Coco Cay

[CruisingLover]

There will be 6 adults traveling to Coco Cay on Oasis at the end of this year. The last time I was at Coco Cay was 2017 and it looks SOOOOO different now!

 

I'm looking for recommendations on what to do, but specifically, are there cabanas big enough that 6 people can rent? Are they hard to get?  It would just be a nice "home" spot for the day. 

 

Thanks!

[stevea36]

Most cabanas are for 6 people.  Only one person needs to do the rental.  Pay for it and collect the funding from the others off-line.    Cabanas get lunch deliverd to the cabana but you are welcome to check out the other offerings on the island (The food is a lot more diverse and better than it was in 2017).

 

As far as what to do, you can hang out at the cabana (I'd recommend south beach as it is quiet and tranquil).  Use the pools, snorkel, eat, eat, oh, did I say eat, drink (your shipboard drink package works here), If you are into water parks, you can purchase a pass for, imho a fortune, you can take the baloon ride, you can zip-line.  it's totally up to what you want to do (or not) during your day there.   

[rockmom]

You should see the Cabana rental option by going online to your Cruise Planner and looking at excursions for Coco Cay.  Most hold up to 8 adults, except the Thrill Water Park ones which hold up to 6.  From what I can tell, they do sell out most of the time before the cruise, so if you want one, best to get it before you sail.  

[crewsweeper]

But recent prices seem to indicate that renting a cabana is like doing a separate cruise.  For 6 that might break if down some but still expensive.   

[jbjunior]

i would agree that cabanas are wildly overpriced, but there are a lot of people who make a lot of money, it's your vacation to splurge on so hey, do what you want to do.  the island has so many fun spots, different bars and places to eat, i don't know that i would want to commit to staying in just one spot but it is different with a group if you want to stay together and you can always go back again!  enjoy

[brillohead]

4 hours ago, stevea36 said:

(I'd recommend south beach as it is quiet and tranquil)

When I was there a couple months ago, they were playing music at South Beach.  I think only Chill Island is actually quiet.

[LVinTennessee]

Hijacking this post - just a little 

 

I asked this question over on the private island board with only one reply: 

Does RC add more Coco Cay excursions as the cruise date approaches? A blog mentioned some excursions such as jet skis, but that is not currently offered as an excursion for our May 2023 sailing. 

[Oceansaway17]

7 hours ago, CruisingLover said:

There will be 6 adults traveling to Coco Cay on Oasis at the end of this year. The last time I was at Coco Cay was 2017 and it looks SOOOOO different now!

 

I'm looking for recommendations on what to do, but specifically, are there cabanas big enough that 6 people can rent? Are they hard to get?  It would just be a nice "home" spot for the day. 

 

Thanks!

book as early as you can because a lot of times there are two ships in port and only so many cabanas to go around.

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, CruisingLover said:

I'm looking for recommendations on what to do, but specifically, are there cabanas big enough that 6 people can rent? Are they hard to get?  It would just be a nice "home" spot for the day. 

An overwater cabana is wonderful and comes with a steak and lobster lunch

 

 

 

[Sigyn]

How much are the cabanas? for NCL they range from $399 to over $1,000 depending on the section you're in.

[psac]

8 minutes ago, njsmom said:

How much are the cabanas? for NCL they range from $399 to over $1,000 depending on the section you're in.

They vary greatly, but I think I’ve seen anywhere from $1000-$4000. 

[CruisingLover]

So, renting any cabana is out for us 😳😳 Can we just get off the ship and nab some beach chairs, or is there a fee for those too? 

 

Also, which area is the best to grab a chair for the day? 

[Biker19]

Just now, CruisingLover said:

Also, which area is the best to grab a chair for the day? 

Walk around and see what appeals to you- yes, you can find lots of loungers under umbrellas free. 

[brillohead]

21 minutes ago, CruisingLover said:

So, renting any cabana is out for us 😳😳 Can we just get off the ship and nab some beach chairs, or is there a fee for those too? 

 

Also, which area is the best to grab a chair for the day? 

Cabanas are a total non-necessity.  There are eleventy bazillion loungers, half with umbrellas, available for free all over the place.

The "best" place is completely subjective.  If you want peace and quiet, go to Chill Island.  If you want an easy-access beach with no waves, go to Harbor Beach.  If you want a pool and music, go to Oasis Lagoon Pool.  If you want music, volleyball, beach, and a Snack Shack, go to Breezy Bay or South Beach.  

I never spend a dime on Coco Cay besides tips for my bar drinks (I get free drinks, so I tip in cash or else the server gets nothing).  I've been in each of the places mentioned above, all of which are free, and been happy with each of them.

[Ashland]

We rented a WaterPark Cabana this past April ($699.00) and it worked out great for our extended family of 4 adults and two kids. So glad I booked it when they first became available because about 6 months before sailing they were up to $1200.00 and then sold out.

[vacationlover_mn]

If I were traveling with 5 others, I would definitely want to split the cost of an over the water cabana at the Beach Club!!!  When I was there with DH, we did the loungers there, and really liked it 🙂. Peaceful, upgraded food, uncrowded pool right there, awesome view!  The cabanas looked so nice!  After lunch, we left the area, walked around, then came back.

[jean87510]

7 hours ago, brillohead said:

Cabanas are a total non-necessity.  There are eleventy bazillion loungers, half with umbrellas, available for free all over the place.

