03
Princess Cays's paid add-ons, from the private bungalow to the fifteen-minute thrill
Ordered by how each holds up against the one question every paid Princess Cays extra has to answer: what does this buy that the free beach doesn't?
If Princess Cays is one stop on a longer week, our Caribbean cruises guide helps you decide which port earns the paid day.
This is the closest thing on the island to a home base for the day.
One detailed secondary guide puts standard bungalows at $210 for up to 4 guests and the adults-only Sanctuary version at $260 for up to 4 adults, with extra guests around $25.95 each, up to two extra. A second secondary source reports different round numbers for the same two products — roughly $230 and $300-plus. We're printing both rather than picking one, since neither is Princess's own posted rate.
What's reportedly included either way: an air-conditioned, lockable structure with a ceiling fan, seating for four inside, two loungers on a private deck, an outdoor shower, a stocked cooler (soft drinks, water, chips, salsa, guacamole, fruit), towels, snorkel gear and two floats. Sanctuary units reportedly add water misters. Only 25 exist for the whole island — 18 standard, 7 Sanctuary.
Priority tendering and golf-cart transport to the bungalow are also reportedly included, which matters more here than it sounds — this is a tender port, and skipping the return line is a real perk.
- Time commitment
- Sold as a full-day rental, not a timed slot.
- Getting there
- Golf-cart transport from the marina, reportedly included with the rental.
- Suits
- Families wanting a base (standard) or couples wanting quiet and no kids nearby (Sanctuary).
- Worth the charge
- If a private, shaded, lockable space for the whole day matters to your group. If you just want a lounger, the free beach already has one.
Why it's worth considering
It's a genuinely private space on an island with no hotel rooms to retreat to — shade, a locked door and your own bathroom-adjacent shower. Priority tendering alone is worth something on a day when the return line gets long.
The catch
Only 25 exist total, and the price disagreement between sources means you should confirm the actual charge before you book, not after. Neither tier includes a real meal beyond the cooler's snacks — the barbecue buffet is still a separate, free walk away.
Verify before you book
- The current price directly through your cruise line's booking portal — the figures here are secondary trackers, not Princess's own posted rate
- How far ahead you need to book, given only 25 bungalows exist for the whole island
- Whether your line's beverage package carries over — reportedly Princess's own packages do, Carnival's Cheers package does not
The budget version of the bungalow question: shade without the full rental.
One secondary source reports a two-person beach clamshell running around $40 for the day — roughly a fifth of a standard bungalow's reported rate. No official price is posted anywhere we could load.
What you're actually buying is shade and a defined spot, not privacy or storage. There's no lock, no stocked cooler and no golf-cart ride included, unlike the bungalows.
At least one reviewer's account describes a clamshell that didn't block sun as well as the marketing photos suggested. That's one traveler's experience, not a confirmed pattern, but worth knowing before you pay for shade specifically.
- Time commitment
- A day rental, not a timed slot.
- Getting there
- Set up on the beach itself; no transport needed.
- Suits
- Couples or pairs who want defined shade without paying bungalow prices.
- Worth the charge
- If shade specifically, not privacy or storage, is what you're after.
Why it's worth considering
It's the cheapest way to guarantee shade rather than hope a free umbrella is still open when you arrive.
The catch
No lock and no cooler means it's not a substitute for a bungalow if storage or privacy is the actual goal. At least one traveler reported the shade coverage underwhelming versus the photos — worth a look at current reviews before booking.
Verify before you book
- The current price on the day — no official rate card was found
- How much shade coverage it actually provides, given at least one mixed review
- Availability once you're ashore, since it's a same-day rental rather than a pre-booked product in what we found
A real in-water animal encounter, not just a photo-op tank.
Carnival's own current booking page names this excursion directly: guests get in the water with stingrays at a dedicated beach area, feed them, and can snorkel the surrounding reef. Carnival's listing states a one-hour duration, a $49.99 per-person price, snorkel gear and locker access included, and a minimum age of 6.
That's Carnival's own posted number, for Carnival passengers. One secondary guide reports a lower $39.95 figure, which may reflect Princess's own pricing for the same excursion — since Princess Cays is a shared destination, the same add-on can genuinely be priced differently depending on which brand sold it to you.
Either way, this is one of the only add-ons here with an actual cruise-line-published duration to plan around, even though this guide doesn't build a planner widget from a single data point.
- Time commitment
- 1 hour, per Carnival's own listing.
- Getting there
- A dedicated stingray beach area on the island; exact walking distance not detailed in what we found.
- Suits
- Families with kids 6 and up, and anyone who wants a guaranteed animal encounter.
- Worth the charge
- If an in-water stingray interaction is genuinely the draw. It's not a substitute for the free snorkeling off the main beach.
