CocoCay

Perfect Day on Coco Cay!!!! It’s Paradise: turquoise waters, white sand, and lots of sunshine.

CocoCay is Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas, and unlike the Royal Beach Club (which costs extra), CocoCay is included in your cruise fare. Well, mostly. Want to slide down the tallest waterslide in North America? That’ll cost you. Want to sip cocktails in the adults-only Hideaway Beach? Also extra. But hey, the other beaches, the massive pool, and Splashaway Bay are free.

The good news? Most of the food is included, and if you bought a drink package, you can keep the party going on the island. So yes, it can be a perfect day… just bring sunscreen!

CocoCay isn’t just beaches and pools—it’s got little shops too, perfect for grabbing souvenirs or, paying premium price for the sunscreen you forgot to bring.

Our first stop was the pirate ship so our 4-year-old could burn off some energy. Translation: so we could sit for five minutes after the long walk from the ship. Then it was off to Splashaway Bay—the splash park for kids that Royal decided to copy-paste from their ships onto the island. It’s got three kid-sized slides, which double as adult-sized slides for those who want to relive their childhood. There’s a giant bucket that dumps water on everyone like a surprise Bahamian monsoon, bridges to cross, and water spraying from every possible angle. Basically, if you weren’t wet before, you will be now.

Arryn and Ezran loved the slides and went down them so many times I thought they were training for some Olympic slide event. After that, we hit the pool. And not just any pool—a zero-entry, massive pool that could probably fit half of Florida. Even with two ships docked, it wasn’t crowded. The water was in the 70s, which sounds warm until you actually get in and start questioning your life choices. But give it a few minutes under the Bahama sun, and suddenly you’re living your best tropical life.

We only spent a couple of hours on CocoCay before heading back to the ship, and I barely took any pictures because I was too busy enjoying it and chasing kids around the pool. Bottom line? If you get the chance to cruise to CocoCay, do it.