Destination weddings took on a whole new meaning last week as two Royal Caribbean cruisers tied the knot at Perfect Day at CocoCay. But the newlyweds didn’t get married on the island… they got married above it!

Thomas and Nancy Budzyn were wed at the top of Royal Caribbean’s Up, Up, and Away helium balloon at Perfect Day at CocoCay. While weddings on a cruise are nothing new, this may be the most unique cruise wedding we’ve seen yet!

The Up, Up, and Away helium balloon at Royal Caribbean’s private island takes guests 450 feet in the air for 360 degree views of this Bahamian paradise. As the highest vantage point in the entire Bahamas, the helium balloon provides a view of the island like no other.

On December 9, 2022, two Royal Caribbean cruisers were married on the helium balloon. We wanted to learn more about their special day.

The newlyweds

Thomas and Nancy Budzyn live in Naples, Florida and are frequent Royal Caribbean cruisers, both of whom hold Diamond Plus status in the Crown & Anchor Society.

While the pair had met years ago, their relationship as a couple began after the cruising restart, and they took their first cruise together in July 2021. As the two both work remotely, they can cruise often and have been on thirteen cruises together since the restart.

I couldn’t help but ask how the idea of getting married on the Up, Up, and Away helium balloon came to be.

“We have been to CocoCay so many times together and always have a great time,” Thomas mentioned. “Plus, it’s so beautiful there. It just seemed like the perfect place to have our perfect day.”

Thomas and Nancy were the first couple to get married in the balloon, although another couple had previously gotten engaged there!

“Everyone always does the same thing. We wanted to do something different and hopefully be trendsetters.”

After a trial run in the balloon during a cruise over Thanksgiving, Thomas and Nancy were ready to return in a few weeks for their special day.

The ceremony

One of the main issues with the Up, Up, and Away helium balloon at Perfect Day at CocoCay is that rides are weather dependent. Weather conditions must be ideal–with very little wind and no rain–for the helium balloon to run.

Thomas explained how this was a potential issue for their special day.

“The only concern was the wind, as that could cause the balloon not to go up. We were mentally prepared for a last-minute venue change, either the wedding pavilion or somewhere on the beach.”

Luckily their wedding day brought sunny blue skies. They were notified 30 minutes before the ceremony that the balloon ride would take place.

The ceremony was small, with six attendees: the couple, the island’s Entertainment Manager, the balloon operator, the officiant (Nancy’s best friend), and another friend that took photos. The Up, Up, and Away helium balloon can accommodate thirty people in total.

“The balloon ride is short,” Thomas said. “The whole thing from boarding to unboarding was around 12 minutes. We had a short, simple ceremony to fit within the time constraint.”

After the wedding

After the ceremony, the wedding party headed over to Oasis Lagoon and each had the island’s signature drink, the Coco Loco. They took several photos on the bridge over the lagoon before heading back to the ship.

A private tram escorted the newlyweds back to Symphony of the Seas, where they took a few photos with the island’s dancers and band.

Once back onboard, Thomas and Nancy headed to the casino (a little post-wedding luck, perhaps?) before enjoying champagne and cake.

Thomas mentioned how the staff was excellent during the planning process and wedding ceremony.

“The staff were all just as excited as we were. The crew, both on the island and on the ship, made us feel like they were part of our wedding and our family.”

The only caveat with getting married at Perfect Day at CocoCay? The heat.

“One does not realize how hot it is,” Thomas joked, “until you walk from the ship to the balloon in a tuxedo!”

Thank you to Thomas and Nancy for sharing their story with us at Royal Caribbean Blog. Congratulations and we wish you many happy years together!

Cruise news has been a bit slow lately, but we have a few important tidbits and updates to share.

In order to keep everyone informed, here's a look at various pieces of news that have crossed my desk during the past week.

If you ever have a news tip, feel free to email it to [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future update!

Icon of the Seas will go on sale in October?

While we may not know anything yet about Icon of the Seas, a lot of people are ready to book a cruise on her anyway.

