Paradise awaits at Coco Cay

One of the beaches at Coco Cay - relaxation!

White sandy beaches, warm temperatures, hammocks and beach lounge chairs scattered haphazardly here and there, palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze – are you tempted yet? 

(Let me apologize in advance for the quality of the photos that are displayed here -- they are well over 13 years old, on ancient technology in comparison to today's standards.  The clarity does not due justice to what Coco Cay actually looks like.)

In 2005, I took my first Caribbean cruise and one of our ports of call was Coco Cay, which is a Royal Caribbean leased island in the Bahamas. When I first stepped foot on the island, I could only describe Coco Cay as simply being the closest thing that I had ever seen to paradise.  The descriptions above were some of the first sights that I saw once our tender arrived on the small private island, which was surrounded by the most amazingly bluish-green waters that I had ever seen in my entire life.  It was beautiful, and even magical to say the least. 

Here are some interesting facts about the island courtesy of Google, Wikipedia and some other vitally important and useful search engines (ha!):

• Coco Cay is also known as Little Stirrup Cay, and is a part of the Berry Islands of the Bahamas, which consists of a collection of cays and small islands that are located approximately 55 miles north of Nassau (which will be featured in another blog down the road!).
• Coco Cay is quite petite in its size, as it is less than one mile wide (east to west) and less than 200 yards across (north to south).
• As of the 2010 census, the population of Coco Cay was a whopping 38.
• The eastern end of the island is the central location for all the recreational activities with a beaching area that fronts a coral basin where manatees, rays and fish can often be seen.
• The northern end of the island boasts a rocky basin where the cruise ship tenders dock and operate in and out of ferrying island goers to and from the cruise ships, which are anchored at sea.
• Nature trails run the entire length and width of the island.
• Neighboring Great Stirrup Cay is Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island.

Amazingly colorful waters!
It is somewhat crazy to glance back to see your ship
anchored at sea while you're enjoying time on the shore!

When we visited Coco Cay in May of 2005, the temperatures were practically perfect as the sun baked down upon us.  Once we departed the tender on the island, which was amazing to me to look back and see your cruise ship anchored away from the island in the midst of the crystal clear waters, we chose our beach chairs appropriately located under some palm trees. To me, it just seemed fitting to be on a private island and perch my beach chair under a palm tree. 

Clear waters allow you to see the wildlife at its finest.

Shortly thereafter, we decided to give snorkeling a try, which was going to be a daunting task for me as I am not keen of water to begin with.  After going through the mandatory safety class and donning my massive Ronald McDonald sized flippers and gear, we embarked into the crystal clear waters in search of whatever wildlife we may encounter.  My friend, Heather, decided to be adventurous and go out to the mock sunken ship where they had feedings that caused multitudes of fish to swarm around you.  I erred on the side of caution and floated around in the waters watching a few fish swim here and there.  While I did enjoy snorkeling, it also somewhat traumatized me because I had inadvertently over-inflated my life jacket, so when I attempted to lay down and float around, breathing through the mouth-piece was taxing and I thought I was drowning at first, ha! 

Needless to say, I was much more at ease laying back in my chair and gazing at those parasailing high in the sky and others splashing about in the waters.  Relaxation at its finest in my beach chair under those glorious palms!

We also enjoyed a picnic lunch of sorts with hamburgers and all the fixings under one of the tiki shelters scattered about the island courtesy of the cruise line.  The food was quite yummy, so much so that the chickens, who inhabited the island (maybe all 38 of them, ha!) kept pecking around your feet in hopes of catching a crumb or two that may miss your mouth!  It was quite neat to see your atypical cruise ship wait staff let their hair down and serve you on the beaches rather than in the formal dining rooms.

After lunch and a little more relaxation and strolling around, we stopped at a few of the little shops before we caught the tender back to the ship.  I quite enjoyed my stay on Coco Cay, but do wish we could have stayed a little longer and soaked up the rays or maybe tried out the Wave Runner or even given parasailing a try.

The Royal Caribbean website offers this mouth-watering description -- “Surrounded by the gentle, translucent waters of the Bahamas lies our private island destination Coco Cay.  With its white-sand beaches and spectacular setting, Coco Cay is a tropical wonder of adventure.  The private paradise features new and updated aquatic facilities, freshly groomed nature trails and more lounge chairs, hammocks and cabanas – where you can just relax with a cool drink or cocktail.” 

If that doesn’t sound enticing, then I don’t know what does!  So, on your next cruise, particularly if you are sailing with Royal Caribbean, I would make sure that Coco Cay is a featured port of call on your itinerary.  What better escape than to get away from the real world and be on an isolated island far away from reality and full of relaxation and even a little adventure.  Grab your gear and go snorkeling, kayaking, parasailing or even scuba diving if you’re feeling adventurous.  Or just grab a chair and people-watch, and if you’re brave, like I was, bring home a bottle of fresh white sand as a souvenir.  (Yes, somehow that did get through the TSA scanners in the airport!)

Sitting on board our tender ship in the dock at Coco Cay with
our cruise ship in the background.

Royal Caribbean's map of Coco Cay