Blue Lagoon or Sun Cay?

[mcoler181]

Just wondered if anyone had experience of either of these and could make a recommendation for one or the other?

 

Thanks

[tofubeast]

I’m bumping this topic back up because I’m curious too! Anyone visit Sun Cay? 

[KPookey]

I’m interested in this answer too!

 

So far, though, I’m  choosing blue lagoon, cruising summer 24. I was there 5 years ago and it was wonderful, however it was hit by a hurricane shortly thereafter and I’ve heard it’s changed.  The reason I’m choosing it is because the videos and reviews of sun cay (aka pearl island) don’t show much of a beach area. It looks like loungers on a strip of land with a small sand area. Look up videos of both on you tube if no one answers you. 
 

I thought about Atlantis but the price is crazy.  
 

 

[DonnaK]

Sun Cay is the same as Pearl Island.  We were there just before the pandemic shutdown.  It was a very nice and relaxing beach day and I would recommend it.

[jean87510]

We are actually going to be in Sun Cay/Pearl Island tomorrow with a ship excursion doing snorkeling and beach time.  I will share tomorrow.

[jean87510]

.Just got back from Sun Cay.  Pretty terrible snorkeling.  Food decent.  Loud blaring music with I hate to say it but really graphic.  The strawmarket had penises as bottle openers for sale.  There were also statues of pigs having sex.  If anyone is interested.  It isn't for me but maybe for others.

 

Sorry I really can't recommend this place.  It was just bad.

[Azure Moon]

In May 2024 we went to Blue Lagoon while on a Disney Magic cruise (3 adults and 2 young children, 6 and 9).

 

It was our first time going to Blue Lagoon and we ended up loving every minute of it!

 

Everyone we came into contact with working on the boat rides to and from the island were competent and friendly.   Everyone we came in contact with for our time with the dolphins,  and then photo shops afterward, and everyone in the shops were friendly and helpful.

 

The beach areas, chairs, shops, and bar area were clean and tidy.  There were covered posts (?) in various areas that piped in music.  There were loungers beneath trees for shade.  Once, we moved a few loungers over when the sun changed positions. 

 

The water was beautiful!  Clean, clear shallow in many parts.  It turned out great for the children to be comfortable in and we adults enjoyed the shallow areas too.   While in the water, someone mentioned that there was a stingray, and sure enough, there was!  We were thrilled to see it and the 6 and 9 year old girls were beside themselves.  I don't know how often stingrays visit the general use beach area, but we felt we lucked out that day.  Saw lots of miniature fish.

 

As we walked to and from the encounter area of Blue Lagoon, where the dolphins, stingrays, shark, sea lions, we saw fish, conch, crabs in the water.  That was interesting for all of us. 

 

We had a ferry boat ride to and from the island that took between 30-40 minutes.  None of us minded it.  We were to busy listening to the facts the boat personnel talked about over the speaker, looked at the water, the landscape, other boats, and the buildings.

 

[astridwilson]

What we did:

We took the number 10 bus to Goodman’s Bay beach for $1.50 each and arrived before 10AM.  Paid $40 for 2 chairs and an umbrella.  When we first arrived, the beach was very quiet, and they set up our chairs and umbrella.  An hour later, a large crowd from the cruise ship arrived and they set them up in front of us.  The water was beautiful, warm and crystal clear.  Great for swimming but not snorkeling.  We did see a starfish, a large conch coming out of his shell and a school of Jacks swam by.  The beach did have a lot of jet ski activity, banana boats etc.  by noon there were a lot of people from the 3 cruise ships in port.  So, at 12:30 we left and took a taxi for $20 (there were 4 of us) to Saunders beach.  We ate at KFC for $28 for the 4 of us.  Katy and I walked across the street and snorkeled for 45 minutes.  My husband and grandson were hot and tired and wanted to head back to the ship or we would have gone down to the main beach.  We did see lots of small fish and 3 barracudas just across the street, but this is not a swimming beach area.  It was alongside a busy road.  Which is why we chose Goodman’s over Saunders.  The main beach did look nice and there was really no one there.  I wish we had chosen Saunders first.  We then headed back to the cruise port via another taxi for $20.  We could have waited for a bus but didn’t.  We did a little cruise port shopping and headed back to the ship.  

