If you’ve been on a Royal Caribbean cruise, chances are you’ve been to the line’s private island -Coco Cay. But if you haven’t cruised with them in the last couple years, you’ve probably missed its recent renovations. Coco Cay used to provide pretty standard offerings for a private island cruise experience. Due to water depth and environmental features, ships had to anchor a little ways from the dock, so passengers needed to tender (take a small boat from the ship to the island). Once ashore, you could find a few select shops, bars, lunch options, and of course, plenty of beach space. While a private island port like Coco Cay might offer a few upgraded activities – like snorkeling or parasailing – for the most part this was the extent of the experience.
Perfect Day at Coco Cay
No more! With recent renovations, Royal Caribbean ships can now dock directly at the island (previously this was a perk only enjoyed by Disney Cruise Line passengers on Castaway Cay). In addition to this convenience, passengers can enjoy even more included activities like a resort-style pool, kids’ splash pad area, and multiple beaches. Their paid excursions have received dramatic upgrades as well. Passengers can purchase tickets to a water park with world-class slides and wave pools, a helium balloon experience, and even zip line across the island.
Booking the Zip Line
On a recent family cruise, my mother, sister-in-law, and I decided to try the zip line excursion. My mother had never zipped, and I am always game for adventure. Perfect Day at Coco Cay boasts over 1,600 feet of zip line over the waterpark and island harbor. When we booked the excursion, we had to select an exact time for our zip line tour to start. We chose the 10:30am time slot as this would give us enough time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the ship without getting up too early. Just after 10, we disembarked the ship and walked over to the zip line area. It was easy to find using the provided map and island signage.
Arriving for our Adventure
When we arrived, we each had to sign a waiver. After signing they gave us each a wrist band and asked us to step onto silver scales next to the desk. The meter displaying our actual weights were hidden, but I’m not sure why they bothered. As soon as the attendant read the meter, she asked to see my wristband and WROTE MY WEIGHT on the side of it. Personally, I only slightly cared that everyone within viewing distance could easily see my weight, but I was shocked that this occurred in such a polished environment. I’m sure they needed the weight for safety and harness fitting purposes, but they could have used colors or symbols to denote weight ranges instead of actual numbers.
After checking in, we loaded our bags into the provided lockers and headed to the harness area. In this area, several team members helped guests into sized harnesses. After being fitted and secured, we were directed to a staircase. We hiked up and arrived at the first of three platforms.
Riding the Zip Line!
At each platform, riders would step up in pairs and stand on a wooden box. The team member secures you to the line and checks your harness. Before launch, the team member will give you verbal instructions unique to this zip line. Make sure to listen to them as each section has a different marker for you to get into your “landing” positing (butt back and legs up to brace yourself).
After receiving your landing instructions, sit back and you’re off! Each of the three lines features amazing views of your cruise ship, the island’s coast line, and the water park below you! Once you’ve completed all the lines, you’ll land at the ground level next to Harbor Beach. It’s a short, five-minute walk back to the Zip Line Station to return your harness and retrieve your bags.
The Decoded View:
Before choosing this excursion, I encourage you to look at all of Coco Cay’s offerings and determine your priorities for the day. If you’re looking for more adventure and activity or if you’ve never zipped before, this is a great choice! But if you’re looking for a more relaxed and water-centric vacation, this may not be the option for you. But either way do keep in mind that this excursion lasts about 45 minutes. You’ll still have much of the day to enjoy the rest of the activities on Coco Cay!
Special Tips:
- The night before your stop at Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean will provide a map of the island in your state room. Make sure to locate the zip line area ahead of time so you know where you are going.
- Arrive at the Zip Line desk 15 minutes before your tour’s start time to allow for waiver signing and harness fitting.
- Royal Caribbean provides lockers for this excursion, so arrive ready for the beach! You won’t need to go back to the ship.
- You will need to walk back to the zip line desk (while wearing your harness and gear) after completing your adventure. It’s not very far, but the harness adds a fair bit of weight. Be prepared, and make sure to wear comfortable shoes.
