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Perfect Day at CocoCay, a $250 million reimagining of Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas, has set a new standard and left rival cruise lines lacking similar assets.
Before Royal Caribbean (kick) Adding a dock that can accommodate two of its largest ships, visiting any cruise line’s private island means taking a tender — a small boat — from ship to island.
This has made some passengers unwilling to actually go, because although you may not get seasick on a huge cruise ship, a simple cruise can be a completely different story.
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Both Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) And Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) They still use tenders to access their private islands. Once you get there, they offer you a day at the beach with some food, maybe some music and drinks, and not much else. MSC Cruises docks at its Ocean Cay Marine Preserve, but can only accommodate one ship at a time, and like Carnival and Norway, it primarily offers a day at the beach (albeit a very pleasant one in all three cases).
Perfect Day at Coco Cay allows passengers to exit the ship (or take the tram) and then choose their experience. They can choose traditional beach and BBQ offerings across multiple beaches.
Plus, they can swim in the largest pool in the Caribbean, all without paying any extra money. However, if they want more, CocoCay offers a water park for an additional fee, a quiet beach club that serves upscale brunch, or the new Hideaway Beach, an adults-only area with a beach, heated pool, its own dining options, and a beach. DJ that gives a bit of a day club feel.
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All of these, of course, cost extra (prices vary depending on request). However, CocoCay has always remained Royal Caribbean’s top-rated destination. This is something the company plans to build on, and Carnival has plans to follow through.
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Royal Caribbean adds Beach Club experiences
Many Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian and MSC cruise ships stop in either Nassau or Cozumel. These are two ports where frequent cruisers can stay on board. On Cozumel, many people book private beach club experiences not through the cruise line.
After seeing the success of CocoCay, Royal Caribbean created a new concept, the Royal Beach Club, and is already working on one for Paradise Island, which is a short flight from Nassau, and has other plans in Cozumel.
“When we think about the Beach Club portfolio that we plan to develop, alongside Perfect Day, they are incredibly complementary destination experiences that really fit with our demographics and in terms of what our guests are really looking for,” Michael Bailey, CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said during His company: “When they go on a cruise in the Caribbean, they go outside the box in terms of meeting this demand, this need, a very similar type of product, a different vibe.” First quarter earnings call.
Bailey sees the private island and beach clubs as related, but different experiences.
“The perfect day is a day full of excitement and tranquility, and the Beach Club, as you can imagine, is just a great day at the beach, which is what most guests in the Caribbean are looking for. It is sponsored by Royal Caribbean. It is an amazing day,” he added. “Of course, it is authentically connected.” “With culture, for example, in the Bahamas or Mexico.”
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CocoCay is expected to welcome 3.2 million visitors in 2024, up from 2.6 million the previous year.
“People want to sail on ships that go to Perfect Day and they want to sail on ships that go to Beach Club,” Bailey added.
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Carnival is trying to build a competitor to Kokukai.
Carnival has been slowly sharing its plans for Celebration Key, its own CocoCay-like experience that will feature pools, a water park and multiple dining options. It’s on an island, but it’s not a private island as it’s built on part of Grand Bahama.
“Honoring the natural beauty and culture of Grand Bahama, Celebration Key will provide endless opportunities for relaxation and recreation across five distinct areas called The Gateways, featuring the largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean, a stunning white sand beach, and an exclusive adults-only private club.”, Spaces designed to achieve Maximum family fun and a variety of dining venues and beverage stations all in one breathtaking location,” the cruise line shared.
Celebration Key, the cruise line that sees what has worked for its competitor and builds on it, will open in July 2025.
Carnival ships will dock at the adjacent cruise dock that can accommodate up to two of the cruise line’s largest ships at one time. Celebration Key will also include an event suite dedicated to hosting weddings, vow renewals and other special celebrations.
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