Princess Cays - Compiled Info : Beach/Water activities, Food/Drinks, Bungalows, Facts

This is great information, thanks so much for taking the time to do this. I really appreciate it!

Yes, its a wealth of info and thanks for that. We are looking at renting a bungalow as well, because there are 6 of us and it sounds economical. One of our party is disabled and Im not sure if this is a good option for him or not. The golf cart ride will get him to and from the bungalow, but what about getting to the washrooms or buffet? Are there wooden board walks that he could use his scooter on or is it only a sandy walk to those areas? Can anyone answer this?

I see that it has been mentioned that hair braiding is available on the island. Does anyone know where on the island...and roughly any pricing structure? On a previous cruise my daughter had her hair done, and still 2 years later she talks about it, and would love to have her get that done again. it makes her so happy.

Couple questions I haven't seen asked.

I noticed on a thread about Great Stirrup Cay people recommending bringing along those little umbrellas that you can screw onto a lounge chair for shade. Would that be a good idea for Princess Cay as well?

Is there any cell phone service on PC? If not, is the cell tower on the ship operational during this time in port?

Thanks for taking the time to make this a wealth of info!

We just returned from a 10 day on the Ruby Princess with Princess Cay as our last stop. It was a great way to end the cruise, even for a person, like me, who avoids the sun. There are covered areas near the beach that provide great shade. We got off the tender and went to the left and found shade for me and sun for our friends just a few feet apart. There are two walkways. One that goes along the beach and one that is back further that goes in front of the shops and children's area to the bar and dining area. I saw two girls having their hair braided there, but I didn't see the price. Just behind the shops is a gate that takes you outside the Princess protected area to a small series of shops where locals were selling their wares. We didn't go there, but we saw quite a few people go in and out with their ships card.

This was a very relaxing and great stop even for me.

Bill

Couple questions I haven't seen asked.

 

I noticed on a thread about Great Stirrup Cay people recommending bringing along those little umbrellas that you can screw onto a lounge chair for shade. Would that be a good idea for Princess Cay as well?

 

Is there any cell phone service on PC? If not, is the cell tower on the ship operational during this time in port?

Check with your cell carrier. I have AT&T and spoke with them last night. They told me that Princess Cays may or may not have a cell tower, but I would be able to pick it up from the ship while at Princess Cays. Hope this helps!

Check with your cell carrier. I have AT&T and spoke with them last night. They told me that Princess Cays may or may not have a cell tower, but I would be able to pick it up from the ship while at Princess Cays. Hope this helps!

I wondered about picking a signal up from the ship, because I thought they usually are required to turn off their ship's tower while in port. Maybe PC doesn't qualify as a regular port?

I have cut and pasted all the questions and answers regarding Princess Cays from the most recent thread to the last time I updated this thread. This now covers all questions and answers regarding Princess Cays from about 2006.

Please add any useful info as this thread might be helpful to those going for the first time as a one stop shop regarding info on this beautiful island.

Beautiful pictures –

Here's a link to a great photo tour of Princess Cays.

http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-PrincessCays.html

2 ships at Princess Cays

Has anyone else been there when there is more than one ship and is there plenty of room, shade etc for everyone?

Everything is crowded. If you've never been there in the past, go to the island and take a look, however, when we visit a private island with more than one ship we normally stay on board the ship.

Didn’t realize that there was ever more than one ship at a time at Princess Cays. It's a tender port so take the tender to shore and go to the left. As you walk further away from the dock, it will be a little less crowded...but unfortunately still a very crowded day.

It's really just a beach day. I wasn't impressed with the BBQ lunch or the long lines to get it.

Using cell phones -

I posted this question about cell phones awhile back and didn't really get a definite answer. Now that I'm back, I'd like to share what I discovered. I have Verizon. The ship's cell service is apparently turned off when tendered at PC. I could get no service while on the ship. There was also no service once I got to the island.

Cab to Eluethra?

