Want to vacation on a private Caribbean island? Just go on a cruise.
You can vacation on a private Caribbean island for as cheap as $80 a day, so long as you go by cruise.
Cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival have islands exclusive to guests.
These companies have been racing to expand their private island and resort portfolio.
Winter blues got you daydreaming about a private Caribbean island vacation? As expensive as they might sound, you don't have to break the bank to go to one.
Some are as cheap as $80 a day. Although, of course, there's a catch.
You'll have to go with thousands of other travelers — on a cruise ship, no less.
Many of the largest cruise companies own and operate private Caribbean islands just a day's sail from Florida's main terminals. These islands are only accessible by cruiseliners and are exclusive to their guests.
Once there, travelers can sunbathe on soft-sand beaches, snorkel with turtles in clear blue waters, and, of course, swim with pigs. Maybe for these reasons, travelers seem to love them — especially Royal Caribbean Group's Perfect Day at CocoCay, the company's highest-rated port, Jason Liberty, its CEO, told investors in October.
Families visiting CocoCay can spend their afternoon at the 14-slide waterpark. About a mile away, at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' larger 270-acre Great Stirrup Cay, adrenaline junkies can fly through the island's six-part zipline course.
At Carnival Corp's whopping 2,400-acre RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, guests can explore the beach by horseback.
Cruise ships generally stay docked at these private ports for less than a day. Yet, the value is comparatively hard to beat.
Carnival's Half Moon Cay itineraries are as affordable as $80 a day — not bad compared to neighboring private islands that could cost upward of $150,000 per night to rent.
But that doesn't mean every amenity at these cruise-owned destinations is cheap. If these savings give you the urge to splurge, a two-bedroom villa at Great Stirrup Cay's Silver Cove resort starts at about $1,430. Similarly, cabanas at CocoCay's luxurious beach club could cost upward of $1,600. (Don't worry — most of their beachside lounge chairs are free.)
The three cruise giants have hundreds of voyages planned to their islands in 2025. Carnival has about 200 scheduled — Royal Caribbean has more than double that.
These numbers are expected to grow in the coming years. Carnival and Norwegian plan to build multi-ship piers at their respective properties, with the latter opening in late 2025. This $150 million investment is expected to double Great Stirrup Cay's visitors the following year.
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