Why it's worth considering
It's a real, cruise-line-confirmed product with a stated duration and age minimum, not a vague brochure line. Snorkel gear and a locker are included, which isn't true of most of this island's other paid extras.
The catch
The price genuinely varies by which cruise line sold it to you — don't assume the figure you saw online is what you'll actually pay. Minimum age 6 rules out younger kids entirely.
Verify before you book
- Current price through your specific cruise line's booking portal, since Carnival's and Princess's figures reportedly differ
- The minimum age against your youngest traveler
- Whether it's bookable in advance or only once aboard, for your specific sailing
The reef, without getting in the water for it.
One secondary guide names two separate boat products at roughly an hour each: a glass-bottom boat cruise, reported around $45.95 per person, and a coastal cruise along the shoreline, reported around $34.95. Neither figure comes from a live Princess or Carnival booking page we could load.
Both are the low-effort version of seeing the reef and the coastline — no swimming, no gear, just a seat on a boat for about an hour. If reef access without a wetsuit is genuinely the goal, the glass-bottom option is the more direct buy of the two.
- Time commitment
- Roughly an hour each, per one secondary source — not a cruise-line-published figure.
- Getting there
- Boards from the marina area near the tender landing.
- Suits
- Non-swimmers, older travelers, or anyone who wants the reef view without the effort of snorkeling.
- Worth the charge
- If seeing the reef without swimming is the actual point. Confident swimmers get more from the guided snorkel tour for a similar price.
Why it's worth considering
It's the only way to see the reef here without getting in the water, which matters for some travelers. An hour is a short enough commitment to fit around the rest of a beach day.
The catch
Neither price is confirmed from a live cruise-line booking page, so treat both as a rough guide, not a locked number. You're seeing the reef through glass or from a deck, not up close — if that's not enough, book the snorkel tour instead.
Verify before you book
- Current pricing for either product directly with your cruise line
- Which of the two your ship actually sells, since not every source names both
- Departure times against the rest of your island day
A guided version of something you can also just do for free, a short walk away.
One secondary guide reports this tour at roughly $54.95 per person for about 90 minutes, described for travelers with some snorkeling experience already, rather than complete beginners — that's the highest reported price on this list for a single activity, and it's worth being honest about what it buys: a guide, a boat to a specific spot, and gear, over the free snorkeling already available off the main beach.
No cruise line's own current listing confirmed this figure for us. Treat it as a rough guide, not a locked-in rate.
- Time commitment
- Roughly 90 minutes, per one secondary source.
- Getting there
- By boat from the marina area to a specific snorkel site.
- Suits
- Confident swimmers who want a specific, guided spot rather than the general beach shallows.
- Worth the charge
- If a specific, guided site is worth paying for over the free option. If you just want to snorkel casually, the beach already covers that.
Why it's worth considering
A guided site beyond the main beach's shallows can mean more to see for confident swimmers — gear is reportedly included, which matters if you didn't pack your own.
The catch
It's the priciest single item on this list, for an activity the free beach already offers a version of. It's aimed at people who already know how to snorkel — check whether a beginner-friendly option exists on your sailing if that's your group.
Verify before you book
- Current price and skill-level requirements directly with your cruise line
- Whether gear is genuinely included or a separate rental
- How this differs from just snorkeling off the main beach for free, for your specific group
The general rental menu, beyond the named activities.
Princess's own site names a real list of rentable gear at the island: kayaking, windsurfing, paddle wheelers, floats, aqua chairs and Hobie Wave sailboats. That confirms these exist as genuinely bookable items, not blog invention.
Pricing is a real gap. One secondary source reports a sea board rental around $15 an hour and a locker around $20 a day, but nothing we found prices the kayaks, paddleboards, Hobie sailboats or aqua chairs specifically.
The general activity list Princess's own materials mention also includes parasailing and waverunning, per a summary of the line's own copy. Neither showed up with a specific price anywhere we checked.
- Time commitment
- Rented by the hour or the day, not a timed slot.
- Getting there
- Rental stands on the beach itself, once you're ashore.
- Suits
- Anyone who wants an hour of activity without booking a formal excursion.
- Worth the charge
- Impossible to say honestly for most of these without a price. Ask at the rental stand before you commit.
Why it's worth considering
It's the most flexible way to spend an hour on the water without committing to a scheduled tour. The variety, per Princess's own list, is real — it's a real menu, not just kayaks.
The catch
Most individual prices aren't published anywhere we could confirm, official or secondary. Ask the exact rate before you sign up, not after you're already on the water.
Verify before you book
- The actual current price for whichever piece of gear you want — we found one figure ($15/hour sea board) and nothing for the rest
- Availability on a busy call, since popular gear can run out
- Swim ability and life-jacket requirements for kids on any powered or towed equipment
The one item on this list that isn't a beach or water activity at all.
