Please tell me about Coco Cay.

[CruisinCadie]

Our cruise next summer includes a "Perfect Day in Coco Cay."  We (mid-70's) are not big beach people because our meds make us sun sensitive.  I've seen the videos on Royal's website, but what exact options do we have besides sunning ourselves and water sports?  And I doubt I'll get my husband to go up in a hot air balloon.

 

Thanks,

Kathy

[Bead Pirate]

We get to Coco Cay 2 or 3 times a month. There are trams to drive you around and the food is worth exploring (all covered from sun). The pool is beautiful, but it can be quite warm there...

 

Some alternatives are to stay on the ship and enjoy your balcony or the shade on the pool deck and of course the casino is open the entire time we are in Coco Cay.

 

A word of advice, if you choose to stay on the ship and have lunch on your balcony or on the pool deck the seagulls there are well adapted at high diving and stealing your sandwich, etc. at speeds you will not believe 🙂 

[firefly333]

I'm also not supposed to be in the sun.

 

I went last march, first time since covid. I walked .. .and melted. There are small kinda of like trains or shuttles that take you around. I will for sure take one both ways next time. I walked and walked .. and walked some more. I wanted to try the free funnel cake and chicken sandwich. I asked 3 different rcl employees how to get to the free food. Each one wore a shirt saying ask me and each had to go ask someone else! Finally a crew member was like cut thru here off the path and walk straight thru to the beach area. ..and sure enough I found the free food. I sat at a picnic table was kinda shaded. Loved the funnel cake piping hot. Too much to finish and had a drink and a chicken sandwich. 

 

If you havent been i would explore. But take a shuttle train. It's a very large area to walk. 

[cruisegirl1]

All of the sets of 2 or 4 chairs have an umbrella. The  hot air balloon is tethered so it just goes up. It doesn’t really go anywhere.
 

Taking the tram around the island provides a nice overview. There are several complimentary food options.  
 

M

[ballonewb]

It’s not that hard to find food on the island.   Everything is clearly marked.  Also the trams are not small.  They fit a good amount of people 

[smokeybandit]

There are dozens of articles on google about Coco Cay

[reallyitsmema]

28 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I'm also not supposed to be in the sun.

 

I went last march, first time since covid. I walked .. .and melted. There are small kinda of like trains or shuttles that take you around. I will for sure take one both ways next time. I walked and walked .. and walked some more. I wanted to try the free funnel cake and chicken sandwich. I asked 3 different rcl employees how to get to the free food. Each one wore a shirt saying ask me and each had to go ask someone else! Finally a crew member was like cut thru here off the path and walk straight thru to the beach area. ..and sure enough I found the free food. I sat at a picnic table was kinda shaded. Loved the funnel cake piping hot. Too much to finish and had a drink and a chicken sandwich. 

 

If you havent been i would explore. But take a shuttle train. It's a very large area to walk. 

 

Funnel Cake and chicken sandwiches are available at the snack shacks that are clearly marked on the maps that are located all over the island and usually with the staff wearing the ask me shirts.  They likely didn't know where a specific food item was sold.  You can print a map before you go or get one on ship or on island.  The tram routes are also shown on the map.  There are also smaller shuttles that operate from the ship to the tram station if walking the pier is too much.  Some of those accommodate wheelchairs and scooters.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/perfect-day-at-cococay-wayfinding-map.pdf

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cococay-cruises

[DigiPro]

32 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

The tram routes are also shown on the map.  There are also smaller shuttles that operate from the ship to the tram station if walking the pier is too much.  Some of those accommodate wheelchairs and scooters.

This map is very helpful as it clearly outlines where the tram does and does not go (great for some of the seniors traveling with us).

[reallyitsmema]

11 minutes ago, DigiPro said:

This map is very helpful as it clearly outlines where the tram does and does not go (great for some of the seniors traveling with us).

 

We don't tend to take the trams as we like to get our steps in.  I did use the tram with my Mom though when she sailed with me in 2020.  At 83, she did well walking to Chill Beach and the Snack Shack for lunch but we took the tram back as she wanted to see more of the island.  We also were able to get her on a shuttle back to the ship as one had just pulled up.  