It looks like bookings might open up for Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship in October.

According to a travel agent that was on an update call, "mid-October" is the time when bookings will open up.

From what I understand, Royal Caribbean National Account Sales Manager Joseph Casal, told agents on the call Icon of the Seas is expected to open for bookings in mid-October.

Hideaway Beach construction photos

It's been a while since we shared construction photos of the new adults-only beach area coming to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Steve Cohen took photos of the area while sailing on Harmony of the Seas.

He said while no buildings are under construction, a lot more trailers and construction equipment has moved in since the last time he was there.

Dr. Pepper on Texas cruises

If you love Dr. Pepper soda, you'll have to cruise from Texas in order to enjoy it on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Travel agents on a webinar call on Wednesday were told cruises sailing from Galveston will soon serve Dr. Pepper in addition to the Coke products the line always carries.

Dr. Pepper is a soda brand based in Texas and due to local demand, Royal Caribbean will begin serving it as well.

No timeline was given on when it will begin being offered, but the information was shared with the context of Allure of the Seas and the new cruise terminal opening in November.

Icon of Vacations

One more Icon of the Seas update comes in the form a trademark filing.

Royal Caribbean Group filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on September 15, 2022.

The trademark is for, "Icon of Vacations" which sounds like a marketing slogan tied to the new Icon of the Seas cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean has filed two new trademarks that are likely intended for areas of its private island in The Bahamas.

It's no secret that Royal Caribbean intends to expand Perfect Day at CocoCay, having already talked publicly about plans for an adults-only area of the island.

Trademarks filed last week with the United States Patent and Trademark Office confirm one name and signal the name of potentially another new area.

Here's what Royal Caribbean filed and what it could mean, keeping in mind that not everything Royal Caribbean trademarks ends up being used.

Hideaway Beach

Already announced by Royal Caribbean as a project, Hideaway Beach was formally trademarked with a filing on April 27.

Hidewaway Beach will be an adults-only expansion of Perfect Day at CocoCay. It will be located west of the island’s pier, adjacent to CocoCay’s Thrill Waterpark. 

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley confirmed the area will be an adults-only area. In March 2022, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider said the timeline for opening is mid to late 2023.

The trademark filing describes Hideaway Beach simply as, "Recreational services, namely island resort services". Trademark descriptions are usually quite vague.

Little else is known about what this new area will offer beyond the fact it will be limited to adults.

Secret Cove

Royal Caribbean also filed a trademark for Secret Cove on April 27.

Just like Hideaway Beach, the trademark lists in the description Secret Cove as being, "Recreational services, namely island resort services."

Royal Caribbean has not announced or referred to anything yet named Secret Cove, but a crew member YouTube video might share insight into what it could be.

Martina, a Royal Caribbean crew member onboard the Serenade of the Seas, posted a YouTube video from December 2021 that refers to an area of CocoCay beyond South Beach called "Secret Cove" that was being used as a crew member-only beach.

"This is the place to relax, to be ourselves, and to get a little bit away from the work," she says in her video.

She describes it as a place for crew members to hang out and enjoy time off.

Whether or not Secret Cove is intended to remain crew-only or become another new expansion area for cruise ship guests remains to be seen.

It's also entirely possible the trademark refers to something else completely unrelated to CocoCay.

If you’re a loyal cruiser with Royal Caribbean, you know it’s pretty rare to find a Caribbean sailing that doesn’t stop at Labadee or CocoCay. Both of these ports are actually private islands owned by Royal Caribbean and are frequent stops for the cruise line when sailing the Caribbean.

To be honest, anytime I saw CocoCay as a port stop for a cruise, I’d scowl at the thought of wasting a port stop at Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas. There were plenty of other islands that I’d rather spend my time and money visiting. 

Lackluster First Experience

Back in 2009, I cruised with my family onboard Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas on a weekend cruise to the Bahamas. One of our stops was CocoCay - and to say it was pretty lame is an understatement. 

