princess cays

Princess Cays (pronounced “key,” not “cays”) is located on the southern tip of Eleuthera in the Bahamas and is a pristine private island for cruisers. Princess Cays is owned by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, so you’ll find that Princess, Carnival, and Holland America Line call upon this private paradise. Of all the cruise line private islands, this one is admittedly my least favorite, and I’ll tell you why in a moment. Still, though, it has a lot to offer cruisers. Primarily, I love that it offers a FREE beach day experience that can even feel relaxing and serene if you make your way further down the beach to avoid the more crowded areas instead of clustering right near the entrance. The island spans over 40 acres, so it’s pretty huge. About Princess Cays Princess Cays is part of the Bahamas, an archipelago of over 700 islands renowned for its crystal-clear waters and white sandy beaches. I’ve visited many of them, and they’re all wonderful. The water is perfect, and the turquoise is so clear you can see straight through it. Princess Cays is no exception.  Is Princess Cays Rocky? Yes, the beach at Princess Cays is very rocky, and this is my biggest issue with it compared to the other cruise line private islands like MSC’s Ocean Cay and even Carnival’s other private island Half Moon Cay. While the water and beach are gorgeous, getting into the water can be frustrating (and painful!), as it’s rocky everywhere, although some areas are more so than others. So, I offer two bits of important advice to cruisers who plan to visit: Enjoying the gorgeous but rocky waters of Princess Cays. Bring a water float and/or snorkel gear. I always bring these things anyway to all beach destinations, but it’s especially important here, because Princess Cays is so rocky that it’s not the kind of place where you’ll want to just stand in the water. Bring water shoes like these. I personally dislike water shoes and find them ugly, bulky, and squishy, so I generally don’t bring them with me on cruises, but they’re almost a necessity at Princess Cays. Recently, I’ve started to embrace water socks, which also work. The area can also be very windy and gets a lot of direct sun, so these are two other factors to consider when planning your day here. Related: New to cruising? Check out my Comprehensive Cruise Guide. Is Princess Cays Worth It? Absolutely, Princess Cays is worth it. Although I find it the least desirable of all the cruise line private islands, it’s still a private island in the Bahamas, for crying out loud! You’ll still enjoy a great beach day with gorgeous sand and water and amazing snorkeling if that’s your thing. If you plan ahead with protective foot coverings and arrange for shade, you’ll be more likely to enjoy your day here.  Is Princes Cays a Tender Port? Princess Cays operates as a tender port, which means passengers are transported from the cruise ship to the island using smaller boats, and this tendering process takes about 20-30 minutes each way. I personally don’t like tender ports since the process can be tedious getting to and from the pier, and this is another reason that Princess Cays (while still great) just isn’t my favorite island. What I like about MSC’s Ocean Cay and Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay, in comparison, is that they have piers. While I’m generally not much of a fan of cruise line excursions, there’s an additional benefit to them when it comes to tender ports, and that is that the purchase of a cruise line excursion earns you the benefit of priority tendering, meaning you get to be the first people onto the water shuttles over to Princess Cays. If you’re not an early riser, this isn’t much benefit, but if you’re yearning to maximize your time on the island, this is the way to do it. Related: Learn more about how to prepare for port days. Arriving at the beautiful Princess Cay! Ready to explore and enjoy everything this stunning destination has to offer. Things to Do at Princess Cays Because Princess Cays is a private island, no third-party excursion options exist. If you want to take an excursion, you must book it directly through the cruise line. These excursions generally include activities like horseback riding in the surf, snorkeling, jet skiing, and other water activities. My recommendation is to save money and enjoy a beach day here. Using loungers is free for cruise guests, and it’s really all you need for a good beach day experience. The only downside here is that the beach area gets a lot of direct sun, and umbrellas and clamshells are not free, so plan for this aspect. Umbrellas cost $25 to rent, and I’ll talk about clamshells in detail in a moment.   What to Bring to Princess Cays I recommend bringing a few things with you to enhance the experience (beyond the obvious things like sunscreen and the aforementioned water shoes and floaties). Princess Cays is great for snorkeling; I always bring my own set. My favorite is this one from Amazon; it’s affordable yet high quality and has traveled with me worldwide to all sorts of snorkeling experiences. It’s also much more hygienic this way, as you’re not putting something in your mouth that’s been used by many other random people. I also recommend a lockable beach bag of some sort. Princess Cays does have lockers available for rent, but they’re $10 per locker and not always conveniently located where you’re hanging out on the island. Having your own lockable bag allows you easy access to things like your phone while keeping it secure, along with your money and ship card. Also, don’t forget to bring your beach towels from the cruise ship! Related: Not sure about whether to pack beach towels? Here’s what you need to know.   Wi-Fi at Princess Cays Wi-Fi is not available on Princess Cays. It’s frustrating because even if you pay the high fees for cruise Wi-Fi, it does not work here (unlike at MSC’s Ocean Cay private island, where guests who pay for ship Wi-Fi