All Things Travel Podcast
Listen in each week with Creating Magic Vacations Travel Advisors and destination experts Ryan and Julie.
He is your travel professor, teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation. She is a Disney-loving, Maryland mom of 3 and a specialist in family travel.
Whether they're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories…it’s always All Things Travel.
All Things Travel Podcast
Private Islands & Perfect Beach Days: Why You Need One on Your Next Cruise
Ever looked at your cruise itinerary and thought, where the heck is that island? Chances are, it's one of the cruise line’s private islands—and trust us, you’ll want to visit! 🏝️ In this episode of All Things Travel, Ryan and Julie break down the best private islands, what makes them special, and why they should be part of your next cruise vacation.
Key Topics Covered:
🌊 Why Private Islands Are a Must-Do on a Cruise
- No need for excursions—just step off the ship and enjoy!
- Safe, well-maintained, and stress-free beach days
- Many all-inclusive amenities, from food to activities
🏝️ Top Private Islands & Beach Clubs
- Perfect Day at CocoCay (Royal Caribbean & Celebrity): Water parks, beaches, and luxury cabanas
- Disney’s Castaway Cay: The original private island, featuring family fun and adult-exclusive areas
- Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point (Disney): Disney’s newest island with Bahamian cultural experiences
- Bimini Beach Club (Virgin Voyages): A high-energy beach party with VIP cabanas and bonfires
- Labadee (Royal Caribbean): Ziplining, adventure parks, and private beach areas
🚢 Upcoming Private Island & Beach Club Openings
- Celebration Key (Carnival Cruise Line): A mix of thrill rides and relaxation zones
- Royal Caribbean’s Nassau Beach Club: A premium private resort experience
- Royal Caribbean’s Cozumel Beach Club: Exclusive, stress-free fun for Western Caribbean cruisers
📅 Pro Tips for Visiting a Private Island:
- Arrive early to claim the best spots
- Bring collapsible sand toys for kids
- Know the dining schedule—meals aren’t available all day like on the ship
- Keep an eye on spending—some experiences require add-on fees
Call to Action:
Planning your dream cruise? Let Ryan and Julie help you find the perfect itinerary that includes a private island stop! Contact us today at AllThingsTravelPodcast.com to start planning.
#CruiseTips #PrivateIslands #PerfectDayAtCocoCay #DisneyCruise #VirginVoyages #AllThingsTravelP
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Hello and welcome to All Things Travel. Do you ever look at a cruise itinerary, see the name of a port stop, and think, where the heck is that island? Chances are you're seeing the name of the cruise line's private island, and today we're going to be talking all about our favorite private islands and why you need to visit one on your next cruise. Listen in with travel advisors and destination experts, Ryan and Julie. He is your travel professor, teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation, I am a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and a specialist in family travel. Whether we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Hi Julie, how you doing?
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:I'm doing great. How are you, Ryan?
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:How is your week going? give us an update. what's a big thing in the Schaefer household?
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:a big thing in the Schaefer household this week is snow.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Tell me about it. My son's school is already cancelled tomorrow because of cold. the windchill's gonna be negative 15, and so they've already cancelled school because of that.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:negative 15.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Yeah. Yeah.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:I can't complain about our polar vortex,
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:ha ha ha ha ha ha.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:it's 9 degrees. it snowed three times last week, we were off school. I had to take five children out in the snow to play, which lovely, blissful experience.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:she says sarcastically.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:just
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:ha ha ha ha. Alright,
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:It was, I do, I do enjoy snow days because I feel like it's something that's like a core memory, you know?
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:so I had a fun experience this weekend, my girlfriend Jasmine came up with this. Well, she saw this idea on tick tock she saw this idea called ABC dating. I think I told you that I was going to do that, but then I never followed up.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:never heard from you again.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:You did, what, did he die on this date? so, since it's January, we started with A, and then we're gonna go all through the alphabet, right? And so, every month, we do a date that has things with that letter of the alphabet, and then we're gonna go back and forth for planning it.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:that's so cool.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:she had it all planned. I just showed up and drove where she told me to drive, which is pretty much how we do things anyway. we went to an antique mall, and looked for Christmas stuff, and then we went to a Mexican restaurant called Arco's. And then we went to Art Link, which is a free gallery in Fort Wayne. And then we went to Auburn Brewing Company, which is close. all A's it was a lot of fun. next month I am in charge of B.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:boy, that's going to be the real test,
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Doesn't that sound fun?
