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I can't believe what they're planning for Coco Cay.   

 

1)  Part of me wishes they'd just leave it alone and let it be natural.  That said, RC sure knows how to do stuff like this, so I bet it will be nice.

 

B)  There is literally nothing to slow down a hurricane if it heads to the Bahamas.  Seems to me like they're taking one helluva risk.  But again, they 

      pay people a ton of money to ensure their investment.

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Doesn't make me excited at all....if anything kinda sad. I liked Coco Cay for what it was...a nice relaxing private island beach in the ocean..

 

 

All the noise and theme park feeling and upcharge and cost for everything....can get that anywhere/everywhere else....why cant they leave one place just to relax.....Labadee is busy already..whynot add all this crap there?

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1 hour ago, monctonguy said:

Doesn't make me excited at all....if anything kinda sad. I liked Coco Cay for what it was...a nice relaxing private island beach in the ocean..

 

 

All the noise and theme park feeling and upcharge and cost for everything....can get that anywhere/everywhere else....why cant they leave one place just to relax.....Labadee is busy already..whynot add all this crap there?

Just saw the details and had much the same reaction.

We did CocoCay twice last year and actually booked the second trip because we had such a great time just relaxing on the nice quiet beach and enjoying the peace and quiet on the first trip.

Liked the pier idea but concerned that this is too much ... but we shall see.

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I knew the pier was a sign of things to come and that it was going to lead to drastic changes on the island.

 

I know with tendering often CocoCay was missed, but I enjoyed the whole experience. You felt like you were being taken to a remote private island..it was so quiet and relaxing and peaceful......I think Royal is going to far trying to appeal to the millennial's out there....

 

I love me some water slides and swim up bar/pool etc but i am not thrilled that it means changing/eliminating the whole vibe/feel of CocoCay...

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I can see both sides of this.....I love Labadee because it's peaceful.....

It looks as though they are turning Coco Cay into an amusement park . The one cruise we took that was supposed to stop there was bypassed due to rough seas...so I have nothing to compare. My husband's first comment when I told him about this was ...." Well the cost of the 4 and 5 day cruises are going to go way up now."

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39 minutes ago, monctonguy said:

I think Royal is going to far trying to appeal to the millennial's out there....

They need to like all cruise lines do and not just 'millennials' which is an over-used stereotype IMO.  Looking towards the future they need to begin cultivating the next generation of guests beyond my life expectancy.  Otherwise they'll have only a diminishing customer base.

While I enjoyed Celebrity I sail Royal because of the young vibe, family orientation and lots of things to keep an old guy like me young.  There are cruise lines out there that are well suited to an older, refined crowd that has no interest in water parks and slides. 

To each their own, but I'm looking forward to it even if some things are beyond my activity levels.  It's fun being around people having fun. 

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43 minutes ago, twangster said:

They need to like all cruise lines do and not just 'millennials' which is an over-used stereotype IMO.  Looking towards the future they need to begin cultivating the next generation of guests beyond my life expectancy.  Otherwise they'll have only a diminishing customer base.

While I enjoyed Celebrity I sail Royal because of the young vibe, family orientation and lots of things to keep an old guy like me young.  There are cruise lines out there that are well suited to an older, refined crowd that has no interest in water parks and slides. 

To each their own, but I'm looking forward to it even if some things are beyond my activity levels.  It's fun being around people having fun. 

I wouldn't want anyone to misconstrue my statements or opinions as one who doesn't enjoy fun. Believe me, I am usually the life of the party and the last one to go to bed and the first one up. And I enjoy many of the things they are adding.

 

What I was trying to say I guess is that Coco Cay was nice as it was. Labadee is already more of an "amusement" type place so why not just build that up. Plus the ships are all getting updated with slides and sportsbars etc so really they have that already to cater to the crowd that enjoys that. There is NO beach or sand or ocean swimming on the cruise ship..only option was Coco Cay....and now that is totally changing.

 

I enjoy Royal over Celebrity for many of the reasons @twangster mentioned...I just didn't think they needed to turn Coco Cay into a theme park with charges for almost everything.....

 

I am sure I will still enjoy it..just wont be the same as before and I didn't feel it needed to be "fixed". It was relaxing and peaceful and tranquil just the way it was....

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39 minutes ago, RBRSKI said:

They might even make it a "shore excursion" saying pay up or you can't get of ship!   lol

ding Ding Ding we have a winner taking into consideration the latest money grab by Royal I don't believe for an instant that this will be included hell they charge for everything on Labadee and charge a lot and don't forget someone has to pay for this new theme park and someone has to appease the bean counters as they prepare there quarterly reports telling the board how many dollars per square foot they made I for one will be sitting on deck 4 enjoying the beauty of the climate just relaxing :4_joy:

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50 minutes ago, twangster said:

They need to like all cruise lines do and not just 'millennials' which is an over-used stereotype IMO.

THANK YOU - RC Blog forums resident "millennial"

Personally - I'm not terribly excited about the changes coming. As long as they leave a quiet strip of beach (and the floating bar) alone, I'll be fine. 