Has anyone ever tried to get a cab from the gate at Princess Cays? There are a few beautiful unspoiled beaches a few miles from the Princess Cays area. Has anyone ever done this? It would be nice to escape the "beach camp," [not a big fan of the "private island" experience] and go to a local beach. Are there local taxis around?

The private area is walk able...no taxis--no need! Just walk past the 1st beach you come to...that's where the majority of folks will plop themselves! You'll find some "seclusion" and fewer crowds! You will be on the southern tip of the island. There is a small bridge going over to the main land you can walk over. I saw no one using the bridge. We've been there a number of times and have never seen any taxis.

Taste of Eluethra excursion Reviews

I had a broken foot and couldn't do the usual water/beach stuff so we booked the Princess excursion "Taste of Eluethra ", and it was GREAT. New clean air conditioned bus, wonderfully fun tour guide and driver, and a fun 4 hours. Learned a lot about the Bahamas, got to see "beyond the gate", had a yummy lunch on the beach, and again, did something other than the regular Princess Cay stuff. If you want a little something different, I highly recommend this tour.

We recently took this Tour and have decided that it is over priced at $ 99 per person. Yes, it is quite interesting; however, IOHO not worth the cost.

Personally, I don't think paying additional money to go to another beach is worth it....the private beaches/islands are wonderful, and you've already paid for the use of it in your fare. Fortunately, you do not go to another beach on this tour. You go into the interior of the island.

Insect bites?

Several threads have mentioned insect bites, mostly near the bungalows to the left as you look at the shore. Are they bothersome if we go to the right? Should we plan on taking repellent? We have booked the bungalows for the last 2 years. We have never had any problems with insects. We always go the last week in January so maybe it has something to do with the time you are there? I was there in Late October and early November and don't remember any insects really. Near the bungalows - Make sure to take BUG SPRAY! Put this on immediately without hesitation. My friend had over 100 bites. She waited about 10 minutes after arriving at the bungalows and it was too late. I put the spray on immediately when we arrived at the bungalow so I had no bites.

BYOB/Bringing your own wine?

I was wondering if anyone knew if you could bring your own wine onto Princess Cays? We were thinking of bringing a cooler and putting some of our allotment of wine in the cooler to drink on the beach. We weren't sure if this was prohibited considering it's in glass. Does anyone know if there's a policy against glass?

Glass is NEVER a good idea where folks might be barefoot.....it's dangerous!

Bungalow Info

We have booked the bungalows for the last two years and we love it. The first year they delivered our food right to the bungalow. Last year, we had to either go to the BBQ our selves or pay extra for delivery of an upgraded BBQ. We made this choice and the meal was excellent. There was lobster and shrimp in one of the courses. I believe the cost was $50 p person. Do you get your lunch and drinks delivered to the Bungalow? This is without up grading to the gourmet picnic. Just there on the Crown last week and we did. Great fun.

You might, you might not....apparently, it depends on your server, and you’re sailing!

Lunch for the two of us was delivered and for our two friends who were stopping by. This was October 09 on the Emerald. We had a bungalow in December and were not served lunch. We went to the buffet ourselves and brought the food back to the bungalow to eat. Servers from the dining rooms are assigned to these bungalows. They are not locals so the level of service will very depending on the server assigned to you and his instructions. Tipping is always appreciated for good service.

SanctuaryBeach Bungalow -- adults only

I'd love to hear feedback from any recent cruisers who did the adult only bungalows... The pics I've seen really show the bungalows very close to each other. Do you know if there is food service (i.e. the bbque) or do you have to go to the lunch area for your food?

I heard that it's new, so it may be the first time offered. Sounds like they have an adult’s only area now. Bungalows are awesome. We had a bungalow for the 7 of us (u are only supposed to have 6) nobody said anything. We did the $199 for the group to split it was well worth it. We had plenty of drinks, and tipped the waiter to bring us food as well. Snorkelling out in front of the Bungalow area is great there are less people on that end of the beach because of the bungalows. An adult only area seems ridiculous why pay extra for that. It was nice too cool off with the air-conditioning and the shower. Also a big plus for us was a safe place to set all of our stuff. I will get a bungalow every time.