 

Lots for all to do no matter the age.  With the zero entry pool, it is easy to walk in or roll in if needed.  There are bench seats in the pool around the islands that offer great shade.  We like to walk to the pool, cool off for a bit and then move on to South Beach.  At the end of the day, we walk from the beach to the pool, cool off again and then continue on to the ship.

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, reallyitsmema said:

There are bench seats in the pool around the islands that offer great shade.

 

As someone who hates the sun (b/c the sun hates me), I love those benches.

 

On a semi-related note, during one trip last year, a rather large lizard (I'll call it an iguana but I'm no expert) came out from the island and hung out close to the edge of the pool by one of the benches for hours. More wildlife on CocoCay than one may think between the lizards and wild chickens (insert snack shack sandwich joke here).

[reallyitsmema]

5 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

As someone who hates the sun (b/c the sun hates me), I love those benches.

 

On a semi-related note, during one trip last year, a rather large lizard (I'll call it an iguana but I'm no expert) came out from the island and hung out close to the edge of the pool by one of the benches for hours. More wildlife on CocoCay than one may think between the lizards and wild chickens (insert snack shack sandwich joke here).

 

That big boy might live on the pool island by the swim up bar because we saw him out there in May.  I would say he is an iguana too.  There were little lizards out there too.

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

That big boy might live on the pool island by the swim up bar because we saw him out there in May.  I would say he is an iguana too.  There were little lizards out there too.

 

Yep, that's our preferred pool spot. Good distance between the bar, snack shack, and Chill Grill. Good to hear he's doing well, lol. As a Florida resident, the tiny lizards don't register since we have them all over the place here. Trying to catch one when they get in the house is always fun.

[FTLCruiseGal]

When we went, we rented one of the beds. I am not a fan of the sun, and it was perfect. We could relax on the bed in the shade, got up and walked to eat and shop, back to the bed for a nap.

 

it was definitely a perfect day at coco cay for us!

Edited July 8, 2023 by FTLCruiseGal

[Giantfan13]

On 7/8/2023 at 12:41 PM, CruisinCadie said:

Our cruise next summer includes a "Perfect Day in Coco Cay."  We (mid-70's) are not big beach people because our meds make us sun sensitive.  I've seen the videos on Royal's website, but what exact options do we have besides sunning ourselves and water sports?  And I doubt I'll get my husband to go up in a hot air balloon.

 

Thanks,

Kathy

Like you, I simply cannot be in the sun as I have had multiple cases of Melanoma, so I avoid being in the sun at all costs. That said, when we did CoCo Cay in the 'old' days, we went off the ship basically after most had already gone, found our way to the other side of the island, and found a nice palm tree to sit under and just relax. Those days are gone with the 'new' CoCo Cay. We still let everyone who wants to rush off there go, and we get there much later. We have always preferred a quieter place to sit, so we took the tram to the furthermost area we could go, found a couple of chairs and the umbrella that has replaced palm trees and just sat. We do put our feet in the water, but that's about it and then back to the shade. We are usually back on the ship for a late lunch and that's about how we enjoy our 'perfect day on CoCo Cay.

 

Cheers

Len

[CruisinCadie]

Thanks to all.  We will definitely look into taking the tram around the island just to see what there is to see and maybe grab some lunch.

 

Kathy

[LeeW]

Turn left once you get on the island.  Walk across the bridge with the photographers.  When concrete path veers right, go straight.  Merchandise kiosks will be on right, bar and scuba shop on left.  You will see several hundred chairs with umbrellas under the palm trees.  One of the main buffets is just beyond, nearest Snack Shack is a bit farther on the sand path.  If you walk through the buffet you will hit the fresh water pool.  

[SbbquilterUT]

We very much enjoyed Coco Cay - old enough to be celebrating dear friends 50th anniversary!  Headed directly to South Beach (farthest beach) which was quieter, had plenty of beads with shade and was fairly quiet.  Food, bar, bathrooms easily accessible.