Two secondary sources agree closely on this one: roughly $30 per person for about a 90-minute guided ride around the island's paths, away from the main beach area.
It's a real change of pace if a whole day of sand and water isn't the plan for everyone in your group — no cruise line's own current listing confirmed either the price or the duration for us, though the two secondary figures agreeing closely is a modest point in favor of both being roughly right.
- Time commitment
- Roughly 90 minutes, per two secondary sources that agree closely.
- Getting there
- Departs from a bike stand near the marina area.
- Suits
- Riders comfortable on unpaved paths, and anyone who wants an hour off the sand.
- Worth the charge
- If a land-based break from the beach genuinely appeals. It's a small niche on an island built around water.
Why it's worth considering
It's a genuine break from the beach-and-water routine every other item on this list follows — two independent secondary figures landing close together is a small but real point of confidence.
The catch
Still not a cruise-line-confirmed price or duration — ask before you book. It's a niche pick on an island most people come to for the water, not the paths.
Verify before you book
- Current price and duration directly with your cruise line
- Path conditions and footwear needs, since it's described as unpaved terrain
- Whether it's offered on your specific sailing at all
Fishing · surf fishing
Surf fishing
A longer, quieter option for anglers who'd rather fish than swim.
One secondary guide prices this at roughly $30 per person for 2.5 hours, with rods, bait and aqua shoes included, plus what the same guide describes as expert assistance from a guide on the beach. At 2.5 hours, it's the longest single paid item on this list by reported duration — a real chunk of a port day, not a quick add-on.
As with most of this island's menu, no cruise line's own current listing confirmed the price for us.
- Time commitment
- Roughly 2.5 hours, per one secondary source.
- Getting there
- From a designated surf-fishing spot on the beach itself.
- Suits
- Anglers, and anyone who wants a slower, more solitary activity than the rest of the menu offers.
- Worth the charge
- If fishing itself is the appeal. It eats more of your day than anything else on this list, so plan around that.
Why it's worth considering
Gear and guidance are reportedly included, so non-anglers can still try it without owning equipment. It's a genuinely different pace from every water activity on this list.
The catch
2.5 hours is a real commitment on a single port day — it eats into everything else you might want to do.
Price and duration both come from secondary sourcing, not a cruise-line listing.
Verify before you book
- Current price and duration directly with your cruise line
- What's caught and whether it's catch-and-release or keep-what-you-catch
- How the 2.5-hour block fits the rest of your day
The short, cheap thrill at the bottom of this list, and not a bad thing to be.
One secondary guide prices this at roughly $20 per person for about 15 minutes, with children 12 and under reportedly discounted up to 50% — fifteen minutes and a modest price make this the easiest add-on to justify on this whole list, even without a cruise-line-confirmed number to point to.
It won't replace a real water-sports day, and it's not meant to. It's a quick, cheap add before or after the free beach.
- Time commitment
- About 15 minutes.
- Getting there
- A watersports dock or kiosk near the main beach area.
- Suits
- Kids and adults wanting a short thrill, not a full activity booking.
- Worth the charge
- Yes, for most travelers — it's short, cheap by this island's own standards, and low-commitment.
Why it's worth considering
It's the cheapest paid thing on this island by a meaningful margin, per the reported figures. Fifteen minutes fits around almost any other plan for the day.
The catch
Like everything else here, the price is secondary-sourced, not cruise-line-confirmed — ask at the kiosk before you pay. It's a thrill, not a scenic tour — don't expect to see much beyond the immediate coastline.
Verify before you book
- Current price and any age or weight restrictions
- Life-jacket requirements for kids
- Availability and wait times on a busy call
04
Worth paying for at Princess Cays vs. what the free beach already covers
There's no independent economy to weigh here, because there's no one else on this island to book with.
Every dollar you spend here goes to one of two companies, and they're the same company
Princess Cays has no town, no residents and no local operators. It's operated by Princess Cruises, itself part of Carnival Corporation — and Carnival Cruise Line, a separate brand under that same parent, also sells its own paid add-ons here on its own sailings. Whichever brand brought you, the money goes to the same corporate parent.
That makes the usual ship-versus-independent question meaningless here. The real question is which of those add-ons earns its price over what's already free.
What's actually free, before you spend anything
The beach itself — loungers, umbrellas, roughly half a mile of white sand — is already in your fare. So is a barbecue lunch reportedly served from 11:30am to 1:30pm, with chicken, ribs, burgers, hot dogs, salads, fruit and dessert, plus free water, lemonade and iced tea.
That's a genuinely full free day for a lot of travelers — sand, shade, food and casual snorkeling off the main beach, all covered.
The correction worth making before you book
Princess's own site calls this island exclusive to Princess guests. Carnival's own booking site shows roughly two dozen of its own sailings here through 2027. Both are true at once — the marketing language and the operational reality just don't match, and it's worth knowing before you assume no other cruise line's passengers will be on your beach.
