Top 10 Things to Do in Princess Cays

Table Of Content

• Does the Carnival Cheers! Beverage Package work on Princess Cays?
• Is There Shopping in Princess Cays Bahamas?
• Eight Things That Will Surprise First Time Cruisers
• Beaches
• Join my thousands of subscribers, and I’ll send you my exclusive printable Cruise Carry On Packing List for free!
• Where Is Princess Cays Located in the Bahamas?

An on-call attendant will bring you snacks, drinks and a "gourmet" lunch (i.e., not the main beach barbecue) on request (extra fees apply). You can reserve your bungalow in advance of your cruise through your cruise line's booked-guest portal, just as you would make a typical shore excursion reservation. If there are cabanas still available after your sailing date, you can also book one onboard. Bungalow numbers are usually automatically assigned, but you can check with the shore excursions desk if you have a preferred bungalow to see if it's available. Take shelter from the Caribbean heat in your private, fully enclosed and air-conditioned bungalow during your day on Princess Cays. Here's the lowdown to help you choose which one to book for your next cruise.

Does the Carnival Cheers! Beverage Package work on Princess Cays?

This section of the water can get a bit choppy, especially when the tide is coming in. The lifeguards don’t patrol this section as closely as in the busier areas, so snorkel and swim at your own risk. Swim out and to the left toward the reef to see colorful fish of all sizes, large corals, purple sea urchins, and other marine creatures. The port of call at Princess Cays is canceled more often than ports with cruise ship docks, especially during the hurricane season from June through November. Here’s everything you need to know to enjoy your day at Princess Cays.

Is There Shopping in Princess Cays Bahamas?

Some passengers enjoy visiting Eleuthera's villages, such as Rock Sound and Tarpum Bay. Passengers visiting Half Moon Cay will be limited to what's provided by the cruise line on the island. Visitors can rent equipment for snorkeling, kayaking and floating, plus beach clamshells and bungalows at both locations. There is a craft market on Princess Cays where local vendors will sell a variety of items including clothing, shells and handmade gifts.

Eight Things That Will Surprise First Time Cruisers

Picnic benches as well as covered seating areas are available for use while you nosh. In the Sanctuary, you are a bit farther from the beach, and your view of the ocean might be blocked by some of the thicker trees and plants there. Explore walking trails through nature, visit display gardens and see the native habitat at the 25-acre Leon Levy Native Plant Reserve with an environmental education center. Follow a guide along the back roads while driving your own Dune Buggy to a beautiful pink sand beach.

Beaches

Guests need to take their cruise card/Medallion disk for purchases, such as drinks. There are some shops on the island, which accept cash only as payment. Guests need to tender when going onshore at Princess Cays, as the water is too shallow for the cruise ship to dock. Once on the island, there is an information center and many posted maps to guide passengers along the walkways. Snorkelers seem to give a slight edge to Princess Cays, and cruisers also like the proximity of the bars to the ocean. Travelers also like the option to explore the rest of Eleuthera if they tire of the beach life.

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You won’t be left behind if you’re queuing but you might have to stand around until it’s your turn to board a tender. The pre-purchase window for certain products and activities closes between one and three days prior to the sail date. If you missed the purchase window, check with us once you're on board — we'll help you find what you’re looking for. Due to the shallow waters, cruise ships anchor offshore and guests are transferred ashore by tender (ship’s ferries).

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It’s only those with permission to work that come to the resort. The guides are friendly and helpful so even if you’re a beginner, you’ll be able to get some great underwater views as you build up your confidence. The location does mean that you get a similar climate to other major destinations in the Bahamas, which means it’s warm throughout the year.

Be sure to check out my Princess Cays FAQ at the bottom of the page, where I answer the most commonly asked questions about this exclusive port of call. Let's explore Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay, and the amenities each has to offer, to help you pick your next cruise itinerary. Princess Cays is a resort on the southern tip of Eleuthera, which lies to the east of Nassau. Most cruises to the resort are short trips that will call at Nassau and Princess Cays before returning to the US coast. Whether you arrive on a Princess or Holland America ship, or are having a Carnival Princess Cays adventure, here are the top five excursions and activities to try on this Bahamian Island.

The lower-numbered bungalows are closer to the crowds (1 through 7), while the higher numbered cabanas (16 to 18) are closer to the Sanctuary and its quieter beach. Note that the beaches on Princess Cays can be rockier than you might be used to, and it's worthwhile to bring water shoes to protect your feet. For starters, you will receive priority tendering from your ship to shore, allowing you to make the most of your time on the beach before the island reaches peak crowds later in the day. If you need assistance getting to your bungalow, golf carts will transport passengers from the dock to your private retreat.

Make landfall and discover an island’s worth of vacation fun and amenities. You’ll find a BBQ pit already fired up for lunch, and a supervised kids’ area ready to receive the little ones. Somewhere among the palm trees you might spy the exclusive adult-only retreat. I love sharing my best cruise tips with you, along with reviews of cruise destinations, shore excursions, cruise ships and cruise lines. A private, all-day bungalow rental for up to four people is an estimated $230.

If you do want to explore Eleuthera you also have to make sure you’re back in time for the last tender boat back to the ship. Choose from the main Princess Cays beach bungalows -- good for families -- or the Adults Sanctuary Bungalows in a private, 18-and-over area of the beach. All bungalows accommodate four, and two extra passengers can be added for an additional fee. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S.

Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay are both very similar destinations, but they’re not identical. They offer similar water sports activities, but Half Moon Cay has the more unique experience of horse riding through the sea. But if you do want to get active, there’s a lot of water sports equipment you can hire, including kayaks, snorkeling gear, paddleboards and aqua bikes. You can also hire floating beds and water noodles if you just want a more lazy swim. Princess Cays doesn’t have a pier and so guests will need to use a tender boat to get to shore from their ship.

Or venture a bit farther to the small cove across from the colorful bungalows—this beach is open to everyone and features fantastic snorkeling! You can swim out from this little beach and to the left to view live corals and thousands of colorful fish. Princess Cays has private, air-conditioned bungalows for rent, where you can relax with your sweetheart, chill with friends, or enjoy some quality family time. Trams will whisk you off to your private retreat and back to the ship.

Your Sanctuary bungalow will additionally be equipped with water misters on the exterior of the cabana to help keep you cool. There are 25 private cabanas, called bungalows, on Princess Cays. Each one is a small hut-like structure in a different bright, tropical color, with a small deck, an umbrella for shade and an outdoor shower. There are 18 bungalows situated in the main section of the beach, and seven additional adults-only (age 18 and up) bungalows in a restricted Sanctuary area of the beach. Princess Cays is a Carnival Corporation owned island/port tucked away in the islands of the Bahamas… and oh man what a dream. Being that it’s a private island, we really didn’t know what to expect at all.