Will private islands be the best way to bring Caribbean cruising back?
With cruises still not sailing for the American public and Caribbean destinations not very confident, cruise lines' private islands may be the perfect post-COVID-19 cruise destination for US-based ships.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 53 – July 2020
The arguments in favor of private islands are compelling. The islands, primarily in the Bahamas, are a day's drive from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and other Florida ports, making them an excellent option for a short itinerary. They offer a controlled environment where cruise lines can implement social distancing and other potentially new policies. They are also extremely profitable for cruise lines, as they control all shore excursions, as well as cabanas and attractions. Most importantly, they are extremely popular with North American cruise passengers.
Private cruise line islands have become a major pillar of the Caribbean cruise industry, with operators investing ever-increasing sums in new developments or improvements to existing ones. Faced with the challenge of finding new ports of call and providing unique passenger experiences, cruise lines in the Caribbean are opting to create their own private destinations. Initially, these islands offered only beaches and barbecues, but now cruise line owners are choosing elaborate resort-style or sustainable destinations. The goal is to offer a controlled environment for their passengers, and MSC Cruises' Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Holland America/Carnival's new Half Moon Cay pier are clear examples of this unstoppable trend toward creating private and exclusive destinations.
Castaway Cay, Bahamas. Disney's private island.
In 1923, Walt Disney founded the Walt Disney Company, which over the years would become the most powerful entertainment brand in the world. After pioneering fields such as animated films and theme parks, the company decided in 1985 to enter the cruise industry, partnering with Premier Cruises. It then began offering trips from Cape Canaveral, sold in conjunction with stays at Walt Disney World Resort, its theme park located in Orlando, which opened in 1971. But in 1994, Disney formalized the creation of a subsidiary specifically dedicated to its cruises, ending its partnership with Premier Cruises. In 1995, Disney Cruise Line was founded and ordered two cruise ships from Fincantieri. Its objective was short cruises, three or four nights, on Disney ships, with all the Disney characters on board, and a stop at a Disney island, with complete control over the product. With that goal in mind, in 1996, Disney purchased Gorda Cay to develop it into its private resort in the Bahamas, renaming it Castaway Cay. After two years of construction, the island opened its doors for the first time on July 30, 1998, with the inaugural call of the Disney Magic. The island is located 225 miles from Disney's home port of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The docks of the private islands have hosted inactive ships during the Covid-19 crisis.
Castaway Cay is a 405-hectare island located in the Great Abaco archipelago in the Bahamas, facing the Caribbean coast and situated approximately 580 km from Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Unlike other private islands owned by other shipowners, Castaway Cay is exclusively owned by Disney, with no neighbors. The firm Bermello Ajamil developed the conceptual project and then oversaw its construction, which took 18 months and required a total investment of $29 million. A real bargain compared to the budget of Disney's fourth theme park in Orlando, Animal Kingdom, which cost $750 million and also opened in 1998.
One of the major projects was dredging approximately 50,000 truckloads of sand from the Atlantic Ocean to expand the beaches. Castaway Cay was the first private island with its own pier. Its access channel was built to allow Disney ships to dock, eliminating the need for tenders to bring passengers ashore. To create this pier, sand had to be dredged using suction dredging, and explosives were also used to create a channel nearly half a kilometer long, with a draft of 10.5 meters and a width between 60 and 120 meters. Interestingly, even with all that work and money invested, only about 22 hectares are actually used—a tenth of the island's surface area.
Castaway Cay boasts one of the largest water purification plants in the Caribbean, utilizing reverse osmosis technology. This system transforms seawater into fresh water for swimming pools, among other uses. In addition to other attractions, the island also features a tram line and an airstrip, which is used primarily for decoration. However, Castaway Cay's main attraction is undoubtedly snorkeling in the lagoon, where you can admire a Mickey Mouse statue submerged in water and covered in algae, and swim among the fish in turquoise waters.
It also offers separate white sand beaches for adults, families, and children, barbecue areas, courts for sports activities such as swimming, cycling, volleyball, etc., and hiking and biking trails. It also features outdoor massage huts.
