Sarah Bretz, ContributorHidden away on Royal Caribbean’s island Perfect Day at CocoCay is a beach club open only to those who purchase access to it. With limited availability, it offers a quieter atmosphere complete with an elevated restaurant, heated infinity pool, and plenty of space on the beach. But is it worth the cost? We help you decide whether the value is there for Coco Beach Club.
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Coco Beach Club on Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay – Is it worth it?
What is Coco Beach Club?
To see if it’s worth the cost, we first need to go over exactly what Coco Beach Club is. Coco Beach Club is an exclusive area on Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay. It’s only accessible to those who purchase a Coco Beach Club day pass. The club is located south of the pier where the ships dock, just across on the other side of the island.
While everyone who gets off the ship is welcome to use the public beaches on CocoCay, Royal Caribbean limits the amount of passes it sells to the Coco Beach Club to just a few hundred. Even with just one ship in port, that means there are at least well over a thousand (if not a few thousand) guests on other parts of the island. Not to mention how many people there are when there’s two ships docked. This makes Coco Beach Club a great spot for those who want to enjoy a more laid-back, peaceful beach day.
Coco Beach Club is open to guests of all ages. Babies and toddlers under three years old get in for free. For an adults-only experience on CocoCay, Royal Caribbean has Hideaway Beach which debuts in January 2024.
What’s included in Coco Beach Club?
A day pass to the Coco Beach Club includes:
- Access to the exclusive beach and heated oceanview infinity pool
- Dining at the sit-down Coco Beach Club restaurant
- Coffee and pastries in the morning
- Buffet-style salads and light bites throughout lunchtime
- Use of beach chairs, umbrellas, and daybeds
- Use of premium quality beach towels
- Use of floating mats and lifejackets
- Bar service from your seat
If you have a drink package on the ship, it applies to the bars on CocoCay as well — including at Coco Beach Club.
Coco Beach Club also features beach cabanas and overwater cabanas that are available to rent. The cost of renting one includes access to Coco Beach Club for up to eight guests. For the purposes of this article, we aren’t going to factor in whether renting a cabana is worth the cost. Instead, we are focusing on the standard club cost only — which brings us to our next point…
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How much does Coco Beach Club cost?
Royal Caribbean utilizes dynamic pricing for a pass to Coco Beach Club. This means that there’s no set price that applies to all ships visiting the island at any time of year. Instead, the cost fluctuates based on just about any factor that Royal Caribbean chooses to consider, such as what ship(s) is in port, how high demand is, and the time of year. To see the exact cost for access to the beach club on your sailing, log into your Royal Caribbean cruise planner to view the price.
With that being said, many passengers who have both already sailed and are booked on upcoming voyages have shared the price of Coco Beach Club for their particular cruise, giving us an idea of the vast range of pricing.
Based on our findings, it appears that the ship you’re sailing and the time of year will have a big impact on how much a pass will cost for Coco Beach Club. If your ship is one of Royal Caribbean’s newest and most popular vessels (such as Wonder or Icon of the Seas), chances are good that Coco Beach Club will cost at least $200 per person (and likely more).
Expect it to be around $300 during peak season, including during the summer and over school breaks. On a smaller, older ship and/or during a slower season, you might find that beach club pricing is in the $100 to $200 range.
If you’re interested in Coco Beach Club but can’t justify those types of prices, there is a silver lining. Passes are often included in Royal Caribbean’s sales such as Black Friday, with the line previously offering access for half off the list price. So if Coco Beach Club is a sought-after part of your vacation, keep an eye on sales that the cruise line is running. And check your account every so often to see if the pricing has dropped.
Is Coco Beach Club worth the price?
As with anything, considering whether something is “worth the cost” is quite subjective to the individual in question. In our opinion, the real value for Coco Beach Club is in its less-crowded, more peaceful atmosphere and elevated cuisine. For example, the restaurant menu at Coco Beach Club includes filet mignon and lobster — dishes you certainly won’t find at the lunch buffet on the island.
And even though kids are welcome at the club, chances are high you won’t find very many. Why? Because many parents won’t see the value in paying extra for access to a beach club for their kids when it likely won’t be as appealing to them as the Thrill Waterpark, Splashaway Bay splash waterpark, the sports courts, and the casual more kid-friendly food in those areas anyway.
Looking at what’s included in Coco Beach Club, many passengers see enough value in those perks to make the cost worth it. And when the price is lower, we’d be more likely to agree — especially if we can snag a pass for under $100 per person. However, a full-priced pass is getting more difficult to justify for the average cruiser.
If you’re sailing as a couple and passes are $200 per person, you’re paying $400 total for the privilege of some elevated food, a quieter atmosphere, and access to an infinity pool and less-crowded beach. And that’s not even for a full day, technically, it’s just for as long as the ship is in port. (For reference, most port calls at CocoCay last for 10 hours.) That’s $40 per hour for a couple on an island where there are other free beaches, food options, and activities.
Coco Beach Club doesn’t even include free drinks. If you have the drink package they will be included, but that applies to the rest of the island as well. Many Royal Caribbean ships have pools that are actually adults-only. And if you want a more upscale lunch or dinner you can get several specialty meals on the ship out of that $400.
Conclusion
Like we said, value is subjective and there will be opinions across the board. But for us, the current pricing trends for Coco Beach Club aren’t worth it unless you can snag a really good discount. Our advice is to enjoy Perfect Day at CocoCay for the crazy fun beach day that it is. Then, hit up the solarium and specialty restaurants back on the ship during the rest of your cruise vacation.
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Comments
Do you agree with our thoughts on the Coco Beach Club on Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay? Do you think the cost of this exclusive retreat is starting to outweigh the value? Drop us an anchor below to share your thoughts on the pricing for activities at Royal Caribbean’s private island.