The "best" place is completely subjective.  If you want peace and quiet, go to Chill Island.  If you want an easy-access beach with no waves, go to Harbor Beach.  If you want a pool and music, go to Oasis Lagoon Pool.  If you want music, volleyball, beach, and a Snack Shack, go to Breezy Bay or South Beach.  

I never spend a dime on Coco Cay besides tips for my bar drinks (I get free drinks, so I tip in cash or else the server gets nothing).  I've been in each of the places mentioned above, all of which are free, and been happy with each of them.

The one time we were there we visited for free.  Had a nice time.  We may try water park passes in October when on the Vision if price is right.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

11 hours ago, brillohead said:

If you want peace and quiet, go to Chill Island. 

imho, Chill Island is where most people go first - it's the very first beach to the left.

It was super crowded, filled up very quickly, and it was very windy there. 2 ships in port that day - Indy and Harmony. Snorkeling behind the rocks was nice.

 

 

 

After an hour we went to the Breezy bay part of the Chill Island - farther up, next to the day beds, and it was much better for us. Can't wait to be there in April!

 

 

We don't spend money on extra things which are not necessary for an enjoyable time.

 

By the way, the food at Snack Shack is wonderful!!!!! We had 2 funnel cakes each, and that's after enjoying all the other food. We had chicken sandwiches, mozzarella sticks,  fries, and grilled veggies (it's not exactly a salad - just a bunch of yummy grilled veggies).

 

 

 

 

[powelweb]

I highly recommend watching the Coco Cay review on RCL's blog- it's a great 20-minute video review when Perfect Day at Coco Cay launched that shows all the island areas, things to do and food stops.

[carbon]

2 hours ago, powelweb said:

I highly recommend watching the Coco Cay review on RCL's blog- it's a great 20-minute video review when Perfect Day at Coco Cay launched that shows all the island areas, things to do and food stops.

where do you see the blog?

[brillohead]

26 minutes ago, carbon said:

where do you see the blog?

It's not actually RCL's blog.... it's just called RoyalCaribbeanBlog and is run by a separate individual.  

[RobInMN]

3 hours ago, powelweb said:

I highly recommend watching the Coco Cay review on RCL's blog- it's a great 20-minute video review when Perfect Day at Coco Cay launched that shows all the island areas, things to do and food stops.

 

1 hour ago, carbon said:

where do you see the blog?

 

I think they may be referring to a certain third party blog (specializing in all things Royal Caribbean 😉 ), not one sponsored directly by RCL itself. It can be found on YouTube. They do a great job with their videos. But there are lots & lots of videos on YT.

 

[Ret MP]

On 1/17/2023 at 12:01 PM, CruisingLover said:

I'm looking for recommendations on what to do,

Stay on the ship!  

 

Okay, I'm kidding!  How am I to tell you or anybody else what they will or will not like.  It's a personal thing, for sure.   Having said that, I don't see the allure (no pun intended) to Coco Cay, not as a Sexy Senior Citizen, anyway.  

19 hours ago, CruisingLover said:

So, renting any cabana is out for us 😳😳 Can we just get off the ship and nab some beach chairs, or is there a fee for those too? 

 

Also, which area is the best to grab a chair for the day? 

During the first week in November there were two ships at Coco Cay, we didn't rush to get off of the Independence but we weren't to slow either.  We walked and walked and walked  in an effort to find a place to sit and enjoy at least a little of the views.  It didn't matter to us if it was an ocean view or a pool view.  Well, after almost walking around the whole island, in and out of lounger coves, we finally found a place with several empty loungers.  We had a great view of Sea Grapes and a very obstructed view of a pool.  AND, the people several loungers away were playing their own music above the piped in music.  We were back on the ship by ~11:00 - 11:30 AM and enjoyed an almost empty ship.  

 

DISCLAIMER:  This is our experience and only our experience.  You may have a completely opposite view of things, I don't fault you for that.  

[BirdTravels]

19 hours ago, CruisingLover said:

So, renting any cabana is out for us 😳😳 Can we just get off the ship and nab some beach chairs, or is there a fee for those too? 

 

Also, which area is the best to grab a chair for the day? 

We normally park on Chill Beach. Lots and lots and lots of loungers and umbrellas. We normally strategically position ourselves near a bar and close to the buffet. It is a short walk over to the pool if you want some fresh water. 

 

The overwater cabanas were nice. 

 

On one of our post-restart cruises:

Chill Island Cabanas $899 (seat 2 or 4)

Oasis Lagoon Cabanas $899 (seat 2 or 4)

Overwater Cabanas $1699 

[nelblu]

20 hours ago, CruisingLover said:

So, renting any cabana is out for us 😳😳 Can we just get off the ship and nab some beach chairs, or is there a fee for those too? 

 

Also, which area is the best to grab a chair for the day? 

If you are looking for something a bit special but won't break the bank, you could rent day bed(s) for $199. each.  They are little casitas by the beach.  We rented one in October and chose Breezy Bay at Chill Island.  It accommodates up to 4 and comes with bottles of water and towels.   The beds are Queen size and quite comfortable.  You could choose an end one and the other 2 Paxs set up their lounger near your day bed.  

 

Also, you are near the buffet venue and even closer to a fast-food chicken, hamburger etc. Shack which the name escapes me.

 

PS.  All loungers and umbrellas are free.  Very comfortable and a far cry for the dilapidated ones on Labadee prior to the Pandemic.