 

This trip cost us a total of $116 for bus, taxis and lunch.  We could have saved $28 if we had waited on a bus. The Blue lagoon excursion with lunch would have cost us $310

Edited June 14 by astridwilson

[perfect match]

@jean87510, did you book Sun Cay specifically or Pearl Island? 

We just booked Utopia in January and I spotted an excursion to Sun Cay featuring an underwater sculpture garden that looked interesting. I checked Google maps and it appeared that Sun Cay and Pearl island and Sun Cay were exactly the same place. 
 

I’m wondering what’s going on there. We have not been to Pearl Island but friends with similar taste to ours have and loved it. However, the Pearl Island that they visited did not bear any resemblance at all to the island you recently visited! 😱 Sounds like they may have made some major changes on the island beyond the island’s name, changes I know we would not enjoy any more than you did. Your description may have just saved me from a pricy excursion DH and both would have totally hated! 
 

It kind of sounds to me they’re now marketing to the short cruise, weekend party crowd. We’re booked on Utopia 
 

Here’s a screenshot of the sculpture garden excursion that caught my attention. Did you see or hear of anything like the sculptures picture in this excursion description?

 

Edited Friday at 10:04 PM by perfect match
Picture wasn’t showing

[jean87510]

2 hours ago, perfect match said:

@jean87510, did you book Sun Cay specifically or Pearl Island? 

We just booked Utopia in January and I spotted an excursion to Sun Cay featuring an underwater sculpture garden that looked interesting. I checked Google maps and it appeared that Sun Cay and Pearl island and Sun Cay were exactly the same place. 
 

I’m wondering what’s going on there. We have not been to Pearl Island but friends with similar taste to ours have and loved it. However, the Pearl Island that they visited did not bear any resemblance at all to the island you recently visited! 😱 Sounds like they may have made some major changes on the island beyond the island’s name, changes I know we would not enjoy any more than you did. Your description may have just saved me from a pricy excursion DH and both would have totally hated! 
 

It kind of sounds to me they’re now marketing to the short cruise, weekend party crowd. We’re booked on Utopia 
 

Here’s a screenshot of the sculpture garden excursion that caught my attention. Did you see or hear of anything like the sculptures picture in this excursion description?

 

ok, those sculptures are in Grenada not Sun cay.

 

I went snorkeling with my husband at Pearl Island in 2023 and it was completely different experience so not sure if we went to a different area of the island off a boar as it was off an excursion that also went to Rose Island.  The snorkeling a couple of weeks ago was dreadful.  

 

I would never go back there.  Complete waste of money.

[perfect match]

They looked like the sculptures in Grenada to me, but that excursion listing screenshot is from the cruise planner for my Utopia Jan 27 that only goes to Nassau and Coco Cay. 🤷‍♀️

 

I wasn’t aware of any sculpture installation like the Grenada one in Nassau, but I did get to snorkel on the Ocean Atlas sculpture in Nassau on my Allure cruise so I know that’s really there. Stingrays plus Ocean Atlas made that a fun snorkel. Here’s a link to Ocean Atlas.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ocean-atlas

 

The sculptor who created Ocean Atlas is the same sculptor who created the sculptures in Grenade, Jason deCaires Taylor. I thought I had found that he was working on a second project in Nassau but I can’t find it now.

 

I guess I was hoping that there was another sculpture installation added in Nassau. Perhaps the listing of the sculpture garden in Nassau is yet another Royal website glitch. Imagine that! 😂

 

The photos I’ve added are the Ocean Atlas sculpture taken May 1 this year. She’s definitely not at Sun Cay, or Pearl island, or whatever they’re calling the place now. Wish I was on scuba when I took those pictures.

 

 

Edited Sunday at 05:56 AM by perfect match

[perfect match]

@jean87510, apparently there are now some underwater pirate sculptures new to Sun Cay as shown in this Trip Advisor listing. The price on the Royal. website was originally $159, now down to $125. I like the Victor price of $79 a lot better than Royal’ price. However, I’m not very impressed with the pirates or the experience you described on the island so, although I’m curious I don’t think I’m curious enough to book the excursion. Those pirates and the sunken plane are definitely not Jason deCaires sculptures! 
 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g147415-d25332201-SunCay_Sunken_Sculpture_Snorkel_Iguana_Encounter_with_Lunch-New_Providence_Island_.html

Edited Sunday at 06:28 AM by perfect match