Measuring 3.1 miles long and 2.2 miles wide, Disney has emphasized preserving the island's natural beauty, allowing nature to surround its guests and developing less than 10% of the island. Disney used all its magic and expertise in constructing all the buildings and facilities on the island, including bars, restaurants, restrooms, a post office, and the private pier for Disney Cruise Line ships.
Castaway Cay is equipped with paved paths and tram service to different parts of the island, where guests of any age, whether in a stroller or wheelchair, can comfortably explore this paradise island.
Like everything else at Disney, a complete backstory was created for Castaway Cay, in addition to the island's own rich history. Its only inhabitants are about 100 Disney employees, including caretakers, boat captains, drivers, gardeners, and maintenance staff. Disney ship crews supplement this staff. A few Bahamian natives come to the island when a ship is docked and manage the local souvenir shop.
Disney's Second Private Island:
In April 2019, Disney announced plans to build a second private island in the Bahamas, called Lighthouse Point, on Eleuthera. Disney Cruise Line purchased Lighthouse Point in early 2019 and subsequently signed an agreement with the Bahamian government to develop it responsibly and sustainably. Less than 20% of the island will be developed, using sustainable construction techniques, including no dredging and environmental management systems throughout the construction process. The three new LNG-powered ships will be the first users of this property. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2020 and be completed in 2023, with an investment of between $250 and $400 million, and will create 120 permanent jobs.
Half Moon Cay. Holland America's private Caribbean paradise,
Half Moon Cay, is located on the 991-hectare San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. The island was purchased by Holland America Line in the fall of 1996 for six million dollars and is situated less than 100 miles southeast of Nassau, between southern Eleuthera and Cat Island. Half Moon Cay is a private island where Holland America intended to create a comprehensive, high-quality development, offering a wide range of facilities, services, and activities. Due to the island's topography, HAL had to raise the ground level by four meters to prevent flooding. They also constructed a small dock for tenders and supply vessels, which required dredging a small section of the beach. Additionally, they installed generators, a reverse osmosis water purification plant, a wastewater treatment plant, and an incinerator.
Half Moon Cay was inaugurated on December 12, 1997, by Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. Since then, it has received numerous awards as a vacation destination and has been recognized for creating an environmentally sustainable experience for cruise passengers. The Director General of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism praised Holland America Cruise Line's efforts to “create and enhance Half Moon Cay as a sustainable destination that reflects the special ambiance of The Bahamas, while reducing its environmental impact and providing stable employment for our citizens.” The island has no pier and must be accessed by boat, but in August 2019, a project to build a jetty to facilitate cruise passenger disembarkation, valued at $80 million, was announced.
Half Moon Cay covers 991 hectares, 970 of which remain untouched and pristine. So pristine, in fact, that the Bahamian National Trust designated Half Moon Cay a wildlife reserve. The remaining 20 hectares offer an attractive setting for Holland America passengers who can spend the day there. It is the most highly rated port of call on HAL's Caribbean and Panama Canal itineraries; Half Moon Cay has won Porthole Cruise Magazine's annual "Best Private Island" award seventeen times.
In 2020, 75% of the cruises offered by Disney Cruise Line have at least one stop in the Bahamas.
The island, which is uninhabited, is so successful because of a winning combination: it offers the natural beauty of a protected reserve alongside a wide range of services and activities. Carnival Cruise Lines ships also dock at Half Moon Cay, as Holland America Line was acquired by Carnival in 1989 and is now one of its brands. Half Moon Cay offers air-conditioned cabanas (from $280 per day) as well as two-story villas (from $500).
Princess Cays. Princess Cruises' private peninsula in Eleuthera
Princess Cruises was one of the first cruise lines to use private islands as ports of call in the Caribbean. In 1981, Princess began calling at Palm Island in the Grenadines. In 1986, it moved its private island to Mayreau (Grenadines); and in 1992, it opened Princess Cays in Eleuthera, Bahamas.