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:that's such a cool idea. Now, any of those places, places that you would have gone if they didn't start with an A?
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:We had been talking about going to several of them anyway, but I think it was fun to incorporate. And the idea. at least in the way that we're defining it, we want to try things that we haven't done. So it's not just pick one of our favorite places and, it just happens to start with that letter.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Sure. that makes sense. That's awesome.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:what is a cool trip that you're working on for clients?
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:I had a phone call today with clients that want to do a Disney cruise back to back with Walt Disney World over spring break in two and a half months.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Very fun.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:be their family's first cruise. So it'll be really exciting.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Wow. That's awesome. I've got kind of two camps of vacations. I've got multiple requests for Alaska cruising, and then I have multiple requests Ireland. So I've been going back and forth, working on those things. So excited. this past week, I just booked an all inclusive resort, family trip for one of our listeners. So I'm excited for that. well today, Julie, we are going to be talking about a great add on for a vacation. You talk about a Disney cruise. I'm talking about Alaskan cruising. One of the things that we're seeing more and more are these cruise companies adding on private islands or private destinations to their cruises, and boy do we have some good ones to share. before we talk about that, if you have not gone back and listened to last week's episode, Julie and I do a deep dive in how to strategize for a day at EBCOT for families and also adult and older children groups. We are going to be talking about our first island perfect day at Coco Cay, which is part of Royal Caribbean and celebrity cruises Bahamian cruises. You and I were there last June and to be honest, I think you were a little skeptical when we started, our cruise about, am I really going to like this? Is this going to be a good experience? Give us your, high level takeaway about Perfect Day at Coco Cay.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:I loved it. I'm really excited to go back in July I tell a lot of people now that I like Coco K better than Castaway Key.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:I do too. I just, and not only because I'm focused on kind of adults things, which I know you're going to talk about Castaway having, but I think there's more variety at Coco Cay. to give you some examples, if we're talking about kid friendly fun, there's Splashaway Bay, which has slides, and Bucket, you know, the water park thing. Buckets. There's Captain Jill's Galleon, which is like a ship for small kids. There are lots of places to eat. There's three included, places to dine. And that's anywhere from, you know, your taco stand to your sandwiches to your, ice cream and all that good stuff. There is one of the largest pools in the Caribbean, Oasis Lagoon, with a great, Swim up bar. You've got 5 different beaches to choose from and each one has their own personality with things to do. you can add things on like there's several different, activities to do. You can add some excursions, but there's a, Beach Club which is kind of an exclusive, an exclusive luxury place. There's the hideaway beach that you and I went to, which was the adults only area. There's a few, upgraded dining but really not much. oh, and then there's the water park, Thrill Island, And that's a full blown water park. that rivals any water park you're gonna go to anywhere. what I love about Coco Cay is, you can really go, not worry about anything else for that day, and know that you're going to have a great time.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:I agree. But do be clear that, Hideaway Beach and Thrill Island are an extra cost that
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Oh, yeah, uh, yes, yes, absolutely. Um, Thrill Island is a pretty decent cost, and I would say Hideaway Beach continues to be a steal, for the amount of money. And what I also like about it is you have the Wi Fi package. It works on the island. You have the drink package that works on the island. It's a very seamless experience for both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. You and I were there, on a day that there was both a Royal Caribbean ship and a Celebrity ship, and it really didn't feel that full. it's a great add on. I highly recommend anytime you're taking a cruise in the Bahamas with either of those companies, make sure it's a perfect day at Coco Cay.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:my trick for some of those, and maybe you do this too with your clients, is Thrill Island is a pretty good add on. It's good as in like it's not cheap.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Yeah,
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:I have clients sailing on one of the newer ships that is, more expensive, then I tell them don't add on Thrill Island. Enjoy the upgraded options that are on your ship. But if you're on an older ship that's more affordable, then add on Thrill Island because you don't have those big waterpark features on your ship.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:I remember you saying that before and I think that's spot on because if you're on the newer ships, the Icon class, you're going to have essentially, not the same size water park, but a heck of a lot of things that are included. It would feel a little repetitious to then spend your day, doing the same thing on the island.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Right. I just say, okay, take advantage of the beach and have a relaxing
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Yeah,
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:instead.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:absolutely
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Do you have anything else to share about Perfect Day at Cook?
