January 11, 2026, 1:29 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
Million-dollar investments in mega-resorts: Private islands and facilities are becoming increasingly important for cruise lines. Vacationers find action or relaxation there, but also true solitude? An overview.
White sandy beaches, turquoise waters, palm trees—and hardly a person in sight? You don’t have to be a celebrity or millionaire to dream of this. While owning a private island remains a fantasy for most, cruise guests come surprisingly close to this experience: More and more cruise lines are investing billions in private island resorts exclusively for their passengers. What sounds like seclusion is actually meticulously planned—including water slides, bars, ziplines, and beach clubs.
Overview
The Islands of the Cruise Lines
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean is strategically focusing on exclusive land resorts—and expanding. In addition to the well-known island resort Coco Cay in the Bahamas, marketed under the brand name “Perfect Day,” the company is further expanding its offerings. Coco Cay features: nine restaurants, seven beaches, 14 water slides, five pools, and 20 bars. Celebrity Cruises, a brand of Royal Caribbean, also regularly visits the resort.
Another “Perfect Day” project is currently under development on Mexico’s Costa Maya. A new beach club is also under construction on the Caribbean island of Cozumel. Just before the end of the year, a beach club opened on Paradise Island near Nassau.
The offerings are not only growing in the Caribbean: A beach club is soon to open on the Greek island of Santorini in Europe. Additionally, Royal Caribbean already operates an exclusive resort in Labadee, Haiti—another resort is planned for 2027 in Vanuatu in the South Pacific.
Carnival Cruises
Carnival, the world’s largest cruise company, is also heavily investing in its own resorts. With over half a billion U.S. dollars, the new resort Celebration Key was built on Grand Bahama, which opened in the summer of 2025. Currently, two large ships can dock there simultaneously, and an expansion is underway. Visitor numbers are expected to increase from an initial two million to up to four million guests annually by 2028.
Another resort in the Carnival group is Princess Cays on Eleuthera in the southern Bahamas. Here, ships anchor offshore, and passengers are brought ashore by tender boat. Starting in 2028, the Princess Cruises facility will be included in 60 itineraries, and P&O Cruises also uses the resort.
Additionally, a major project is planned with Ensenada Bay Village on Mexico’s Pacific coast—a day resort for 9,000 guests with pools, a spa, and ziplines is envisioned.
On the private island of Half Moon Cay—now known as Relax Away—Carnival operates another resort in the Bahamas. It is mainly visited by Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line. By 2026, the island will receive a second pier to accommodate the large Excel-class ships.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line focuses on Great Stirrup Cay, a Bahamas island that has been part of its program since 1977. Significant investments are currently being made here—including a large water park with 19 slides. Guests can also enjoy a nearly one-kilometer-long zipline, pools, beaches, and even a bird sanctuary.
Norwegian also operates another exclusive resort with Harvest Caye off the coast of Belize. This offers direct access to the Belize Barrier Reef, the world’s second-largest coral reef after the Great Barrier Reef.
MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises has also secured its own island project: The Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas was formerly an industrial wasteland and, according to MSC, has been leased long-term. Today, the island offers about three kilometers of sandy beach and its own coral research station. Sustainability and environmental protection are the focus here, as well as the vacation experience of the guests.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line operates a family-friendly island resort with Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. The approximately four-square-kilometer island offers entertainment for young and old—not quite as isolated as in the movie “Cast Away,” but with a colorful range of leisure activities.
Disney Cruise Line recently opened a second resort with Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point–featuring its own pavilions and docks. It is located at the southern tip of the Bahamas island of Eleuthera—right next to Carnival’s Princess Cays.
These New Cruise Ships Will Set Sail in 2026
Worthwhile cruises for singles
German Cruise Lines Without Private Islands
While U.S. cruise lines are heavily investing in the expansion of exclusive island resorts, such offerings play little role for German providers like Aida, Mein Schiff (Tui Cruises), or Hapag-Lloyd.
For U.S. companies, however, the development is a consistent expansion of their offerings: Many trips start in U.S. ports, last only a few days, and lead directly to one of the private islands—a short all-inclusive vacation with sun, entertainment, and drinks.
Island Feeling with Limitations
Access to the resorts is usually included in the travel price. Only Royal Caribbean charges an entrance fee for visiting its exclusive beach clubs.
On-site, vacationers often find a mix of relaxation and entertainment: Pools, restaurants, water sports, ziplines, or water bars shape the scene. Those who want to retreat can rent a private cabana for the day or explore the quieter parts of the island on foot.
True Robinson Crusoe idyll is usually absent, however, because when a cruise ship with several thousand guests arrives, solitude quickly disappears.
With material from dpa