Cruise Line Private Island Guide for Adults

By Brooke Franco

Activities and spaces for adults on cruise line private islands. - *Photo by Royal Caribbean International / Norwegian Cruise Line / Carnival Cruise Line / MSC Cruises*

Does your upcoming voyage stop at the cruise line’s private island or destination? If your travel party consists of adult cruisers and the thought of beaches filled with kids running around and giant water slides makes you second-guess getting off the ship for the day, think again! The cruise lines' private islands are a beach paradise filled with activities and secluded spaces designed just for adults wanting to relax, drink on the beach, and spend time with travelers their age.

To help you plan an adult-filled fun day in the sun, we’ve rounded up a guide of the spots and activities for travelers ages 18+ on each of the cruise line's private islands or destinations. Whether you are looking to relax, adventure, or party, you will find something enjoyable to do on a cruise line’s private island.

Grab the sunscreen, flip-flops, and sunglasses, and get ready to have a great day with our cruise line private island and destination guide for adults.

Castaway Cay - Disney Cruise Line

Castaway Cay is typically known for being a premier family destination, but Disney has designed the island to offer spaces and activities for adults to have just as much fun. Everything on Castaway Cay is top-notch, so much so that it was named the Best Cruise Line Private Destination in our 2024 Member Choice Awards. If you are an adult traveler looking for kid-free time ashore, there are tons of offerings for you to check out.

Serenity Bay is the secluded, adults-only area on Castaway Cay for guests ages 18+. At Serenity Bay, travelers can enjoy special frozen drinks at the Castaway Air Bar, grab a bite to eat at the Air Bar BBQ, enjoy a massage in a private cabana, or relax by the area’s private beach. Serenity Bay does not have an extra-cost area to access, but select services or rentals will have additional fees.

Outside of Serenity Bay, adult travelers can take advantage of various water activities and other fun ways to spend the day. Adventurous vacationers will enjoy watersports like snorkeling, paddleboarding, kayaking, or parasailing. You can also rent a bike or walk around the designated biking/walking trails that wind through the beautiful island. Or, head to She Sells Sea Shells to shop for souvenirs to bring back home. Are you looking for something more active? Pick up a game of volleyball or tetherball at Sports Beach.

For adults looking to grab a cocktail, The Heads Up Bar serves delicious beverages in fun, picture-worthy cups shaped like coconuts or Disney characters Olaf and Sven.

Explore All Cruises to Castaway Cay

Celebration Key (Opening 2025) - Carnival Cruise Line

Celebration Key is the new upcoming private destination on Grand Bahama Island from Carnival Cruise Line. While some details have yet to be announced, we have the inside track on the two adult-friendly areas included in this new tropical paradise.

Calypso Lagoon will be the adult space for ages 18+ on Celebration Key. It will feature spaces for relaxing and partying under the Caribbean sun. The area will have a dedicated pool with loungers and cabanas and a swim-up bar. Enjoy a poolside beverage as you listen to the tunes from a live DJ. Also, Calypso Lagoon will include an adults-only beach area where you can soak up the sun from a lounger, take a dip in the water (without kids nearby), or relax on a float. Travelers looking to break a sweat can pick up a game at Calypso Lagoon’s Sports Court. This adult-friendly space has additional bars and two full-service restaurants/snack shacks.

Celebration Key is also set to have another area called the Adults-Only Private Club Portal, an exclusive adult space. This district is extra-cost and includes private access to its own beach, a stunning infinity pool, and elevated dining options. It will also be home to an event pavilion, perfect for hosting weddings and other special celebrations.

Explore Cruises Visiting Celebration Key

Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point (Open Summer 2024) - Disney Cruise Line

Line private destination opening on the island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas in the summer of 2024.

The area will offer an adults-only exclusive beach section for guests 18+. Guests looking to elevate their experience can rent an open-air cabana for the day. Outside the private beach, adults can enjoy market-style dining and three adult-exclusive bars dotted across the destination.