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:it's perfect. And it's a day
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:All right. So I'm going to talk about Shocking Disney's Private Island Castaway Key. So this was the original private island that Disney created. it is known for white sand beaches, and it's really great for families. Castaway Cay was the first island where the ships could dock directly at the island and not need to be tendered in. there are permanent residents of the island. And then when you dock there, your cast members on board will also be on board. cast members on the island
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:And I will tell you as kind of a travel nerd a cruise nerd I think it's kind of fun when we dock on these islands and then watch The activity, right? I remember going to Castaway Cay with Disney and they have that whole logistical system down. this comes off the ship and then these people come off the ship and it's just I just love to watch the magic of them making the day what it is.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:And I remember on my last cruise a couple weeks ago, the captain does come on and say, good morning. We're docked at Castaway Cay. We've got to wait about an hour, to get off the ship, which this is at like seven in the morning, so it's still early.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:You're like, that's okay, I won't be ready in an hour.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:we're going to wait about an hour to let the crew get set up, they have to go set up the island and get all the beach chairs and umbrellas ready. fun fact, Castaway Cay was used to film some of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. the biggest thing for Castaway Cay is knowing what's there for families. It is a pretty simple island, they don't have thrill island type, water playgrounds or things like that. They have a big area in the water, like out in the ocean called Pelican Plunge. And that has a couple of twisting slides. It's like a big floating platform. But! Because it's out in the ocean, it's not really for younger kids. I would say that's better for older elementary school and maybe even middle school. the very cool thing about Castaway Cay is that the kids clubs are also on the island. they are really, really fun kids clubs. you have Scuttle's Cove and you have the teen hideout. so again, Skuttles Cove is like younger kids. There's a whale dig site. There's sandcastle building, soccer, capture the flag. they also have a splash pad in that area and it's the same system as it is on the ship where the kids scan their bands and go right in. They also have a big gaming pavilion that serves kids in between the younger kids club and the teen hideout. couple of family friendly add ons that you could do. You could rent snorkel gear, kayak, do paddle boats and aqua trites. You could also rent inner tubes and those mats that you have just floating in the water. You can also do the glass bottom boat voyage, which you would want to book in advance. interesting to note That starts with babies, at six months. So that's good that they have something that those younger ones can do. There is actually adult only activities on Castaway Cay. So similar to Hideaway Beach on Coco Cay, Castaway Cay has Serenity Bay, an adult only beach. You just take the tram and keep going over there. There are cabanas over there. There's a barbecue over there. all the way on your way over there, there are bars all over the place. There's Olaf's Summertime Freeze, which is kind of like the most well known bar area. Very large statue of Olaf out front. You can't miss it. there's not a lot of adult only specific things, but there are a lot of excursions for, people over the age of 16 or 18. So, the Castaway Race, Stingray Adventure, the Jet Skiing, any sort of walking, kayaking, nature, adventure type tour. Those are all for 16 plus or 10 plus, so you're not going to have a lot of younger kids on those. So if you wanted to avoid kids. Go for one of those activities. food is pretty basic on the Island. They're like big barbecue stations over at Cookies and Cookies too. and then the other barbecue station over at Serenity Bay, I think the food is pretty good. It's a seamless experience getting through the line. The nice thing is that the food is the same everywhere. So you can get in any line, which I like, And you're pretty much going to stop at Castaway Cay on any, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 night itinerary
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:yeah,
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:in the Bahamas, the Western Caribbean, or the Eastern Caribbean with Disney Cruise Line.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:I want to talk about a different style and that's the Bimini Beach Club for Virgin voyages this is not an island. When Virgin Voyages docks in Bimini, they have a beach club area and it is a party on the beach. There is a large pool area. There's included food Virgin does not have drink packages, but they have options on Bimini Beach and their drinks are very cheap. Reasonably priced they have different parties throughout the day. It's got a dj feel kind of a Darty feel if you've heard that term before julie one of the things that's really cool about bimini is They stay later. into the night In the evening they actually have bonfires on the beach. they offer excursions because it's part of a larger island, so you can do, your normal Bahamian excursions, lots of things to do, or you can just enjoy the beach all day. There's obviously no kid, activities here because this is an adults only cruise. They do have a VIP area. So if you want to take advantage of that, you can have a VIP cabana or their boho chic mermaid hideaway, which are some different, add on areas that have some elevated service. But overall, you're just talking about a party on a beach, the way that Virgin Voyages does it, and they do it really well.