Cruise line private islands compared: CocoCay, Castaway Cay, Ocean Cay, Half Moon Cay, Great Stirrup Cay, Celebration Key

At a glance

• Where: six cruise-line private destinations in the Bahamas, reached on short cruises from Florida.
• Typical trip: 3 to 7 nights (typical; lengths vary by line and ship).
• Cost to get ashore: the beach and basic food are usually part of your fare; water parks, cabanas and adults-only beaches are sold separately (see each line's page).
• Best months: roughly December to April is cooler and drier; May to October is hotter and wetter, with hurricane season June to November (typical; check a forecast close to sailing).
• Documents: a passport book for every traveler is the simplest answer; confirm entry rules on your line's page and on travel.state.gov.
• Safety: travel.state.gov lists The Bahamas at Level 2, "Exercise increased caution," with a crime risk indicator, issued 07/28/2026 .

Who it is for. Anyone choosing between short Bahamas cruises who wants to know which "private island" day is actually worth the price. Families with small children, couples who want a quiet beach and first-timers on a tight budget will each pick differently, and this guide is built to help you sort that out before you book.

The seven facts that decide the booking

1. Pier or tender matters. Most of these islands now have a pier (as commonly described), so there is no tender queue. Confirm on each line's page.
2. Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay lists free food (Snack Shack, Chill Grill, Skipper's Grill) and a free water park called Splashaway Bay, while the bigger Thrill Waterpark, the adults-only Hideaway Beach and Coco Beach Club are paid passes .
3. Disney's Castaway Cay is the one most often described as best for young children; Disney also uses Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point on Eleuthera. Confirm on disneycruise.disney.go.com.
4. MSC's Ocean Cay is a former sand-mining island turned marine reserve, so it leans toward beaches and snorkeling over rides (as commonly described; confirm on msccruisesusa.com).
5. Half Moon Cay (Holland America, a Carnival Corporation brand) is the quiet one; Holland America has marketed it under a "RelaxAway" name (as commonly described; confirm the current name on hollandamerica.com).
6. Great Stirrup Cay (NCL) has been upgraded with a pier in recent years (as commonly described; confirm on ncl.com).
7. Celebration Key (Carnival, Grand Bahama) is the newest, opened in 2025 (as commonly described; confirm on carnival.com).

Three free things

• Walk the beach at Harbor Beach on CocoCay. Photo subject: Harbor Beach and the pier at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
• Ride the tram at Castaway Cay to the far beaches. Photo subject: a Disney ship at the Castaway Cay pier.
• Walk Ocean Cay's lighthouse and beach. Photo subject: the lighthouse on Ocean Cay.

How the six differ in one minute. Royal Caribbean's CocoCay is the biggest on paper, with a list of named water slides, an adults-only beach and an overwater-cabana beach club, most of it paid . Disney's Castaway Cay is built around families, with beaches by age group (as commonly described). Ocean Cay is a reclaimed island with a lighthouse and a marine reserve, which suits snorkelers. Half Moon Cay is the low-key choice. Great Stirrup Cay is the easy NCL beach day. Celebration Key is the newest and designed for volume.

What the island will cost you. At most of these islands the beach, loungers and a basic lunch are part of the fare. What changes the bill is a water-park pass, a cabana, an adults-only beach pass or drinks. CocoCay's official page lists these passes by name but shows no prices, so the number you pay is the one in your booking account. Decide before you sail, because passes can sell out.

How to pick in two minutes.

• Kids under six: Castaway Cay or CocoCay (free Splashaway Bay).
• Kids seven to seventeen who want slides: CocoCay.
• Couples who want quiet: Half Moon Cay, Ocean Cay or CocoCay's Hideaway Beach (18+).
• Snorkelers: Ocean Cay.
• The newest facilities: Celebration Key.
• Lowest spend: any of them, if you stay in the free zone.

What to pack for any of them. Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, water shoes, a dry bag and a small amount of cash for vendors. Your passport. A printed copy of your booking.

Getting there. Short Bahamas cruises leave from Florida ports such as PortMiami, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral (typical). Parking at Port Everglades is posted at a daily maximum of $25 for stays over 12 hours, with no pre-payment .

What's not worth it. Buying passes you will not use, and booking a flight home the same morning your ship returns.

Three questions worth asking your line. Is the island a pier or a tender stop on my sailing? Which attractions are included, and which are sold separately? What is the policy if weather cancels the stop? The answers sit in your booking account and on the line's island page, and they matter more than any ranking. Ask them before you pay for passes.

A note on honesty. Where an official island page does not state a fact, we label it "as commonly described" and name the page to confirm on. Prices are blank in this guide unless an official page showed one.

Best time of year. Winter and spring are usually the comfortable window for a beach day, and summer brings heat, sudden showers and the risk of storms (typical). Check the forecast the week you sail.

Want the plan? The full guide has a chapter on each island, a six-island comparison table, a representative island day for each, short cruises from Florida, a points mini-playbook, a cost sheet and a printable page. Full guide: $4.99.

This is the free lite guide. The full day-by-day guide, with maps, photo stops, rain plans and the points playbook, is part of PerkJolt All-Access.