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You'll also find many of your Disney friends ashore in their best beach attire, so the cruise ship magic continues on island. Half Moon Cay — located in the Bahamas, about 100 miles southeast of Nassau — is owned by Carnival Corporation and plays host to both Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America ships. Private islands are a cruise fan favorite and are stops on the majority of Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries. Set your expectations correctly and you're sure to have a relaxing day on the beach. Triton’s Trumpet Stage will be the site of family entertainment on the island.
Pros and cons of cruise line private islands
My favorite things on the lunch menu are the ribs and macaroni salad. This peaceful chair-lined beach is a quiet spot away from the family beach, where I can sit back and enjoy the view or take a chair down to the water and let the waves crash over me. Mix up your water intake with some of the sports drinks at the soda machines to keep your electrolytes up. That means it will likely be either pleasant or hot during your visit to Castaway Cay. Make use of those complimentary beach umbrellas and shaded trams when journeying out to Serenity Bay.
Castaway Cay: A guide to Disney Cruise Line's private island - The Points Guy
Castaway Cay: A guide to Disney Cruise Line's private island.
Posted: Thu, 25 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Serenity Bay is heaven for adults
Some islands also offer amusements like zip lines and water parks, kiddie play areas and rental cabanas of varying levels of luxury. Available shore excursions may include options like swimming with stingrays, jet ski rides and snorkeling. Dining is included during your visit to Castaway Cay, and Cookie’s BBQ and Cookie’s Too serve as the island’s two main dining venues. Located near each of the family beaches, these eateries serve up summertime favourites like cheeseburgers, barbecued chicken, fresh salads, and fruit beneath shady pavilions. Serenity Bay BBQ serves similar fare on the adults-only stretch of the island.
Another Disney island destination is in the works
Disney’s private island has several bathrooms, which are easily accessible to guests. The island’s bathrooms are clean and pleasant, with modern fixtures that make it easy to freshen up after swimming or lounging on the beach. There are also a few outdoor showers around Castaway Cay so visitors can rinse off before returning to their ship. The island is too small to accommodate more than one Disney cruise ship, so only one ship may dock at a time. As a result, Disney Cruise Line passengers can enjoy the lush landscape and turquoise waters of the island without worrying about overcrowding. Over the past decade, I've taken eight Disney cruises with my family and friends.
If you're interested in water sports, Disney offers a selection of rentals on Boat Beach. This is where you'll find all the larger water sports gear available to rent, such as water bikes and kayaks. The closest family beach to the ship is near the Scuttle's Cove kids area and tram stop. Its highlight is the Pelican Plunge floating water play area, with a splash area and dump bucket, water cannons and two slides (a tube slide and an open slide). Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay is located in the Bahamas, near Great Abaco island. It's 225 nautical miles from Port Canaveral, home port of several Disney cruise ships.
fun facts about Disney Castaway Cay
Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Note that most Castaway Cay weddings take place in the morning, and the reception will be held back on board. In case of inclement weather or the ship's failure to dock at the island, your wedding might need to be rescheduled to an onboard location. The floating ropes course and Pelican Plunge water slides are also fun diversions for families and gives you something to do besides swimming that doesn't involve spending money. Because I go to Disney World every day, people want to know if I still... Great Stirrup Cay, which is owned and operated by NCL, is a tender port that stretches across 250 acres in the Bahamas, about 140 miles east of Miami.
Castaway Cay has its own post office
Towel return bins are located throughout the island, but I didn't see anywhere by the beaches to swap out a wet towel for a dry one. Right by the Pelican Point tram stop, Summertime Freeze serves up smoothies and alcoholic frozen drinks in "Frozen"-themed souvenir cups. Despite being the same size, Serenity Bay cabanas are priced for just four guests at $493.90 for the day; additional guests up to 10 total will pay $56 each over the base rate.
Kids must be signed up with the onboard youth club before they visit, and admission is complimentary and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Island youngsters will especially love Monstro Point, a play area that looks like a giant whale bone excavation site. Many guests get off the ship and head straight to the island’s two expansive family beaches.
Everything You Need to Know About Castaway Cay, Disney's Private Island
The island experiences pleasant temperatures all year round, ranging from lows of 66°F to highs of 90°F during the hottest months of July and August. Located right next to the ship, Family Beach is the largest and most active beach on Castaway Cay. It offers stunning crystal blue water and complimentary beach chairs, umbrellas, and hammocks. There are many activities and attractions on Disney’s private island of Castaway Cay, some of which are free, and some require an additional fee. While trams offer safe transportation around Castaway Cay, many guests prefer to walk around the island and enjoy its natural beauty. Castaway Cay’s main beach, Family Beach, offers many activities, such as a 2,400-square-foot floating water play area with slides called Pelican Plunge and the Spring-a-Leak splash pad for kids.
You can easily visit Castaway Cay and not spend any additional money at all. Safety is always the first consideration – although when it happens it is disappointing when the ship can’t dock. The transformation of Castaway Cay into Disney’s Private Island paradise took around 18 months and cost $25 million. To create the Castaway Cay dock, a 1,700-foot channel around 35 feet deep needed to be created.
Even with all the construction, the space still feels natural and untouched -- a far cry from some of the more gimmicky private islands operated by other cruise lines. Most major cruise lines either have their own private islands or share one with other brands under the same corporate umbrella. (The only one that doesn't is Celebrity Cruises.) Some of the islands are owned by the lines that visit them, while others are leased by the lines from the countries that own them. No need for that tedious tender boat process that many other cruise line private islands have.
Stay tuned for more details about inaugural itineraries, signature entertainment, dining, retail and excursions, and additional information. Lighthouse Point’s interactive family water play area will include two slides, water drums, fountains and more. Even though the island is home to an airstrip dating back to the 1960s, there are no commercial flights into or out of Disney’s island.
The island is known for its stunning pink sand beaches, and Disney is working closely with Bahamian artists and advisors to best honor the natural beauty and culture of the Bahamas. Off the main family beach, you’ll spy a floating platform with two water slides that empty you into the sea. Line up single file, then once you get to the top, you can pick between the 140-foot-long slide or the enclosed corkscrew-style slide. Life jackets are readily available and required for children; the water surrounding Pelican Plunge is deep so you’ll want to supervise younger kids or anyone who isn’t a strong swimmer.
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