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Sounds amazing.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:I continue to want to go on a Virgin Voyage and experience it myself. Disney upped the ante with a new opportunity. Tell us about that, Julie.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Okay. So I'm back again with more Disney things to talk about. the newest island that Disney can take you to is Lookout Key at Lighthouse Point. So it's part of a bigger island, which is different than Castaway Cay or Coco Cay. and because of that, there is a really big focus on the Bohemian culture. The island itself, the colors are very bohemian. There are bohemian street parades, music, a lot of festive spirit there. celebrate Junkanoo, which is like a musical style, with a parade.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:yeah, music and dancing
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Yeah, so they have a stage on the island where they're doing shows and performances, things like that. there's also a whole area on the island, called the Goombay Cultural Center.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:hmm.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:it's basically just an art exhibit featuring local art. So that's very cool. There's a lot of ways here to really immerse in the Bohemian
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:I was gonna say it sounds really immersive.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:The other thing that's very cool about this island, and there are some excursions that go to these places, are there's two natural phenomenon on the island that you can go see. One is the massive ocean hole, which is a naturally forming blue hole near the rock sound area. it has a higher salt content, so it's more buoyant than seawater. lot of the excursions go there.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Okay.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Another one is called Cathedral Cave, which is a massive natural rock structure and features Soaring wide ceilings, cascading tree roots, and glittering filtered sunlight. So I love that Disney is embracing what was already at the island and not just bulldozing and
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Yeah, they're not coming in and making it theirs They're adding to what already makes the island special
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:I agree. island, I do think, offers a lot more for younger kids and families than Castaway Cay. they have Rush Out, Gush Out, which is a water playground area. It's a big interactive climbing structure. There's slides, water drums. water fountains. that's kind of what you see in a lot of the pictures of the concept art. There's a big family beach, and I have heard the beach is just beautiful. The water is clear. The sand is super soft. There is a play pavilion, which is a venue near the family beach that has games and activities. It's also a meeting spot for different activities like the scavenger hunt. There's the Disney Fun in the Sun Beach Bash, a big party where the characters come out similar to Castaway Cay, they have kids clubs here, which is awesome. And there is another water play area inside of Sebastian's Cove, that's themed to the Little Mermaid. There's also dining inside the kids club there, which is awesome. Cause Not all kids clubs have that option. and a couple of fun, family friendly activities you could add on to your stop at Lugaki are going to those two natural phenomenons, the Cathedral Cave and the Ocean Hole. And there's also one that has like a pirate theme to it called the Pirates Adventure Tour. So that's really cool for kids to do too. If maybe it's your second or third time at Lugaki and you just want to change it up a little bit. On to what they have for adults. So not, much because it is a very family focused island. They do have an adult exclusive beach and they also have adult exclusive bars, of course, and they have an adult exclusive restaurant on the beach. But beyond that, there's not a lot. Now, Similar to Castaway Cay, there's a couple excursions are 18 and up, so you're only obviously going to find adults there. some of the history tours, the paddle boarding and nature walk tours, ATV tours, and e bike tours. So do some of those and you're not going to run into any kids.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:we try to separate Families and adults when we talk about this, but obviously folks who are going on a Disney cruise are Disney centric so They're not necessarily looking to get away from some of that family fun that Disney has as well.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Disney still tries to give you that option if you want it. there's food on site and it's all included. It's the same type of barbecue style food that is on Castaway Key. I think a couple of different options, but overall very similar. Again, a bunch of bars along the way for you to stop, and just like on board, none of those drinks are included. itineraries that stop at Lookout Key are very much the same itineraries that stop at Castaway Key. three all the way up to seven night Bohemian itineraries or Western or Eastern Caribbean. The best of both worlds is to find a, itinerary that stops at both.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Yeah.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:The one thing about Lookout Cay that I did not mention, if you have seen the pictures or heard any of the reviews, is there is a very long pier to walk to get from the boat to the island. And that's kind of like a controversial type thing in the reviews, but I guess you have to go and find out.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:And it probably feels twice as long walking back to the ship as it does walking to the island, right?
