Honest Review of Perfect Day at CocoCay

Are you searching for CocoCay reviews before an upcoming cruise? If your Royal Caribbean ship’s itinerary includes a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay, you’re in for a treat! Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas is truly a piece of paradise!

With white-sand beaches and crystal-clear water, Coco Cay is a beach lover’s dream come true. Perfect Day at CocoCay offers a lot more than warm water and sandy beach areas though. Cruisers visiting the island will find all sorts of dining options, activities, and pools to enjoy.

If it’s your first time visiting this beautiful private island destination, you’ll want to make sure you know all of the fun options available. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing beach day at the exclusive Coco Beach Club or you’re wanting some adrenaline packed fun at Thrill Waterpark, this guide to CocoCay has you covered. So, continue reading our full review of Perfect Day at CocoCay below to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the fun and excitement on the island!

Where is CocoCay located?

The island of CocoCay is one of the Berry Islands in the Bahamas. It sits just northwest of the capital and largest city in the Bahamas, Nassau. As your Royal Caribbean cruise ship pulls up to Perfect Day at CocoCay, you’ll notice another developed piece of land right nearby. Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay, sits right next to CocoCay.

As my family and I prepared to dock at CocoCay onboard the Oasis of the Seas, I couldn’t get over how tiny the island actually is. Compared to Great Stirrup Cay and Disney’s Castaway Cay, Perfect Day at CocoCay is a much smaller piece of land. That being said, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas offers plenty of space for enjoying pools, participating in activities, and playing in the sand!

Map of CocoCay

The Royal Caribbean ships are able to dock at Perfect Day at CocoCay, which means cruisers do not have to board tender boats in order to get to the island. Instead, you can walk right off the ship and get started on your private island experience. As you walk down the dock toward the island, you’ll immediately notice the colorful water slide tower from Thrill Waterpark along with the prominent sign for Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Cruisers will find live entertainment and helpful employees greeting them as they enter the island. We saw several trams available to take you to specific areas of the island that you wanted to visit. However, our family chose to walk while visiting CocoCay. This way, we could take in all the sights and sounds at our own pace.

The Perfect Day at CocoCay map shown above specifies the walking times from the entrance to popular areas of the island. As you can see from the map of CocoCay, most of the beach areas can be reached within a 5-10 minute walk.

CocoCay Beach Areas

If your goal for the day is to enjoy a picture perfect beach setting, Perfect Day at CocoCay offers plenty of options. Below, we will discuss the various CocoCay beach areas you’ll find on the island.

Chill Island

Guests will notice one of the beach areas, Chill Island, right after getting off of the ship since it sits just to the left of the entrance. Chill Island features a beautiful beach area that’s perfect for families to enjoy a beach day. Chill Island offers loungers and umbrellas that are available for free. Or you can purchase the use of a Chill Island Cabana or a Chill Island Day Bed in the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner prior to your visit.

Beachgoers in the Chill Island area have easy access to the complimentary dining option, Chill Grill. This large restaurant serves burgers, sandwiches, sides, etc. You can also order alcoholic beverages from Chill Grill, although; they cost extra if you don’t have the deluxe drink package.

Harbor Beach

Harbor Beach is a small lagoon style area with calm waters that you’ll pass on the way to Chill Beach. It offers loungers and umbrellas along with easy access to Skipper’s Grill, which is another complimentary dining option on the island.

Breezy Bay

Breezy Bay at Chill Island is located just a short walk from the large Oasis Lagoon Pool. It features beautiful ocean views, and it overlooks some of the floating cabanas.

Breezy Bay Day Bed rentals are available in the Cruise Planner, or you can use the free loungers on the beach. Cruisers choosing to spend their time at Breezy Bay can conveniently enjoy lunch at Chill Grill or at the pool’s Snack Shack.

South Beach

South Beach is the large beach area located on the far side of the island. Since it is roughly a 12-minute walk from the island’s entrance, this beach is often less crowded than the closer beaches.

South Beach features both cabanas and day beds available for rent. It also offers loungers and umbrellas for guests. South Beach features its own complimentary dining option, the Snack Shack, which serves things like hotdogs, burgers, mozzarella sticks, salads, etc. This is a great beach for active families since it sits super close to the sports activities like volleyball, soccer, and basketball.

Coco Beach Club

The exclusive Coco Beach Club is available to guests for an additional charge. This is a great option for those wanting a more secluded setting at Perfect Day at CocoCay. The Coco Beach Club features a private beach, infinity pool, and specialty restaurant that are all reserved for Beach Club guests. The private beach area offers lounge chairs and umbrellas.

You can also rent Coco Beach Club Cabanas and Overwater Cabanas for an additional charge. If you’re considering a cabana rental at Coco Beach Club, I highly recommend reading our full review in our post on CocoCay Beach Cabanas. In that article, we provide a full picture tour of both cabanas and include our thoughts on which one to choose!

The Coco Beach Club infinity pool was fairly empty during our visit. It’s also important to note that the pool water was heated during our December sailing. The Coco Beach Club menu includes an extensive list of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. They are all included with your Coco Beach Club access, even the lobster and filet mignon!