Maybe my tune will change when/if we do the kid thing - maybe then those features will be more appealing. Until then, my main focus will be floating in the water with a beer in my hand and lounge chair to leave my stuff at.

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Millennials might be an over used stereotype.......I disagree.

 

However, this is EXACTLY the age group/demographic they are appealing to....come on.

 

You cant argue otherwise..they aren't putting in waterslides and splashpads and all these activities for any other age group. Yes of course some older and some younger will use it(myself included) but that is not who or why they are spending all this $$$.

 

Royal is defn trargeting that age group..no matter if you like what they are called or not.

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In this rendering the existing beach areas are still there (green arrow).  Labadee doesn't charge for loungers or just having a beach day and I suspect CocoCay won't either.

1520895459_RCI-CocoCay-BalloonView.jpg.496202cc5a7bfdacc7fab234c45c010f.jpg

Most of CocoCay is undeveloped now.  My guess is that what is there today will remain and available close to what it is today, they are not going to take away the beach, loungers or free buffet lunch. 

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There defn is a large part of CocoCay undeveloped now. Once visit I walked what I believed to be pretty much around the whole island. It is quite large to do when on foot. There is LOTS of room to develop and almost keep it like 2 separate sides....one the original area which is quieter and then the new area which would be much more active and loud and cost $.

 

I don't remember if Labadee has the buffet lunch included?? I don't recall eating there if it did.

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18 minutes ago, monctonguy said:

Millennials might be an over used stereotype.......I disagree.

 

However, this is EXACTLY the age group/demographic they are appealing to....come on.

 

You cant argue otherwise..they aren't putting in waterslides and splashpads and all these activities for any other age group. Yes of course some older and some younger will use it(myself included) but that is not who or why they are spending all this $$$.

 

Royal is defn trargeting that age group..no matter if you like what they are called or not.

I feel like companies keep doing all of these things because they "think" they know what millennials want. Both my husband and I fit in to this age group (27 and 29), but it honestly doesn't appeal to either of us. 

Less millennials, more families with kids that don't sit still. 

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19 minutes ago, twangster said:

In this rendering the existing beach areas are still there (green arrow).  Labadee doesn't charge for loungers or just having a beach day and I suspect CocoCay won't either.

1520895459_RCI-CocoCay-BalloonView.jpg.496202cc5a7bfdacc7fab234c45c010f.jpg

Most of CocoCay is undeveloped now.  My guess is that what is there today will remain and available close to what it is today, they are not going to take away the beach, loungers or free buffet lunch. 

As long as they keep all of the underdeveloped area, it's fine by me. And, correct. No charge for beach chairs and they are readily available, but you can always pay for the upgraded beach experience via cabana, clamshell, etc.

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Royal is in this for the long term.  This is possibly targeted towards Generation Z as they enter into adulthood and begin having families as much as 'millenials' who are firmly in that area.  I just don't need see the need to apply labels.  This is all about keeping their offerings modern and fresh both for current and new guests regardless of their birth year. 

CocoCay is great for specific types of cruisers today.  Not everyone wants a laid back sit or float by a beach all day experience.  Some people don't like CocoCay today (gasp), it's too boring.  With the changes now a family spanning four generations can all find something to do - the perfect family experience. 

If you just want the beach, walk down the pier, turn left down the green path and head to the beach. 

Labadee and CocoCay both offer buffet lunch and in both cases it's made on the ship and transported to the buffet there. The food is decent but not 'OMG' great in my opinion.  Having a restaurant available for those that want something more than a buffet makes a lot of sense to me if it is cooked to order and cooked right there. 

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I  get it as they want to get them interested and hooked now and keep them for long term as they get older, have kids etc......

 

If they can keep a balance of things(relaxing and active) then I am all for it. I don't want to cruise and feel like I am at Disney or any theme park for my whole cruise and be surcharged up the ying yang with extra fees and costs to do anything fun or interesting.

 

 

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I guess I'm technically a Gen-Xer as I approach AARP age and my first reaction was positive. We thought it looked cool and likea lot of fun and I'd be willing to pay for it, provided there's still a complimentary section (hopefully still a large enough space).  

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43 minutes ago, monctonguy said:

 I don't want to cruise and feel like I am at Disney or any theme park for my whole cruise and be surcharged up the ying yang with extra fees and costs to do anything fun or interesting.

^this right here! I just said this to hubby last night after reading Matt's blog post on the changes. I think it looks just like blizzard beach and typhoon Lagoon!

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25 minutes ago, monctonguy said:

I don't want to cruise and feel like I am at Disney or any theme park for my whole cruise and be surcharged up the ying yang with extra fees and costs to do anything fun or interesting

I very much agree with this - if I wanted Disney or a theme park, I'd go to one. This isn't what I cruise for.

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I only speak for myself, obviously, but this doesn't excite me one bit. I live 30 minutes from 2 indoor and 1 outdoor water parks, but I don't have a tropical island nearby. I haven't been to Coco Cay yet, but I have been to Castaway Cay a few times.  Castaway Cay is the idealized tropical island, it is quaint and has the Disney "fake-authentic" feel about it. You feel like you are on a quiet island, even though there is always water and drinks and a buffet a tram ride away. Now look at that picture of what it will look like as you walk off the dock and on to Coco Cay. Painfully bright and gaudy like any other water park in the world. There's nothing special about it to me. I'm sure it will be fun, I'm sure a lot of people are excited for it, but to me this is just hurting a great destination.

