There’s arguably no group of ports more popular than the cruise lines’ private islands. Now technically not all of them are islands, but you know what I mean. Those private ports dedicated to cruise passengers.
Are they some spot of cultural enlightenment? Are they the sort of place that expand your horizons and make you realize just how we’re all part of the human race and there should be more love and understanding in the world?
Erm… no.
But sometimes, you just want to sit with your butt in a chair, toes in the sand, and a drink in your hand and damned if the cruise lines don’t have that down to a science.
So who is the best? I’ll take you down from 10 to 1, right now.
One Note About Rankings
Ok, before I get started, just a couple of things to clear up. First, I’m ranking those private ports where only specific lines sail, whether it’s run by the cruise or not. The agreements behind these can get complex, but if it’s meant only for some cruise line passengers, then it’s eligible. It’s not just spots run by the cruise lines.
As well, these rankings are based on places I’ve personally visited, which is most — but not all — of the private islands. So if I haven’t visited, I haven’t included them.
That’s actually only a few, but includes Labadee (which passengers can’t even visit right now if they wanted), Half Moon Cay and Castaway Cay.
That said, let’s start with the #10 private destination on my list, and that’s Amber Cove.
#10: Amber Cove
Now I want to be clear, just because something is low in my rankings doesn’t mean it’s bad. To me private destinations are kind of like pizza, even when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good.
But there are definitely some that I think are better than others.
Amber Cove — which is a Carnival destination — has a ton going for it. There’s all the staples of a classic private destination. There’s a pool, splashpad, cabana rentals, shopping, all sorts of rentals. But to me it’s far from the best destination.
When you think of a cruise line stop in the Caribbean, you think of beach. Not here. There’s no beach access at the port and the water isn’t that great either.
I think Puerto Plata, which is about five miles away, is a neat port with tons of culture and history. I loved going here. But Amber Cove sits in the middle of nothing, and the taxi rates to get to town are sky high.
Plus, if you decide to stay in port, well, you’re going to have to shell out extra for food, and it ain’t cheap.
#9: Grand Turk
Coming in at #9, I’ve got arguably the spot with the coolest photo opp of a cruise ship you’ll ever see, and that’s Grand Turk.
The pier sits at an angle to the beach, and you dock literally within a football field of the shore. The result is that you take a dip, and the ship is right there. It’s one of the coolest things you’ll see.
Now, Grand Turk isn’t completely for the use of Carnival brands, as Virgin Voyages and Royal Caribbean do occasionally dock here. But for the most part you’ve got to sail Carnival or one of its sister lines if you want to visit.
The spot has some of the most beautiful sand and water you’ll find, although some areas of the shore get pretty rocky. There is also a pool that you can swim in, but just know it’s a party atmosphere there. I do like that there is stuff to explore outside the gates, and taxis are pretty cheap if you want to go.
The drawback here is that the popular beach areas can get pretty crowded, or at least when I went and there were two ships in port. I always like a destination that has a little breathing room.
#8: Mahogany Bay
Next up in my rankings, I’m going all the way across the Caribbean to what I think is a sneaky good private port, and that’s Mahogany Bay in Roatan. Now Roatan is a neat spot to tour, so if you haven’t before, I highly recommend an excursion to get out and check it out. It has that older, laid-back Caribbean feel that a lot of ports are losing.
But if you just wanted to spend the day on the beach… well, I’d understand.
Let’s get the negatives out of the way first. For one, there’s no pool here, so if you don’t like salt water, you’re out of luck. As well, if you want anything to eat, it’s going to cost you out of pocket.
What I love, however, is how secluded the entire area feels. Sitting in a small cove with tons of trees, there are spots where you can’t even see the ship despite it being right there. The nature walk is a nice touch and most people skip it, but I think it’s a cool area to get out of the sun and also get away from the crowds.
Then there is the beach. Yes, it could be a little larger, but there’s lot of seating and shade, all wrapped around a perfect little cove. To me, the beach area just feels a big more Caribbean than something traditionally built by a cruise line.
#7: Virgin Voyages Beach Club
Of all the private spots on my list, #7 is the least visited, and that’s because it’s only visited by one cruise line that sails only a handful of ships. I’m talking of course about The Beach Club at Bimini from Virgin Voyages.
The Beach Club is a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Head out in the morning, and it’s quiet and chill. But in the afternoon it turns into a pool party with music bumping and the pool packed.
The good about the Beach Club is that it has a great beach and a great pool. When you just want to have the basics, it’s hard to beat that. And frankly, I feel like nailing those makes everything else pretty minor in comparison.
There is also food included on your day which is a plus, but I’ll be honest, when I visited I ordered completely wrong. I was a little adventurous, tried something that sounded interesting… and hated it.
The downside? It’s a relatively small carve out — the beachfront is only about 800 feet long. It doesn’t feel crazy crowded, but there’s not much to explore or see. Also, when you visit, it’s a bit of a way from the ship so you have to take a cart ride over and back. You can’t easily go back to the ship and then return.
#6: Harvest Caye
Number six on my list of the best private destinations is one that I feel like I hear the absolute least about, and honestly I’m not sure why.
Harvest Caye is NCL’s private island off the coast of Belize. So what’s the big deal here? First, I always like when you visit actual islands instead of a carve out of a bigger spot. To me, there’s just something unique about that.
There’s also a lot going on here. There are shops if you’re into that, but you also have multiple wide and sandy beach coves, and a pretty big pool. For kids, there’s a zipline and a splashpad, as well as sports on the beach. There’s also a unique wildlife exhibit you can walk through that’s completely shaded, which is a nice break from the sun.