After tendering to the island from the cruise ship, my family and I walked onshore to find an underdeveloped island surrounded by rocky shores. There were some lounge chairs scattered around the beach. We found a few places to shop while walking around the island.

Overall, It was pretty dull and lackluster. I was just 14 years old and my sister was 12 at the time. There wasn’t much to do on the island, so my parents bought us tickets to ride the waterslide. 

After a few less-than-thrilling rides on the blowup waterslide, we tendered back to the ship and opted for lunch at Johnny Rockets. The whole family agreed that the island was nothing special and we certainly wouldn’t go out of our way to return. 

Because of our underwhelming experience, we’d avoided any itineraries with stops at CocoCay. For years, we would look for cruise itineraries that didn't include CocoCay.

Second Chances

Fast Forward to February 2022, my family had a cruise planned onboard Harmony of the Seas with stops in St. Maarten, St. Thomas and - yup, you guessed it - CocoCay! 

After Royal Caribbean’s major renovations were finalized in 2019, it appeared that the private island received a well-deserved facelift. We were excited to give the renovated island another chance after our first visit more than 13 years earlier.

The bar was set pretty low based on our prior visit, but we had heard from many people that the island had been transformed into a great port stop. Seeing beautiful pictures and videos of Perfect Day at CocoCay made the island seem like a new Caribbean island oasis. 

First Impressions

As we sailed into port, we could easily spot the Up, Up and Away balloon soaring above the blue sea. The colorful flags from the port could be seen blowing in the wind. It was a beautiful, warm day for our last port stop. 

The island looked as bright and vibrant as the many pictures and videos I had seen online. We could already see from the ship that the island was way more developed than before. It almost felt like we were pulling up to a resort!

My mom is notorious for choosing to stay on the cruise ship when we dock in ports that she’s uninterested in. She said that CocoCay was so lame before that she might stay on the ship. Luckily, we convinced her to give the island a try, as she could easily head back to the ship if she wasn’t enjoying her day. 

As we walked along the pier under the colorful awnings, we were immediately impressed by the new CocoCay. The island was glistening with white sand along the ocean.  There was a shuttle running from the ship to bring guests to the amenities; however, we enjoyed walking along the ocean.

To start, it was a welcome change that we didn’t need to tender to the island this time. It saves so much time when you can just walk off the ship and get your day started!

Oasis Lagoon

With a little research, we decided our first stop would be Oasis Lagoon. Plenty of signage helped direct us towards the lagoon, which is actually the large freshwater pool in the Caribbean.

Even better, there was a swim-up bar in the Oasis Lagoon. My sister snagged a lounge chair that was partially submerged in the lagoon. There was great music pumping from the DJ across the lagoon. 

We were amazed at how large the lagoon was! There were tons of chairs and umbrellas surrounding the pool. The swim-up bar was our first stop after getting settled. The day called for pina coladas!

One of the perks of visiting Royal Caribbean’s private island is that you can continue to access your internet and beverage package! We were ready to indulge in our daily allowance of 5 Diamond + drinks. 

The Oasis Lagoon was so much fun, we ended up spending most of the day here. With great music and plenty of drinks, we were having a great time relaxing.

Even more fun - we had an unexpected Royal Caribbean Blog staff meeting! As fate would have it, Matt himself was cruising with his family onboard the Freedom of the Seas and docked right next to our ship. This was actually our first time meeting in person, so it was a fun coincidence.

Funnel Cake

After a few drinks at the pool, it was time to find something for lunch. We walked through the large buffet area on our way to the Oasis Lagoon, but we were looking to try something a little different. 

We’d heard Snack Shack was a great place to grab lunch, so we headed towards South Beach. Having so many options for food was another welcomed change. Everywhere we looked, there was either a bar, buffet or ice cream machine!

We ordered chicken sandwiches at the Snack Shack, along with mozzarella sticks and french fries. But, we were all the most excited about the funnel cakes! That crispy, powdery cakey goodness hit the spot on our last day of vacation.