They did not have the adult’s only bungalow when I rented a bungalow so I do not know anything about them. Make sure to take BUG SPRAY!! Put this on immediately. My friend had over 100 bites and it ruined the rest of her vacation. I have never seen anything like it before. I put the spray on immediately when we arrived at the bungalow so I had no bites. She waited about 10 minutes and it was too late. As of 10/19/09 the Adult Sanctuary Bungalows have not been built. You can book them online as I did. Once on the ship you will get a notice of cancellation to your excursion. There will be no explanation. The adult area has not been built.

Snorkelling on your own –

We snorkelled right from the beach. When you get off of the tender, face the land and walk all the way to your left. There is a rocky area where there are lots of fish. They even sell fish food on the island. The fish will eat out of your hand. You don't need to PAY to snorkel! Just go it on your own, if you have the equipment! I have done the snorkelling from the beach before - in the area you suggested. Frankly, it wasn't great either time. Snorkelling out in front of the Bungalow area is great there are less people on that end of the beach because of the bungalows.

Snorkel Excursion -

Would like to hear from anyone who has done the new Princess snorkel excursion by boat from Princess Cays. DH and I have snorkelled there once off the beach, which was just ok. We hope it's better if we go to different site. It only last 1 1/2 hours so they can't travel very far.

Glass-bottom Clear kayaks?

Are they available? Don't know, but the water is so calm and clear, you can walk out knee-deep, stand there, and see what swims up to you! You really don't have to go out deep or put your face in the water!

Parasailing?

I was there in November and there wasn’t any parasailing there. Since Princess Cays is a private Princess cruise line "island", all of the activities/options there are offered and available only through Princess. Check Princess' Shore Excursion options to see what Princess offers on the island.

Just to add a little spiel about the Medical Center/ First Aid Station on the Island! I wore new shoes (and I'll never learn) and got giant blisters hiking to the Graves. By the time I got back to the main part of the island my blisters were ugly and I went to the first aid station where they fixed me all up and sent me on my way equipped with more bandages which I used throughout the whole cruise. They provided this free of charge.

Does anyone know where I can view a map of the facilities on Princess Cay?

Three questions:

(1) Which bungalow is closest to the beach entrance?

(2) Can you select your bungalow when you make your reservation?

(3) Do they keep a pitcher of water in the bungalow?

Thanks in advance for any input!

We did the ships snorkel tour. I liked it so much, that I posted a thread of photos, so everyone could see how well our pictures came out (not just the Princess Cay people).

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1156841

Boat ride is 10 minutes, but we thought it was a very nice reef. Reef was small (25 minutes to cover it all, but then I went back over it a second time in more detail, and found some really neat fish). Water visibility was the best of our entire 10 day trip in the southern Caribbean.

I thought St John or Bonaire would make Princess Cay nothing more than a practice stop to get use to our new camera, mask, and fins... But although Bonaire was fantastic, the water was not as clear as Princess Cay, and St John was a complete wash-out (murky water that day). So you never know, but I was so happy that Princess Cay turned out to be a great day!

Just one more question: Can you rent snorkeling equipment, floats, etc. once you get on the Princess Cays island or do you have to do it ahead of time.

THANKS for all the great info!!

Does anybody know how much the Banana Boat ride costs?

the loungers are either in the full sun for tanners or under palm trees and folks were very happy with them.

Check with your cell carrier. I have AT&T and spoke with them last night. They told me that Princess Cays may or may not have a cell tower, but I would be able to pick it up from the ship while at Princess Cays. Hope this helps!

I have cut and pasted all the questions and answers regarding Princess Cays from the most recent thread to the last time I updated this thread. This now covers all questions and answers regarding Princess Cays from about 2006.

