Cruisers Overwhelmingly Choose Perfect Day at CocoCay as Best Private Island
Key Aspects:
Perfect Day at CocoCay was voted the Best Cruise Line Private Island/Destination of 2025 by Cruise Hive readers.
Royal Caribbean’s private Bahamian island took 32.0% of the votes, well above the second-place destination.
The island includes thrills, chills, and everything in between for the ultimate private destination.
Looking for the best private island experience for your next cruise? Cruise Hive readers overwhelmingly recommend Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay and have chosen the Bahamian hotspot as the winner for Best Cruise Line Private Island/Destination of 2025 in the annual Cruise Hive Awards.
The island’s victory is an overwhelming one, with 32.0% of the votes, well above the second and third place destinations.
This is not a new accolade for the highly-rated private island, as Perfect Day at CocoCay has won the honor for the past four years, making this year’s honor the fifth time in a row the Royal Caribbean destination has been voted the best.
In fact, Perfect Day at CocoCay has rated this top honor in every year the category has been part of the Cruise Hive Awards: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2025.
Why Perfect Day at CocoCay Is the Perfect Private Island
Perfect Day at CocoCay truly offers something for everyone, no matter what type of experience they want most.
Thrill seekers? You can’t do better than Thrill Waterpark with its 14 adrenaline-inducing waterslides. At 135 feet tall, Daredevil’s Peak is the tallest slide in the Caribbean, or guests can race in the Dueling Demons drop slides. An immense wave pool and a range of different slide types round out the thrills.
Guests who want to stay dry but still feel the thrill can try out the zip line or soar above it all on the Up, Up and Away hot air balloon.
The littles will love Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill’s Galleon, both outstanding water-tastic play structures for younger cruisers. Conveniently located near the arrivals plaza, these kid-friendly options are sure to be perfectly fun.
Prefer to soak up the vibes? Oasis Lagoon is the place to be. As the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean with unique coves and plenty of lounge seating, including in-water loungers, it’s an amazing option for all ages to get their splash on.
For more exclusive, private experiences, guests can opt for the Coco Beach Club or the adults-only Hideaway Beach. While both do have extra admission fees, they offer distinctive fun ideal for that perfect beach day.
Chill Island, Harbor Beach, and South Beach all offer great options to enjoy, from beach volleyball, ping pong, and bocce ball to private cabanas, oversized hammocks, and more.
Read Also: What Are All the Cruise Line Private Islands and Destinations?
When it’s time to refuel, guests can enjoy two barbecue buffet locations or three Snack Shacks, all of which are complimentary. From burgers and tacos to fried chicken sandwiches, mozzarella sticks, and other deliciousness, there are plenty of food options to enjoy on CocoCay. Don’t miss the fresh, hot funnel cakes dusted with powdered sugar!
With so much on offer, not to mention the free beach towel use, plentiful beach loungers and shade umbrellas, tram service down the pier, live music, and more, it’s not surprising that Perfect Day at CocoCay continues to be voted the top private island destination.
Other Private Islands and Destinations Guests Love
While Perfect Day at CocoCay is the clear favorite for Cruise Hive’s readers, MSC Cruises’ Ocean Cay Marine Reserve proved a strong second with 19.9% of the vote.
A surprising third place is Carnival Cruise Line’s new Celebration Key with 13.7% of the vote. Considering Celebration Key only welcomed its first guests on July 19, the new destination has certainly made a positive impression. Of course, it has already welcomed one million guests, so its popularity is sure to continue growing in future years.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Great Stirrup Cay and Holland America Line’s Half Moon Cay (also visited by Carnival Cruise Line) were a close fourth and fifth place at 7.8% and 7.4% of votes, respectively, followed by Princess Cruises’ Princess Cays at 6.4% and Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Cay at 6.2%.
Both Harvest Caye in Belize (Norwegian Cruise Line) and Labadee in Haiti (Royal Caribbean) were lower in the voting at 3.2% and 2.8%, which is not surprising. Harvest Caye is not a common port on many itineraries, and Labadee has been closed to cruise guests for months due to civil unrest in Haiti.
Finally, Disney Cruise Line’s new Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in the Bahamas garnered just .8% of the overall votes. This is a surprisingly low turnout, but the destination only opened in June 2024 and is less frequently visited than Castaway Cay.
The annual Cruise Hive Awards were open for voting from October 14 through December 19. Votes were carefully reviewed, and no bots or spam votes were included in the winning totals.
Cruisers Overwhelmingly Choose Perfect Day at CocoCay as Best Private Island