This week,
we take a new look at two cruise line private islands - - Princess Cays and
Great Stirrup Cay. Private islands are
ports of call that are owned and operated by a cruise line and only that cruise
line’s ships (and those of affiliated companies) can call there. Essentially, they are beach resorts where
passengers can relax in the sun or participate in the water sports and
activities available on the island. Both
Princess Cays and Great Stirrup Cay are located in the Bahamas.
Princess
Cays is Princess Cruises’ private island although ships from some of Princess’
affiliates such as Cunard also occasionally call there.
Ships
calling at Princess Cays anchor offshore and usually use their lifeboats to
ferry guests to the island. You arrive
at a dedicated marina that serves also to divide the resort complex in
two. There are more facilities north of
the marina but the south side is rather pretty with its palms and carpet of
sand.
The island
itself is long and narrow. All of the
beaches are on the western side of the island and all of the facilities face
the beaches. On the other side of the
island is Paradise Lagoon, which has been left in its natural state.
The complex
reflects its owner’s style. It is
sophisticated but at the same time relaxed.
Princess Cays is big enough to accommodate everyone but not so big as to
be overwhelming.
Princess
Cays continues to quietly evolve. In the
last few years, they have added a Sanctuary area. As on the Princess ships, this area is
adults-only and designed for pampering.
Also, the southern beach area has grown since the last time I was there.
Like
seemingly everything else at Norwegian Cruise Line, Great Stirrup Cay (GSC) is
on the move. The island is being
transformed by a $25 million improvement project that began in 2010.
It used to
be that GSC was a quaint beachcomber-type of experience. You were tendered ashore on former landing
craft which would run up onto the beach, drop their front gate and you walked
out onto the island’s one and only beach.
While this meant that you were close to the beach from the moment you
landed, it also meant that part of the beach was the exclusive province of the
tenders and off limits for recreational purposes. In addition, the few buildings on the island
- - bars and dining facilities - - were rather flimsy looking wooden structures
that were not very impressive.
Still, it
made for a fun day at the beach. The
lack of sophistication helped to underscore that you were hundreds of miles
from civilization with its work days and petty annoyances.
While still an escape from the everyday, GSC is an
altogether different experience today.
It is truly a private beach resort. The
tenders now arrive in their own marina.
You enter through a gate into the resort complex. On the way to the beaches, you pass a new
Bahamian market. On the hill, there are
the new dining facilities consisting of the kitchen/serving building and
covered dining pavilions. Like the rest
of the new buildings at GSC, these are substantial concrete structures.
The main
beach is now dedicated to recreation, which means much more room. In addition, there is now a second beach that
rises up from the water to a ridge where luxury cabanas are under construction.
Norwegian
has also spread tons of sand throughout the complex. In the old days, it was mostly rock away from
the beach. Now there is seemingly sand
everywhere, which with the giant palm trees makes for a much more picturesque
scene.
But there
is more to come. Norwegian is busy
building more facilities on the other side of the island. These are to include an aqua park and a sting
ray experience.