Explore Cruises to Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point

Great Stirrup Cay - Norwegian Cruise Line

Great Stirrup Cay is a private island in The Bahamas owned by Norwegian Cruise Line. Although the island does not offer an adults-only area, it features many fun activities and ways for adult travelers to unwind.

Those looking for a VIP experience should check out access to Silver Cove, an exclusive (extra cost) part of the island with loungers, cabanas, bars, a buffet area, and its own beach. As this is a more exclusive area, you are less likely to have large crowds of families or children here. Silver Cove is home to the Mandara Spa, which offers beach-side massages, facials, and its own hot tub and lounge area. If you choose to have a service at Mandara Spa, you will receive day access to Silver Cove - win, win.

Adult-friendly activities around Great Stirrup Cay include watersports (kayaking, paddle boarding, and snorkeling), zip-lining, and the opportunity to swim with the pigs—a unique excursion that takes guests to nearby Treasure Island to greet and swim with local pigs.

Travelers looking for a quiet place to sit on the beach should head to Fiesta Beach, farther from the pier and usually less crowded than areas like Bertram Beach.

You will also find numerous bars around Great Stirrup Cay, like Patron’s Bar and the Bacardi Bar. Grab a cold beverage and cool off in the Caribbean sunshine!

See Cruises to Great Stirrup Cay

Half Moon Cay - Holland America Line and Carnival Cruise Line

Half Moon Cay is a private island in the Bahamas owned by Carnival Corporation and is included in several Holland America and Carnival Cruise Line sailings. Although Half Moon Cay has no adult-specific area, there are many ways to have a fun-filled day.

Adult-friendly activities for adventure seekers include biking, hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, horseback riding, jet-ski rentals, waterbikes, boating tours, standup paddle boarding, and stingray encounters. For those that just want to lounge on the beach for the day, you can rent a beach umbrella/clamshell sunshade chair or an innertube or mat to lounge in the water. Those looking for a luxury experience should check out Half Moon Cay’s daily rentals for cabanas and beach villas or the Private Oasis, which has its own hot tub, beach access, and butler service.

Many of these activities and rentals on Half Moon Cay are charged extra. Also, if you purchased a beverage package for the ship, it will not work on Half Moon Cay.

See All Cruises to Half Moon Cay

Harvest Caye - Norwegian Cruise Line

Harvest Caye is NCL’s private destination located in southern Belize. The 75-acre oasis features many exciting excursions and beach activities to fill your day.

Adult travelers will love the expansive pool area, which features a swim-up bar for grabbing cocktails to cool off. On the destination’s exclusive 7-acre beach area, travelers can rent cabanas, which accommodate up to 6 guests and feature food and beverage service, lounge chairs, private bathrooms, air conditioning, and access to golf carts for easy transportation around the island. The saltwater lagoon hosts watersports like kayaking, paddle boarding, and electric float boats.

Snorkeling is a featured activity on Harvest Caye, which is home to the world's second-largest barrier reef! Adventure seekers should check out The Flighthouse, a 136-foot-high venue for aerial activities with 3,000 feet of zip lining and an observation deck with mainland views.

Explore Cruises to Harvest Caye

Labadee - Royal Caribbean

*Photo by Royal Caribbean International*

Labadee is a private destination in Haiti that is included on many Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises Caribbean itineraries. This beautiful locale boasts five stretches of beach and many activities in the jungle-covered hilltops surrounding the port.

If you want to lounge by the water, check out Nellie’s Beach, where you can rent an overwater, waterfront, or beach cabana to create your own private tropical oasis. This beach is set off the main areas of Labadee, so it’s likely to be a bit quieter.

For adults looking for extreme activities, Labadee has tons of high-thrill offerings. There’s the Dragon’s Breath Flight Line, a half-mile-long zip line ride over the ocean where you can reach speeds up to 40 miles per hour. Or, you could soar head-first through the sky along 2,800 feet of cable above the water on the Dragon’s Fire Flight Line. If that's not your speed, check out the Dragon’s Tail Coaster, an alpine ride that races down the mountainside.