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Right,
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:So, the last area that I want to talk about is Labadee in Haiti, and this is something that Royal Caribbean has For several of their Caribbean, Stops and just like what Julie said with Disney I actually have folks this spring that are going on a cruise that includes both Castaway Cay and Labadee because they really want to have beach time and enjoy that There are add ons like zip lines and adrenaline parks. But there's also, different beach areas. So you've got Barefoot Beach Club, which is an add on cost, but then you have Buccaneers Bay. You have Nellie's Beach, which is a relaxation area. You have Family Adventure over in Columbus Cove, which is more of a family area. you have town square, which has shops and restaurants and different things to explore. So what is included in Labadee? basically it's a beach day, so all of that stuff is going to be included. You can rent a variety of different things, just like with the other islands. You can shop in the different stores. You can do V. I. P. cabanas or beach areas. There are three different areas for dining, and all those are included and they have a Six different bars Again, if you have the drink package that's included. And also the wifi. They have basketball courts pickleball, bocce ball court. They have a garden area. If you wanted to have a more relaxing setting, there are splash pools, volleyball court. So it's just a fun beach day.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:That's what it sounds
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Yeah, whatever you want to make it for you and your family. I know that Royal Caribbean has really put some money in to make it a nicer stop for their guests. they've really kind of taken ownership over it. so they can make it their own all right, Julie, so we have a couple exciting upcoming things to talk about, but before we do that, I want to talk about where in the world does all things travel? When I went back this week and I looked at new locations for us, One that popped up is a vacation spot in itself, and that is Hilton Head, South Carolina.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:That's a fun one.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:So hilton head has tons of activities, it's definitely a tourist spot Lots of golf boating beach just tons of things to do. I think Julie and I, being the Disney folks that we are, where we really want to meet our listener is, we want to meet them at Disney's Hilton Head Resort, right?
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Absolutely.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:have heard great things about that resort. as a Disney Vacation Club member, it's one of those places that really has a cult following. hey Hilton Head, we are excited you are listening to All Things Travel. Do us a favor, reach out to either Julie or myself and you can do that on our website, allthingstravelpodcast. com and just click contact us and reach out because I would love to send a little thank you gift to Hilton Head for being featured on today's show. All right Julie, There's several things coming up when it comes to private islands and cruising. We want to focus on several of them today. What are you excited about?
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:So the first one is called Celebration Key,
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Sure.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:is a new island for Carnival Cruise Line, which we don't talk about a lot, but I have some clients that are loyal to Carnival. And Celebration Key, if you've seen the commercials, it looks amazing. it reminds me of a good mix of Lookout Key and Perfect Day Coco Cay, where it looks like there's a lot for families, a lot for older kids. It looks like a lot of fun.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:That's great.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:the next big things that are coming are Royal Caribbean has announced that they are making some new beach clubs and I am very excited for this.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:excited about this, especially in Nassau. if you're going on a Bahamian cruise on Royal Caribbean, you're stopping in Nassau, there's great things about Nassau, but if you've cruised a couple times, you've been there a couple times, I was looking at this today in preparation for the show, and this just looks like it's going to be great.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Can you tell us about it?
