Royal Caribbean to open 5 private islands.

[nelblu]

4 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I never eat the food there. If people ever saw flies on the food in the Windjammer they would be up in arms but on Labadee it is totally tolerated.

 

 

It was a novelty the first couple of sails, but over the last number of years we go back to the ship and visit the WJ or Park Café.  What really turned us off was one time when they ran out of water and only had flavored liquids.

[mugtech]

1 hour ago, parsec0298 said:

 If my choices are fake paradise or Nassau, I'll take fake paradise thank you very much.

Lucky for me one of the choices is none of the above.

[Colorado Babe]

5 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I never eat the food there. If people ever saw flies on the food in the Windjammer they would be up in arms but on Labadee it is totally tolerated.

I agree. It is disgusting and most times we are  at the private beach and the flies are there too.  The food  on the private beach is nothing to brag about.  Ribs, shrimp, potato salad,etc, etc.  Desert watermelon, cookies.  Nothing spectacular.  Most times, we rarely get off the ship.  Last  month, we did get off the ship to parasail but we decided to nix the private beach and went to the other beaches which are nicer.   

[megsie]

47 minutes ago, little britain said:

So I could stop at a manufactured island off Australia..... or I could go to Australia....? Let me think 🤔  about that....l

I think they may be looking to purchase more into the South Pacific Islands.

Unfortunately here  with the exemption of the major cities, Australia and almost all of the SP islands are tender ports. So with the larger ships and larger to come, it can be chaotic getting ashore. If RC provided docking facilities access would be a lot easier.

[Ocean Boy]

2 hours ago, parsec0298 said:

  If my choices are fake paradise or Nassau, I'll take fake paradise thank you very much.

And I would take Nassau thank you very much.

[BNBR]

3 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

 

Seems like it could work for Western Caribbean cruises. Carnival has a private island off of Honduras. Belize could be a possibility. Mexico...

 

Honduras and Belize are closer to Miami than they are the western Gulf......  It's nowhere near there.

Edited January 17, 2019 by BNBR

[BNBR]

2 hours ago, little britain said:

So I could stop at a manufactured island off Australia..... or I could go to Australia....? Let me think 🤔  about that....l

 

Where would your ship be leaving out of?

[boscobeans]

2 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

I love how you all take it to the extreme.  Like Royal is going to have a week long closed loop with ONLY private ports?  Don't think so.

 

Dan

 

Not taking anything to extremes. Just showing what could be extrapolated out if in the future some cruise lines see a bonanza in operating their own amusement park islands without the problems of designing ships to be roller coasters or race tracks. .  

 

Basically turning the cruise line's ship  into just a hotel that serves as a means of transportation to one form of Sandals resort or amusement park like venue..

 

It does seem however that there is a market for those "cruisers" who do NOT prefer to experience local cultures, so it might eventually come to pass, based on how the bean counters balance sheets work out. 

[BNBR]

1 minute ago, boscobeans said:

 

Not taking anything to extremes. Just showing what could be extrapolated out if in the future some cruise lines see a bonanza in operating their own amusement park islands without the problems of designing ships to be roller coasters or race tracks. .  

 

Basically turning the cruise line's ship  into just a hotel that serves as a means of transportation to one form of Sandals resort or amusement park like venue..

 

It does seem however that there is a market for those "cruisers" who do NOT prefer to experience local cultures, so it might eventually come to pass, based on how the bean counters balance sheets work out. 

 

I'd take that itinerary in a heartbeat.  Seeing the locals cultures has kind of been a joke about cruisers... they think they are world travelers because they spend 2 hours walking around the port or taking a quick sightseeing excursion.  It's ridiculous.  If you want to experience the cultures and travel, then go travel.  Mainstream cruises are a terrible way to do that.  It's all about the fun, beaches, etc.  And the private islands offer free drinks (package), food, and a well crafted/quality experience controlled by the cruise line.  I'm fine with that.

