Set to open in January 2024 with the debut of Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Icon of the Seas, the getaway will have a private beach and pools as well as two bars and three dining spots.
“Everything from its hideaway location to the exclusive beach and pools to the private cabanas is designed for adults who want a day just for them,” said chief executive and president Michael Bayley.
Located in the north-west of Cococay, Hideaway Beach is an all-day experience reserved for adults aged 18 and above.
The unveiling comes as the cruise line announced earlier this week it was putting on sale the 2025-2026 season onboard Icon of the Seas three months in advance due to skyrocketing demand.
Significant demand was born as a result of Royal Caribbean International’s announcement for the search of volunteers to go on its first test sailings prior to returning to sea in the U.S.
So much that a form has been created to sign up, which saw more than 150,000 hopeful cruise lovers leave their details.“It’s a good feeling knowing that so many people want to get back on ships,” said Vicki Freed, senior vice president for sales, trade support, and service at Royal Caribbean International, on Dec. 8 in response to the demand.
The company has also launched a website for potential volunteers to sign up.
Cruise Industry News breaks down what is known about the sailings.
What are they?
The test sailings are part of the new Conditional Framework by the CDC, which came in place of the “No Sail” order. They will include the company having a number of trial cruises using employees and volunteers as stand-in passengers to test safety and health protocols.
Trial sailings are said to be monitored by company officials, a third-party class society, as well as the CDC.
When will they take place?
Likely the first quarter of 2021, possibly even January. Here’s a quote from Freed at Virtually Yours forum organized by Cruise Planners:
“We don’t know exactly when the test sailings are going to happen – we think in Q1, and we’re hoping for January.”
Which vessels will be taking part?
Industry sources previously stated that they expect the Mariner and Navigator of the Seas, the company’s recently-refurbished “short Caribbean” ships, to be the vessels pressed into service.
On what itineraries?
Freed said in November that the first cruises will be short sailings to CocoCay, which would allow the company to operate in a bubble on its own private island.
Who gets to go?
More than 150,000 people signed up, according to Royal Caribbean International, so it will be tough to choose from them. Apart from cruise line workers and CDC staff, the cruise line is likely to choose volunteers among its most loyal customers.
“We haven’t figured out our protocols yet for the volunteers but certainly loyalty status will be a key selector,” said Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean Cruises’ president, and CEO during the International Cruise Summit that took place on Dec. 1-2. “Our top tier has the name of Pinnacle and they’ve cruised with us a gazillion times … they’ll be amongst the first to receive the invitation.”
Freed said on Dec. 8 that the company’s travel partners will be invited, too.
What about safety?
Royal Caribbean is working on ensuring they are conducted safely and in compliance with the regulations.
“While we review the requirements proposed by the CDC and consider when we can host our simulated trial sailings, we are gathering information from those who have shown interest on our Volunteers of the Seas Facebook page. Our priority is to ensure that we can exercise our comprehensive set of measures in a safe and healthy manner while making sure we provide a memorable vacation experience,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement.
Yet a lot of information is still to be released about the sailings.
“We will be announcing more as we get more information,” Freed said. “So, we look forward to it; we’re looking forward to it.”
A Bahamian Junkanoo “street” parade winds its way to the beach as throngs of guests follow and dance along. Photo Credit: Johanna Jainchill
OCEAN CAY MARINE RESERVE — MSC Cruises’ recently opened private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, is unique in several ways, but for passengers, its nocturnal activities particularly set it apart.
Ocean Cay is the only cruise line offering nighttime activities — for now. Royal Caribbean plans to have evening activities on CocoCay and hosted a few late-night test calls in 2019, but has no more on the books. Virgin Voyages’ beach club-style destination in Bimini, opening in March, will have Fire and Sunset Soirees and dance parties with celebrity DJs.
But right now, MSC is the only line that keeps every ship visiting its island docked there until the wee hours. And as I learned on a short MSC Divina trip to Ocean Cay, it makes for a great party.
At 6 p.m., when most cruise ship passengers are waving goodbye, I was one of many MSC passengers that made their way to the island’s Lighthouse Bar for sunset. A guitar player performed while guests sipped cocktails and snapped selfies during the golden hour. The aptly named and nearby Sunset Beach was equally as popular for people to sit in the sand and watch the sun go down.
Ocean Cay provides several lunch options — food trucks, a buffet and a restaurant for MSC Yacht Club guests — but there is no dinner service on the island. A lone food truck stays open and serves a small menu of hot dogs, burgers and pasta salad. Although the Lighthouse Bar has a menu that in theory serves light bites at night, patrons were told the kitchen had closed.
MSC encourages people to take time before the real festivities begin to go back to the ship and have dinner onboard, which my press group did before returning to the island around 8:30 when the party begins. Because the ship is docked right at the island, getting on and off is relatively easy. There was one slight security backup one of the three times I went back on board, but it only added about five minutes.
When the light show ends, a DJ starts the dance party on the beach. Photo Credit: Johanna Jainchill
A Bahamian Junkanoo “street” parade starts at Springer’s Bar and winds its way to the beach as throngs of guests follow and dance along. The high-energy parade, with horn players and dancers in costumes, ends at Lighthouse Bay at 9 p.m., where the beach bar was packed, people sat around fire pits in the sand, and the 115-foot tall lighthouse began one of two nightly light shows. Guests still onboard lined the balconies and open decks on the lit-up Divina to watch from above. When the light show ends, the DJ starts the beach dance party.
As we followed the Junkanoo parade, MSC Cruises COO Ken Muskat said “the whole vibe changes at night” on the island. He was right.
Muskat said the island’s proximity to Miami, only 61 miles away, allows the ships to stay as late as they do and still be in Miami by morning.
Also unique to Ocean Cay are several evening tours, including beachside stargazing with a state-of-the-art telescope, a sunset champagne cruise or sunset beach picnic, and nighttime stand-up paddleboarding atop a paddleboard fitted with LED lights that attract fish. I wanted to do this, but the tour was sold out.
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