Best Location at Coco Cay?

[handbellplayer]

We've only been to CC once since the renovations, and we went to the Beach Club.  This trip, we want to be near the action, but in the shade. We are the only ship in port (Harmony).  Suggestions for the best location and strategy for getting the best spot?

[mrpayroll]

The most action occurs at the pool area. You can find chairs that are back in the shade.

[jdro]

Sorry to hijack your question but near the “action” is the pool near the beach?

 

thanks!!!

[Ashland]

For us and our extended family that included the grandkids. The Water Park cabana we had was great this past April !!!!

Edited September 7, 2022 by Ashland

[brillohead]

Depends on what you consider to be "action".  Some of the beaches have Beach Games (volleyball, something that looks like billiards only with bowling-ball sized balls, etc.).  The pool has a DJ and loud music.  

If you want to be by the pool, I recommend getting off the ship within the first hour and going straight to the pool to secure your loungers -- they are harder to find near the pool after that.  Every other set of chairs has an umbrella, but you will have to move your chair throughout the day as the angle of the sun changes to stay in the shade. 

There are plenty of places to just hang out in the shade around the pool -- there are little "islands" built into the middle of the pool with trees to provide shade, and underwater benches here and there along the islands, too.

 

[jimdalva]

The Best location is between the swim up bar and the DJ booth.

We are over 65 , and were on a 8 day HarmonyOTS and shared Co Co with 3 day FreedomOTS out of Miami.

Those young people brought a party to the pool like you wouldn't believe.

We hung with the young crowd dancing in the pool for quite a while , before retreating to a quiet beach to catch our breath.

It made us feel young , if only for a few hours.

 

 

[shipgeeks]

Maybe we are of the opposite opinion of "best".  We went in June.  Took the tram around the circuit to get a look at the options.  Everywhere we went the music was loud, the areas looked built up, the foliage closed everything in.  We had expected a bit of serenity, the way Coco Cay was before all the amusement park stuff was added.  We rode back to the pier and returned to the ship for the day. Very disappointing.  We are sailing there again in November, and want to give Coco Cay the benefit of the doubt, so will try again, but I'm not yet convinced it still has any appeal for us.

[brillohead]

11 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Maybe we are of the opposite opinion of "best".  We went in June.  Took the tram around the circuit to get a look at the options.  Everywhere we went the music was loud, the areas looked built up, the foliage closed everything in.  We had expected a bit of serenity, the way Coco Cay was before all the amusement park stuff was added.  We rode back to the pier and returned to the ship for the day. Very disappointing.  We are sailing there again in November, and want to give Coco Cay the benefit of the doubt, so will try again, but I'm not yet convinced it still has any appeal for us.

If all you did was ride the tram, you didn't see anything.  You need to get off the road to see what the individual beaches are like.  There is NOT loud music at all the beaches... which you would know if you'd actually checked them out.

[shipgeeks]

So, which beaches or areas are the quietest?

[brillohead]

20 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

So, which beaches or areas are the quietest?

Chill Island beaches or South Beach will have the least activity.

[shipgeeks]

2 hours ago, brillohead said:

Chill Island beaches or South Beach will have the least activity.

Thank you!

[meadowlander]

On 10/14/2022 at 4:46 PM, shipgeeks said:

So, which beaches or areas are the quietest?

I second South Beach. It is the first tram stop. Snack Shack and restroom located close to the tram stop. The bar is located at the other end of the beach near the towel station.

[Rysyonok]

South Beach was the quietest indeed, but it has become for crew only after the known events. Also, following cabana construction, water has become quite treachery and slippery in some places. I wouldn't go there.

 

So, either pool (straight off the ship - straight ahead, leaving waterpark just on the right) or the crescent-shaped inlets to the left (off the ship - left at the earliest opportunity - cross the bridge - after the bridge do not follow the road but keep going straight).

[brillohead]

22 minutes ago, Rysyonok said:

South Beach was the quietest indeed, but it has become for crew only after the known events. Also, following cabana construction, water has become quite treachery and slippery in some places. I wouldn't go there.

 

So, either pool (straight off the ship - straight ahead, leaving waterpark just on the right) or the crescent-shaped inlets to the left (off the ship - left at the earliest opportunity - cross the bridge - after the bridge do not follow the road but keep going straight).

You obviously haven't been there lately -- South Beach was open to passengers when I was there in the springtime, and it's still open to passengers now (I was on it myself last week).  

Not exactly sure how the water gets slippery, either.... ?????