 

It's like visiting Disney then complaining that you don't get to see the "real" Florida.  Or better yet, visiting Disney then pretending you saw the real Florida because you stopped at a Waffle House off I75.

[time4u2go]

17 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

 

Not taking anything to extremes. Just showing what could be extrapolated out if in the future some cruise lines see a bonanza in operating their own amusement park islands without the problems of designing ships to be roller coasters or race tracks. .  

 

Basically turning the cruise line's ship  into just a hotel that serves as a means of transportation to one form of Sandals resort or amusement park like venue..

 

It does seem however that there is a market for those "cruisers" who do NOT prefer to experience local cultures, so it might eventually come to pass, based on how the bean counters balance sheets work out. 

You could be right, unfortunately.  If the bean counters figure out that going to private islands at the expense of skipping other places is more profitable, then that's what will happen, sadly.  I, too, prefer experiencing local cultures to spending time at yet another beach/water park.  If I wanted to do that, I would do it on my own and save a lot of money by not cruising.

[boscobeans]

Just now, time4u2go said:

You could be right, unfortunately.  If the bean counters figure out that going to private islands at the expense of skipping other places is more profitable, then that's what will happen, sadly.  I, too, prefer experiencing local cultures to spending time at yet another beach/water park.  If I wanted to do that, I would do it on my own and save a lot of money by not cruising.

 

Over the past  20  years we have made friends with or maybe more like business acquaintances with people in restaurants, jewelry shops, liquor stores,  bars and even some street vendors. A few laughs and a few words about what has happened since the last time we met and another pleasant memory goes in the books. If I want to beach I could save a lot by just a few hours by car to the ocean or amusements just a cheap flight to Disneyworld.

[The Fun Researcher]

21 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

It does seem however that there is a market for those "cruisers" who do NOT prefer to experience local cultures, so it might eventually come to pass, based on how the bean counters balance sheets work out. 

 

I love Labadee (haven’t done Coco Cay yet), but I also think I’m like most and I wouldn’t want a cruise full of only private ports.  Even though we enjoy the relaxing, beautiful stop that Labadee offers, I value the local cultures too.  One of our favorite things to do in port is hire a private tour of the entire island if possible.  We’ve done this twice in St. Maarten, Roatan (both West and East ends, that’s an eye opener) and this March we have another private tour setup for Curaçao and driving ourselves around Bonaire.

 

Just because someone likes the private ports doesn’t mean don’t like culture and the standard ports.  You can have it both ways.  🙂

 

Dan

[boscobeans]

2 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

 

I love Labadee (haven’t done Coco Cay yet), but I also think I’m like most and I wouldn’t want a cruise full of only private ports.  Even though we enjoy the relaxing, beautiful stop that Labadee offers, I value the local cultures too.  One of our favorite things to do in port is hire a private tour of the entire island if possible.  We’ve done this twice in St. Maarten, Roatan (both West and East ends, that’s an eye opener) and this March we have another private tour setup for Curaçao and driving ourselves around Bonaire.

 

Just because someone likes the private ports doesn’t mean don’t like culture and the standard ports.  You can have it both ways.  🙂

 

Dan

 

Just like anything else there are people not only on both sides of a fence but plenty just sitting ON the fence enjoying what both sides offer.

[karena1]

10 hours ago, Colorado Babe said:

WE saw the commercial last night for Coco Cay. My husband said book it.  I told him we already have 13 future cruises coming up and he would have to wait until 2020 to check it out.  He is a very active guy and get's bored at Labadee and Coco Cay before they put the amusement park in.  I am happy they are added more features to these ports.  Not everyone wants to hang out in a beach chair getting sun burnt.  🙂

I do I do - I live to lay on a lounger in the sunshine for 8 hours doing absolutely nothing!!! That is why I live in Florida, go to the beach every weekend and cruise at least once a month!!! 

