What's so nice about cruise line private islands? For many, it's the beach bumming, swimming, eating (the food is brought from the ship) and perhaps having a massage from an open-air cabana.
However, cruise lines have ramped up activities ashore with a solid variety of private island shore excursions and attractions -- from simple snorkeling and guided nature tours to superlatives like speeding down the tallest water slide in North America and swinging along the longest zipline above water. Even kids will bask in their glory with small water parks, pirate playgrounds and other mini-attractions.
Still not sure what makes a private island different? The concept, which basically takes the onboard experience and brings it onto a small Bahamian island (in most cases) owned by the cruise line, is like being onboard -- and onshore -- at the same time.
Some of the private islands' "shore excursions" are actually just equipment rentals, such as snorkel gear and boats, eliminating the hassle of arranging a tour group and rushing to complete it in a one- to two-hour time frame. While some private island excursions do offer guided tours (like kayaking), others package for-fee experiences like kayak rentals without a guide. Read on for the top things you can do during your visit to one of these cruise line private islands.
(If you have questions about the shore excursions listed -- or additional offerings -- be sure to ask away on the Cruise Critics Message Boards' Private Islands Forum.
Updated January 08, 2020