Everything we ordered at the Snack Shack was delicious. The chicken sandwich with pesto mayo tasted like a Chick-fil-a sandwich.

An insider tip - don’t leave your food unattended! My dad sat down with his french fries and hot dog before getting up to snag some ketchup. About 15 birds swarmed the table and tried to steal as many fries as they could. 

Shops and South Beach

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While enjoying our lunch, we marveled at everything CocoCay had to offer. South Beach had so many activities for those looking to do more than have a cocktail at the beach. You can find activities like volleyball, basketball, snorkeling, paddle boarding and ping pong. 

We also enjoyed shopping around the many stalls that adorned touristy shirts, magnets and beach bags while polishing off our funnel cake with an ice cream cone. There were plenty of shops for those looking to support the local economy, as the stalls were all operated by locals. 

Final Thoughts

Perfect Day at CocoCay blew all of us away! The whole family truly enjoyed our day at CocoCay. Even my mom, who typically hates spending her day at the beach, said she loved the island and was very impressed. 

It was obvious that Royal Caribbean invested heavily in making its private island a destination that cruisers will want to visit. I can totally understand how people love to visit CocoCay repeatedly. 

The entire day was very laid back and relaxing. Everything at CocoCay is so easy, making it feel like a true day of vacation. There was no need to worry about transportation or logistics - you walk right off the ship and you’re right where you need to be! 

I loved being able to use my daily drinks at the island too. Oasis Lagoon was the perfect place for us to spend the day relaxing w drinking and dancing Next time, I’d love to visit the floating bar on South Beach. 

We saw so many families having a great time too, which is easy to do with all the waterslides, waterparks and activities. CocoCay is certainly a great spot for families with kids of all ages. 

I honestly wish I could transport my 14 year old self to the new CocoCay! That big blowup waterslide from the old CocoCay couldn’t even compete with all the new amenities offered.

If you haven’t visited the new Perfect Day at CocoCay, or you’re avoiding it like we were, think again! I promise you’ll be impressed by everything that Royal Caribbean has done to make the island an amazing destination. 

There's a smattering of Royal Caribbean news to share from this week of interest to most cruise fans.

Just halfway through the week, and I have news tidbits to share.

New partnerships, construction updates, and deployment changes are all changes that can easily be summed up in this post as a quick way to catch you up on what's happening.

If you ever have a news tip, feel free to email it to [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future update!

New Covid testing partner

Royal Caribbean has a new Covid-19 testing partner in Quest Diagnostics.

Royal Caribbean has incorporated Quest Diagnostics as a pre-cruise and return home testing option. Quest Diagnostics is a lab with over 1,800 locations throughout the United States available to support testing needs.

You can visit QuestCOVID19.com for information on testing options.

The cruise line says guests can expect Quest to provide test results for most Royal Caribbean guests electronically (via email or through Quest’s secure patient portal, MyQuest) in 48 hours or less.

Hideaway Beach construction update

Construction is continuing at Perfect Day at CocoCay on a new adults-only beach.

Hideaway Beach is a new expansion on Royal Caribbean's private island that is scheduled to open at the end of 2022.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader twangster shared photos while Odyssey of the Seas visited CocoCay on January 24.

Wonder of the Seas is scheduled to begin sailings on March 4, 2022 from Fort Lauderdale.

Singapore cruises to expand to regional ports

Singapore was the first place Royal Caribbean was able to restart cruises after the shutdown of 2020, but they've only been short sailings to nowhere.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said yesterday that Singapore is working with various governments of countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to allow cruises to visit ports.

Up until now, cruises on Quantum of the Seas from Singapore have been limited to "cruises to nowhere" that have no port stops.

Royal Caribbean has cruises on sale for sailings from Singapore to Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam on board Spectrum of the Seas. 

The Spectrum of the Seas cruises are scheduled to sail beginning on October 21, 2022, with the voyages between three and nine nights, subject to receiving the relevant governmental approvals.