[karena1]

4 hours ago, parsec0298 said:

I'm having a hard time melding some of the opinions expressed in this thread.  How many times do people gripe about how horrible Nassau is?  All the cruise lines stop in The Bahamas on their itineraries out of Florida because it's so close.  That's just what they have to do to be able to make it back to the port by 5:00AM the next day.  If my choices are fake paradise or Nassau, I'll take fake paradise thank you very much.

We always say we wish they would just leave us in CocoCay for 2 days and skip Nassau.  We treat Nassau as a sea day and just stay on the ship

[karena1]

3 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I'm pretty sure I said that I like going off exploring and interacting with the locals. Labadee, and its forced beach day, does nothing for me. I can walk down the street and go to the beach. And I don't have to lay out thousands of dollars to do it.

Love Love Labadee, such a beautiful place with gorgeous beaches.  We live in SWFL and I don't get beaches like the Caribbean anywhere here at home.  Siesta Key is about as close as it gets and after this year and all the Red Tide, I will take the Caribbean any day of the week.  Going to Labadee again in April and cannot wait!

 

[Hoopster95]

5 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

To all those following the hive-mind, how is this a "fake island?" The other islands are also developed with resorts, restaurants, roads, and have beaches too but this is different?

 

1 hour ago, BNBR said:

 If you want to experience the cultures and travel, then go travel.  Mainstream cruises are a terrible way to do that.

 

Read through a couple of my photo reviews ... you may change your mind, or at the very least gain a different perspective

[Charles4515]

6 hours ago, time4u2go said:

Neither Honduras or Belize are in the western Gulf of Mexico.  They are actually both hundreds of miles from any part of the Gulf of Mexico.

 

I didn’t say they were. The original post mentioned another private island in the Caribbean. It did not say Gulf of Mexico. Someone said they would like to see one in the western gulf. I don’t think that is likely. 

[Charles4515]

3 hours ago, BNBR said:

 

Honduras and Belize are closer to Miami than they are the western Gulf......  It's nowhere near there.

 

I know that. The original post mentioned the Caribbean. Not the western gulf. The western Caribbean is a possibility for a new private island. 

[grapau27]

14 hours ago, grapau27 said:

It only says 1 in the Caribbean.

The Chinese one might be like a mini Las Vegas.

Edited January 17, 2019 by grapau27

[vacationlover_mn]

I was super excited to rent one of the over the water cabanas at cococay someday, but then saw the planned prices online... way out of our budget for just the two of us!!!

[NateUpNorth]

18 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I never eat the food there. If people ever saw flies on the food in the Windjammer they would be up in arms but on Labadee it is totally tolerated.

 

It's completely unsanitary, as are some of the food storage/handling techniques. Saw some of the food bins getting "topped up" and immediately thought that whoever ended up getting the scoops from the bottom of those bins - that seconds ago had flies all over them - was getting sick. 

 

We love the "beach day" at Labadee but the rest of the experience is less than a "Royal" Caribbean experience. They need to refine their service provisions at the two existing locations before attempting to over expand to others!!

 

[Arubamoose]

22 hours ago, Biker19 said:

What happens when the ship can't dock? You know, when VanFleet is a little "off" on his forecast.

 

I really had to laugh at this one......!!  Don't pick on Jim......haha.

[LrgPizza]

People are suggesting Belize, but I'm sure RCI will learn from the issues NCL has had with its private island, Harvest Caye.  It's been nothing but a huge PITA.  Unlike other private islands, no food or beverages are included at this port due to the agreement NCL had to make with the Belize government. 

[Charles4515]

People are suggesting Belize, but I'm sure RCI will learn from the issues NCL has had with its private island, Harvest Caye.  It's been nothing but a huge PITA.  Unlike other private islands, no food or beverages are included at this port due to the agreement NCL had to make with the Belize government. 

When you think about it they could put a second private island in the Caribbean anywhere that will agree to it. Does not have to be western Caribbean. Could even have a second one in the Bahamas. Some places won’t allow it. I suspect it won’t be in Mexico.


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