Princess Cays is located south of Eleuthera Island, famous for its pink sand beaches, approximately 30 miles by sea from Nassau. Eleuthera is two miles wide and 100 miles long, of which approximately 16 hectares are reserved exclusively for Princess Cruises guests. The main difference from other private islands is that Princess Cays is a beach area of Eleuthera Island, while, for example, Half Moon Cay is a completely private island.
Therefore, Princess Cruises doesn't actually own a private island, but rather a private "enclave" located 80 kilometers from Nassau and almost 380 kilometers from Miami. Princess Cays is an idyllic spot situated on an island with 16 square kilometers of beach; however, Princess Cruises only uses a small portion of the island for its own purposes. The rest of Eleuthera is still inhabited by a local population of around 11,000. The company sometimes organizes excursions to some of these villages, such as Rock Sound or Tarpun Bay, as well as exclusive activities like snorkeling on a coral reef teeming with tropical fish.
Princess Cays is known for its white sand beaches, though it also has pebble beaches, the Pelican's Peach area for children, the Crow's Nest tower offering panoramic views of the entire resort, the private air-conditioned bungalows near Paradise Lagoon (which cost $200 per day), and the adults-only area, also with bungalows. In total, there are five beaches, a water park, and volleyball and basketball courts, as well as, of course, water sports. Besides swimming in the crystal-clear waters of the beaches, you can snorkel or relax on a float. You can also rent paddle boats, Hobie Cat or Sunfish sailboats, paddleboards, pedal boats, banana boats, or glass-hulled kayaks at the water sports pier, which was renovated in 2018. In 2019, a fire destroyed some of the facilities.
Disney Cruise Line was the first cruise company to invest in a pier on its private island in the Bahamas.
The attractions of Princess Cays are connected by a network of paved paths leading to palm-fringed beaches where private cabanas and bungalows can be rented. Land excursions include dune buggy tours.
On January 10, 2017, Carnival Corp. decided to maximize its investment in Princess Cays by including it in the itineraries of six ships from its flagship brand, Carnival Cruise Lines, with calls beginning in May of that year. The new cruise line made forty calls in 2017 and ninety-eight in 2018. In 2018, Princess Cays became the first private island to offer Wi-Fi. That year also saw the addition of optional excursions and the expansion of the tender pier to accommodate larger vessels.
Norwegian Cruise Line pioneered private islands with Great Stirrup Cay.
Norwegian Cruise Line was the first cruise line to offer a stop on a private, uninhabited island exclusively for its passengers: Great Stirrup Cay. It is the northernmost island in an archipelago of about thirty islands known as the Berry Islands, in the Bahamas. It is located next to the Northwest Providence Channel. As sailing ships gave way to steamships, traffic increased through this channel, and in 1863, the Imperial Lighthouse Service erected a lighthouse on Great Stirrup Cay. It had a lighthouse keeper for many years, although it is now automated and solar-powered. It is a true island, 2.5 by 1.5 miles, formed of coral and limestone, and is located 120 nautical miles from Fort Lauderdale and 55 kilometers north of Nassau. It does not have a dock for ships to berth on.
After being discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, it was colonized by the British. Its bay, which offers protection from the elements, was frequented by pirates in the 16th and 17th centuries, and later used by the United States, first as a defense for its eastern coasts, and later as a satellite tracking base.
NCL purchased Great Stirrup Cay from Belcher Oil Company in 1977 (which had acquired it in 1960) and became the first cruise line to offer a private island to its passengers. Since then, NCL has made numerous improvements to the 100-hectare island. Initially, they built four buildings: the main bar and its snack bar, bungalows, a watersports hangar on the west beach, and another bar on the main beach. Later came the Straw Market, the beaches were widened, and a breakwater was built to prevent beach erosion.
In 2010, NCL embarked on a two-year, $25 million improvement program to carry out several upgrades on the island. The first phase of this program included the construction of a new marina and four additional docks to accommodate more vessels. The second phase involved extending the beaches and building new private cabanas. In 2017, the island underwent further renovations, increasing the size of the main restaurant from two to four self-service lines, and expanding the number of sun loungers from 1,200 to 3,000. The bungalows were also rebuilt, and a dedicated area was created for guests of the ultra-luxury Heaven resort.
