Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas Port Reviews

Nicely set-up. Man made island well done with multiple areas for swimming and snorkeling. Considering the 4 day stay cruise there. MSC had food available on island so you did not have to go back to ship to have lunch.

MSC seems to either do some things very well or poorly. Well, they did this right! While we've never been to Coco Cay for comparison, it seems like it's designed to just suck money from you and also seems like a water park on the coast, rather than you experiencing a somewhat exclusive island. Half moon Cay was our favorite private island prior to now. Ocean Cay is very pretty, with multiple choices of beaches to visit despite being small, allowing you to find diverse spots as well as very uncrowded ones. Our favorite was Sunset Beach (i hope I got this right) or what ever the name of the rocky beach running down the left side of the island as you look at the island from the ship. Very uncrowded with a variety of chair types available if early enough and still plenty of chairs if not early. The only drawback I could find to this one was that it is rocky and despite having water shoes, I was not comfortable trying to enter the water on the second day. On the first day I went out from it and snorkeled and it was essentially waveless, so the water was very clear and you could see how to walk out in the shallows while avoiding the rocks that might cause you to fall or twist an ankle. There were other people in the water the second day that obviously felt more comfortable than I did since they were out there. My wife did not get in at this location either day but it's quite pretty with many trees you can sit under, making it seem tropical. The beach right in front of the ship was also nice with an extremely smooth entry, no dropoffs and almost no rocks but the umbrellas and chairs there are first come, with none to rent, so you'd better get there early since they fill quickly. We also went to Lagoon beach briefly, which had no trees near the water but was where you were able to rent an umbrella. It may have just been the luck of timing but we went to the island buffet at exactly noon the second day and had no wait and didn't notice any lines developing while we ate. My wife thought her fish sandwich was great as well as her oatmeal cookie. We didn't try any of the food trucks. I think the best thing MSC does is they include your drink package as workable while you are on their private island, thus saving some people a substantial amount. While I didn't have any type of drink package, I just think it should be this way on all cruise lines and I highly commend them for this. Way to go! Don't forget Alexis and David at the Catcus Bar I mentioned earlier on Sunset Beach!

Very pretty island. Very rocky in places, Seems like construction debris in the water. (Bring water shoes!) If you go to the farther beaches, the food stands only have hamburgers and hot dogs. Shuttles were a real problem. Prepare for a lot of walking if you want to explore.

One of the main reasons we love MSC the island is beautiful and there’s plenty of room to enjoy, and bars and food all inclusive. Haven’t had best of luck with excursions booked two each time canceled, for weather one trim and lack of people was the second that pissed me off a bit should not matter but that’s just my opinion.

Would have been beautiful if the weather was better! However, the food on the buffet was very good, especially the salads!

Visited: Mar 02, 2020

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love it especially since the drinks are food are included. The beaches are beautiful and the beach party is a great experience and the lighthouse is beautiful.

🔝 destination

Visited: Feb 07, 2020

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It was cool to have an island to ourselves, and while I understand it was recently opened, the beaches had rough rocks, and the beers were barely cold. Other than sit on the beach, there wasn’t anything else to do (no bands during the day).

Visited: Dec 22, 2019

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My favorite stop. It is so beautiful. Lots of excursions. Shops were nice. Cabanas was good because it was windy. The lighthouse and parade were fun.

Visited: Feb 02, 2020

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Ocean Cay is beautiful. I wish we would have been able to see the light show.

Visited: Mar 10, 2020

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