Is Ocean Cay boring?

[CruisinLJ]

My cruise with Ocean Cay in December will be my first stop there.  As I look at it now, it looks like it may be a good place to swing by for lunch, but that's about it.  I'm not a 'beach guy' and prefer stops in islands where I can find a restaurant with authentic food, a hole in the wall bar away from the tourists and anything to do with history.  I know that Ocean Cay won't have any of that.  But... what is there to do on the island?  Basically looks like beaches to me.  True?  I am thinking it may be a good day to concentrate on the Seashore's slides and zipline.

[Paphillyguy]

I do not believe Seashore has a zipline

[Geobugs]

Three months ago, I was at Ocean Cay. 

I will be there again in three weeks. 

I speak from experience.

Yes, it is just a beach day. 

 

However, allow to to suggest why it is a great beach day. 

You dock, you don't tender.

You can return to the ship within five minutes.

The beach chairs and umbrella is free, at the bench nearest the ship.

The buffet food is included, drink packages work, wifi is available if purchased on the ship.

Food truck food is included.

The beach is safe and private.

The atmosphere is calm and serene.

 

Allow me to compare to Jamaica's Doctor's cave beach, which I will visit also.

$20 Taxi each way

$20 food

$6 entrance fee

$6 chair fee

$6 umbrella fee

The noise of the "hip strip."

Hagglers, peddlers, and beggars.

 

Both beaches have their place, but Yes, Ocean Cay is a beach day.

[alyssamma]

1 hour ago, CruisinLJ said:

My cruise with Ocean Cay in December will be my first stop there.  As I look at it now, it looks like it may be a good place to swing by for lunch, but that's about it.  I'm not a 'beach guy' and prefer stops in islands where I can find a restaurant with authentic food, a hole in the wall bar away from the tourists and anything to do with history.  I know that Ocean Cay won't have any of that.  But... what is there to do on the island?  Basically looks like beaches to me.  True?  I am thinking it may be a good day to concentrate on the Seashore's slides and zipline.

OC basically has water sport type activities - snorkeling, kayaking, etc. - in addition to laying on the beach.

 

If you don't like any of this, then definitely not for you 😞

 

1 hour ago, Paphillyguy said:

I do not believe Seashore has a zipline

This is correct, so you'll have to be content with the slides 🙂 

 

[Paphillyguy]

As my mother said to us when we were young , being bored is an insult to one's self.   I am sure there are a lot of people that will not find it boring even if they are not beach people.  I for one am not necessarily a beach person but in looking at the island it seems like a great place to eat and take a nice walk. 

[alohayall]

Yes, this sounds like a ship day for you.  Glad to hear you have an alternate to a beach day.

[alohayall]

Paddle boards, jet skis, kayaks.  Read a book.  Sit back and do nothing while watching or playing in beautiful Bahamian water.  As stated, no zip line.  Just the slides and pools on the ship.

 

[Paphillyguy]

CruisinLJ, please do not think I was being rude.  I tried to edit my post to add that I know that to some the stop might not be their thing but there might be something you find that you never realize you would have enjoyed. 

[MonsterJoe]

43 minutes ago, Paphillyguy said:

As my mother said to us when we were young , being bored is an insult to one's self.   I am sure there are a lot of people that will not find it boring even if they are not beach people.  I for one am not necessarily a beach person but in looking at the island it seems like a great place to eat and take a nice walk. 

 

It is indeed a nice great place to take a walk.  The paths are lined with great sounding speakers (not too loud...ambient) and just about everywhere you look is a great photo opportunity.

 

[CruisinLJ]

32 minutes ago, Paphillyguy said:

CruisinLJ, please do not think I was being rude.  I tried to edit my post to add that I know that to some the stop might not be their thing but there might be something you find that you never realize you would have enjoyed. 

No worries, Paphillyguy!  I make the best of wherever I am, trust me. 

 

I booked this cruise knowing it had this stop so I'm not complaining.  I'll explore and eat on the island, I'm sure.  We are there at all day through midnight so I am hearing sometimes they have a beach party (maybe not because of COVID this year?).  I am hearing that they temporarily canceled the parade. 

 

Nevertheless... Reading the reviews of Ocean Cay, it sounds like a good day for me to explore the ship without the usual crowds.

[Fogfog]

3 hours ago, CruisinLJ said:

My cruise with Ocean Cay in December will be my first stop there.  As I look at it now, it looks like it may be a good place to swing by for lunch, but that's about it.  I'm not a 'beach guy' and prefer stops in islands where I can find a restaurant with authentic food, a hole in the wall bar away from the tourists and anything to do with history.  I know that Ocean Cay won't have any of that.  But... what is there to do on the island?  Basically looks like beaches to me.  True?  I am thinking it may be a good day to concentrate on the Seashore's slides and zipline.

OC is not a theme park

No zip lines

No roller coasters etc

No "town"--it is a reclaimed beach island - a fascinating story f how it came to be. The are working on rebuilding coral reefs 

Food and bev on the island is all taken off the ship 

There are small boutiques near where the ship docks....

You can do limited excursions like waverunners yet its an early morning thing so sign up on the ship.

You can certainly walk/jog the walking paths/sidewalks

 

 

[alyssamma]

4 minutes ago, CruisinLJ said:

No worries, Paphillyguy!  I make the best of wherever I am, trust me. 

 

I booked this cruise knowing it had this stop so I'm not complaining.  I'll explore and eat on the island, I'm sure.  We are there at all day through midnight so I am hearing sometimes they have a beach party (maybe not because of COVID this year?).  I am hearing that they temporarily canceled the parade. 

 

Nevertheless... Reading the reviews of Ocean Cay, it sounds like a good day for me to explore the ship without the usual crowds.

