I went to Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas. It wasn’t for me, but I can see why cruise-goers love it.

Royal Caribbean isn’t the only cruise line with a private island in the Bahamas. Carnival, Disney, Norwegian, and Princess Cruises each have their own Bahamian paradise, according to Cruise Critic.

Many Royal Caribbean cruise itineraries include a stop here. 

Admiral Cruises, a company Royal Caribbean acquired in 1988, leased the island until 2050 in 1985, according to Royal Caribbean. In 2019, the island got a $250 million makeover.

Two Royal Caribbean ships can dock at CocoCay at the same time. Here’s what it’s like to visit.

I thought the band set the relaxed, Caribbean vibe as I walked off the dock.

Guests could munch on burgers, hot dogs, salads, and cookies on the island. 

Other excursions like zip-lining, snorkeling, and hot-air balloon rides also incurred an additional price.

Green leads to Chill Island, orange leads to Oasis Lagoon, and blue leads to Thrill Waterpark.

I thought the tram was a nice touch, but I preferred getting around on foot.

Chill Island is the place for a laid-back day on a lounge chair in the sand. It has the quietest beach on CocoCay, with no music. It’s full of umbrellas and chairs, which are all free to use.

According to Royal Caribbean, the island has 6,000 lounge chairs and 12,000 umbrellas.

If you want to be extra chill, you can rent a daybed on the beach.

These floating cabanas cost $1,000 to rent, according to the cruise line.

Luckily, your cruise ship drink package extends to CocoCay.

Here, you’ll find plenty of outdoor activities, like basketball, volleyball, and even life-size billiards. 

This includes lockers for your change of clothes and valuables.

This could be especially useful for families traveling with kids.

I went snorkeling at Chill Island and saw some pretty cool fish.

I spotted T-shirts and essentials like sunscreen for sale.

It is home to the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean, according to the cruise line.

There’s also a swim-up bar.

The playground looks just like the Splashaway Bay found on Royal Caribbean ships. It is free for guests.

This area of the island hosts all the waterslides and the wave pool. Access can cost up to $140.

Unfortunately, the winds were too high for the balloon to be used when I visited. 

In the distance, I could see some of the other 700 Bahamian islands, and I wondered what it would be like to visit them.

Since I’m not into the thrills of waterslides and zip lines, I would have rather spent time on a Bahamian island where I could have learned more about the culture.