Please add any useful info as this thread might be helpful to those going for the first time as a one stop shop regarding info on this beautiful island.

Where is Princess Cays?

“Princess Cays is located at the southern tip of Eleuthera just due North Half Moon Cay. On a good day it is visible from Half Moon Cay. Princess Cays, constructed in 1999, is located in the South western area of BannermanTown.

Princess Cays exists exclusively to serve the traveling tourists stopping over on day trips aboard Princess cruise ships. This large playground area on the beautiful south western shore Bannerman town is worth the trip up to the southern end of the island to see and feel. Princess Cays has the best beach on this side of the island for those who want to just lay out and catch the sun and employs a major portion of the work force in South Eleuthera as well as many vendors of unique Bahamian gift ideas and artefacts.

Source: http://www.tarpumbay.com/

Adults-only / Quiet Beach area?

I believe that the only adult’s only area is the adult’s only bungalows that you have to rent through Princess as a shore excursion. However, if you want a quieter beach area without many kids when you get off the tender go right instead of left. It is a much quieter strand of beach and when we were there in November there were no kids to the right and more to the left where there were more loungers, etc.

As you leave the tenders, head left and follow the chairs and blue clamshells. You'll see the bungalows for families first, then a fenced-in area for the adult’s only section. There is a 'guard' there to keep the kids away. Totally agree with going to the right for peace and quiet.

There is an Eleuthera tourism booth with free maps. Get one and head towards the lighthouse area. Only about a dozen people go that way. Watch out for broken glass, nails in planks from old ships, and the stingrays if you go that way. I almost stepped on all 3, but was saved by a friend that shouted, "Is that a stingray?"

Insect Bites?

I spent the day there in November and didn't use insect repellent. No bites.

Several threads have mentioned insect bites, mostly near the bungalows to the left as you look at the shore. Are they bothersome if we go to the right? Should we plan on taking repellent? Take the bug repellent even though it doesn't always work. We were at the Cays the last week of November. Didn't think we were being bitten, didn't feel a thing, but we did end up scratching that night. Not as serious as some reports I've read but itchy all the same.

Hammocks -

Where are the Hammocks located from the pier? If it's like every other "Private Island", they will be scattered about, wherever trees are!

Sanctuary Bungalows -

We have always booked a bungalow when we go to Princess Cays. This time we decided to try the new Sanctuary Bungalows. Other than it being a bit quieter, we do not believe it is worth the additional $50 if we go back again, we will just book one of the regular bungalows. What we definitely thought was worth the money was paying for the "gourmet lunch". Not having to walk to the BBQ and having everything delivered was well worth the $50 it cost us.

Cabanas / Bungalows -

Is renting a cabana is a good idea- if anyone could give me more info on food and drinks that are available and exact proximity to beach? We rented one last year with a group of 5. Loved it. We will get one again next week with only 2 of us. No searching for chairs, AC (if you want it) both sun and shade, bar service....just all around nice.

The cabana was nice but I wouldn't do it again. They are really cute outside and very cool inside. The beach was very quiet and private. The area in front on the cabana was infested with fleas. If you do rent one, make sure to take insect spray.

If you really want a memorable experience, go with the beach bungalow. It was great.

How far in advance do you have to book? Or does it have to be done on ship...it sounds like a great way to relax...

We just got back (Mar 2010). I rented two bungalows (18 people) and we had them side by side. I was able to choose which ones I wanted and given priority tickets for all (we had 3 kids). You can hear the music from other bungalows. We walked down to the sanctuary ones and someone was playing music loud enough to be heard a couple of bungalows away. The bungalows are close together. Maybe 15-20 feet apart. They had towels, bug spray and sun screen already inside. There was an air conditioner and ceiling fan with a table and 6 chairs. Two private cots inside the fence and more outside of it with a shower. We were given a ride down to and back from our bungalow. We got our own food. The walk was less then 5 minutes away. It was a little quieter then the rest of the beach. Its $249 for the day for one bungalow for up to 4 people. They have a nice lunch there too!

