Honest Review of CocoCay Beach Cabanas
Are you considering booking one of the CocoCay beach cabanas at Royal Caribbean’s private island? Perfect Day at CocoCay is a beautifully developed island in the Bahamas, and it’s the perfect place to spend a beach day. With crystal clear water and soft, white sand, Coco Cay features beaches that are fit for a postcard.
Guests visiting the island on one of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ships will feel like they’ve stepped into paradise! If you’re debating renting one of the many cabanas on CocoCay, you’re probably wondering if they are worth the extra price. My family and I recently returned from a cruise on the Oasis of the Seas where we rented one of the Overwater Bungalows and a Coco Beach Club Cabana.
In this post, I’ll provide our honest review of these CocoCay beach cabanas. We’ll cover the amenities included in the cabanas as well some of the other locations for cabana rentals on the island. So, continue reading below for everything you need to know about the beach cabanas on Perfect Day at Cococay!
CocoCay Cabana Rental
Prior to our Royal Caribbean cruise, my family and I decided that we wanted to book a private cabana on the cruise line’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. We were traveling with a group of sixteen people, and the thought of rushing off the ship to find loungers together seemed like a nightmare. Since the cabanas typically hold a maximum of eight individuals each, we quickly realized that we were going to need two separate cabanas.
How much does a cabana cost at Coco Cay?
CocoCay offers cabana rentals in several different areas of the island for a wide range of prices. When you access the Cruise Planner in your Royal Caribbean account, you’ll notice a tab labeled Excursions. After choosing this option and narrowing down your search results to Perfect Day at CocoCay, you’ll find a list of the available cabanas with prices.
The cost of the cabanas tends to fluctuate depending on your ship and itinerary, especially during promotions like the Black Friday Sale. The cabana options and prices listed below are similar to those you should find in your cruise planner.
- Chill Island Cabanas: $400-$1300
- South Beach Cabanas: $400-$1300
- Oasis Lagoon Cabanas: $400-$1300
- Thrill Waterpark Cabanas: $700-$1600
- Coco Beach Club Cabanas: $1200-$2400
- Coco Beach Club Overwater Cabanas: $1500-$3500
My family and I ultimately chose to book a Coco Beach Club Cabana and a Coco Beach Overwater Cabana for our trip. Although these are the two most expensive options, you can really lower the cost when you are splitting the charge with other families.
CocoCay Cabana Map
After boarding the ship on embarkation day, I stopped by the Excursions Desk onboard to reserve specific cabanas for our group. We had already paid for the Cococay cabanas at the time of reserving them, but we wanted to make sure the two were near each other. If you look at a Cococay cabana map, you’ll notice (at the top) the overwater cabanas that are numbered 11-20 are close to the Coco Beach Club cabanas.
However, the floating cabanas numbered 1-10 are NOT near the Beach Club Cabanas. Luckily, I was able to reserve floating Cabana #11 and Coco Beach Club Cabana #27 for our trip. Since two Royal Caribbean cruise ships can be docked at Perfect Day at CocoCay at the same time, you will want to reserve your specific cabana number as soon as you can onboard.
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During our trip, most of the cabana numbers had already been chosen by passengers on another ship that was scheduled to be in port the same day as ours.
What’s Included?
Although the CocoCay cabanas are an extra charge themselves, they come with lots of amenities for guests. Some of the benefits to staying in one of the cabanas include:
- Towels – no need to check them out before getting off the ship
- Free bottled water
- Two floating beach mats
- Cabana attendant to order food and beverages
- Charging/ USB Outlet
If you purchased the Internet Package or a Beverage Package for your cruise, you’ll notice that both of these are accepted on Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Additionally, it’s important to note that the Thrill Waterpark Cabanas include admission into the waterpark while the Coco Beach Club Cabanas and Overwater Cabanas include access to the exclusive Coco Beach Club.
CocoCay Beach Club
The CocoCay Beach Club is an exclusive area of the island that includes its own special features. Guests who purchase a pass to the Coco Beach Club will find the following amenities available:
- Oceanfront infinity pool with in-pool loungers
- Private beach
- Poolside service
- Exclusive restaurant
- Beach loungers with umbrellas
- Clubhouse
- Floating maps
- Towels
Like the cabanas, the CocoCay Beach Club price fluctuates depending on the sailing you’re on. You’ll typically find the cost to be around $100 per person, but kids three years old and under are free of charge.
Additionally, the Coco Beach Club Restaurant is a dedicated restaurant for club guests. It includes an elevated menu with starters, entrees, and desserts. Guests particularly rave about the fresh lobster and the filet mignon that’s available!