Coco Cay Pool Areas

Perfect Day at Coco Cay is home to several pools and water play areas. As mentioned above, the Coco Beach Club features an infinity pool for guests who have access to this exclusive area.

Additionally, guests will find pool areas in the Thrill Waterpark section of the island. Although, both the Adventure Pool and the Wave Pool require tickets to Thrill Waterpark in order to access them.

Oasis Lagoon Pool

If you’re looking for a free pool to use on the island, you’ll want to check out the Oasis Lagoon Pool. This massive pool is known as the Caribbean’s largest freshwater pool.

It features a swim-up bar and tons of lounge chairs with umbrellas. Cruisers can also rent Oasis Lagoon Cabanas in the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner prior to their visit. The Oasis Lagoon Pool is the largest pool on the island, and it provides plenty of space for families to cool off in the water.

Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill’s Galleon

If you are cruising with younger kids, you’ll want to check out Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill’s Galleon for some splash pad fun! These water play areas sit next to Thrill Waterpark, just off the entrance to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Splashaway Bay features water slides for younger kids who are 36 inches or taller. Captain Jill’s Galleon is a pirate ship replica complete with climbing features and water cannons.

These two water play areas are conveniently located near Skipper’s Grill and Captain Jack’s. So, if you work up an appetite or need a cold beverage while watching the little ones, you have plenty of options!

Thrill Waterpark

Thrill Waterpark is a super popular section of Perfect Day at CocoCay that offers pools, water slides, and more! Cruisers who would like to experience Thrill Waterpark can purchase tickets in the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner prior to their visit. Note that the prices for the waterpark tend to fluctuate, so check back often to reprice yours in case it goes down.

Thrill Water Park offers lots of water slides; although, most of them have a height requirement of 42-48 inches. So, if you are traveling with smaller kids, you may want to take that into consideration before purchasing your tickets. Some of the water slides you’ll find at Thrill Waterpark include:

• Daredevil’s Peak
• Dueling Demons
• Screeching Serpent
• Green Mamba
• Manta Racers
• The Slingshot
• The Twister
• Splash Speedway

Thrill Waterpark also offers a giant wave pool and an Adventure Pool complete with a ropes course. Guests will find chairs with umbrellas available for free in this area, or you can rent Thrill Waterpark Cabanas prior to your visit.

Like Oasis Lagoon Pool and South Beach, Thrill Waterpark also features a Snack Shack where guests can order complimentary food during their visit. Alcoholic drinks are also available here for an additional charge unless you have the deluxe drink package.

More CocoCay Activities

If you prefer to spend your day in paradise partaking in activities other than the beaches, pools, and waterpark, you’ll find plenty of options available on Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Some of the additional CocoCay activities you’ll find on the island include:

• Up Up and Away Helium Balloon Ride
• Zip Line
• Sports Court
• Scuba Diving
• Water Sports like Jet Skis
• Snorkeling
• Kayaking
• Floating Beach Mats

Note that most of these activities come with height and/or age requirements, so you’ll want to make sure that you are within these guidelines before booking.

Perfect Day at CocoCay FAQ

Readers often see CocoCay pictures online and want to know all about the beautiful island. So, we are including the most frequently asked questions about Perfect Day at CocoCay below:

When was CocoCay built?

The original CocoCay, also known as Little Stirrup Cay, was used by Royal Caribbean over 25 years ago. In 2018, the island underwent a $250 million renovation and was re-named Perfect Day at CocoCay. Most of the new CocoCay opened in the spring of 2019, with the Coco Beach Club debuting in early 2020.

Is CocoCay worth it?

Yes! Our large group of sixteen had an incredible time at Perfect Day at CocoCay. I highly recommend choosing an itinerary that visits this beautiful island.

Can you visit Coco Cay without a cruise?

Unfortunately, no. Perfect Day at CocoCay is only accessible through a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. You cannot visit the island on your own.

Do drink packages work on CocoCay?

Yes. The beverage packages you purchased in your Cruise Planner work both on the ship AND on Royal Caribbean’s private islands (Labadee and CocoCay).

Where do CocoCay employees live?

CocoCay employees live on the island. Our cabana attendant at the Coco Beach Club explained that hundreds of employees live on Perfect Day at CocoCay. Since they typically host at least one ship per day, the employees at CocoCay rarely experience the island without cruise passengers.

Final Review of CocoCay

Overall, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas is the perfect place to spend a day. CocoCay is full of lots of activities and entertainment options for guests of all ages. It’s also a great place to relax on sandy beaches with beautiful, clear water. No matter where you choose to spend your day, you should be able to find plenty of complimentary dining options available.

If you’re lucky enough to be on the island for an extended amount of time, you can even try out multiple fun activities and beach areas! My family and I loved our time on Perfect Day at CocoCay so much that we would love to experience an itinerary with multiple stops at this picture perfect island in paradise!

You can read more about our visit to CocoCay and our stops in Labadee, San Juan, and St. Thomas in our post, Oasis of the Seas 7 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise!

What activities are you looking forward to experiencing on CocoCay? Comment below to share with us!