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:So it is going to be a new beach club run by Rogue Caribbean just for their ships and I'm sure Celebrity as well, but not for other cruise lines. It's basically going to be like a lot of what we've been talking about. So there's going to be pools, restaurants, beach activities, and it's just basically going to be A resort day, but run by Royal Caribbean. So, you know, you're going to have really great service. You're going to have door to door service. If you're coming from the cruise line, it looks really good. I know they've really worked with, the Nassau government as far as making sure that it's a true partnership. this looks really cool. I'm excited. Now this is an add on. This is not an included thing, like what Coco K or Labadee would be, but I think it's going to be well worth it.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Agree. And they are also building one of these in Cozumel. that's a great add on for Cozumel as well because it's a pretty common stop if you're on any Western Caribbean itinerary or itineraries that leave out of New Orleans or Galveston. that gives you that great safe beach day experience on those itineraries.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:yeah, I love it. I think what the cruise lines are seeing is that. cruisers really love kind of extending that service off the boat. And, obviously there's a return on investment for that, but it really, in my experience with the places that I've been, it's been well worth it. And I really enjoy, Taking that experience off the ship.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:let's talk about our top reasons to go to a private island and why your cruise in the Caribbean or the Bahamas needs to stop at one of these private islands.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:Yeah.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:The biggest thing for me that I like to tell clients Is that you don't need to book an excursion. a lot of times if you are booking a cruise and stopping at islands in the Caribbean, you need to book an excursion, which is an additional fee to what you've already paid for the cruise. But when you stop at these private islands, you don't have to do that. You just get off and enjoy the island. You can obviously add on, but you don't have to. a lot of times I tell my clients, if we can find a cruise with Disney that stops at lookout key and castaway key, you don't need to add on excursions at all. And to me, That makes the price of the cruise worth it.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:I think that's a good reason to do it. Because those islands or beach areas are under the control of the cruise line, you know, they're gonna be well maintained You know, they're gonna be well staffed. They're gonna be clean. They're gonna be safe It's just really going to add to your cruise, not stress you out away from your cruise, if that makes sense.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:because say you are docking at Nassau, Kazumal, or really any of the Caribbean islands, and you are not going to a private island that day. if you book a resort day, there's always going to be a little bit of nervousness and anxiety about, am I going to get back to the ship on time? Is it safe for me to take this transportation to this excursion? my clients with younger kids, always have that concern. What is the transportation like? Do I need a car seat? stuff like that is what My clients are thinking about. And with these destinations, you don't need that. It's very worry free. So I think going to a private island is especially important when you have younger kids because you don't have that anxiety about the transportation or about if you're going to make it back to the cruise on time. The cruise line is sweeping the island, to get you back on the ship. It's not like you're lost in Nassau by yourself they can't sweep the island of Nassau for you.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:I'm going to flip the script here a little bit, Julie. Why wouldn't we want to go to a private island? I can think of one reason for me is, if you are taking a super unique itinerary, where you really want to focus on the destination. spending a day at the private island may take away from some of that immersion.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:That's what I would say too, that it's not super immersive in any specific culture. lookout key is trying to get there, but it still may feel manufactured
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:do you have any tips for when we visit a private island?
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Of course. as soon as they start letting you off the ship, get off so you can make the most of your beach day. for families, bring collapsible sand buckets. Those are very easy to order off of Amazon and they are a game changer because they Obviously, Collapse can go into your suitcase real easily. I have, a bag that they live in at my house so that I don't get sand everywhere when I'm packing them. you take those onto the island and your kids immediately have toys to play with and it is an amazing add on.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:I would say for me, don't forget your water. As you're leaving the ship, either water that you bring or if you have the drink package, water that they'll have there for you, you want to have that, because you're going to be out on the beach all day, also, if you bring a towel, make sure to bring it back, because I may have experience with that. where I didn't turn my towel back in for Royal Caribbean and got a little slap on the wrist. make sure you know the guidelines with that kind of stuff, but just know that the ship is going to take care of you when it comes to all the amenities you're going to need.
j_1_01-20-2025_193119:Agree. And one last tip I would say is even though you want to get to the island early, make sure you have a good breakfast because on the island the food is not always available like it is on the ship. Lunch will start and end at a certain time.
undefined_NaN_01-20-2025_193119:You want to plan a trip to an amazing destination, but you don't know how to get started? As your travel advisor, we work with you to create a customized itinerary for your vacation and take the stress of planning away so you can focus on the fun and creating memories. You can reach us at all things travel podcast.com. Just click on either contact Us or plan your next Trip. We look forward to talking to you next week on all Things Travel, where we continue our How to Do Disney Series with Hollywood Studios.