Among the most popular experiences are sliding down a 12-meter-high inflatable water slide, snorkeling to explore the underwater sculpture garden or a sunken ship, swimming with manta rays, and renting exclusive cabanas. Another star activity is circumnavigating the island by kayak or sailboat. Around 60 people live year-round on Great Stirrup Cay to maintain the island and assist guests.
Great Stirrup Cay is located next to Little Stirrup Cay, now CocoCay, a private island owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises.
Royal Caribbean's first land-based resort: Perfect Day at CocoCay.
CocoCay is also located in the Berry Islands, Bahamas. The island is about one kilometer wide from east to west and 183 meters from north to south. Its eastern shore is the center of leisure activities, with beaches facing a rock formation teeming with marine life. Before being called CocoCay, the island was known as Little Stirrup Cay due to its smaller size and proximity to Great Stirrup Cay, owned by Norwegian Cruise Line. In 1985, Admiral Cruises invested in the purchase of this island to become its owner and operator. When Admiral Cruises was acquired by Royal Caribbean in 1988, Royal Caribbean also acquired the island and renamed it CocoCay.
Then came almost three decades during which it was a flagship stop for Royal Caribbean, but one that offered a "Robinson Crusoe" experience: fine white sand beaches lined with reclining lounge chairs, crystal-clear waters for snorkeling, barbecues under the palm trees, and so on. A tranquil, low-intensity experience that Royal Caribbean executives decided to change in the mid-2000s, transforming the CocoCay experience.
Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay are only 15 miles apart in the Atlantic Ocean.
The increasing size of Royal Caribbean ships made using tenders to disembark the 6,000 passengers they could carry impractical; and the onboard facilities were more exciting than those offered at CocoCay. To adapt to this situation, they decided to build a pier and transform the "Robinson Crusoe" experience into a "resort" one, constructing a huge water park on the island. Consequently, Royal Caribbean invested heavily in redesigning its island with a budget of over $250 million.
After years of planning, permits, environmental assessments, and more, construction of the CocoCay pier began on April 26, 2017, with a planned opening in June 2018. Dredging of the access channel commenced on November 6, 2018, by Jan de Nul using their cutter suction dredger, the Ibn Batoutta. The completion date was subsequently set for November of that year, and most of the new facilities were finally opened on March 16, 2019. Logistics (more than 1,500 containers had to be transported to CocoCay) and hurricanes (all structures are designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane) were the main reasons for the delay. After two years of work and nine months of setbacks, the Mariner of the Seas inaugurated the pier that day, and for the first time, RCI passengers disembarked on foot on the island, no longer having to wait to board tenders. To emphasize the change, Royal Caribbean again renamed its private island in the Bahamas to Perfect Day at CocoCay.
The northeastern part of the island was used for tenders carrying cruise ship passengers to dock. A new pier was built in that northern area, capable of accommodating Oasis-type vessels, with a concrete slab surface area of over 4,800 m2 supported by pillars, and which required dredging thousands of cubic meters of material to achieve drafts of over 10 meters along the pier.
On the entertainment front, CocoCay has become one of the largest water parks in the Caribbean, featuring the largest freshwater pool (with over three million liters of water), the largest wave pool in the Caribbean, and the tallest waterslide in North America (requiring a climb of 207 steps). The renovation also included a 488-meter-long zip line and a helium balloon ride that reaches a height of 137 meters. Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean, stated, “This project is unprecedented in scale for a private cruise island. It’s really about bringing the kind of innovation and creativity we’ve brought to our ships in recent years to create the same kind of experience on land that we’ll be delivering at Perfect Day at CocoCay.”.
