Royal Caribbean’s private island of CocoCay, Bahamas is the perfect beach day. Since undergoing improvements in 2016, travelers have even more options to enjoy the surf and sand on the island. One of the newest additions are Beach Bungalows. Located on a new section of South Beach, these bungalows offer some exclusive amenities. We jumped at the opportunity to try one of these bungalows when we discovered a pre-cruise discount in our cruise planner. Here is our review of the CocoCay, Bahamas Beach Bungalow.
CocoCay, Bahamas Beach Bungalow Review
On our last trip to CocoCay, we were celebrating our 8 year anniversary. Given the occasion, we were already looking for ways to enhance our time ashore. Reviewing the different options for tours and excursions, we stumbled upon a deal in our cruise planner for the beach bungalow. Saving over 25% off the then advertised price (which is currently priced at $254), we saw it as a sign to reserve a bungalow.
What attracted us to the bungalows were all the additional perks. The ability to seek some shade and comfort inside the bungalow while still having access to beach loungers appealed to me. Not to mention the floating mats. The shade and four bottles of water provided had the Princess ready to upgrade our stay.
Beachfront Beach Bungalow
Beachfront Beach BungalowAnother nice feature is the catered lunch delivered to the bungalow. Before your call into CocoCay, you will find a lunch menu in your stateroom. We recommend you fill it out and return it to the shore excursions desk ASAP. When you return the form, you also get to pick out the location of your bungalow. This is very important, as not all of the bungalows are directly on the water. We were a bit late to the game and did not get one of the premier bungalow locations. Still, our bungalow was only a few steps from the water, bar, and other facilities. So, we are not complaining.
View from Our Bungalow
View from Our BungalowAll of the bungalows and beach beds are located in a roped off private area of South Beach. This includes access to a private bar. This was ideal when needing our CocoLoco fixes throughout the day. The location of the bungalows is also close to two other bars, including the floating bar. While we waded out to this popular spot, we ended up returning to land and getting drinks at our less busy private bar.
Private Bar on South Beach
Private Bar on South BeachAlong with the bar, the bungalow area has access to separate bathrooms and even transportation. Yes, since this beach is the farthest from the tender station possible, Royal Caribbean offers transportation to and from the area, if desired, on the aptly named Cocolimo.
A Perfect Beach Day
To make the most of our time ashore, we were on the first tender to the island. With few other cruisers around, we got to enjoy a leisurely walk to the bungalows, snapping some great photos sans people along the way. It took a while for the fellow cruisers onboard to catch up with us. It felt like we had the place all to ourselves for close to two hours. Even when the remaining passengers arrived, it was quite peaceful.
Part of the Private Area of South Beach
Part of the Private Area of South BeachAs requested, our lunch came right around 12:15pm. This lunch is only one dining option for those in the Beach Bungalows. The island’s barbecue buffet is another option if you do not find anything on the catered lunch menu that you like. Our selections, which included the tacos, grilled chicken sandwich, and nachos, were more that enough food for the two of us. Having dined at the buffet lunch many times before, we were more than happy to enjoy our catered lunch in the laid back atmosphere of our bungalow.
Lunch at our Beach Bungalow
Lunch at our Beach Bungalow
After close to five hours of living the high life, the Princess and I decided to call it quits. Again, we opted to head back by foot, walking by parts of the nature trail as we returned to the tender station. Our day was surely a relaxing and stress free day. Now that we have enjoyed these accommodations, it might be tough to go back to just finding a random beach lounger on one of the public beaches.
Comments
Have you reserved a CocoCay, Bahamas Beach Bungalow? What is your take on these premium beach experiences on the island? Drop us anchor below to share your experiences on this Royal Caribbean private island.
My only concern about reserving a bungalow might be the weather. I’ve been at CocoCay, when the weather became stormy and the island was evacuated. Granted, once the pier is finished, tendering will be a thing of the past. Still, with the weather being unpredictable, I would be hesitant to reserve a bungalow. Depending on the cost, I would hate to spend the money for a day, only to have to pack up after a couple of hours because of lightning or strong winds making a beach day dangerous.
Hi! I love your reviews. I’m learning plenty. What’s the best way to use our smart phones on board?
Sounds like you go to the Caribbean during hurricane season! We go in January and February. No chance of bad weather those months.
My husband, and 2 daughters purchase the bungalow 2 times a yr for the last several several years. The food is great and we have only had one issue which was rectified immediately.
***Beware the service prior to all the changes at Cococay, price was to us was reasonable…now extreme cost close to 500 to 700 isn’t worth it. In the past it would be 169 to 250 for up to 6 ppl…new price not worth the cost. .most recent trip to coco cay was 4/2019…no place to walk in the shade…all the hammocks no longer on the island. Once you find a shady place to rest STAY PUT….after visiting the island we decided to return to the ship’s solarium…and spent 75% of our day on the FREE beach bed where we truly enjoyed ourselves….