Perfect Day at CocoCay
Royal Caribbean's private destination in the Berry Islands, built around a waterpark, a freshwater lagoon, and five beaches.
Photo: Larry D. Moore / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 (cropped for display)
Private islands
Every line’s own stretch of beach
Most mainstream lines now own or lease a Bahamas beach, and a few sail further: Belize, Haiti, a reef restored from an old sand mine. Grouped by the line that runs it, with what’s free, what costs extra, and the sailings that actually call there.
Royal Caribbean
Labadee
A leased peninsula on Haiti's north coast with beaches and a long zip line, currently off Royal Caribbean's schedule.
Photo: Jas cheng / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped for display)
Carnival Cruise Line
Half Moon Cay (RelaxAway)
Carnival Corporation's longtime Bahamas beach stop, renamed RelaxAway in 2024 and midway through a multi-year makeover.
Photo: Emerald Photos (greenjinjo) / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped for display)
Celebration Key
Carnival's first private destination, opened on Grand Bahama in July 2025 with a pier for two ships, a freshwater lagoon, and an adults-only retreat.
Photo: Samuel Felinton Photography / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 (cropped for display)
Norwegian Cruise Line
Great Stirrup Cay
Norwegian Cruise Line's 268-acre island in the Berry Islands, the first private island any cruise line ever owned, now adding its first waterpark.
Photo: Denis Santana / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped for display)
Harvest Caye
Norwegian's 75-acre resort-style port in southern Belize, with its own dock, a lagoon pool, zip lines, and a gateway to mainland excursions.
Photo: Image by hat3m from Pixabay / Widgety
MSC Cruises
Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve
MSC's private island in the Bahamas, a former industrial sand-mining site rebuilt as a marine reserve and beach destination since 2019.
Photo: Damon On Road / Widgety
Disney Cruise Line
Castaway Cay
Disney Cruise Line's original private island near Great Abaco, open since 1998, with a family beach, a kids' area, and an adults-only beach.
Photo: Matt from Orlando, USA / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped for display)
Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point
Disney's second Bahamas destination, opened on Eleuthera in June 2024, with a family water playground and an adults-only beach.
Photo: RickyCourtney / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped for display)
Princess Cruises
Princess Cays
Princess Cruises' leased beach peninsula on Eleuthera, a simple beach day the line has run since 1992.
Photo: Jonathan Palombo / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0 (cropped for display)
Virgin Voyages
Beach Club Bimini
Virgin Voyages' adults-only beach club on North Bimini, opened in 2021, with an included lunch and a pool, bar, and cabana scene built for a sailor-ship crowd.
Photo: Pietro / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped for display)
Common questions
- What is a cruise line private island?
- A beach destination a cruise line owns or leases outright, so only its own ships call there. It is a stop on the itinerary, not a separate booking, and most include a beach, basic food, and loungers in the fare, with cabanas, waterparks, and watersports priced separately.
- Is a private island day included in the cruise fare?
- Getting onto the island and using its beaches is included. What is included beyond that (a freshwater pool, a lunch, a waterpark) varies by line and by destination; each island's page below lists what is free and what costs extra.
- Are cruise line private islands only in the Bahamas?
- Most are, but not all: Norwegian Cruise Line's Harvest Caye is in Belize, and Royal Caribbean's Labadee is in Haiti.