The cruise lines' new race for exclusive paradise.
In the last year, we've witnessed a veritable cascade of announcements for new private islands and beach clubs, as well as expansions and improvements to existing ones. This is a sample of projects underway or recently inaugurated.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 73 – June 2025
MSC
Ocean Cay Marine Reserve
opened in December 2019. This 38-hectare island was formerly an industrial sand extraction facility, which MSC transformed into a marine conservation paradise. It features a cruise ship pier, several beaches, an inland lagoon, restaurants, bars, and food trucks, as well as activities such as snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, and more. Ocean Cay is one of the few private destinations where ships stay overnight, allowing for beach parties at night and a light show at the lighthouse.
The MSC Group is developing an island approximately one-third the size of Ocean Cay next to it. Created on a natural sandbar from dredged material deposited during the expansion of the channel and turning basin, this new island does not yet have an official name, and the cruise line has not released any information about it, aside from some comments made by executives during a visit to Ocean Cay on the inaugural cruise of the MSC World America.
Thus, we learned that it will offer a more exclusive experience for MSC Yacht Club and Explora Journeys passengers, and that electric boats will be used for transfers to the island, further demonstrating the island's commitment to sustainability in this natural paradise. No opening date has been announced, although everything points to late 2027. The expansion will also allow Ocean Cay to accommodate two cruise ship calls.
MSC Ocean Cay Marine Reserve is not only a private island for cruise passengers to enjoy, but also a model of ecological restoration. Previously degraded by industrial activity, MSC Cruises has transformed it into a marine reserve where nature can regenerate. One of its main benefits is the restoration of the marine ecosystem: corals have been planted, native species reintroduced, and harmful artificial structures removed. Furthermore, a protected environment has been created for marine life, fostering biodiversity. The island also serves as an environmental education center, raising visitors' awareness of ocean conservation.
Caribbean Group
is undoubtedly the biggest proponent of private destinations brimming with leisure activities. It began with Labadee in 1986, a small peninsula in northern Haiti boasting beaches and tropical forests, which has been continuously improved over time with the construction of a cruise ship pier and leisure facilities such as a large zip line and an alpine roller coaster.
Following this success, Royal Caribbean purchased the small island of Little Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas in the early 1990s and renamed it CocoCay. Starting in 2018, the group began investing heavily in the island, transforming it into Perfect Day at CocoCay. This included the construction of a cruise ship pier, a water park featuring the tallest slides in North America, and several exclusive areas requiring separate admission.
With the enormous success of Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean has embarked on the development of two new private islands and two beach resorts. Furthermore, Celebrity Cruises ships can now also call at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island
will open in December 2025 on Paradise Island, the island off the coast of Nassau that is already home to the renowned Atlantis resort. The Royal Beach Club is being built adjacent to the Nassau cruise ship piers.
It will be the company's first Royal Beach Club Collection, combining the stunning beaches of Paradise Island with Royal Caribbean's signature experiences to create an all-inclusive beach day immersed in the vibrant spirit and culture of the Bahamas. It will be a paid experience, bookable like an excursion.
It will have three zones:
Family Beach: A family beach area with shaded areas, near the shallow entry area to the main pool. There will be games of all kinds, and two-story cabanas for rent with a slide and hot tub.
Chill Beach: A quiet beach next to the entrance of the deep end of the main pool, with a local craft market and restaurant with local flavors.
Party Cove: Cruise passengers can dance to the beat of a DJ at the world's largest floating bar, The Floating Flamingo, or turn up the volume on the celebration in the Party Cove VIP space, which features personal poolside service and incredible views.
Developed and operated in partnership with the government of The Bahamas, Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will incorporate Bahamian influence throughout the architectural design and experience, including live music, local craft shops, and dining options.
Beach Club Cozumel
will open in December 2026. Similar to Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, it will be a bookable, paid experience, like a day trip, and the concept will be similar: two beaches and three different areas (Chill, Family, and Party) surrounding a large central pool with a shallow entry area and swim-up bar, as well as restaurants, bars, and lounges with ocean views.
The Mayan Cacao Company's existing cacao and chocolate museum and shop will be preserved.
Perfect Day Mexico,
spanning over 80 hectares on Mexico's Caribbean coast—twice the size of Perfect Day at CocoCay—is slated to open in the fall of 2027 in what is currently known as the Costa Maya. However, the project is still on track, as the Mexican government's proposed $42 fee per passenger has put it at risk.
It will offer activities for all ages, divided into seven distinct neighborhoods, some with paid admission and others free. Highlights include:
Loco Waterpark – Over 30 adrenaline-pumping water slides across five slide towers, including the tallest water slide tower in North and South America. It will feature the world's first sombrero slide, inspired by Mexico's iconic sombrero. Plus, adventure pools, a wave pool, and slides designed for younger children ensure there's something for everyone.
Splash Cove – The central neighborhood where guests of all ages can enjoy everything will feature the world’s longest float river, with an optional rapids and currents area. At the heart of it all is a 9,000-square-meter pool, just one of more than ten expansive pools at Perfect Day Mexico that together cover the size of four football fields. Little ones have their own adventures in Royal Caribbean’s largest Splashaway Bay.
