CocoCay Pool Cabana
Freedom of the Seas: November 2022
Our most recent 3-day cruise included a stop to my husband’s favorite place on Earth: Cococay, Bahamas (Royal Caribbean’s private island). Since we were with a large group we sprung for a pool cabana for the day. Pricing is variable depending on the cruise. For our cruise we pre-purchased for $999 which allowed up to 8 guests (we had 7) for the entire day on the island (8am-4:30pm in our case).
What’s included?
Oasis poolside cabana with couch, fan, two chairs, and 4 loungers
Water
Towels
Bluetooth speaker (upon request)
Service from a cabana attendant
If you haven’t been to CocoCay, most food is included and if you purchased a drink package or have the Crown and Anchor drinks they are usable on the island.
Seeking to make the most of our day at the cabana we ventured off as soon as they allowed us around 8am and made our way to the Oasis pool cabana attendant area. There you check in and are given wristbands for you and your party to wear throughout the day.
The cabanas are tucked back off the side of the pool and kept mostly private by a barrier of greenery. While there is no private restroom area, they are a short walk away.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by our cabana attendant who introduced us to the features of the cabana, showed us the menus, the button we could press if we ever needed her to bring us anything including food and drinks, and took our first drink order. While we had the call button, she was always checking in and I believe we only pushed it once. With 7 people (5 of which had drink packages) she was definitely busy for the day.
Each cabana has a short cabana menu of offerings your attendant will bring for you (essentially the Snack Shack menu). Of course visiting the island buffet or snack shacks are still fair game if nothing strikes you or you wanted to grab food while exploring the beach or other areas of the island.
Pool cabana food menu
Unfortunately, unless you paid for access to the Coco Beach Club, food isn’t available until around 11, but our attendant offered to take an order to put in as soon as they opened. After a quick stroll around the island we ordered some drinks to enjoy while we waited for lunch.
The special drink of the island is the Coco Loco, a fruity, rum based blended cocktail. It is a refreshing alternative to a colada or daquiri with flavors of orange, pineapple, coconut, and papaya.
After walking around the island and enjoying our drinks, we ordered a bunch of mozzarella sticks and French fries. While there are healthier options like grilled vegetables, as you will notice, healthy eating wasn’t on the agenda for our day.
Following our appetizers, we ordered one of the best items to try on the island is the Cabana chicken sandwich. If you didn’t rent a cabana, don’t worry, it is the same fried chicken sandwich that is served at the Snack Shack.
For dessert our attendant brought us brownies and funnel cakes. While the picture below of the funnel cake may not look the most appetizing, it is the best dessert on the island when eaten immediately. Its warm and gooey with the chocolate sauce and powdered sugar making it a better than a standard funnel cake though by the time dessert arrived we were all very full. I never order funnel cake other than when on CocoCay.
While the cabanas have gotten pretty pricy (along with many other excursions), when going with a large group I highly recommend. The food offerings aren’t extensive, but the luxury of having it brought directly to your cabana is worth it to me. This time I did stroll to the dining area to get an ice cream cone, but didn’t feel the need to get anything from the buffet which serves what I refer to as “elevated summer-camp style” food of burgers, hot dogs, and nachos.
While the opportunity to swim in the pool was cut slightly short due to what we believe might have been a guest that overindulged on their drink package, our cabana offered a welcome relief from the warm sun and a chance to relax in the quiet before heading back to the ship to get ready for dinner.
The Rachael Ratings:
Service - 10/10 - Drinks were delivered in around 5 minutes. Food took a big longer, but was never a long wait.
Cabana Chicken Sandwich - 10/10. I have had this in the past and wasn’t as impressed, but this time I can’t think of a way they could have improved.
French Fries - 8/10. I enjoyed them as they were somewhat crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, but they weren’t the greatest fries I have ever had.
Mozzarella sticks - 9/10 Solid mozzarella sticks much like the Farm Rich Mozzarella sticks you can get at the store. I appreciate that they aren’t so stringy that you feel like you might choke.
Funnel cake - 9/10 (6/10 if not warm). This is a must eat immediately type food. It is deliciously fluffy when served warm, but if let to sit starts to taste more of a ballpark or carnival type offering.
