Many of the larger cruise lines now have private islands that serve as a port of call in the Caribbean. As frequent travelers with MSC, we have been lucky enough to go to Ocean Cay a few times. Here are a few suggestions that will help you get the most out of your visit to this beautiful place!
Yacht Club – yes please!
When we travel with MSC we generally select a Yacht Club (YC) level room. There are many perks that come with the YC. For this post I will focus on the perks related to Ocean Cay.
More Yacht Club reviews can be found on the post about YC vs The Retreat!
As a YC guest, a chauffeur will take you to the far end of the island. There, you will find a private area for YC guests. There is a beautiful restaurant, bar, and a private beach. Did I mention that butler service is provided as well? They also bring towels so you will have unlimited access to a fresh towel whenever you want. Beach chairs are included and a cabana can be reserved at an extra cost. Lunch is served at the restaurant with a limited menu, but it is very good.
The private beach is not the best one on the island. To be honest, it is a little rocky. Still, it is a nice place to relax. The butler service is isolated to the Yacht Club area of the island. If you leave, you are on your own!
Lighthouse and Light Show
The ship docks on the southeast side of the island right next to a lighthouse. If you are there at night, you are in for a treat. MSC lights up the lighthouse and put on a laser show! The show went on for a long time and it was professionally done. We took in the show from the ship but there were passengers watching from the nearby beach. They had some campfires on the beach that looked really nice but being already on the ship was definitely a plus.
During the day you can climb to the top of the lighthouse for a small fee. I didn’t really see a point in the climb. The ship is right there and offers a much better view of the island. I guess if you always wanted to climb a lighthouse, well this is a chance to do it?
The Golden Mean.. or Middle… whatever. The middle part is great.
The central part of the island has a large lagoon that is our favorite place to relax. To us, the central lagoon offers a much better beach than the private one for Yacht Club guests. In fact, on our recent trip we decided to rent a cabana on the north side of the central lagoon. While we lost access to our butlers, they were just across the pathway and the restaurant was right next door. The water in the lagoon is very calm. It has a nice sandy bottom. There are also shark nets to keep out Jaws.
The restaurant for the more traditional guest is located in the center part of the island as well. There are also places to rent snorkel gear and flotation devices scattered throughout this area as well.
Things we didn’t do.
The Aurea Spa also has a location on the northwest side of the island very near the wedding venue. So, if you want a massage and a marriage head up that way. I am already married, and my wife gives good neck massages, so I was all set.
There are some shops in the middle part of the island which to be honest, we always skip. I overheard some other passengers talking about the shops and it sounds like what you would expect. Beach gear, sunscreen, some souvenirs etc.
There are also many excursions you can take like jet ski rentals, kayaking, scuba etc. So far we have not done any of the excursions on the island. I will admit the jet skis looked like a lot of fun. They may be on our agenda for our next trip.
The So What…
Seeing Ocean Cay on an upcoming itinerary is always a welcome sight. This port of call should ideally be in the second half of your trip. For me after a few days of excursions, evening shows, dinners etc. it is nice to have a day filled with nothing but sun, food, and naps on the beach.
Including Ocean Cay on your itinerary allows for a beach day. This eliminates the need to taking up a visit to another country for a trip to the beach. You don’t need taxi rides or bus rides with hordes of people. There’s no waiting on administrative ticket taking. No waiting on the one person who is always late getting to the meeting point.
Simply step off the ship and you are where you want to be.
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