The Oasis Lagoon and restaurants opened alongside the pier and water slides, representing a significant step toward the final configuration of Perfect Day at CocoCay. The first phase of Perfect Day at CocoCay included the Thrill Waterpark with 21 slides; the Zip Line; the Splashaway Bay water park; the Up, Up and Away helium balloon; Captain Jack's Galleon; Skipper's Grill; Captain Jack's Restaurant; Chill Island and its Chill Grill; and the Oasis Lagoon freshwater pool. Between late 2019 and early 2020, the second phase opened, encompassing South Beach, Coco Beach Club, and the overwater bungalows. There are 54 bungalows at CocoCay, 20 of which are overwater bungalows.
For Royal Caribbean, Perfect Day at CocoCay is a strategic investment. In 2020, it was projected to receive over two million passengers (half the number expected to embark this year), who would enjoy longer stopovers, with late afternoon departures; itineraries with two stops at CocoCay at different times; or even overnight stays. In the future, up to three ships will be able to dock at its piers, with a maximum capacity of 12,000 passengers.
Labadee: Royal Caribbean's Private Paradise in Haiti.
On the northern coast of Haiti, or Hispaniola, as Columbus called it, surrounded by mountains with beautiful slopes and exotic foliage, lies Labadee, Royal Caribbean's first private paradise. The concession operated by Royal Caribbean is a 105-hectare forested peninsula that initially offered pristine beaches, breathtaking landscapes, and spectacular water activities. Labadee's native charm, with its Robinson Crusoe-like experience, along with its natural beauty, makes it an enviable destination in itself. Currently, it has also acquired resort-style attractions, including a water park, to further enhance its appeal. Unlike the private islands in the Bahamas, Labadee is located 653 miles from Miami (424 miles from Nassau).
Half Moon Cay is built along a crescent-shaped white sand beach, more than a mile long, that stretches into a sheltered bay leading west to Exuma Sound.
The Song of America made the first Royal Caribbean ship call in Labadee on January 25, 1986, just weeks before dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, who had leased the enclave to Royal Caribbean, fled to France. During that first call, several thousand protesters openly clashed with police in the largest challenge ever seen in the north of the country. Following several coups in the early 1990s, Royal Caribbean ships quietly returned to anchor in Labadee, beginning on January 23, 1995, when it became the first cruise line with investments in Haiti to return after a civilian government replaced the military in October 1994.
In 2008, after months of negotiations, the Haitian government and Royal Caribbean signed an agreement to build a 250-meter pier, with a budget of $27 million, to allow cruise ships direct access to Labadee. Haitian President René Préval also extended the concession for the 260 acres of the peninsula in northern Haiti from 2026 (the expiration date of the previous agreement) to 2050. The goal was for the pier to be completed by December 1, 2009, for the first call of the Oasis of the Seas.
And it came to pass: the pier and the mooring dolphins provided a 400-meter berthing line, and the resort's dining capacity increased by 57%. Two new areas were also created: Dragon's Plaza and Labadee Town Square, both Haitian-inspired gathering places where guests could enjoy shows, cultural activities, or shop. Within Dragon's Plaza was Columbus Cove Beach, a water park with water slides. Labadee Town Square was an expanded version of the former artisan market. The new Dragon's Tail Coaster roller coaster was also installed, as well as the Barefoot Beach Club, exclusive to Royal Caribbean suite guests, offering 20 private cabanas for rent both on the water's edge and in the hills. The spa was also improved. By 2007, an 800-meter-long zip line, Dragon's Breath, had already been built. Labadee was a preview of what Perfect Day at CocoCay would offer ten years later.
In August 2014, Royal Caribbean and the Haitian government reached an agreement on the passenger fee the cruise line would pay for using Labadie. Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and Adam Goldstein agreed that the new fee would be $12 per passenger, two more than the previous rate. The agreement was very important for Haiti because it is the poorest country in the world, and because more than 600,000 passengers had arrived at Labadie in 2013.
However, Royal Caribbean does not offer optional excursions outside of Labadee. Places like the Sans Souci Palace in Milot, or the Citadelle, a UNESCO World Heritage fortress built in the 18th century, are outside the city walls and are not visited.
Ocean Cay Marine Reserve, Bahamas. The island that made MSC Cruises the first carbon-neutral cruise line.
