Choose Your Cruise – April 24, 2020

Fridays don’t quite mean the same things anymore, but we’re still here with an end of the week option for those dreaming about their next cruise vacation. We’ve got a special selection of cruises that all have one thing in common; they all stop at a private island. If you want the lux life experience without the elite price tag, we’ve got three cruises for you! 

Cruise A 

It’s the newest private island in the cruise industry, only open for a couple of months before the COVID shutdown. Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve is just 65 miles off the coast of Miami, but it feels like a whole world away with pristine beaches, protected beds of coral reef and a lighthouse open to guests. Most MSC Cruises from PortMiami will have Ocean Cay on the itinerary going forward and we can’t wait until the island is open for guests once again. 

In February of 2021, you can spend 14 nights on MSC Meraviglia from Miami and with a stop at Ocean Cay along with Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Mexico, Bahamas, Honduras, and Belize. Inside rooms are under $1,000 and its only a few hundred more for an oceanview or balcony experience. 

Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve

Cruise B 

When the name of the island is Perfect Day at CocoCay, you know what to expect. Royal Caribbean’s private island experience is one of the best in the business and there’s plenty of cruises that will get you there. The island in the Bahamas has a water park, pools, beaches, restaurants and even a hot air balloon. The island’s recent overhaul made it a premier private resort in the industry and a benchmark for future projects. 

You can leave from Fort Lauderdale, FL on board Navigator of the Seas in November of 2021 for a four night cruise with stops throughout the Bahamas, including CocoCay. 

An Aerial View of CocoCay | Photo: Fernando Jorge

Cruise C

Porthole Cruise Magazine had the chance to cruise to our final private island resort on board the new Norwegian Encore this past Fall and wow were we impressed. Great Stirrup Cay is operated by Norwegian Cruise Line and it’s everything you want in a private island resort. It has sandy coves full of beach chairs, a zip line and ropes course, restaurants and excursion options like going to pig beach to swim with the wild pigs. 

Spend 7 days on Norwegian Joy next March with a stop at Great Stirrup Cay along with Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, St. Thomas and Tortola. Staterooms start at just $799! 

Great Stirrup Cay

Let us know which cruise is for you in the comments below!