if you book with her. Contact her at donnamiller.etfamilytravel@gmail.com to book today!