On the downside, the water here isn’t the electric blue you find in The Bahamas. It’s a bit murky. But the big drawback is dining. There are multiple restaurants and they are independent of the cruise line. So if you get food on land, you’re paying tourist prices plus big taxes for the privilege. As in, expect to spend about $20 for a burger and drink.
So perfect? Not quite, but still pretty good.
#5: Princess Cays
You might have noticed that I give some special consideration to both pools and a destination being part of an actual island, which I think offers a lot more. So for a private spot to have neither of those, and still rank in my top five, it must be pretty special.
And maybe I just caught Princess Cays on a good day, but it stood out as a gem to me and quickly became one of my favorites.
Princess Cays really is all about the beach. This isn’t a spot where there are a million things to do, but there are some activities like a basketball court, a small kids area, and an observation deck.
But with more than a half-mile of beach and multiple coves, it really is all about the sand and water. And it’s absolutely perfect in those regards. The water is barely sloped meaning you can wade for a while without getting too deep. And the sand is just soft, and powdery white. It’s the best we’ve seen.
I think what really draws me here is that it feels like a classic old beach stop. It’s chilled and relaxing. Sometimes you just want that.
#4: Celebration Key
If there was an exact opposite of Princess Cays, it might be Celebration Key, my next ranked private destination on the list. That may seem like an oddity, but it’s two completely different experiences and which you’ll enjoy is going to depend on your mood.
Of the large destinations like Great Stirrup Cay, Ocean Cay, and CocoCay, Celebration Key is the only one that’s not a legit island, instead it’s a carve out of Grand Bahama.
If there’s a crown jewel of the destination, it’s going to be the pools, or “lagoons” as Carnival calls them. These things are massive. There’s a more adult side and then a family side, so you can find where you want to fit in.
The beach is decent, though the water can get a little rough and be rocky in some spots. It seems weird to nitpick about Bahamian beaches, but when some of them are absolutely perfect, it’s a tough comparison.
Food is a bit tricky here. Unlike the top cruise line destinations, it’s not all you can eat. Instead, you get an included meal but that’s it. If you want more than that, you pay up or head to the ship.
I think to be top tier Celebration Key will need a few more things for kids and families to do, and judging by the construction that was going on during my last visit, that may be coming.
For now, it’s a fantastic way to spend the day at the beach, and I have a feeling it’s only going to get better.
#3: Great Stirrup Cay
Speaking of getting better, Great Stirrup Cay — my #3 private island — is undergoing some massive renovations.
For years, Great Stirrup Cay was the exact opposite of CocoCay, despite the two islands being literally right next to each other. Great beach, a zipline, and a high-end spot you have to pay extra for, but not much else. Even so, it was a really nice way to spend the day.
Now the cruise line is in the middle of massive upgrades. First, they put in a pier. The last time I was scheduled to visit, it was clear weather but windy. I could see ships docked at CocoCay, but our captain said it was too rough for the tenders. So we skipped the port, which was a major disappointment. That won’t happen anymore.
Beyond that, they’ve opened a 1.4 acre pool, and a new tram to get around. So the lack of pool is no longer a drawback. Beyond that, the cruise line is putting in a 19-slide waterpark with cliff jumping and an 800-foot river and a splash park.
So if you want chill, you can definitely do that, but if you need an active beach day, then NCL is about to have the newest option around.
#2: Ocean Cay
Taking the runner-up spot on my list of the best cruise line islands comes Ocean Cay from MSC Cruises.
What I think makes this stand apart is the absolute size. Cruise line destinations aren’t small, but the typical one will be about 40-60 acres. Ocean Cay is 160 acres, and measures about 3/5 of a mile from one end to the other.
In other words, if you want elbow room, there is simply nowhere better. There are a number of separate beaches, whether you want to swim in the actual open water or you want the always calm inner cove (where most people hang out).
There’s no pool, but Ocean Cay offers something you don’t get elsewhere — overnight stays. I’ll never forget heading out after dark, sitting on the beach, and watching a lightning storm pass by in the distance. That’s something you just can’t get elsewhere.
The cruise line is putting in some new features, including some more family friendly spots like a splashpad and ropes course, along with an adults-only area.
Still, you’re not going to find the big waterparks here, and there is no pool. But to me, the size and the overnight stays more than make up for that.
#1: CocoCay
Here it is, the #1 private island on my list. If you’ve been paying attention then you know there’s a major player that I haven’t mentioned… and it’s the 800-pound gorilla in cruise line islands.
I’m talking of course about CocoCay. I first visited the island in 2014 and back then, it was a lot like some of the others on this list. Pretty small, kind of sleepy, with basically just some beach. Today, it’s nothing like that. There’s nothing that CocoCay doesn’t have.
Pool? Oasis Lagoon is massive. Beach? There are multiple coves with great sand and blue water. And while they cost extra, there’s an entire waterpark, adults-only areas, and an exclusive luxury area. There’s even a balloon to ride if you aren’t scared of heights.
Food? There are multiple options and most of it is included with your day and you just grab what you want, when you want.
One sort of overlooked thing I really like is that there’s some smart design as there’s a lot of foliage and many paths curve around. While it gets busy with two massive ships in port, this helps to make things feel more secluded and less crowded.
All in all, it adds up to what I think is the best private cruise line destination as it simply has something for everyone.
More on Cruise Line Private Islands:
- CocoCay: 21+ Tips & Things to Know (Prices, What to Do, And More)
- Ocean Cay (MSC’s Private Island): Complete Visitors Guide
- What I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Celebration Key
No love for Halfmoon Cay?