The Hideaway – In this adults-only neighborhood, day pass holders aged 18 and over can have fun all day long with a beach-style entry pool, a bar, and a poolside DJ.
Costa Beach Club – Exclusive paid area with white sand beaches, heated infinity pool and premium restaurants.
Chill Beach North and South – Over 3 kilometers of white sand beaches at Chill Beach, stretching from north to south from the pier. Guests can enjoy complimentary sun loungers, umbrellas, and towels at all beaches and pools of Perfect Day Mexico.
Fiesta Plaza – Where all the festivities begin: a vibrant arrival area transports passengers directly to the heart of Mexico with live music and dancing.
There will be 12 regionally inspired dining options, from sit-down restaurants to takeout, and nearly all of them are included with the pass.
Upon its opening in fall 2027, Perfect Day Mexico will welcome Western Caribbean itineraries sailing from Galveston, New Orleans, and all Florida homeports.
Perfect Day at Lelepa, Vanuatu.
Announced in 2019, this project will not be completed until 2027. It is located on Lelepa Island, in the Republic of Vanuatu, a sovereign island nation in the South Pacific, about 1,750 km east of Australia.
Lelepa is a small island of 160 hectares and approximately 500 inhabitants, where the first carbon-neutral leisure resort will be built. Despite the project's delay, the company has already begun supporting the local community by donating resources to the school, installing solar lighting in community gathering places, and hiring locals to clean the beaches.
The Lelepa project is the one about which the fewest details have been released, but the company stated that it will offer a locally inspired experience for guests in Australia and beyond, with serene beaches, nature trails, water activities, and delicious restaurants.
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE HOLDING
Great Stirrup Cay
Norwegian Cruise Line purchased Great Stirrup Cay in 1977, becoming the first cruise line to own its own private island in the Caribbean. It is the neighboring island of Coco Cay, which, as you may recall, was originally called Little Stirrup Cay, and therefore, the ships and facilities of each island are visible from the other.
Great Stirrup Cay is a tranquil beach destination and was last renovated in 2017, adding new restaurants, cabanas, and expanding its beaches. But the company recently announced major changes that will be implemented by the end of 2025:
Cruise ship pier – currently, disembarkation on Great Stirrup Cay is by tender, but a pier with capacity for two ships is under construction and will be available in November.
New 2,645 m² central swimming pool with a swim-up bar.
New arrivals area with a pergola, from which shuttle services to the more distant parts of the island will depart.
A new bridge for easier access to the pool area.
New children's area with water jets.
New adults-only Vibe Beach Club.
Line
Cay
since 1998 and recently opened (in late 2024) Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point on the southern tip of Eleuthera Island.
At this location, the cruise ship pier had to be built on the opposite side from most of the resort's facilities, making shuttle service essential.
Similar to Castaway Cay, there is an adults-only area called Serenity Bay, but the majority of the resort is family-friendly, featuring a water park, craft market, numerous restaurants, and much more.
Of course, it offers all kinds of water activities and opportunities to explore the island, which includes trails accessible by rental bicycles.
Corporation
owns several private islands and resorts, which it operates for the Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, and Princess Cruises brands.
One of these is Princess Cays, a 16-hectare resort in southern Eleuthera, Bahamas, offering water sports, beach activities, and cabanas, and used by both Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line.
Half Moon Cay,
this turquoise island in the Bahamas, has been awarded the title of best private island for many years, thanks to its 3-kilometer stretch of white sand beach and turquoise waters, considered one of the best in the Caribbean.
It primarily offers beach and natural surroundings, along with a variety of water activities and exploration, some of them iconic, such as horseback riding on the beach and in the sea.
It does not have a cruise ship pier and is mainly used by Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line.
Late last year, Carnival Corporation announced an upgrade and renovation of Half Moon Cay for summer 2026, after which it will be renamed RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay.
The improvements will include:
A cruise ship pier.
New restaurants and bars.
A new beach club.
A new tram service that will make getting around the island easier.
Lounge areas will also be expanded, cabanas will be added, and a new excursion pier will connect guests to recreational activities.
Carnival's Celebration Key
Carnival is investing $600 million to create a private resort on Grand Bahama Island that will open next July 2025.
It will have five main areas:
Paradise Plaza – the area where visitors arriving on foot from the pier will be welcomed, and where the Suncastle stands out, a huge 10-story “sandcastle” from which several water slides emerge.
Starfish Lagoon – a huge freshwater lagoon for families and also a splash zone for children, cabanas, volleyball courts, basketball courts, pickleball courts, etc. and also an open sea beach.
Calypso Lagoon – another huge lagoon geared towards adults (but not prohibiting children), although it has an adults-only area (18 to enter, 21 to consume alcoholic beverages) with a DJ. It also has a beach open to the sea.
Lokono Cove – Bahamian craft market behind Suncastle
Pearl Cove Beach Club – Private club with pool, beach and restaurant, for adults +18 only, fee applies.
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