Coco Beach Club Cabanas
The Coco Beach Club Cabanas sit on a quiet beach overlooking a shallow lagoon. Guests will find plenty of space in the beach area for playing with sand toys or building sandcastles.
The Coco Beach Club Cabanas feature six loungers, a sofa, and two chairs. In addition, each cabana offers a table with two chairs and a hammock. Guests will also find a mini fridge, towels, bottled water, storage space, locked storage, and two floating mats.
We loved the secluded feeling of the Coco Beach Club Cabanas as they were completely private, even from the neighboring cabana. They also provided really easy access to super clean restrooms nearby.
Our cabana attendant was amazingly attentive and super sweet. She made our visit completely stress free (even with toddlers) and spoiled us rotten! Some of the super helpful things our dedicated attendant did for us include:
- Took individual lunch orders for entrees
- Checked on us every twenty minutes for drink orders and requests
- Brought sand toys for the little kids
She also brought an appetizer sampler before lunch and a dessert sampler after we had finished eating.
Overall, the Coco Beach Club Cabanas are perfect for families with toddlers or young kids since they allow space to play in the sand and in the calm water. The service from the dedicated attendant was a huge bonus since we didn’t have to leave the cabana at all.
Royal Caribbean Overwater Cabana
The overwater cabanas on CocoCay come with a hefty price tag, but they pack in lots of fun! The overwater bungalows sit off a dock with unobstructed views of the ocean.
These cabanas feature plenty of seating, including
- a sectional sofa
- 2 cushioned chairs
- 4 loungers
- dining table with 4 chairs
Additionally, guests can sit or lounge on the overwater hammock. Our kids loved the hammock on the over-water cabanas almost as much as the private slide!
The overwater cabana came with unlimited bottled water, towels, a dedicated attendant, and even a freshwater shower. Our fridge came fully stocked, and we were able to take advantage of our deluxe drink package on CocoCay.
These floating cabanas provided a ton of space even with ten guests. The seating and amenities didn’t feel cramped at all. Our dedicated cabana attendant was amazingly helpful. He even provided a bucket so that we could keep the water slide wet for the kids.
The only downside to the overwater cabanas (other than the high cost) was that they aren’t ideal for toddlers. We felt the need to follow behind my two-year-old niece when she was in the floating cabana.
Even with a life jacket on, we were afraid that she may fall off the edge and into the water if we didn’t constantly monitor her. So, if you are traveling with really young kids, you may want to consider one of the CocoCay Beach Club Cabanas instead.
Are the cabanas at CocoCay worth it?
Overall, we found the cabanas at CocoCay to be worth the money. If you don’t want to splurge on the pricey overwater cabana, the Coco Beach Club Cabanas are a great option, especially with little kids.
Since our ship, Oasis of the Seas, was the second to arrive (behind Freedom of the Seas) at Coco Cay, we were worried the island would feel crowded. Renting beach cabanas allowed us to enjoy a mostly private beach and dining experience.
Is CocoCay Beach Club worth it?
Our cabana rentals came with free access to the CocoCay Beach Club. This exclusive area features its own restaurant, pool, and beach. Since we spent the majority of our time in our cabanas, we didn’t utilize the Beach Club a lot. However, we did spend time at the infinity pool a few times during the day.
The pool provided beautiful beach views and heated water, which was a huge bonus in December. It also wasn’t ever crowded at all! Even the in-water loungers were available for most of the day. For a detailed list of what to pack for your island visit to CocoCay, you can check out our Cruise Packing Guide. In that post we provide a list of cruise essentials to get you through the whole trip.
Final Thoughts on Beach Cabanas at CocoCay
Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay truly feels like paradise. The private island is full of so many fun activities and beaches that you’re never at a loss for things to do. If you’re searching for the most relaxing, luxurious day possible, the CocoCay beach cabanas are an ideal option.
With dedicated attendants, towels, bottled water, and comfortable seating, the cabanas provide a stress-free day in the Bahamas. And don’t forget to pack your snorkel gear as we saw several large lemon sharks and stingrays in the water by the CocoCay Beach Club! What do you think is the best CocoCay beach cabana? Comment below to share your thoughts!
I am interested in renting a Chill Island cabana for a September 2024 cruise. Price right now is reduced. Still $1000. Can you share a review of the Chill Island cabanas. They are three times the price of a “bed” rental. Is the cabana worth the price? We are a group of 8. Ty
Hi Donna,
I have not experienced a Chill Island Cabana, but maybe another reader will comment with their review. 🙂
We have 12 in our group but figure that the teens will probably not sit very much
If we book at cabana for 8 – can they touch base with us from time to time
or do you have to book the correct # for the cabanas
seems like a waste
Hi Jen,
If you book a cabana for 8, you’ll need to purchase access to the Beach Club for the other guests. Once you are all inside the Beach Club, most of you should be able to come and go to/from the cabana as you please. We were told that only ten people could be inside the cabana at once, so your entire group of 12 may not be allowed to hang out in the cabana at the same time. The pool and beach area really beautiful; though, so some of you could hang out there to keep your cabana numbers in the allowed limits. Hope you have a great time!!