[Rysyonok]

11 minutes ago, brillohead said:

You obviously haven't been there lately -- South Beach was open to passengers when I was there in the springtime, and it's still open to passengers now (I was on it myself last week).  

Not exactly sure how the water gets slippery, either.... ?????

 

I was there in March 2022 last, so I admit being a few months out of date.

 

As for slippery, once you walk into the water a couple of feet, there's a drop-off. It's more obvious towards the cabanas. 

[brillohead]

1 hour ago, Rysyonok said:

 

I was there in March 2022 last, so I admit being a few months out of date.

 

As for slippery, once you walk into the water a couple of feet, there's a drop-off. It's more obvious towards the cabanas. 

I still don't understand how the water is slippery... are you saying there is a concrete foundation, like stairs, that have gotten slick with algae, like some boat ramps, so your foot slips on the gooey surface? 

Or just that there's a naturally occurring drop-off in the sand like there is at any beach that has gotten decent sized wave action?

 

That's not "slippery" -- that's just Mother Nature, and has absolutely nothing to do with the construction of the cabanas.  Eagle Beach in Aruba (which usually has pretty large waves) has a drop-off of over a foot on most days, without a single cabana (or any other construction in the water) for miles and miles. 

[meadowlander]

On 11/6/2022 at 4:55 PM, Rysyonok said:

South Beach was the quietest indeed, but it has become for crew only after the known events. Also, following cabana construction, water has become quite treachery and slippery in some places. I wouldn't go there.

South Beach is not for 'crew only', it is the only area on Coco Cay that crew members can visit & they get their by walking from the ship as they are not allowed to use any of the trams.

 

I also disagree with your statement that the water at South Beach is quite treachery and has a steep drop off 2 feet in (from another post).  Yes, as one goes further out from the shore line it does get deeper but I would not classify it as steep. It also gets shallower past that deeper area as I found out when I swam towards the swim bar.

 

Having Snack Shack (the only food venue) on South Beach is a positive, imo.

Having the bar at the opposite end of the tram stop was the biggest inconvenience for me.

[vacationlover_mn]

On 10/2/2022 at 6:50 AM, shipgeeks said:

Maybe we are of the opposite opinion of "best".  We went in June.  Took the tram around the circuit to get a look at the options.  Everywhere we went the music was loud, the areas looked built up, the foliage closed everything in.  We had expected a bit of serenity, the way Coco Cay was before all the amusement park stuff was added.  We rode back to the pier and returned to the ship for the day. Very disappointing.  We are sailing there again in November, and want to give Coco Cay the benefit of the doubt, so will try again, but I'm not yet convinced it still has any appeal for us.

We booked the beach club, and found our loungers on the beach to be peaceful.

[teddie]

We were at the Coco Beach Club on the 2/4 Anthem sailing, and the only ship in port.  Even though the Beach Club was designated as sold-out, there were more untouched loungers than occupied ones.  It was incredibly peaceful, and the food was fabulous. We loved it!

[nemesees]

Are all areas of CocoCay open to everyone or are some areas restricted unless purchasing their “excursion”

[brillohead]

3 hours ago, nemesees said:

Are all areas of CocoCay open to everyone or are some areas restricted unless purchasing their “excursion”

The zipline, balloon, waterpark, and Beach Club areas are areas you have to pay for.  The beaches at Chill Island, Breezy Bay, Harbor Beach, and South Beach, plus the Oasis Lagoon pool are all free.  

There are some food items at Captain Jack's Bar that you have to pay for, but the food at the two buffets and the Snack Shacks are free.  

Water and flavored water are free at the food places, but booze and other types of drinks are priced the same as on the ship.  If you have a beverage package, that works on Coco Cay as well. 

 

[nemesees]

Thank you. My first impression was the whole island was a water park that had to pay to get in. But I found a blog explaining it all. You can go anywhere on the island except the water park, balloon lift, zip line, beach club areas or the specialty dining locales which cost extra. Everything else is complimentary as on the ship. 
Now all I need is to get me a nice overhead view map of the island for downloading.

[brillohead]

27 minutes ago, nemesees said:

Thank you. My first impression was the whole island was a water park that had to pay to get in. But I found a blog explaining it all. You can go anywhere on the island except the water park, balloon lift, zip line, beach club areas or the specialty dining locales which cost extra. Everything else is complimentary as on the ship. 
Now all I need is to get me a nice overhead view map of the island for downloading.

 

Not sure when you'll be there, but they are also in the process of building an adults-only beach area.  It's not been released yet as to whether or not this will be a free/included area or something that you have to pay extra for.

Royal has a PDF map available here.