Princess Cay and Freeport - What's Doing?

[CruzerDeb]

I can't seem to find the information I'm looking for either of these ports - i.e., does the ship dock or are they tender ports?  Princess Cays is a private Carnival island, right?  Is it like Half Moon Cay and there are plenty of free chairs available on the beach?  Is lunch provided?

 

For Freeport, I'd also like this to be a beach day.  Is there one close by?  Xanadu beach?

 

Thanks for any advice.  I booked this trip with only 10 days to do research and time is flying by!

[BNBR]

Freeport you will dock.  Princess Cays you will tender.  Princess Cays is not a private island, but I guess it's basically the same type of experience.  It's a private resort just like a private island and would be similar in that way to Half Moon Cay, yes.

[pacruise804]

Princess Cay is a private resort on Eluthera (sp?) Island.  It is owned/leased by Princess (Carnival is parent company) similar to the relationship between Half Moon Cay (Little San Salvador) and Holland America (also under the Carnival umbrella).   Carnival also uses these tender ports, but the offerings are sometimes different depending on the line (e.g. Princess has food trucks that aren't in use for Carnival).

Lots of chairs and buffet lunch is provided.  The beach is much rockier than HMC so water shoes are advised.  There is better snorkeling though.  There were a lot of flies at our PC buffet, so if we go again I would probably eat a big breakfast and have lunch back on the ship.

You will dock at Freeport.  There are great beaches on the island, but you will need a taxi or excursion to get there.  There should be some recent (August/September) posts about some good beach experiences.