Thanks to Great Stirrup Cay, NCL is considered the first cruise line to offer its own private island to its passengers.
The Caribbean's newest private island, Ocean Cay Marine Reserve, is the first built by MSC Cruises, the world's fourth-largest cruise line, and marks its entry into the North American market. Located in the Bimini archipelago, west of the Bahamas, Ocean Cay was conceived as more than just a private island. Construction began in January 2017, and the island underwent a complete transformation over three years. The main civil works contractor was GLF Construction, a Miami-based company, in partnership with Americaribe, a subsidiary of the French construction firm Bouygues. MSC Cruises invested over $200 million in this attraction, which at its peak employed 500 workers from 23 countries during its construction.
Just as happened to NCL with Harvest Caye, the construction of MSC Cruises' private island, Ocean Cay Marine Reserve, has also suffered constant delays. When MSC Cruises announced on December 16, 2015, that it had been granted a one-hundred-year lease for the island by the Bahamian government in exchange for ten million dollars, its opening was announced for the end of 2017. Then came October 2018, followed by November 2019. Finally, it received its first call, the MSC Divina, on December 5, 2019. MSC Cruises set the bar very high: transforming a sand mine, which had subsequently become a rubble-filled landfill, into a tropical paradise was no easy task. But MSC Cruises not only cleaned up the island and turned it into a peaceful and relaxing place for its cruise passengers to enjoy the beauty of the Bahamas, but also into a model of environmental recovery that inspires and educates its users about protecting the environment.
Ocean Cay Marine Reserve spans 40 hectares, is the world's only private marine reserve, and is located in Bimini, just 65 miles from Miami. This distance allows MSC Cruises ships to spend more time on the island, enjoying the port's nightly entertainment, such as fireworks, light shows, and movies under the stars. Furthermore, Ocean Cay Marine Reserve features a dedicated docking pier (not a jetty) for ships, eliminating the need for tenders, which translates to greater safety and more available port calls.
The work has included dredging, demolition, cleaning and clearing (more than 500 tons of industrial waste and debris were removed), massive leveling of the island, restoration of existing beaches (the island has six beaches covering more than 3.5 km², making it one of the largest beaches in the world), a pier for cruise ships, mooring dolphins; landscaping (including 3.5 kilometers of paths); the construction of more than one hundred structures and buildings, all inspired by the Bahamas (from restaurants and bars to a lighthouse that is the symbol of the island), public services, a reverse osmosis plant capable of generating 400 m³/day of fresh water, three generator sets totaling 2,250 kW with their fuel tanks, solar panels that produce 300 kW, a wastewater treatment plant that reuses greywater for irrigation, etc.
Ocean Cay Marine Reserve encompasses over 12,500 square meters of built area across 107 structures, including a visitor center, bars, shops, and an exclusive spa. Many of these buildings are constructed of wood and are all designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. More than 77,000 native trees and shrubs, representing over 60 species of Caribbean plants, flowers, and bushes, were planted to create a tropical environment. Nearly 400 corals were also relocated to the 165 square kilometers of protected waters surrounding the island.
With its dizzying water slides that reach heights of 40 meters, swim-up and ocean bars, and zip lines that cut through the air, Perfect Day in CocoCay is like a wonderland for a family cruise.
MSC Cruises wasn't looking to build a resort in the style of Perfect Day at CocoCay, but its visitors, in addition to enjoying the island's flora and fauna, also have attractions such as a zip line, white sand beaches and natural lagoons where they can practice various nautical activities, such as diving, sailing, paddleboarding, an amphitheater for 2,000 people, a spa, the MSC Yacht Club, etc.
Costa Cruises and Catalina Island:
Costa Cruises only offers Caribbean cruises throughout the winter, so it hasn't invested in a private island like other cruise lines, but it uses Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic exclusively. Its status as a national park limits its tourism development.