Hi Shari:
So you were able to go to the shore excursion desk and request a specific floating cabana number? Our cruise is next year and I’ve contacted the shore excursion department but no one is giving me a straight answer. First they told me cabanas were assigned in order based on when they were booked. Then they told me it was completely at random. Just wanted clarification to see if it’s worth it to get in line at the excursion desk upon boarding.
Hey Andy,
Yes! When I went to the shore excursion desk, they let me choose a floating cabana AND a beach cabana. Since another ship was scheduled for CocoCay that day, some of those passengers had already chosen their cabanas. But the crew member showed me which ones were available and allowed me to choose. I’m not sure if you are going to Labadee as well, but I want to mention that it did NOT work the same way. Our beach bungalows on Labadee were first come first serve, and we weren’t able to request specific ones. Hope that helps and have a great trip!
Hi – do you know that depth of the water? Can we leave the cabana and swim to shore? Or walk to shore and back?
Hi Bess,
I’m not sure the exact depth of the water, but you can swim from the cabana to the shore. Our kids did this multiple times. They also enjoyed using the included floating mats to go back and forth. Additionally, you can walk to the shore and back as many times as you like. Hope you have a great time!
Thanks, Shari, for your thorough, informative review. You mention chasing after your two-year-old niece on a floating cabana. But looking at RC’s website for our family cruise next summer, we noticed that kids under four aren’t allowed in cabanas. We’ve tried booking a Coco Beach Club cabana for that cruise, and when we enter the names of our two toddlers, the website tags them “ineligible due to age.” Is this a new policy? Or is the policy perhaps not strictly enforced on-site? It seems odd, doesn’t it, that RC has no problem charging full fare for these tots but would deny them comfortable shelter from the sun at Coco Cay?
Hi Jack,
Great question! My family and I were also confused about the ages for the cabanas. This is what we determined: Royal Caribbean doesn’t include kids under age 4 in their headcount for the cabanas. So, as long as the toddlers are three and under, they are welcome to join you in the cabana. You don’t need to include them in your guest count. Only guests aged 4 and older should be counted. Hope that helps and have a great trip!
Hey, Shari, you rock. Thanks so much. Super-helpful and makes our day. We can now relax knowing our whole tribe will enjoy Coco Cay. Have a great weekend!
The prices for cabanas vary wildly from ship to ship and itinerary. After reading your blog we got really excited and went to check out our sailing WOS and the same cabanas at Chill beach are 1300.00 for our trip, very dissapointing 🙁
Hi Andrea,
Oh, wow that’s a lot!! I’m not sure when you’re cruising but continue checking the prices. We booked our cabanas about 8 months in advance when the price was lower. The cost of the cabanas rose quite a bit, but it went down again with the Black Friday Sale. That being said, I think the cruise industry has really started to pick up again, so the cheaper prices that were once available may be a thing of the past. You will LOVE Coco Cay with or without a cabana though! It’s such a beautiful island! Hope you have a wonderful trip!
Have experienced the same. Oasis of the Seas 9/3/2023, over water cabana
$3499. Whaaat ! That’s insane especially considering that most all kids are
Back in school
George
What in the world! We just cruised three months ago, and our cabana prices weren’t anywhere near that much! I updated the post above with the prices you and Andrea listed. Hopefully that’s as high as they go. I’ll cross my fingers for you that they drop before your sail date!
Just booked Allure for 12/15/23. Over water cabanas are $1799 for that sailing.
We just booked a beach cabana for our November 2024 trip (at the time of this post, it is June 2023). The cost is $3,499 and the over the water cabanas are $4,099! We are watching it daily to see if the price decreases. If so, we’ll cancel our reservation and rebook at the lower price. Wishful thinking, I know.
You do not even have to pack your snorkel gear, it is included when you rent a beach club cabana according to the website you can just ask your attendant. Or at least that is what the RC website says, excited to try it out. We have an overwater cabana booked for our first cruise in April! Doing lots of research!
Hi Tess,
I completely missed that! My kids aren’t really into snorkeling yet, but that’s so good to know for future trips. You’re going to LOVE the cabana!! And the group next to us had a ball snorkeling, so you should be able to see a lot of great marine life. Have a great trip!