Perfect Day at CocoCay

Dredging boats were spotted at Royal Caribbean's private destination of CocoCay in the Bahamas, signaling the start of a pivotal milestone in creating a pier for ships to dock.

Majesty of the Seas visited CocoCay this past weekend, and dredging vessels were onhand to indicate work had begun recently.  

Dredging is a form of excavation carried out underwater to provide a waterway for cruise ships to access the pier that is under construction. Once the new pier and dredging are complete, Royal Caribbean's cruise ships can visit CocoCay by docking instead of tendering.

Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley estimates out of all the sailings to CocoCay, about 10 or 11% would be missed due to unfavorable tendering conditions. With the new pier, he believes the missed calls will drop to about 2%.

Royal Caribbean is hard at work to transform its private island of CocoCay in the Bahamas to Perfect Day at CocoCay, and we have a look at the progress that has been made recently.

Royal Caribbean Blog readers Brian and Elizabeth Robison visited CocoCay while on Mariner of the Seas and provided these photos.

The new pier is expected to open around the end of this year.

Royal Caribbean has informed its travel partners that the Navigator of the Seas May 3, 2019 sailing is targeted as the first ship to experience private destination Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Navigator of the Seas will sail a 3 night Bahamas sailing between May 3-6, 2019.

Perfect Day at CocoCay is a $200 million makeover of Royal Caribbean's private destination in the Bahamas.  CocoCay will offer guests plenty of ways to relax and enjoy beautiful beaches and pristine water, plus thrilling experiences like Thrill Water Park, ziplining and water sports.

According to Royal Caribbean's website, Thrill Waterpark, the Zip Line, Splashaway Bay aqua park, Up, Up and Away helium balloon, Captain Jack’s Galleon, Skipper’s Grill dining, Captain Jack’s dining, Chill Island, Chill Grill dining, and Oasis Lagoon freshwater pool will open in May 2019.

Perfect Day at CocoCay will open in phases, and May 2019 marks the first phase opening.  

Royal Caribbean is hard at work to transform its private island of CocoCay in the Bahamas to Perfect Day at CocoCay, and we have a look at the progress that has been made recently.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Twangster visited CocoCay while on Mariner of the Seas and provided these photos.

We start with a look at the progress being made on the new pier.

Once you get up close, as seen from the tender from ship to shore, the flurry of work activity becomes more apparent.

Up close you can see the foundation work that has advanced over the past six weeks.  

The support beams for the next phase of the pier have been staged on the recently completed section of the pier.

Work across the harbor where the tenders currently dock is also continuing with new buildings continuing to rise up.  This area is not far from where the pier will deliver guests onto CocoCay when they first arrive.

Some of the construction activity can be spotted on a point of land well past the current location of the beach bungalows.  

Photos provided by Twangster.

We have a quick look at the progress Royal Caribbean is transforming its private destination in the Bahamas from CocoCay to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Lovetocruise2002 took these photos on August 15, while on a Mariner of the Seas cruise to the island.

Royal Caribbean's website indicates Perfect Day at CocoCay will open in phases (with dates subject to change depending on the progress of construction):

• Up, Up and Away helium balloon, Chill Island, and Oasis Lagoon freshwater pool will open in December 2018.
• The new pier will open in January 2019.
• Thrill Waterpark, Splashaway Bay aqua park, the Zip Line, Captain Jack ’s Galleon, Captain Jack ’s dining and Skipper’s Grill dining will open in May 2019.
• South Beach, Coco Beach Club and the overwater cabanas will open in December 2019.

Royal Caribbean is in the midst of upgrading its private island in the Bahamas as a part of a massive upgrade and we have some brand new photos of the work being done.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Twangster took these photos earlier today while on a visit on Empress of the Seas.

Here is a look at the new pier being constructed.

Across the tender lagoon these new buildings have popped up.  This is near where the pier ends. In the simulations, if you walked off the pier and verged right this is where these buildings are.

You can see the cluster of buildings in this pier shot through the cranes.

Here is the end of the lagoon.  Glass bottom boats departs from these slips, lots of earth moving behind that barrier.

A number of cruisers received emails this week informing them that their upcoming Royal Caribbean cruise stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay has been cancelled due to a "minor delay".

Over the past two days, we have received reports from Royal Caribbean guests that certain upcoming sailings towards the very end of 2018 or beginning of 2019 have had their port call in CocoCay cancelled and replaced with a stop in Miami, Florida.

December 29, 2018 Vision of the Seas email

Vision of the Seas January 5, 2019 email

Vision of the Seas January 12, 2019 email

The email explains that work to convert CocoCay to Perfect Day at CocoCay is the reason, "While we are transforming our private destination, CocoCay, into Perfect Day at CocoCay, we have experienced a minor delay. As a result, we've had to replace your visit to CocoCay with the beautiful Miami, Florida."

Thus far, we have received reports just of sailings going to CocoCay in late December 2018 and early January 2019 and all on Vision of the Seas.

Any pre-paid shore excursions scheduled for CocoCay will be refunded to the original form of payment.

Perfect Day at CocoCay is a $200 million upgrade to Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas and is scheduled to open in phases that will last into the end of 2019.

We have a quick look at the progress Royal Caribbean is making in adding a pier to its private destination of CocoCay.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Paul Crow took these photos on July 11, while on a Mariner of the Seas cruise to the island.

The new pier will open in November 2018.

Royal Caribbean is actively working on building a new pier at its private island of CocoCay in the Bahamas, and we have some new photos to share of the progress being made.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Jason Percival shared with us these photos of the progress, as seen earlier today during a stopover on Adventure of the Seas.

The new pier is scheduled to open in November 2018, and is the first phase of a massive $200 million Perfect Day at CocoCay makeover.