Coco Cay Beach Loungers

[CastawayCruisers]

Heading out on Enchantment of the Seas a week from today and had two questions on Coco Cay. We have an awkwardly sized group for Beach Bungalows or Beach Beds so we are looking at the pairs of loungers. Do the loungers count for priority tendering or are we still on our own? Also, where are they on the island? I have found detailed  maps for everything except the loungers. Thanks!

[cruznwithmom]

New to RCI - I would love to understand the tendering for CoCo Cay. Are you assigned by how much $$ you precommit for the day? If so, what things qualify? The day is not that long, I would like to maximize the on island time.

 

[Clarea]

12 minutes ago, cruznwithmom said:

New to RCI - I would love to understand the tendering for CoCo Cay. Are you assigned by how much $$ you precommit for the day? If so, what things qualify? The day is not that long, I would like to maximize the on island time.

 

 

RC excursions have first priority, then everyone else.

[bowler15547]

20 hours ago, CastawayCruisers said:

Heading out on Enchantment of the Seas a week from today and had two questions on Coco Cay. We have an awkwardly sized group for Beach Bungalows or Beach Beds so we are looking at the pairs of loungers. Do the loungers count for priority tendering or are we still on our own? Also, where are they on the island? I have found detailed  maps for everything except the loungers. Thanks!

 

I may be misunderstanding you, but if you are talking about the loungers on the beach like they have around the pool on the ship, they are free and first come/first served. Enchantment does not have that many passengers, so you should not have difficulty. I recommend getting off the ship early in the morning and get on one of the first tenders. Peak time tends to be an hour to three hours after arrival, and lines can get long.

[SRF]

If you book something early, you have priority for tender seats.   Also if are in a full suite or Pinnacle.

 

But the tenders are CocoCay are quite large, as they are based there, not ship's boats.  And they will have 3 or 4 running early to get people to the island.

[island lady]

 

And, though behind schedule...no more tenders needed at some point next year.  😉 

 

BTW...if you use one of the many free loungers all over the beaches, you can set them up where you want by yourself for free.  But if have one of the beach attendants set it up for you, please remember to tip them.  They are locals...not RCI employees.

Edited December 18, 2018 by island lady

[vickiw0318]

I have never found it necessary to book any sort of upgraded seating at Coco Cay.  There are loungers everywhere!  Keep walking past the first areas you come to.  You should be able to set up seating suited to your group - whether in shade, sun or both.

[SRF]

22 hours ago, island lady said:

 

And, though behind schedule...no more tenders needed at some point next year.  😉 

 

BTW...if you use one of the many free loungers all over the beaches, you can set them up where you want by yourself for free.  But if have one of the beach attendants set it up for you, please remember to tip them.  They are locals...not RCI employees.

 

I know the straw market vendors are independent.  But I thought everyone else was an RCI employee.

[orville99]

Just to the right of where you rent snorkel gear (and directly across from the rest rooms and lunch area) on the main beach is a small kiosk that rents floats. That is also where you would  rent the paired beach chairs that come with umbrellas that are located in a roped off area of the beach. Don't remember what they cost, because the free chairs on the rest of the beach are plentiful, and there are a lot of areas with ample shade. When we were there the last time, most of the chair/umbrella area had vacant chairs. I doubt the rentals ever sell out.

[island lady]

4 hours ago, SRF said:

 

I know the straw market vendors are independent.  But I thought everyone else was an RCI employee.

 

They are not as pronounced as the locals that are let in the gate at Labadee (Haiti) but there are indeed locals on the island that are not just vendors.  I remember talking to one of them, who dressed in the wrong t-shirt for the day.  That was when Carnival was also calling on the little island.  He mistakenly put on his Carnival shirt and had to return to the worker area for an RCI shirt.  So funny!  

Edited December 19, 2018 by island lady

[pacruise804]

22 hours ago, island lady said:

 

They are not as pronounced as the locals that are let in the gate at Labadee (Haiti) but there are indeed locals on the island that are not just vendors.  I remember talking to one of them, who dressed in the wrong t-shirt for the day.  That was when Carnival was also calling on the little island.  He mistakenly put on his Carnival shirt and had to return to the worker area for an RCI shirt.  So funny!  