And of course there is the potential up charge. (I use "potential" loosely, I consider it a guarantee) I wonder how crowded the remaining free beaches will be. I'm willing to bet the new food areas won't all be included either.

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Going to be interesting to see if they can "get paid" for everything they are adding.

Booked a 3 nighter on the upgraded Mariner for next year and was already pondering staying aboard in Nassau to try and do some of the things on the ship (all of which I am sure are going to cost money) and then chill at the tiki bar on CocoCay ... now it looks like CocoCay is going to have its own selection of everything you ever wanted to pay for as well.

That 3 nighter was already feeling pricey now it's downright scarey. May have to leave the kid home for budget purposes ;)

 

 

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Once upon a time there were no specialty restaurants on ships.  You don't have to buy a specialty dinner to have a great cruise.

The inflatable slide and water park that exist today on CocoCay cost money, they are not included.  Naturally the new water slides are not going to be included.  Like specialty dining if you don't want them, don't pay for them.  Jet skis are not included.  Scuba diving is not included.  If you just want to sit on a beach on a free lounger, you can, all day long.

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I think the issue is that its all a slippery slope towards 2 tiers of travelling when cruising and eventually nothing included and everything extra costs almost like a la carte pickings. But of course the base cost of the cruise will never go down. Lets be honest.

 

I don't pay for anything extra besides drinks when I cruise right now and its worked for me so far. But I see things slowly changing in the name of giving people a "better experience/vacation"

 

The big difference is that MOST things used to be included and you could pay for some extras if you wanted to. But now, almost everything EXTRA will cost you $ to enjoy or experience.

 

I can very easily see the day when everything will cost $ on CocoCay or you'll need a day pass just to enter.

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2 minutes ago, monctonguy said:

I think the issue is that its all a slippery slope towards 2 tiers of travelling when cruising and eventually nothing included and everything extra costs almost like a la carte pickings. But of course the base cost of the cruise will never go down. Lets be honest.

 

I don't pay for anything extra besides drinks when I cruise right now and its worked for me so far. But I see things slowly changing in the name of giving people a "better experience/vacation"

 

The big difference is that MOST things used to be included and you could pay for some extras if you wanted to. But now, almost everything EXTRA will cost you $ to enjoy or experience.

 

I can very easily see the day when everything will cost $ on CocoCay or you'll need a day pass just to enter.

As new offerings are added that never existed before there is opportunity for a cruise line to charge for them.

I do NOT see them ever pulling up the pier and demanding an additional fee just to leave the ship. 

To date only things that are new and never existed before have charges applied to them. 

I prefer this model - don't charge me for things I don't want but give me lots of opportunity to enhance my experience as I see fit and as my budget allows.  I have little interest in the existing water parks at Labadee and CocoCay.  I am perfectly fine with those that do want to use them having to pay for that privilege.  The new features of CocoCay are no different.

This all goes back to same discussion about everything being all inclusive or should there be up-charges for individual items.    Should everyone pay more so that everyone has everything included?  If someone doesn't want or can't make use of something, why should they pay higher base fares so that other people get it included? 

Should an elderly couple pay more so I can use jet skis with no additional charge?  No!  If I want to jet ski, I can pay for it.  Jet skis are a capital expense.  Fuel and maintenance is an operational expense.  Employees are required to run the operation creating a labor expense.  Jet Skis can not be provided for free without someone paying for it.  The new features of CocoCay are no different.

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36 minutes ago, twangster said:

Royal is in this for the long term.  This is possibly targeted towards Generation Z as they enter into adulthood and begin having families as much as 'millenials' who are firmly in that area.  I just don't need see the need to apply labels.  This is all about keeping their offerings modern and fresh both for current and new guests regardless of their birth year. 

Yes!  I completely agree but I see that I am in the minority here.  I think they are making CoCoCay just for me and my very active family. Typically our excursions are more of an "active" nature, if I just wanted a beach I could (and do) drive a few hours to be there.  If I only wanted a week long quiet beach trip, I'd fly to an all inclusive resort.  We want an adventure!  I think RC is appealing to families like mine with their ships and now CoCoCay.  My family would love this and now I want to look at cruises that will take me to CoCoCay!

I know it won't be free but I don't want it crazy expensive...I do have to buy 6 of everything.

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Yup...as long as they don't take away from us what was included as part of our "base fare".....if they can charge whatever they want for those who want the extra's and still allow the rest of us to enjoy the vacation and still receive the same value and appreciation and service as always....then bring it on.

 

But I am too skeptical and jaded to believe that will be the case.

 

My glasses aren't rose colored and my glass isn't half full. And most times that has been the right assessment over time based on my life experiences. Like I had posted earlier today on the blog...lets come back to this tread a cpl years after this is up and operating in full swing and see what it REALLY ended up like.

 

In the meantime..I may try the tallest waterslide in North America on my next visit to CocoCay...lol.

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