Royal Caribbean returns to Jamaica

Good news to share that Harmony of the Seas docked in Falmouth, Jamaica today.

Photos by Wayland Hostetler

This is significant because Harmony is the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to visit the island since 2020.

There are many ways to plus your visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay, such as renting a bed bed for the day.

Beach beds are an optional rental you can purchase to use while visiting Royal Caribbean's private island for the day. 

RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com reader Shannon Ford tried one out on a recent Freedom of the Seas cruise, and shared her thoughts on what to expect if you get one.

Beach bed review

My family and I recently rented a Beach Bed at Chill Island at Perfect Day at CocoCay. This was a last minute decision that we booked 3 days before we set sail. The price is typically $199, however, about 2 weeks before our sailing, the price dropped to $149, which is the price we paid.

There are two areas with Beach Bed Rentals. The first are the Chill Island Day Beds, which is where we were. When looking at the map of CocoCay, these are at the bottom lefthand corner.

The second area are the Breezy Bay at Chill Island Day Beds. These are behind the Oasis Lagoon near the Floating Cabanas.

Upon arriving to the area, there was a stand where we checked in and received our wristbands. Each Day Bed receives 4 wristbands, and yes, children count.

We were given a quick lay of the land and were on our way. The Day Beds are pre-assigned and we were given Bed #12, which was a perfect location.

Of the 30 Day Beds in this area, 21 had been rented and they were accepting walk-ups for the remaining beds. With two ships in port, 15 beds were allocated per ship. Beds 1-5 were for Freedom of the Seas, Beds 6-10 were for Harmony of the Seas and so on and so forth.

The beds have a roof but no walls, however there are white curtains on two sides for privacy (and shade). They proved very helpful for our nap later in the day.

The rental also includes 2 loungers, 2 floating mats and a cooler filled with ice and 4 cans of spring water. Your name is also written on a chalkboard on your assigned day bed. I think this is done for two reasons. One, so you can easily find your bed and two, so crew know which beds are not rented.

We did see a couple lay out in the bed directly behind us (#29) which had not been rented. A crew member came over and politely inform them that the day beds needed to be rented in order for them to be used.

Bartenders typically walk the area and will serve you at your day bed. However, due to Covid, we were told upon check-in that they were extremely short-staffed and not to expect them. We never saw a bartender in the area. This was not an issue for us. If you do plan to drink, the closest bar is The Wacky Seagull and is fairly close.

Unlike the cabanas, the day beds do not have a safe to store any personal belongings. However, you can store any items you like in the lockers nearby, free of charge. We never felt the need to do this and just let down the curtains when we went to get food and left whatever we had on the bed. With that said, we didn’t leave anything of real value either.

That leads us to the food. Unlike the cabanas, no one is there to serve you lunch, you need to go and get it yourself. Again, this was not an issue for us. Our original plan was to bring our food back to the day bed to eat, but it’s a good walk, so we decided just to eat at the picnic tables at the Chill Grill. Considering what a messy eater my 6 year-old is, this was a wise choice.

And finally, the beach area for this section of Chill Island was perfect. Our son enjoyed building sand castles (more of a sand house), playing in the water and lounging on one of the floating mats.

It also seemed to be the area for snorkeling, as we saw many many snorkelers in the area. If you have young children, this is a great area as there are no waves. My son who absolutely loves the Splashaway Bay on CocoCay, never wanted to leave the beach, so we never made it over to that area.

We finished off our time at the Day Bed with a family nap. It was amazing! I had set my alarm to make sure we didn’t miss the ship, but there was also a crew member checking each of the beds to make sure everyone was awake.

We had to be back on board by 5pm and we left the area around 4:20pm. There are nearby showers and bathrooms which we all visited before heading back to the ship.

Final thoughts

So do you need to rent a Day Bed? Absolutely not. Loungers were plentiful all around the island. Will we rent a Day Bed again. Absolutely!

