Review of Princess Cay

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In November I sailed on the Regal Princess to the Eastern Caribbean. As most Caribbean itineraries with Princess do, this one included a stop at Princess Cay. Princess Cay is a privately operated and is located on the island of Eluthra in the Bahamas. Owned by Carnival Corp and visited by Carnival, Princess and P&O cruise lines. Having that private island is part of cruising now and is really becoming more popular. I will have a blog post at some point about this.

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As with many private islands, you have to take a tender (small boat) to the island because the area around the island is too shallow and there is no pier. The tendering process itself on the Regal was smooth, but I did have one complaint. On other cruise lines where I have tendered, you go to a designated area when you are ready to go ashore and pick up a number. Then you can wander the ship until they call that number. On this cruise, they had you gather in one of the dining rooms where you would be given a number and then they would be announced. The problem was, the announcements were not made throughout the ship, just in that dining room so I had to stay there. Then you go to the tender as a group. I guess I understand the reasoning, making a smoother process, just would have like to wander rather than sit. I will say though it made the process much smoother than I have experienced in the past. 

Once on board the tender, its about a 10 minute or so ride over to the dock. I made my way over to the beach area which is a short walk and easily found a chair. This was a nice surprise since I was on one of the later tenders. On the beach, there are regular chairs that are free and sets of two chairs with a cover which are a charge. 

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As with most beaches in the Caribbean, it was narrow but there seemed to be plenty of room. The water was calm, clear and a beautiful blue green color.
I ventured into the water and did a little snorkeling right from the beach. Most of the time snorkeling from the beach is ho hum but this was not bad. As I said before, the water was calm so it was easy to get out deep and to some rocks near a dock. Saw some Sgt Majors and some clear white fish, not sure what they were. As far as snorkeling, I should have done some research. Later in the day, I found an area further down the beach where it was much better with bigger and brighter fish. 

After some sun and swimming, I headed over towards the barbeque area. Princess offers a full barbeque buffet included in your cruise and available from about 11:30 until 2 PM, of course that can vary by all aboard time. My timing was bad and it was a very long line and I was not feeling patient so I chose to skip it. I was told though the line moves pretty quick and the food was great. But I did find an area with seating and big bowls of cut up melon and other fruits so I grabbed a bowl and enjoyed the view of the ship. 

There is so much to do on this island and for my next visit will take advantage of more of it. You can rent kayaks, paddle boards and floats. And as I mentioned, a dedicated snorkeling area along the beach. Plus there are lockers available for rent to protect your valuables, although, I really never worried. Little huts are along the path where you can get some hand made items, a vacation beverage or a souvenir.
If you really want to step up your experience on the island, rent a cabana. These are like mini houses with all the comforts of home. Chairs and table, celling fan, 2 loungers outside on the deck and a private shower. The beach is a short walk and service staff is available to bring drinks and familiarize you with the area. They can be pricey, starting at around $199 per day. and can be reserved through the shore excursion desk or prior to your cruise.
Princess Cay is amazing allowing you to relax and not do anything or have a little adventure. Personally, I cannot wait to go back for another visit. 

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Be sure to check out my video on my visit to Princess Cay on my channel.
My Visit to Princess Cay

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