Catalina Island is less than 10 km² and is a stone's throw from La Romana. Located two kilometers from the mainland and 5.4 km from the city of La Romana, it has a territory of 9.18 km² and is 4.5 km long. Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494, it is famous for its beaches and crystal-clear water. It also boasts a coral reef, making it a paradise for divers. Its three kilometers of excellent beaches, ranging from 10 to 30 meters in width, are available to cruise ship passengers docking at the La Romana pier or anchoring off the island. The only concession for its use is granted to Casa de Campo and Costa Cruises for this purpose, and it has a five-year term, renewable.
Harvest Caye: Belize's First Private Island.
In August 2013, Norwegian Cruise Lines purchased Harvest Caye, a 75-acre island, from the Belizean government for an undisclosed sum, estimated at between $3 million and $10 million, with the intention of developing it into a sustainable private island for its cruise ships on its Western Caribbean routes. Similar to Haiti, Belize's annual GDP is roughly equivalent to the cost of one NCL megaship. The plan was for Harvest Caye to begin operations in February 2016.
Labadee is a 260,105-hectare wooded peninsula with pristine beaches, stunning scenery, and spectacular water activities.
However, even a country as small as Belize has courts. And on January 13, 2016, the Supreme Court of Belize halted the Harvest Caye project by ruling against the Department of the Environment (DOE) and the National Environmental Assessment Committee (NEAC). The DOE had approved the construction of Harvest Caye in the Stann Creek district, and the Court indicated that it had violated its own regulations. The decision came after a lawsuit filed by the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA). According to the BTIA, the Belizean government approved the Norwegian Cruise Line project without complying with the public information and objection deadlines required by Belizean law. Following this decision, Norwegian Cruise Line announced that Harvest Caye would be delayed. Finally, after 31 months of construction, the island was inaugurated on November 17, 2016, by the Norwegian Dawn.
On March 17, 2016, Norwegian Cruise Line detailed the Harvest Caye project, indicating that its total budget exceeded $100 million. It involved the construction of Belize's first cruise ship pier and was located on two islands near Plasencia, a small mainland fishing port that had developed some tourism activity. The main technical (and also environmental) challenge was dredging more than 1,200,000 cubic meters of various materials from the access channel, which needed to have a draft of 11 meters. Initially slated for completion by the end of 2015, the cutter suction dredger used for the work continued for up to a year. Once finished, it can accommodate 4,000-passenger megaships of the Norwegian Getaway series. A canopy provides shade and protection from the rain between the ship and the entrance to Harvest Caye.
Harvest Caye Beach features eleven air-conditioned villas, each with a living room, bathroom, dining area, and more. These villas are constructed from tropical hardwoods, including mahogany, giving them a more opulent feel than expected. NCL planted thousands of native plants across Harvest Caye, including over 10,000 mangroves that will provide habitat for local birds, fish, and other marine life.
It also offers a 1,500 m2 surface area swimming pool with lifeguard, indoor bar, and “swim-up” tables and stools, surrounded by 2,500 sun loungers, parasols, etc. and fifteen canopied cabins for rent.
Royal Caribbean plans to build several resort islands around the world, in Australia, Asia, etc., following the success of Perfect Day at CocoCay.
As on other private islands, a 40-meter lighthouse is the island's landmark. This structure also allows for aerial adventure activities, such as zip-lining, suspension bridges, and freefall jumps. Water sports include kayaking, paddleboarding, and canoeing on a dedicated lagoon. Havest Caye has a marina from which cruise passengers can take excursions to the Mayan ruins of Belize. It also offers cruise passengers five restaurants and bars, including a two-story Landshark Bar & Grill by the pool, designed by Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Holdings and operated by the local food provider Provisions Belize. A British mailbox serves as a reminder that Belize only gained independence from Great Britain in 1981.
Unlike other private islands, meals on Harvest Caye are not included in the fare; all restaurants are à la carte. Meals are included on other private islands, including NCL's own Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, as well as on private islands belonging to Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, and Holland America Line. Harvest Caye also offers an area to purchase local Belizean handicrafts and an aviary featuring scarlet macaws and toucans, Belize's national bird.
The shopping arcade offers lush landscaping, with a wide variety of tropical plants, and many local vendors, rather than the chains that can be found in other ports of call.