Your should reserve ASAP as they are very limited. If you wait until you get on the ship it is unlikely you will get one. We didn't notice any bugs. There were 6 of us and we got so much food that we felt like Weebles. No standing in line for the hot dogs and burgers. Again, way too much food. No stress. No hassle. Private. Serene. We would book it again.

Beach Wheelchairs?

Are there beach wheelchairs on Princess Cays? This is the answer that I received yesterday from the access department: "Yes there are a few of the beach wheelchairs available", it's my understanding that it is on a first come basis.

Sidewalks at Princess Cays -

Are there sidewalks as we are bringing a wheelchair for my elderly father and it would be tough to use if all sand. Yes there are sidewalks at Princess Cay. You shouldn't have any problems.

The New Taste of Eleuthera Island Excursion -

In my opinion this is a real looser of an excursion. The cost was $99 per person and there is absolutely nothing else too see on this island. Save your money and just lay on the beach or do some type of water sport. In all of our years of excursions this was the worst. Remember this is just my opinion for what ever it is worth.

We took the Princess tour of Eleuthra in April 2009. It was great seeing the Island towns, the deep ocean hole that Jacques Cousteau has dived in, toured a school, saw women cleaning conch on a dock by the most beautiful blue ocean, visited the police department, saw the home of an Olympian runner. Yes the Island is flat and brushy but the view of the ocean was amazing. When we got back we had time to walk about the beach area and swim if we wanted but we had had enough beach time.

Sightseeing on your own on Eleuthra Island -

Has anyone doing any sightseeing on Eluethra? I wonder if we could hire a cab.

We did not do a tour or such on Eleuthra - we were there on a land trip (looking at property to buy). To be honest I was not impressed with the island as such...... lots of pine trees, flat and not much else to see. Now the water and beaches were gorgeous. The north end has nice resorts etc. but the rest are pretty unimpressive. We flew in just for the day from Exuma on a private jet to one airport at the south end and drove all the way up to the north end so did get to see quite a bit of the island.

Now that Princess is offering an island tour (Taste of Eleuthera $99) for your day at Princess Cays are you able to just get a taxi or tour operator on your own to do the same tour???? If so any recommendations?? Has anyone done this on their own???

When we were there last month, some of us walked through the Princess barricade/fence to see where the locals live. I only saw one taxi waiting. It's not like the Caribbean ports where you have dozens of taxis or independent tour operators waiting for you to arrive. So I don't think you can do a tour on your own. At least not cheaply with only one taxi waiting.

As I look at the map/info pamphlet we received from the tourism booth there, it does appear that there are some sights to see and other beaches on EleutheraHarbourIsland. Now that I have done Princess Cay and saw it all already, an island tour sounds very interesting.

What are water shoes?

Rubber type shoes you can wear in the water. Kind of like rubber fin material. They have holes in them on top. Protects you from coral, rocks, etc.

Aqua Chair or Float?

What exactly is the Aqua Chair (any pictures)? And, do you prefer it or a float rental at the beach?

There should be a picture in one of the brochures, but it’s got huge wheels on the side and you peddle to make it go. Its kind of goofy looking but it looks like fun.

http://www.princess.com/learn/shorex...orexId=RSD-980

Wait until you get there to book it...you may find you don't need (or want) either!

The aqua chair is a long foam flexible board that you lay on & float on, was quite comfortable.

How much is the Banana Boat Ride?

We did it about five years ago. We had a blast-probably because we tipped over on a turn and everyone fell in the water. It was one of those double side by side bananas so there were lots of people in the water. The current cost is $19 per person as I just reserved it for our June cruise. That is for a 15 minute ride. My grandson and I did it about 5 years ago and felt that it was lots of fun. However, we got lots of salt water in our eyes so this year, we will wear our goggles.

