Princess Cays

Last month, I visited Princess Cays during a cruise on QUEEN MARY 2. Princess Cays is a private resort in the Bahamas developed by Princess Cruises. Today, it is a stop on the itineraries of ships from Princess and other related companies such as Cunard.

A number of the cruise lines have developed their own private resorts. It is easy to see why. On a typical Caribbean cruise, most of the passengers exit the ship when it arrives in a port and head out to a beach or to a resort. By developing their own resorts, the cruise lines play to the demand for this type of vacation experience and obtain some of the revenue that would otherwise be spent at some place not affiliated with the line. In addition, it adds another port to the ships’ itineraries. Since many passengers, particularly first time cruisers, want as many ports as possible crammed into the cruise, it also helps to attract customers.

These private resorts have several pluses for the passengers. First, there is no concern about obtaining transportation to the beach or resort or of not being able to find transport in time to make it back to the ship before it sails. Second, the cruise line provides security for the area. Third, the passenger knows who he or she is dealing with and the cruise lines have an incentive to provide a good quality product. Since cruise passengers are frequently repeat customers, the line does not want to spoil its reputation and the chance that the passenger will book cruises in the future by having a sub-standard resort.

Eleuthera, the island where Princess Cays is located, is a long, thin island. Princess Cays is situated on the shore in a remote, undeveloped section. The beach area is surrounded by foliage and there are palm trees shading the resort itself. It has a nice sandy beach that is lapped by clear water. At either end of the beach area is a rocky shore and there are rocks protruding from the sand in various areas.

There is just about everything that one could want for a day by the beach. In addition to deck chairs, cabanas, and bungalows, there are basketball and volleyball courts and facilities for renting sailboats, scuba and snorkeling equipment, kayaks, paddle boats, aqua bikes, and floats. Several small shops sell island souvenirs.

For refreshment, there are also three bars with live music. Also, there are pavilions where the chefs from the ships prepare beach barbeque buffets.
My photos and commentary about Princess Cays are posted at: http://beyondships.com/Princess-PrincessCays.html