FWIW, I, too, am not a "beach" person. In fact, I'm not an outdoors person at all.

 

That being said, I really like OC. Kayaking is amazing there and snorkeling is nice too. The water is very clear.

 

Typically, OC is the *only* port I'll get off the ship on.

 

All of this to say...paraphrasing Green Eggs and Ham...try it, you might like it 🙂

 

[Tapi]

We were there in September. Like most private islands, this type of destination is mostly for people who enjoy a beach day. Not so much for people who appreciate local cuisine or the destination’s history. 
 

But we had an absolutely fantastic time and found things to do besides sitting at the beach all day. We booked a wave runner excursion which was exhilarating and informative. We started by taking the wave runners to a location where we spotted dolphins freely frolicking in the ocean. From there, we raced to another cay south of Ocean Cay.
 

I was a bit apprehensive about the thought of being on a waverunner far from land, but the water was so clear and shallow that my apprehension quickly subsided. We then stopped the wave runners and the tour guide took some time to inform of us about the area, the history behind Ocean’s Cay development, and the conservation efforts with the marine reserve. My wife is a NON-beach person and she loved this excursion. We then returned to Ocean Cay. It provided a different perspective to see our ship docked at Ocean Cay from a distance. 
 

At night, we returned ashore for the beach party and the lighthouse light show which was entertaining and different. You can watch the light show from the ship as well, and the synced music will be played on the open decks. It was neat to be ashore at night; something that is rare when visiting private islands. 
 

Once again, Ocean Cay is best for people who enjoy a beach day, but there’s more to Ocean Cay than just the beach. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Tapi

[Paphillyguy]

Our stop leaves at 6 pm which I am a bit disappointed about.  

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, CruisinLJ said:

I'm not a 'beach guy

 

Nor am I, but I found Ocean Cay to be a delight, particularly in comparison to Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays.  It's different in a unique way.  It is a project still under development, but most pleasant currently.

 

I am one who no longer feels the urge to get off at every Caribbean island the ship visits.  Being able to spend a day aboard a partially empty ship is a delight!  The ships are so large that it's difficult to visit all of the various venues during a cruise.  Having a day aboard when there will be few guests makes it much more pleasant to get to those areas.  

 

4 hours ago, CruisinLJ said:

I can find  a hole in the wall bar away from the tourists

 

You will be able to find a bar or more on your ship where the bartenders will have the time to personally interact with you since there will be fewer guests to serve.

 

Lunch in the Buffet Restaurant?  Where's the line?  Where's the crowd?  Yet, the offerings that are usually presented will still be available?  

 

Look forward to your visit to Ocean Cay is my recommendation.    

[publicpersona]

Normally a Royal Caribbean and Celebrity guy, I'm taking as many MSC cruises as I can while Ocean Cay is relatively unspoiled. It's beaches and not a freakin' amusement park. Labadee and CocaCay used to be that way too until RCG went full amusement park on them. I truly hope MSC doesn't start adding stuff.

 

(I realize the irony of calling it "unspoiled" when it used to be an industrial waste dump).

[Elkins45]

When I was there in September I spent hours in the water. It was a lot of fun. I’m not a beach guy either,  but apparently I am an ocean guy.

Edited November 3, 2021 by Elkins45

[dexddd]

Yes, it is boring, but that is what we wanted.  A quiet beach day.  We were there four times in September and had fun each time.

 

Looked to be some site prep in middle of island.  Depending on who you talked to, some said Waterpark coming, others, no.

[Gatordad1967]

that is such a relative term.

 

[karmamule]

Just wanted to emphasize something someone else briefly mentioned: the evening light show from the lighthouse is lots of fun. Even if you spend the day on the ship I *highly* recommend finding out when that starts, then head down and over in that direction to watch it out on the beach or by one of their campfires. It's a great way to wrap up the day!

[Tapi]

8 hours ago, dexddd said:

Looked to be some site prep in middle of island.  Depending on who you talked to, some said Waterpark coming, others, no.

It’s my understanding that it will be a pool complex. Hopefully not a full blown water park like in Coco Cay, but a nice, relaxing pool with loungers around it will be a nice addition for people who don’t like to go in the ocean. 

[kelleherdl]

1 hour ago, Tapi said:

It’s my understanding that it will be a pool complex. Hopefully not a full blown water park like in Coco Cay, but a nice, relaxing pool with loungers around it will be a nice addition for people who don’t like to go in the ocean. 

I wonder if the naming ceremony for Seashore at OC and dedication of the OC Marine Reserve in a couple of weeks will include a public announcement of further development plans?

[CampNCruise74]

On 11/2/2021 at 12:09 PM, CruisinLJ said:

My cruise with Ocean Cay in December will be my first stop there.  As I look at it now, it looks like it may be a good place to swing by for lunch, but that's about it.  I'm not a 'beach guy' and prefer stops in islands where I can find a restaurant with authentic food, a hole in the wall bar away from the tourists and anything to do with history.  I know that Ocean Cay won't have any of that.  But... what is there to do on the island?  Basically looks like beaches to me.  True?  I am thinking it may be a good day to concentrate on the Seashore's slides and zipline.

Yes, then I would say by your metric it would be boring.  

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, Tapi said:

It’s my understanding that it will be a pool complex. Hopefully not a full blown water park like in Coco Cay, but a nice, relaxing pool with loungers around it will be a nice addition for people who don’t like to go in the ocean. 

 

That was my impression as well based on what I learned during my visit to Ocean Cay.  

[cheeseheads4ever]

Where can I find a layout of the locations of things on the island. We are there in January but leave island at 6 p.m. so no light show for us.. Darn!