Renting snorkelling equipment ahead of time?

Can you rent snorkelling equipment, floats, etc. once you get on Princess Cays or do you have to do it ahead of time? You can do it when you get there...after you see if you really need them! Yep, you can do it there as well as renting the loungers that have sunshades for $20.

Scuba Diving -

My son and I went diving in Princess Cays in late December 2009. Here are my thoughts:

1. It was COLD! Too cold for my son and I both, and he rarely gets cold. We were wearing shorties but both had toes go numb because it was so cold.

2. The dive boat was small, crowded, and we had to drop off and pick up the people from the deep sea fishing excursion on the way to and from the dive site.

3. The boat ride was about 25 minutes along the shoreline to the dive site to the "hole" which was salt water and fresh water mixing according to the dive master. The hole itself was too deep to see the bottom, and maybe 6 feet wide.

4. We did not see many fish larger than a foot long - mostly smaller fish and coral and seaweed.

5. There was "miscommunication" according to the dive master regarding the BCD and wetsuit and tank sizes onboard. My 12-year-old son and I both had all three items mentioned above too big for us because they did not have any tanks but full size, and I think only 2 small BCDs, no extra-smalls, and the shorties were loose fitting in the legs so they didn't help as much as good fitting ones. In their defence, it was the 2nd day of the cruise, but we did fill out our required paperwork by dinner with this information and you would think they would have smaller sizes anyway.

6. There was one dive master only who dove with our group of 9. He was very patient with my son who for the first time ever had trouble with his ears.

7. It was about 40 minutes of diving.

8. The internet said it was $160, but for whatever reason we were charged $110. Still a lot for a single tank dive.

Conclusion: I would not recommend this dive. There are so many better, more reasonable dives.

New snorkelling excursion at Princess Cays -

DH and I took it last week. We thought it was good. Much Much better than snorkelling off the beach. They took us up the coast about 15 mins and let us out over a small reef. I think the water might have been 10-15 feet. Water was not rough We saw lots of fish. It was about 60 mins altogether (45-60 in the water). We met in the Wheelhouse bar and then tendered over. The time we chose was 10-11:30 which was perfect. We came back in, had lunch and were back o the ship by 1:30. Great way to start the cruise.

We did this also. Click on this link for beautiful pictures:

http://www.panraven.com/visitor/VisitorViewStory.epage?sp=Sview&sp=154975

What kind of a camera did you use for the snorkelling pics, I will be taking underwater shots for the first time on our cruise with a regular Canon in a water proof case. How deep is the water where they take you and how deep were most of your shots. I will try it out in the pool before we leave to see how it works; it is supposed to be good for pics under water to 100'. It sounds like this is the thing to do at Princess Cays and we will still have time to do the beach thing also.

I had the Canon D10 which is a digital camera that is waterproof. I've seen people get great photos with the water-tight cases also.

I was buying a camera just for the trip, and the D10 was new so I picked it, and was happy with it. It was only good to 30 feet. All of my photos are 5-15 feet deep.

Snorkel trip is worth the money, Reef is small (15 -20 minutes worth) but it was my second time swimming around it that I found all the cool fish. You have to look close

Plenty of time for lunch and the beach after. It was a nice day!

I took the ships snorkel tour, and was so impressed with how clear the water was! Best water quality of the entire 10 day trip. The reef was a bit small (meaning that I could cover it in 25 minutes) but it was very nice! After I checked out the entire reef, I took my time to find a few really nice fish and take their photos.

We had a lot of fun! I thought you could snorkel on your own, do you need to take the ship's tour to see what you did?

I noticed that you both were wearing a suit when you were snorkelling.. Did they provide you with that or did you bring it with you?? No...You have to bring your own. They are just thin cheap Lycra material... I wear it to keep from getting a sun burn... I'm so pale. But my wife finds it keeps her just a few degrees warmer than the water temp (not real wet suit) but just enough to help her because she gets cold easy, even when the water isn't that cold. They now sell them with SPF sun ratings for people who burn easy, don't buy one unless it has a rating. I was surprised how the price has dropped over the years. Not that expensive anymore. You can get them on-line at www.coolibar.com or scuba.com both site have a lot of good information.