Having the day bed just made our day at CocoCay better and simply Perfect (pun intended). We currently have an Oasis Lagoon cabana booked for our March cruise that we booked on Black Friday, but we are considering switching to a Day Bed Rental if they become available. Currently, they are sold out.

We paid $149 which was an excellent value, but would I purchase it at $199? I think so. It just makes the day easier, especially with a child and I’ve spent $200 on stupider things.

When you also factor in, the dedicated loungers, the two floating mats and a cooler, it all adds up.

In my opinion, the Chill Island day beds are a great choice for smaller families that want a private, dedicated area with easy access to the beach.

Check out Shannon's YouTube channel for lots more travel information & tips.

A new expansion at Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas will cater to adults.

In September 2021, Royal Caribbean teased a new expansion coming to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Hideaway Beach.

The announcement confirmed the expansion and name, but no other details.

During an earnings call with investors on Friday, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO confirmed Hideaway Beach will be an adults-only area.

"We have an expansion taking place in perfect day with the addition of Hideaway Beach, which is a new experience that will open in late '22 for Perfect Day," Mr. Bayley said while talking about port projects on the books. "The beauty of Hideaway Beach is that it is an adult only area as part of Perfect Day."

Mr. Bayley said the new area will increase the capacity of the private island by "approximately 3000" passengers.

Mr. Bayley also added that Hideaway Beach will help improve the cruise line's overall profitability and drive more more revenue, which seems to indicate Hideaway Beach will have an extra cost.

The choice of an adults-only was part of a survey sent to some guests in late September for what sort of activities they would want see added to the island experience.

Hideaway Beach will be located on the western end of the island in a cove area that is slowly being developed.

The western end of the island is undeveloped land, as well as backstage storage and lodging, but it appears those operations can be relocated.

This will be the first expansion of CocoCay since the pandemic, and first since the Coco Beach Club was completed in early 2020.

If you want thrills in your private island day on Royal Caribbean, check out Thrill Waterpark at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

With so many slides and pools, you may want to know what is included with a visit to the waterpark, and how to get the most out of your visit. This guide will give you a good overview of what the waterpark offers, as well as tips and tricks for a great day.

Overview

Perfect Day at CocoCay is a private island only Royal Caribbean cruise ships can visit, and one way to spend your day there is to visit the waterpark.

Thrill Waterpark has an additional cost, which means only those that purchase admission can come into the park. Admission to the waterpark is priced per person, and includes full day admission.

Royal Caribbean used to offer a half-day pass, but that is no longer offered. Everyone that wants to come into the park needs to pay for entry, regardless of it they want to ride a slide or not.

Children under age 14 must be accompanied by a ticketed Guest age 14 or older to enter Thrill Waterpark.

To get into the park, you just need your SeaPass card. Scan it as you walk in and you're good to go. No separate admission needed.

There are two entrances to Thrill Waterpark, although nearly everyone uses the main entrance.  The main entrance is located to the right of the arrivals plaza at Perfect Day at CocoCay. There is an additional entrance closer to Oasis Lagoon and Splashaway Bay, primarily meant for a convenient way to get back into the waterpark.

It is made up of three basic areas: Daredevil's Peak, Splash Summit tower, and the pools.

You will find chairs, umbrellas, and picnic tables around each of the water slide towers, as well as near both pools. These chairs and tables are complimentary and first-come, first-reserved.

There are complimentary lockers near the main entrance where you can stash your stuff for the day. Restrooms and a first aid station are also located near the lockers.

Thrill Waterpark cost

The exact cost for Thrill Waterpark admission per person will vary from ship to ship and sailing to sailing. In short, there is no set price for every sailing.

You can purchase admission before the cruise via Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner website, onboard the ship at the Shore Excursion desk, or even on CocoCay at the entrance.

How much you will pay is determined by demand, time of year, ship you sail on, and other factors.

Prices usually range between $50 and $100 per person, but there is a great deal of fluctuation.

Admission to the waterpark is included with a Thrill Waterpark cabana (more on that further down this post).

