Major cruise lines offer not-so-private island escapes to passengers
MEXICO CITY - Turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, sunbeds under swaying palms - and complete privacy. Today, some celebrities and ultrawealthy individuals have leased or even bought private islands.
For most, having their own island will remain a dream, but cruise passengers can experience exclusive beaches and resorts as part of their journey.
Major cruise lines such as MSC, Norwegian and Carnival have their own islands and operate resorts exclusively for the passengers on their ships, mainly located in the Caribbean, particularly in the Bahamas.
Royal Caribbean
In Europe, Royal Caribbean will soon open its first beach club on the Greek island of Santorini. Just before the new year, the cruise line opened a similar beach club on Paradise Island near Nassau in the Bahamas, and a third is currently under construction on Cozumel in the Mexican Caribbean.
The company is also developing a major new resort on Mexico’s Costa Maya, Perfect Day Mexico, modeled on its flagship private island, CocoCay, which is already part of the “Perfect Day” portfolio.
Royal Caribbean advertises these stops as full-scale island experiences, featuring restaurants, beaches, water parks, pools, and bars. CocoCay is also a popular destination for the group’s Celebrity Cruises brand.
Elsewhere, the cruise line operates the private resort Labadee in Haiti, with another resort planned for Vanuatu in the South Pacific in 2027.
The company says it continues to expand its portfolio of land resorts to meet growing passenger demand for exclusive experiences beyond the ship.
Carnival
Carnival cruise lines has invested more than $500 million in the Celebration Key resort on Grand Bahama, which was opened in summer 2025.
Two large ships can already dock at the harbor, and an extension for additional berths is under construction, according to the company. Initially, 2 million guests a year are expected to visit, rising to 4 million by 2028.
In the south of the Bahamian island of Eleuthera, Carnival operates another private resort, Princess Cays, which will be called at by Princess Cruises ships on 60 routes by 2028 and will also be used by the group subsidiary P&O Cruises.
However, there is no pier here. The ships anchor and passengers are then ferried ashore in small tender boats.
On Baja California on Mexico’s Pacific coast, the Ensenada Bay Village at the cruise terminal of the same name is to be built in the coming years as a resort for 9,000 guests a day - with pools, zip lines and a spa.
With Half Moon Cay (RelaxAway), the group also has a private island in the Bahamas in operation, which is mainly used by the group’s brands Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line.
The island will receive a second pier in 2026 so that Carnival’s large Excel ships can dock there for the first time.
Norwegian
Norwegian’s Great Stirrup Cay, which is also being expanded, offers a wide range of activities, including a large water park with 19 slides.
In addition to beaches and pools, the Bahamian private island, which has been in use since 1977, has an almost 1-kilometer zip line and a bird sanctuary.
Norwegian operates Harvest Caye off Belize, another private island with access to the Belize Barrier Reef, the second-largest coral reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef off Australia.
MSC
Corals also take center stage in the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. According to MSC Cruises, it has leased the Bahamas island on a long-term basis.
It was previously an industrial wasteland. Today, there are two miles of sandy beaches for passengers and a coral research center.
Disney
Disney Cruise Line also operates a private island in the Bahamas: unlike Chuck, played by Tom Hanks in the blockbuster “Castaway,” the 4-square-kilometer island of Castaway Cay is shared not with a broken volleyball called Wilson but with all the other guests on board the Disney ship that moors there.
In addition to Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Line also offers Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point - a private beach area with colorful pavilions and its own jetty.
If you walk 2 kilometers overland to the other side of the peninsula, you will almost certainly meet other cruise guests: the resort is located on the southern tip of the Bahamas island of Eleuthera, just like Carnival’s Princess Cays.
The celebrity experience?
Visits to these islands are usually included in the cruise fare, although Royal Caribbean charges separately for its beach clubs.
Guests can enjoy beaches, pools, restaurants, zip lines, water parks, snorkeling or kayaking or simply relax at a water bar with a cocktail.
And if you’re looking for some quiet time, you can rent a private cabin for the day and retreat there or explore less crowded parts of the island on hiking trails.
But there’s one thing you won’t get when thousands of fellow passengers arrive on the same island for the day: the exclusive privacy that celebrities and the megarich can afford.