Because everyone else was diving from shore... so I thought I'd give a review of what the ships tour looked like. I couldn't find anyone who posted about it before. So most people just snorkel on the beach and see some great fish. But I am a big fan of coral, so since it’s just me and the wife, we didn't mind paying extra for a 10 minute boat ride out about 600 yards to a nice coral patch of reef. I really can't tell you how they compare... since I didn't do the shore dive??? Usually more rocks and less coral if I had to guess?

We had about 12 people on our boat. But I bet they could have taken up to 30 to fill the boat. From reading reviews here, it seems like most people snorkel from the beach and consider that good enough. I think you only get the people on this tour that really like snorkelling, so maybe that's why it’s not so crowded? I'm guessing the water was 6 to 20 feet deep. Most of it felt more like 7-12 feet deep.

I think the cost was $50 each. But I don't remember?

I know most people snorkelled from the beach...but usually you just see rocks with fish around them (just my guess...haven't seen photos from shore diving?). I wanted to see coral reef with fish. So I was willing to pay for the guide and the boat to take us out 10 minutes away from the beach. Water temp was fine for swimming. I only wore my dive skin (type of wet suit) because I didn't want to get a sun burn. We went in January and Florida was locked in a big cold front. Some of that record cold air made it all the way down to the Bahamas, but the water was still warm. My wife wore her dive skin because she didn't want to be cold getting out of the water on the boat ride back. “

Last week we were at Princess Cays and snorkelled from shore. It was different from reviews I have read and was truly a great experience for us.

Hardest part is getting in the water. Really sharp rocks and really shallow where you enter.

When you get in, swim to the right around the corner and you'll find the best snorkelling in the next lagoon. We saw gorgeous coral including fan coral, and because it was so close to the surface and it was sunny, it was just beautiful. Fish are more plentiful at the point but the coral was nice along the shore and there were pretty blue fish wherever we went.

We did not rent vests, though reviews said we should (and we later saw signs that said they recommended it). Many people including us were there without vests and we did not need them at all. Maybe on a rougher day it would be helpful, but we didn't need. You should wear fins though to help against the current. We have all our own equipment so this cost us absolutely nothing.

For those who burn easy, don't worry. There are LOTS of shaded areas where there are lounge chairs, more than we've seen on other private islands. You don't need to rent a $25 cabana to get shade, and there are nice breezes under the trees and you're close to everything.

Are you allowed to bring food from the ship to the island? I ask because I am vegetarian and the barbeque doesn't sound like it would have much I could eat. So I thought it might be nice to bring a sandwich or something else from the ship. Read through the compiled info, but didn't see this question asked.

Are you allowed to bring food from the ship to the island? I ask because I am vegetarian and the barbeque doesn't sound like it would have much I could eat. So I thought it might be nice to bring a sandwich or something else from the ship. Read through the compiled info, but didn't see this question asked.

The Princess Cays BBQ had hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, and ribs plus Potato Salad, Fruit chunks including Pineapple wedges (on the Left Line only), salad & fixin's like sliced tomatoes & onions, baked beans, corn on the cob, other mixed salads that I don't recall exactly, cheese slices plus cookies and brownies for desert. It was a very nice buffet.

What a wealth of information. I definitely want to compile all this for our future visit.

IThere is an Eleuthera tourism booth with free maps. Get one and head towards the lighthouse area. Only about a dozen people go that way. Watch out for broken glass, nails in planks from old ships, and the stingrays if you go that way. I almost stepped on all 3, but was saved by a friend that shouted, "Is that a stingray?"

Can you give an educated guess at the distance to the lighthouse? Thanks!

Thanks for taking the time to compile all of this information...it is going to be very helpful!