These Private Islands Are Owned by Cruise Lines. Here’s How to Visit.

Perfect Day at CocoCay has been owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines since 1988 but was renovated in 2019. Currently, several Royal Caribbean ships and itineraries including Utopia of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas visit the island. Walk around the mile-long island, hop on the free tram which drives to various beach entrances, or visit one of two swim-up bars.

For an extra fee, take a helium balloon ride, enjoy Thrill Waterpark including a 135-foot water slide, the 1,600-foot zip line course or add on an excursion to swim with pigs, view fish from a glass bottom boat, or go snorkeling. The buffet is free or pay an additional fee to enjoy other restaurants. Additional costs for food or souvenirs can be paid for with your SeaPass card so you can leave your wallet behind. Many employees on the island live there and are very familiar with the island’s offerings.

Great Stirrup Cay has 270 acres of land and has been owned by Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) since 1977. Almost a dozen cruise ships visit this island where you can relax on the beach, swim in the water, or enjoy activities such as swimming with pigs, parasailing, ziplining, snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, or a marine life eco boat tour. The island has four dining options and four bars.

Or visit Silver Cove which was established in 2019 with air-conditioned luxury villas and private beach access. Villas include beach umbrellas, float mats, an outdoor patio, and concierge service and can be pre-booked ahead of time. The island is staffed by Norwegian Cruise Line employees from the ships as well as others who remain on the island. NCL has also established a coral reef restoration initiative to reduce the effects of stressors around the coral reefs among other sustainable efforts.

Holland America offers access to their private island Half Moon Cay which  has been open to guests since 1997. The island is 2,400 acres, most of which is kept as a nature preserve with 50 acres used for guest enjoyment. Ships that visit the island include Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, Volendam, Zaandam, and Zuiderdam.

Aside from relaxing under umbrellas on the beach or swimming in the ocean, visitors can pay extra to go kayaking, snorkeling, riding in a glass bottom boat, swimming with stingrays, horseback riding on the beach and other activities. The food pavilion, which provides an island BBQ, is free but the island offers meals at the Lobster Shack on for an extra charge. Guests can also rent private cabanas where they can purchase a butler service upgrade package. Half Moon Lagoon Aqua Park, which has a waterslide and playground, is free to guests.

When MSC Cruises started work on Ocean Cay in 2016, it was an abandoned industrial sand excavation site, and the surrounding ecosystem had suffered. After years of work, Ocean Cay is now a tropical destination and home to the cruise line’s Super Coral Programme, a marine restoration program.

MSC Cruises opened Ocean Cay to guests in 2019 and can be visited on select cruises from Miami, Port Canaveral, and New York, some of which dock overnight. Guests can enjoy relaxing on one of their eight beaches, swimming in the ocean, eating food at the buffet or several food trucks, transportation from beach to beach and morning yoga free of charge. For an additional fee, visitors can enjoy a beach side massage, jet skiing, paddle boarding, climbing the lighthouse, eating local Bahamian bites and cocktails or shopping for souvenirs among other activities. MSC Yacht Club guests have access to the private Ocean House Beach and Ocean House Restaurant on the island.

The 40-acre-long Princess Cays has been open to visitors since 1992 and is available to guests traveling on over a dozen Carnival ships as well as several Princess Cruise ships. Play volleyball or basketball, go snorkeling, enjoy clear bottom kayaks, private bungalows, adults-only bungalows, or rent an aqua-bike, stand-up paddle board, or snorkel equipment. For a fee, additional activities include glass-bottom boat tours, stingray encounters, surf fishing, and snorkeling. Similar to the other islands, a complementary BBQ is available as are restaurants for an additional charge. An adults-only Sanctuary Bungalow gives adults some quiet time away from the crowds.

If you prefer to venture deeper into the island, book a tour of the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve where you can see the Bahamian native habitat up close. There are also a few small villages you can visit during your time in port such as Rock Sound which has beautiful beaches and colorful buildings and is known for its pirate history and a bottomless blow hole or Tarpum Bay which is a fishing village.

Owned by Disney since 1997, Castaway Cay is a 1000-acre island available exclusively to guests sailing on select Disney cruises. In addition to playing in the sand, swimming in the ocean or taking a nature walk, guests can enjoy an additional perk that only a Disney-themed island can provide-character meet-and-greets.

All purchases on the island can be made with a cruise card so there is no need to bring cash to pay for add-ons such as bicycling, snorkeling or dolphin encounters. A free tram can get you from one beach to the next including Serenity Bay – a beach area reserved exclusively for guests 18 years of age and older. Runners (or walkers) can join the Castaway Cay 5K at any time and receive a medal at the end of the race. And of course, kids can enjoy Pelican Plunge, a 2,400 square-foot floating platform with water slides or Spring-a-Leak, a 2-400-square-foot water play area both of which are complementary.