Where the real pricing gaps sit
Almost none of this island's add-on pricing comes from a live Princess or Carnival booking page. Every dollar figure in this guide is a secondary tracker's reported price, and on at least two items — the bungalows and the Stingray Beach Encounter — different sources report genuinely different numbers. That's not this guide smoothing anything over. It's Princess Cruises' own Cruise Personalizer pricing sitting behind a sail-date login, the same as it does at other private cruise islands.
How each option compares in Princess Cays
| Paid add-on | Worth booking when… | Skip it — the free beach covers you when… |
|---|
| Bungalow (standard or Sanctuary) | A private, lockable, air-conditioned space for the day genuinely matters to your group | A free lounger and umbrella already covers what you actually need |
|---|
| Beach clamshell | Guaranteed shade is worth roughly a fifth of a bungalow's price to you | You're fine claiming a free umbrella early in the day |
|---|
| Stingray Beach Encounter | An in-water animal encounter is genuinely the draw for your group | You'd rather snorkel the free beach and save the fee |
|---|
| Glass-bottom boat / coastal cruise | You want the reef or the coastline without swimming for it | You're a confident swimmer — the guided snorkel tour gets you closer for a similar price |
|---|
| Guided snorkeling tour | A specific, guided site beyond the main beach is worth the highest price on this list to you | Casual snorkeling off the free beach already scratches the itch |
|---|
| Kayak / paddleboard / Hobie rentals | You want an hour of activity with no scheduled tour to commit to | You're content with sand and swimming, no gear needed |
|---|
| Island Bike Adventure | A land-based break from the beach genuinely appeals to your group | Everyone in your group came for the water, not the paths |
|---|
| Surf fishing | Fishing itself, not the beach, is why you're spending the day here | 2.5 hours is more time than you want to give up from the beach |
|---|
| Banana boat ride | Almost always — it's short and the cheapest paid item on the island | Only if a quick thrill genuinely isn't your group's thing |
|---|
Short answer
Start free: the beach, the loungers and the barbecue cover a genuinely full day for most travelers. Spend only where the free version can't compete — a private bungalow if your group wants its own space, the stingray encounter if wildlife is the draw, or a quick banana boat ride because it's cheap and short. Everything else on this list is a nice-to-have, not a need-to-book, and none of the prices are locked in until you check your own line's booking portal.
06
Princess Cays logistics: the tender, the currency question, and the 2026 shuffle
Where you actually arrive
There's no pier at Princess Cays. Ships anchor offshore and tender passengers in, reportedly a roughly 20-minute ride to what the island's own branding calls the Love Boat Marina.
That's a real, structural difference from newer private islands built around a dedicated ship berth — Half Moon Cay's new pier, for instance, is part of why trade press points to it as the more efficient island to operate.
Currency: closer to none than a normal port
The Bahamian dollar is the island's official currency, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, and multiple secondary port guides agree that nearly every purchase on the island runs through your cruise card instead of cash. The consistent exception across sources is the artisan or craft market, which reportedly takes US dollars or a credit card only, not the ship's account.
That's a real simplification versus a normal port day. Bring a little cash only if the craft market is actually on your list.
All-aboard, without an official number to cite
We found no Princess-published all-aboard buffer time specific to this island. Multiple independent traveler reviews describe the return tender line getting long late in the day — a real, repeated pattern, even without an official figure attached to it. Your own Princess Patter or the app is the actual authority, not a number in this guide.
Weather and the tender
As at any tender-only island, rough seas can suspend tender operations, and secondary sources describe this as a general risk here. We found no specific, dated case of a Princess Cays call being skipped or diverted for weather to cite — a real gap in what we could confirm, not a claim that it hasn't happened.
The 2026 shuffle, stated plainly
Six named Princess ships — Enchanted Princess, Caribbean Princess, Sun Princess, Coral Princess, Regal Princess and Sky Princess — are swapping Princess Cays for Half Moon Cay on itineraries starting November 2026, per trade-press reporting on Princess's own schedule updates. Some swaps route to Celebration Key instead. Trade press names October 17, 2026, aboard Regal Princess, as the last confirmed Princess sailing to include the island.
Two outlets checking the schedule the same week in early September 2026 report slightly different counts of how many Princess sailings still call here — 5 of 160 published Caribbean cruises, by one count, or 7, by another, with several already sold out either way. Both figures are printed here rather than resolved into one.
Princess's own quoted reason is generic: itineraries “may occasionally be adjusted for a variety of operational and commercial reasons.” The company has also stated the island “is not closing.” Carnival Cruise Line's own booking site backs that up with roughly two dozen of its own sailings here through 2027 — this is a Princess-specific pullback, not an island going dark.