Are you sure this was at Coco Cay (or a Carnival shirt)?  I thought that Coco Cay was exclusively for RCCL.  Did you mean a Celebrity shirt?

[Clarea]

41 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

Are you sure this was at Coco Cay (or a Carnival shirt)?  I thought that Coco Cay was exclusively for RCCL.  Did you mean a Celebrity shirt?

 

There was a time that Royal allowed some Carnival visits to Coco Cay.  I don't know if that is still going on.

[pacruise804]

Thanks for the clarification.

[karena1]

We never do excursions on CocoCay and normally we are on the first tender.  Love the island so we get off as soon as possible

 

[island lady]

31 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

There was a time that Royal allowed some Carnival visits to Coco Cay.  I don't know if that is still going on.

 

I don't  think it is any longer...it was years ago.  But there was one time a smaller Carnival ship was in at the same time we were.  We talked to a young couple from the "zoo" ship...they told us there were out of Miami.  Was funny during that few seasons when they let the competitor in...since RCI was still calling it their "own private island".  Hah!!  

[island lady]

1 hour ago, pacruise804 said:

Are you sure this was at Coco Cay (or a Carnival shirt)?  I thought that Coco Cay was exclusively for RCCL.  Did you mean a Celebrity shirt?

 

Yes... Carnival.  Have been going to Coco Cay for years now...first time was on Monarch out of PC.

 

And even more dated....we used to go to Labadee when the ships tendered out.  😉 

[island lady]

15 minutes ago, karena1 said:

We never do excursions on CocoCay and normally we are on the first tender.  Love the island so we get off as soon as possible

 

 

When is the last time you were there?  Things have changed dramatically...and not in the best way IMHO.  We used to love to take the nature trail to the other side of the island.  Was quiet, natural and pretty up there.  Nice view over the bay with the ship in sight from a high bluff was a favorite stop.  The island was such a nice place to go for the natural island feel.  Now....the nature trail is not being taken care of and the "theme park" mode has taken over.

 

Joni Mitchell sang it well in "Big  Yellow Taxi".....Paved paradise and put up a parking lot.  

[karena1]

21 hours ago, island lady said:

 

When is the last time you were there?  Things have changed dramatically...and not in the best way IMHO.  We used to love to take the nature trail to the other side of the island.  Was quiet, natural and pretty up there.  Nice view over the bay with the ship in sight from a high bluff was a favorite stop.  The island was such a nice place to go for the natural island feel.  Now....the nature trail is not being taken care of and the "theme park" mode has taken over.

 

Joni Mitchell sang it well in "Big  Yellow Taxi".....Paved paradise and put up a parking lot.  

end of October.  The construction doesn't bother me.  Where we lay on the beach, it is still gorgeous.  Will be there again next week for Christmas and cannot wait.  We love CocoCay and have watched it change over the many years we have been going there.  The new section will be great for those that love it.  For us, we will head down to the beach we always lay at and do what we have been doing for years at CocoCay.  Lay on the beach and chill.

Edited December 21, 2018 by karena1

[SRF]

On 12/20/2018 at 1:50 PM, island lady said:

 

I don't  think it is any longer...it was years ago.  But there was one time a smaller Carnival ship was in at the same time we were.  We talked to a young couple from the "zoo" ship...they told us there were out of Miami.  Was funny during that few seasons when they let the competitor in...since RCI was still calling it their "own private island".  Hah!!  

 

They could be leasing access.

 

So it WAS and RCI private island.  They they allowed other people to use for a fee.

[island lady]

1 hour ago, SRF said:

 

They could be leasing access.

 

So it WAS and RCI private island.  They they allowed other people to use for a fee.

 

OK...sorry about that...I should rephrase that.  RCI used to call it their "exclusive" private island.  Then we would pull up next to a Carnival ship at tender.   😉 

 

Happily Carnival no longer calls on the island.  Now...with the Oasis class ships coming...no room for the clown people any longer anyway.  

Edited December 24, 2018 by island lady