What slides are there at Thrill Waterpark?

Royal Caribbean designed Thrill Waterpark to offer fun and thrilling water slides to enjoy.

There are two towers in the waterpark, with slides of varying speeds and intensity.

Daredevil’s Tower stands at 135-feet high and are all body slides that feature the longest, tallest, and fastest rides in the park.

• Daredevil's Peak: 135 feet tall, this is the tallest waterslide in North America (Rider minimum: 48")
• Dueling Demons: Two drop slides launch riders 75 feet from a vertical position (Rider minimum: 48")
• Green Mamba: A 50 foot tall slide with lots of turns (Rider minimum: 48")
• Screeching Serpent: Another 50 foot tall fully vertical speed slide (Rider minimum: 48")
• Manta Raycers: Twin racing slides (Rider minimum: 48")

Splash Summit is the family tower, where you can ride with other members of your group together.

• Sling Shot: Family raft slide. Up to 4 people in a raft that ride up a wall to provide zero gravity sensations (Rider minimum: 48" or 40" with life vest)
• Splash Speedway: Mat slide, where up to 4 people can race down (Rider minimum: 48" or 40" with life vest)
• Twister: Two riders slide down a tube slide (Rider minimum: 48" or 40" with life vest)

There are also two pools at Thrill Waterpark:

• Wave pool: Royal Caribbean says this is the largest wave pool in the Caribbean
• Adventure Pool: A pool with obstacles you can climb, walk, and swing onto. This includes lily pads, rope swings, and even a rock climbing wall (Guests under 48" must wear a life vest at all times)

Dining

All the slides and pools will generate quite an appetite, so Royal Caribbean included a Snack Shack location inside Thrill Waterpark.

Snack Shack is complimentary, and offers hot dogs, salads, burgers, and lots more. The chicken sandwich and mozzarella sticks are must-trys.

In addition, it is very easy to depart the waterpark and get food from elsewhere on the island. Skipper's Grill is the closest option, and offers more variety.

There is also a bar in the waterpark for any cocktails, beers, or non-alcoholic drinks you may want. If you have a drink package purchased from your cruise ship, the benefits work here as well.

Cabanas

In addition to purchasing admission to the park, you could opt to rent a cabana for the day.

CocoCay Cabanas provide a private space to enjoy throughout the day, along with a cabana attendant who can bring food and drinks whenever you need it.

Thrill Waterpark cabanas can accommodate up to 6 guests and offer a lush sectional sofa and 2 resort-style chairs, as well as power outlets. Your Cabana Concierge will provide you with 8 towels and stock your cooler with 8 complimentary water bottles. Additional water bottles will be available for purchase.

Included with your cabana purchase is admission to the waterpark for up to six guests.

Royal Caribbean has placed cabanas in three clusters around the waterpark:

• Near Daredevil's Peak
• Near Family Tower
• Near the wave pool

The price of a cabana usually ranges between $499 - $899. Just like the cost of admission to the water park, the exact price will vary from sailing to sailing.

The reason to book a cabana is to have a dedicated space for your family, as well as the service provided by the attendant.  In many cases, the cost of the cabana becomes negligible when you factor in admission it includes for larger families.

Tips and secrets

1. Don't bring towels from the ship

Save the effort of going to get towels to bring with you to the waterpark.

There is a towel station near the wave pool where you can get towels, as well as exchange them for fresh ones.

If you rent a cabana, towels are provided for you at the cabana.

2. Adults can use the Adventure Pool

While it may look like the Adventure Pool activities are for kids, adults can use them too.

The rope swing is a lot of fun, and you can race your kids on the lily pads.

3. Best times for short slide waits

When your cruise ship is sailing to capacity, there are two good times to beat the lines for the popular slides.

First and foremost, get off the ship early and hit Daredevil's Peak and Sling Shot as fast as you can. Lines for these two slides will always be the longest.

