Sometimes it’s a whole cay leased or owned by a line; sometimes it’s a private section of a larger island or a dedicated beach club you reach on a shore pass. But the promise is the same: easy logistics, curated fun, and sand the precise colour of a piña colada. What varies is the flavour, from marine-reserve calm to waterpark mayhem, and what’s included once your toes hit the sand.

Which cruise lines have their own private islands?

Royal Caribbean – Perfect Day at CocoCay

Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay is the blockbuster template: a 120-acre playground in the Bahamas where much is free (chairs, multiple beaches, five dining spots), while headline attractions such as Thrill Waterpark, the zip line and the helium balloon are extra. Think resort energy with sea breezes, and yes, it’s designed to hoover up all ages without anyone getting bored. 

MSC – Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve

A few nautical miles (and a world) away, MSC’s Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve this stop leans into restoration and preservation. The line took a former industrial site and replanted it into a low-rise, sea-life-forward retreat of eight beaches and mellow snorkelling. It’s a gentler day, much more conch-shell than klaxon. 

Disney – Castaway Cay & Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point

Disney offers two flavours of Bahamian escapism. Castaway Cay is the classic: tram-easy, family-slick, and with a complimentary island BBQ at Cookies and Cookies Too. Newer is Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point on Eleuthera, which doubles down on Bahamian art and culture in a sun-splashed setting. Both feel like the Disneyfied ship has spilled neatly onto shore.

 Norwegian Cruise Line – Great Stirrup Cay & Harvest Caye

Norwegian Cruise Line splits the difference. Great Stirrup Cay is the soft-sand original getting a big addition next year (a nearly six-acre Great Tides Waterpark, slated for summer 2026) while Harvest Caye in Belize operates more like a resort port day: you dock (no tendering), but onboard drinks packages don’t apply and food is à la carte. Bring your card, bring your curiosity, and plan for a pool with an incredibly persuasive swim-up bar. 

Carnival – Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays and Celebration Key

Carnival Corporation’s umbrella gives you a few passports. RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay (shared by Holland America and Carnival) remains a barefoot beauty, now in the midst of enhancements that will better split facilities between the two brands; Princess Cays is Princess’s exclusive beach enclave on Eleuthera; and Celebration Key on Grand Bahama (Carnival’s first purpose-built destination) officially debuted in July 2025 with multiple zones from family splash to adults-only lazing. The common denominator is beach time tailored to your energy level. 

Virgin Voyages – Bimini 

Not every “private island” is an island, strictly speaking. Virgin Voyages’ Beach Club at Bimini is a dedicated beach complex used exclusively on call days, threading a day of DJ-by-the-pool nonchalance into an already laid-back brand. If your ideal shore day involves a cabana, a nap and the occasional dip, this speaks your language. 

So… who are these places for?

Families who like friction-free logistics will thrive: you step off the gangway and the day is arranged like a tasting menu; beaches, lifeguards, kids’ areas, lunch where it ought to be, etc. Thrill-seekers can chase slides and zip lines; hammock traditionalists can practise the art of stillness with a good book. Foodies gravitate to Disney’s included BBQ or MSC’s sunset bars; culture vultures might prefer ports with old towns and markets (in which case the right move is to treat private-island days as a palate cleanser between “real city” calls). The trick is to choose the vibe that matches your sea-day self.

There’s also the fine print that reminds you the world is real. Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s long-running private peninsula in northern Haiti, remains paused due to the country’s security situation, with the suspension extended into 2026 at the time of writing. It’s a useful reminder that “private” doesn’t mean “sealed from reality”; lines will reroute when needed. 

What’s opening next?

The arms race is very much on. Royal Caribbean’s Royal Beach Club Paradise Island opens in December 2025 as a day-pass beach club in Nassau (two beaches, three pools, multiple bars), with Royal Beach Club Cozumel to follow in 2026. Norwegian’s Great Tides Waterpark arrives at Great Stirrup Cay in summer 2026, turning the line’s original private playground into a more modern counterpoint. And Carnival’s Celebration Key is already open on Grand Bahama, with capacity ramping across the fleet. The genre keeps multiplying and evolving; which is rather the point. 

A few smart questions to ask before you book

What’s included ashore? At CocoCay, many beaches and eateries are complimentary but marquee thrills carry a fee; at Castaway Cay, lunch is included; at Harvest Caye, plan to pay for food and drinks. Do you dock or tender? (Docking saves time with kids in tow.) And, crucially, does your drinks package work on the island you’re visiting? Better to know now than discover an unexpected (and unquenchable) thirst later. 

Private islands aren’t trying to be your most “authentic” day. They’re trying to be your easiest, splashiest or calmest day; an intermission on a wider itinerary. Pick the right one and you’ll step back aboard sun-dazed, vaguely salty and convinced that the greatest luxury at sea might be a beach where everything you need is one short, sandy walk away.