CocoCay vs. Royal Beach Club Paradise Island

Royal Caribbean's Two Bahamas Beach Days

Royal Caribbean now offers two very different ways to spend a beach day in the Bahamas, and they couldn't be more different from each other. Perfect Day at CocoCay is the company's flagship private island — a roughly $250 million transformation of Little Stirrup Cay in the Berry Islands into one of the most ambitious beach experiences in the cruise industry. Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, which opened in December 2025, takes almost the opposite approach: a 17-acre, all-inclusive beach club on the western end of Paradise Island in Nassau, sold as a day pass.

One is an island your ship sails to. The other is an excursion you buy on a Nassau port day. Both are excellent. Which is better for you depends entirely on what you want from a beach day — and on how you prefer to pay for it.

Perfect Day at CocoCay: What to Expect

CocoCay was transformed from a basic private island stop into a full-scale resort destination with an investment that shows at every turn. The scale is genuinely impressive — and occasionally overwhelming, since the island welcomes roughly 6,000 guests a day and often hosts two ships at once.

One thing worth knowing up front: CocoCay is not a tender port. Ships dock at the island's pier and guests walk ashore in about six minutes, with a free tram circling the island's main stops.

What's Included

Entry is complimentary, and so is more than most people realise: the beaches, the Oasis Lagoon pool, unlimited casual dining at several island spots, plus tram service, loungers, umbrellas and towels. You can have a genuinely excellent day at CocoCay without spending a dollar beyond your cruise fare.

Thrill Waterpark

The Thrill Waterpark is CocoCay's centrepiece attraction and home to 14 waterslides. Daredevil's Peak drops 135 feet and is the tallest slide in the Caribbean. The park also includes side-by-side drop slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river. It's a paid add-on — book in advance, because the waterpark sells out on busy ship days. If waterslides are your thing, this is the single biggest reason to pick CocoCay.

Oasis Lagoon and Chill Island

The Oasis Lagoon is the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean, and it's enormous — swim-up bars, floating furniture, and enough space that it doesn't feel crowded even on a busy day. Chill Island, adjacent to the lagoon, is the calmer beach area with loungers and a slower pace. If the waterpark isn't your thing, Chill Island and the lagoon are the free alternatives that still deliver a premium experience.

South Beach and Hideaway Beach

South Beach is wider, longer, and faces the open ocean rather than the sheltered lagoon side — a short tram ride from the main pier area, with classic Bahamas turquoise water and less traffic than the beaches near the pier. Hideaway Beach is CocoCay's adults-only neighbourhood, with its own swim-up bar, DJs and dining venues. It requires a separate paid day pass.

Beyond the Beach

CocoCay also has a 1,600-foot zip line course, the Up, Up and Away helium balloon (which rises up to 450 feet for the highest view in the Bahamas), a snorkel park, and water sports rentals. Overwater cabanas at Coco Beach Club are the top-end splurge and book out early.

Food and Drinks

Unlimited casual dining at several island venues is included with your fare, and the quality is a clear step up from what most private island stops offer. Premium à la carte spots are available for those wanting a more structured meal. Drinks are à la carte — though if you bought a Royal Caribbean beverage package, it carries over to the island, which is where a package can quietly pay for itself.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island: What to Expect

Royal Beach Club represents a different philosophy entirely — and a different business model. It's not an island your ship sails to; it's a 17-acre beach club in Nassau that you reach by water taxi from the cruise pier. Access requires a day pass, but the pass covers essentially everything once you're inside.

How It Works

On a Nassau port day, you book a day pass through the Royal app or your cruise planner (or at the onboard Shore Excursions desk, subject to availability). A fleet of colourful water ferries runs continuously between the cruise pier and the club, and the round-trip ride is included. Bring your SeaPass card and a government-issued photo ID. Capacity is limited and varies seasonally, so booking ahead matters.

What's Included

This is where Royal Beach Club differs most sharply from CocoCay. The day pass covers round-trip water transport, all-day dining across three Paradise Grills, unlimited drinks (alcoholic with the open bar pass, non-alcoholic with the standard one), high-speed Wi-Fi, loungers, umbrellas, towels, lockers, showers, and beach games. There's no à la carte decision-making — you pay once and stop thinking about it.

Pools, Beaches and the Floating Flamingo

The club has two beaches and three pools spanning distinct zones — family, chill, and party. The Floating Flamingo is billed as the world's largest swim-up bar, with a VIP Party Deck on its second floor available to reserve. Ten bars in total serve the property: seven on the beach, three poolside.

Cabanas

More than 40 cabanas are available, including the Ultimate Family Cabana — a two-story private retreat for up to 12 people with its own whirlpool, slide, frozen drink machine, private bathroom and personal attendant. Beach and poolside cabanas come with attendant service and day beds.

Bahamian Culture

Royal Caribbean built the local dimension into the experience: live music and entertainment, local artisan shops, and island fare on the menus. The club is open to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity guests — and to Bahamian residents, which gives it a different atmosphere than a passengers-only private island.

The Real Difference: How You Pay

Strip away the marketing and the core distinction is the pricing model.

At CocoCay, the floor is free and the ceiling is high. A family can spend nothing and have a great day on the beach and in the lagoon — or add waterpark passes, a cabana and Hideaway Beach and turn it into a significant expense. You control the spend, but you also make a lot of decisions.

At Royal Beach Club, the floor is the day pass and the ceiling is close behind it. You pay up front, then everything is handled. For a couple who'd buy drinks all day anyway, the open bar pass can work out reasonable; for a family of four, the passes add up fast before anyone has bought a thing.

Run the numbers against your own habits — our cruise budget calculator and drink package breakdown are useful here, since a beverage package changes the maths at both destinations.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Perfect Day at CocoCay if:

• You're travelling with children or teenagers who want the waterpark
• You want the option of a completely free beach day
• You want maximum variety — multiple beaches, a huge pool, zip line, balloon, water sports
• You want the overwater cabana experience
• You'd rather your beach day be the whole port day, not a booked excursion

Choose Royal Beach Club Paradise Island if:

• You want one price with no decisions or à la carte spending all day
• Unlimited drinks and dining included appeals more than a waterpark
• You're travelling as a couple or a group of adults
• You want a Nassau port day that isn't downtown Nassau or Atlantis
• You like the idea of a curated club rather than a sprawling island

And if your itinerary includes both, you don't have to choose — they're different days, and Royal Caribbean sells a combo bundle pairing the Royal Beach Club pass with CocoCay's Thrill Waterpark.

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