The appeal of Caribbean cruising is simple — sun, sand, tropical beverages and exotic stop-offs. Unfortunately, many of the port towns on cruise ships' itineraries become so crowded that the experience bursts the vacation bubble for passengers.
So does that idyllic island setting still exist on today's cruise itineraries? Yes, it does.
Cruise companies are turning to private islands to provide guests with the quintessential beach experience. These islands are self-contained resorts owned or leased by various cruise lines and they operate as an extension of the cruise ship itself.
No more crowds
Passengers are able to walk right off a ship or a tender directly on to a clean, safe beach. There are no hawkers or taxis, just miles of white sand, all-day barbecues — and ample opportunities for spending money.
Just like on the ship, guests have to pay for the extras. Bottled water, excursions, snorkel-gear rental and floating beach mats are all going to cost. Those who want privacy have to pay for it too, with add-ons such as private waterfront cabanas.
Half Moon Cay is Holland America Line's private Bahamian island. There, luxurious beachside cabanas — equipped with a fridge, an indoor dining room, an outdoor shower and a terrace with sunbeds — can be booked at various prices, starting from $200 (Dh734) a day.
Spend an extra $80 (Dh294) and you get butler service, which includes a lunch for four brought to the cabana and unlimited beverages.
Only 48 acres of the 2,400-acre island have been developed and highlights include a two-mile, crescent-shaped beach and, for families, Half Moon Lagoon, where there is a pirate-themed aqua park that's part in the water and part on the beach.
Guests can also choose from a dozen different excursions, including a guided watercraft tour where they navigate reefs and sand spits in ecofriendly boats, horse riding in the sand and surf, a stingray adventure, biking, kayaking and deep-sea fishing.
Not surprisingly, Half Moon Cay is one of the highest-rated private islands in the cruise industry, receiving Porthole magazine's annual Reader's Choice Award for the past nine years in a row.
But as other cruise lines ramp up their island facilities, it is facing growing competition. Royal Caribbean has spent £33 million since 2007, upgrading its private beach resort, Labadee, on the north coast of Haiti. One of the improvements was a new cruise-ship dock, completed in December 2009 and used to unload emergency supplies after the devastating earthquake earlier this year.
Royal Caribbean says the Haitian government is happy for cruise-ship visits to continue because they bring economic benefits and also deliver relief supplies.
Other upgrades at Labadee include a 2,600-foot-long zipline over the water, an alpine rollercoaster, a new aqua park and the addition of many new private cabanas. The cabanas are available for rent on Columbus Family Beach and at the Barefoot Beach Club, an exclusive area for the use of guests using suites.
Princess Cays, on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, is operated by Princess Cruises but also visited by Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Costa Cruises.
Upgrade to an island
Disney Cruise Line will finish a $13 million (Dh47 million) expansion project to their private island, Castaway Cay. Disney's 1,000-acre island has separate areas for families, teens and adults. Upgrades to the island will include a family beach with new water features located within swimming distance of the shore. Scuttle's Cove, the supervised childcare area, will also get a new water-play area.
Castaway Cay will also offer private beach cabanas on rent. These will have a large deck with sunbeds and an outdoor shower. Inside there will be a dining area and a fridge.
Activities for guests include snorkelling in the island's 22-acre lagoon and a stingray adventure, which allows guests to swim with and feed stingrays.
