New to Coco Cay; Questions

[Truluv]

I've booked a cruise on Anthem (widow, newly 70) with cabins for two of my adult "kids" in the Fall.  I'm embarrassed that I didn't explore Coco Cay at all on my last pre-pandemic RCL cruise, so I can't answer any of their questions.  Can you help me out?  We haven't traveled as a family for years, so this should be interesting LOL.

 

My daughter/her husband are down-to-earth and will be traveling with my 5 yr old & 2 yr old grandkids (it's her husband's 1st cruise, but my daughter grew up with cruise vacations).  My son and his wife are young professionals (34/29) who gravitate to luxury experiences 😳.  For ex., they were just ballooning in Turkey. 

 

For the day at CoCo Cay, any tips?  Is a day pass necessary for the young family?  Should they expect to spend a lot of $?  Do you bring your own beach toys?  Could the cabana experience be worth it for the son & his wife?  Any other Coco Cay suggestions?  

 

Me....I'll be happy with my Kindle in the onboard Solarium, enjoying the peace & quiet.  

 

Thank you for any tips! 

 

 

[vacationlover_mn]

We have no kids, however we DID explore it fully last time we were there, so I will try my best to answer your questions 🙂.

 

I think no water park pass is needed

for the 2 & 5 year olds.  Plenty of free options that little kids seemed to enjoy 🙂. Honestly, they could get by with spending no $$, unless they want souvenirs 🙂.

 

For the ones without kids…. We are fans of a low stress, non-crowded beach, and did the Beach Club.  We loved it!!!  It comes with an “upgraded” lunch that includes lobster.  We had the free booze package on that sailing, and the server came asap when we put up our little “we need a drink” flag 🙂

[vacationlover_mn]

Oh, and I’ve heard that some people bring their own beach toys.  We brought our snorkeling stuff, but didn’t use it.

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, Truluv said:

Thank you for any tips! 

Search/watch CocoCay videos on youtube.

[firefly333]

There is more than one place for free food. I'll be looking for the one with chicken sandwiches and the funnel cakes. I've heard good things about both. I'll be there on oasis march 12. Its changed a lot since I've been there. 

 

While the lunch at beach club sounds fantastic  .. not laying $149 pp or more  ...though I do love lobster. We will be going to krazy lobster in costa maya. 

[Mum2Mercury]

We're in the majority in that we LOVE Coco Cay.  Specific thoughts: 

- I strongly suggest you leave the Solarium and get out to the beach.  You have the Solarium all week, whereas you only have Coco Cay for a day. 

- One thing people like about Coco Cay is that it's easy on /easy off.  So if part of the family wants to return to the ship, the others can stay ashore.   

- Yes, I would bring sand toys for the kids.  I saw several families who brought them, and the kids seemed to be having a blast.  

- You didn't ask this, but the ship provides GOOD kid-sized lifejackets -- you'll find them on the pool deck.  I assume your grandchildren aren't strong swimmers yet, so I'd suggest their parents get a lifejacket for them onboard /size it for them /keep it all week, which would include taking it out to Coco Cay. 

- Coco Cay has lifeguards at the larger beaches and a lifeguard on a jet ski who "patrols".  They were proactive about safety.  

- We didn't spend a penny on Coco Cay and were quite happy with our day. 

- We prefer Chill Island because it's close to a grove full of shady hammocks -- my husband still talks about that nap.  You'll find plenty of chairs (no cost).  Food and drink is available nearby. 

- South Beach is the other big beach, and its a little more active with games.  

- The cabanas are vastly overpriced, in my humble opinion.  I'd rather spend that money on an excursion on another island.  The cabana price does include upgraded food, but I quite like the food provided at no additional cost.  

- You want to get up and out early to get a good seat on Coco Cay.  The one reason I can see to get a cabana is that it'd be reserved for you, so you could come in at 10:00 or 11:00 and still have a good seat.  Well, relatively good seat -- the cabanas at Chill Island are set over to the side /not right in front of the water.  

- We had "front row" seats and were a little nervous about whether people would take our stuff when we went for lunch -- no one did.  

- The island has a towel check-out /exchange station. 

- The island includes a large pirate ship playground for the kids -- looked really fun! 

- The island includes a large pool, which had a loud, party atmosphere.  No cost, but it wasn't our kind of place.  

- Someone mentioned souvenirs -- not something my family does, but you'll find a bunch of little kiosks run by locals near Chill Island.  

[Mum2Mercury]

34 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

... We will be going to krazy lobster in costa maya. 

That place has caught my eye recently -- will you post a review after you return?  

[Rusty_lock]

I wished they offered an al la carte option at Coco cay.  I'd be interested in riding a couple of water slides but I certainly don't want to pay $150 to ride them all day.  

[smokeybandit]

You can buy collapsible beach buckets that'll help in packing.

[reallyitsmema]

5 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

You didn't ask this, but the ship provides GOOD kid-sized lifejackets -- you'll find them on the pool deck.  I assume your grandchildren aren't strong swimmers yet, so I'd suggest their parents get a lifejacket for them onboard /size it for them /keep it all week, which would include taking it out to Coco Cay. 

 

You do not keep the lifejackets for the week, there are not enough for all families to hoard them in their cabins.  You also do not take them off the ship, they are for use on the ship only.  The same variety of lifejackets are available to use on Coco Cay.  Those lifejackets should be left on the island for others to enjoy.

[Truluv]

So much great information!  Thank you to everyone!  

[LINDAE3213]

We liked south beach...more quiet...less going on...further part of island. 

[Denversail]

We did a cabana by the water a few years ago. If I were traveling in a group of 6 or more I would consider this. The prices have increased substantially though to the point of ridiculous. If you have the funds it is definitely nice to have. It gives you a main place to hang out and you don’t need to try to find good seats near each other. You also don’t all have to get off the ship together at the same time since you will know where everyone is going.  The drink and food service is nice. Guaranteed shade is always a winner. Enjoy!

[Donsyb]

A mid priced option instead of a cabana is a beach bed, they’re around $200 for the day, and come with floating mats, chairs/ umbrella and a cooler of waters.

 

I saw life jackets available on coco cay at the beach. 

[PhillyFan33579]

If you want any a luxury experience on Coco Cay, I highly recommend the Beach Club.