See Cruises to Labadee

Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve - MSC Cruises

Ocean Cay is a private island in The Bahamas owned by MSC Cruises. It features several fun excursions and beach venues that adults will love.

First, visit the Ocean Cay Lighthouse and climb to the top for unparalleled views of the island and surrounding blue waters. Then, visit the Lighthouse Bar, which sits under the structure and serves fabulous cocktails. It is one of several watering holes on Ocean Cay, with other options, including Springer’s Bar, The Smiling Fish Bar, and several beach-side bars that blend frozen cocktails and serve cold beer just steps from the water.

Next are the water activities. Ocean Cay offers fun options like kayaking, jet-ski rentals, snorkeling, and stand-up paddleboarding.

If your cruise includes a late night or overnight stay at Ocean Cay, there are special fun activities for adult travelers, such as a sunset champagne cruise around the island, beachside stargazing with cocktails, a sunrise mimosa cruise, or glow nighttime standup paddleboarding.

See Cruises to Ocean Cay

Perfect Day at CocoCay - Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises

When most cruisers think about Perfect Day at CocoCay, the first thing that comes to mind is usually beaches filled with families and giant waterslides. Royal Caribbean Group has worked hard to shed this notion by debuting several new adult-focused spaces before Celebrity Cruises began to sail to the island in 2024.

In January 2024, Hideaway Beach opened at Perfect Day at CocoCay. This area at the island's far end is only for guests 18+ and offers several options for adults to fill their day. Whether you want to get in the action or relax on the beach, Hideaway Beach has it all.

At Hideaway Beach, enjoy lounging beachside, swim in the area’s pool, or opt for an even more private experience at the on-site cabanas. There are also unique bars and eateries, like On the Rocks, the main beach bar space that serves cold drinks and features live music and table games. Admission to Hideaway Beach is an extra fee, at $39 per guest for the day, with a capacity of between 1,800 and 2,000 guests daily.

If you want to splurge for your day at Perfect Day at CocoCay, check out the CocoBeach Club, the island's upscale ‘VIP’ area. It’s not adults-only, but a smaller area on the island which makes it feel more exclusive than the main beach areas. CocoBeach Club features overwater cabanas with slides that dip into the ocean, its own infinity pool, and cabana attendants. The capacity here is only 450 guests per day, and pricing to enter is extra (cost dependent on season/cabana rental type).

Explore All Cruises to Perfect Day at CocoCay

Princess Cays - Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line

Princess Cay is another Carnival Corporation-owned private destination located on the island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas. The picture-perfect destination is situated on over 40 acres of land and features over a half-mile white-sand shoreline. It does not have an adult-only section, but again, it offers tremendous water activities and great spaces to relax for the day in the sunshine of the Caribbean.

Adult-friendly excursion options include snorkeling, stingray encounters, biking trails, and fishing off the island’s rocky shore. Guest can also enjoy water activity rentals, including kayaking, windsurfing, snorkeling, paddle wheelers, floats, aqua chairs, and Hobie Wave sailers.

Clamshell and beach umbrella rentals are available if you just want to relax on the beach. For guests seeking their own private space, check out rentals for the private and sanctuary bungalows, which are air-conditioned. These cabanas are perfect for getting away from it all and are located at the farther end of Princess Cays (accessible with its private tram).

See Cruises Visiting Princess Cays

BONUS: The Beach Club at Bimini - Virgin Voyages

If you’ve opted to cruise with Virgin Voyages, you’ve already chosen a kid-free cruise experience, making The Beach Club at Bimini a bonus addition. This private space from Virgin Voyages includes its own beach area and pool. There are six on-site bars and a resident DJ who keeps the island vibes just right. Tan, nap, or party in the cabanas, comfy couches, terrace seating, or wicker bar chairs that dot the space.

Here are some of the exciting kid-free excursions you can take part in here: swimming with the stingrays, a dolphin safari, snorkeling the Sapona shipwreck, kayaking, jet ski rentals, scuba diving among great hammerhead sharks, or enjoying a fishing charter.

All Cruises Visiting The Beach Club at Bimini

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