The best times to ride slides with a short wait are:

• Before 11am
• After 3pm

4. Your drink package works here

If you have an unlimited drink package already, then you can use the benefits while in the waterpark (and everywhere else at Perfect Day at CocoCay).

5. Look for chickens

If you hear a rooster, it's not your imagination. 

CocoCay is home to a variety of animals, including wild chickens. They walk around the island, but tend to frequent the waterpark the most.  

Look for them darting in and out of the bushes.

Regardless of which animal you see, please do not feed any of them.

Is Thrill Waterpark worth it?

Royal Caribbean delivers on thrills and fun with Thrill Waterpark, so the decision to go depends on what you want to do and the price.

There are enough waterslides and pool activities to keep you busy all day long during your visit. When the park is full, lines can develop for the popular slides during the day, but you should still have enough time to experience them all.

The wave pool in particular is underrated as a fun activity, and some of the waves get very high in the deep end.

When deciding if it's worth it to go to the waterpark, you have to consider what else there is to do at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Royal Caribbean packs in a lot of fun on its island, and you can find some really compelling alternatives at the beaches, pools, and beach club.

When Royal Caribbean opens Hideaway Beach in late 2022, there will be another compelling alternative to consider.

If you have only children under the age of 6 or so, you may consider skipping the waterpark and instead taking them to nearby Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill's Galleon.  Both are complimentary and aimed at younger/smaller children, and still have slides for them to enjoy.

If you have 4 or more people in your group, be sure to price compare buying admission for everyone versus booking a cabana. In many cases, the cabana makes a lot of sense to reserve because it includes admission, as well as the amenities it offers.

Ultimately, if you want to ride a lot of really fun waterslides and splash your way around everything else, Thrill Waterpark delivers it all.

With cruises sailing again, changes are happening at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

While visiting Royal Caribbean's private island on a Mariner of the Seas sailing this past weekend, I took a look around some of the most recent changes happening on the island.

Hideaway Beach progress

As you may or may not know, Royal Caribbean is expanding Perfect Day at CocoCay with a new area called "Hideaway Beach".

There are no details yet as to what this area will offer, but here is a look at where the new venue will be located.

These photos were taken from the family tower in Thrill Waterpark, as well as from the cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean recently sent guests an email survey with ideas for what Hideaway Beach could offer.

South Beach reopened

This weekend saw Royal Caribbean re-open South Beach.

Since cruises restarted, South Beach had been closed since ship capacity was so low that there was no need to open up South Beach.

However, Freedom of the Seas and Allure of the Seas were in Perfect Day at CocoCay this past Saturday, bringing around 7,000 guests in total to the island. As a result, South Beach was opened up again for passengers.

South Beach has two bars, Coconut Willie's Bar and South Beach Bar.

There are also cabanas for rent at South Beach.

Not only did Royal Caribbean re-open South Beach, they moved the floating bar back to South Beach. It was previously located at Breezy Bay at Chill Island, but that was a temporary location while South Beach was closed.

A number of Royal Caribbean guests have received an email survey asking their thoughts on possible ideas for the next phase of the CocoCay expansion.

Royal Caribbean announced a few weeks ago it would expand Perfect Day at CocoCay with a new area, called Hideaway Beach.

The announcement had no additional details, but perhaps this new survey could shed some light onto what to expect.

Earlier this week, many Royal Caribbean cruise fans reported receiving a survey in via email that asked many questions about what they thought about potential ideas for what the cruise line might add to the area.

Royal Caribbean commonly uses surveys to get feedback from guests. It is not necessarily an indication of anything they may or may not do.

The first part of the survey asks what sorts of areas would you like to see added to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Then they ask how appealing an adults only area would be for guests 18 or older.

The survey also asks guests to share which vacation scenes appeal to them, and which do not.

The second part of the survey wants feedback on the idea of a southern BBQ restaurant on its ships.

The menu would include smoked brisket, rubs, fried chicken and plenty of appetizers, sides and desserts.

Respondents were asked which name of the restaurant they preferred.