Bahamas
Princess Cays sits on a mile-and-a-half of white sand at the southern tip of Eleuthera, the same beach Princess started using in 1992 — back when a cruise line's private island still meant a beach, a buffet, and a tender boat, not a theme park.
It is a 40-acre tender-only beach resort on the southern tip of Eleuthera, used mainly by Princess Cruises since 1992. Lunch BBQ at the Sea Pavilion, loungers, a craft market with local Eleuthera vendors, and rentals for snorkels and kayaks are the core of the day. There are no off-island excursions and no docked pier — you tender in, and rough water can cancel the call.
Princess Cays is the least-developed of the major Caribbean private destinations. That is either the appeal or the disappointment depending on what you came for.
Carnival Cruise Line
The Bahamas
Carnival Cruise Line
The Bahamas
Carnival Cruise Line
Eastern Caribbean
Carnival Cruise Line
The Bahamas
Carnival Cruise Line
The Bahamas
Carnival Cruise Line
The Bahamas
Bahamian and US dollars circulate at par on Eleuthera, but on Princess Cays itself most spending — drinks, rentals, cabanas — goes straight to your stateroom folio via cruise card. Bring small US bills only if you want to tip beach staff or shop the local craft market.
The ship anchors offshore and runs tender boats roughly 10 minutes each way to a small pier on the resort. There is no deep-water berth at Princess Cays, and the call is weather-dependent — strong wind or swell can cancel the stop.
The whole call is essentially the beach. Free loungers sit under sea-grape trees along North Beach; clamshell shaded loungers, beach bungalows, and Sanctuary Bungalows are paid upgrades booked through the cruise personalizer. Lunch is the Sea Pavilion BBQ buffet, included.
Yes. Princess Cays is a tender port with no pier, so the ship anchors offshore and shuttles guests in by tender boat. If swells or wind make the tender run unsafe, the captain can skip the call entirely. It happens often enough that experienced Princess passengers treat it as a known risk rather than a guarantee.
Yes. The Sea Pavilion BBQ buffet is complimentary and runs roughly 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. — burgers, hot dogs, chicken, ribs, salads, fruit, and dessert across multiple buffet lines so the queue keeps moving. Drinks beyond water and basic soft drinks go on your ship account.
Yes, in limited numbers and for an extra fee. Princess rents private beach bungalows that sleep up to four with AC, a ceiling fan, loungers, and a private shower, plus higher-tier Sanctuary Bungalows with upgraded furnishings and water-misters that ran around $249 in recent seasons. They sell out — book through the cruise personalizer before sailing if you want one.
Technically yes — the resort is not fenced off from the rest of Eleuthera — but Princess does not run off-island shore excursions here, and the surrounding area is rural with very limited transport. Most guests stay on the resort beach for the day. If you want a deeper Eleuthera experience, you need a different itinerary.
Snorkel sets run about $25 per person; kayaks, paddleboards, aqua bikes, banana boats, and clamshell shaded loungers (around $45 per couple) are also on offer at the watersports kiosk. Snorkel gear sells out on busy days, and reviewers consistently advise bringing your own mask if you have one.
Yes. A small open-air market on the resort sells straw goods, jewellery, conch shell crafts, and souvenirs. Vendors come over from the rest of Eleuthera for ship days, so this is one of the few private destinations where the shopping is run by Bahamians rather than by the cruise line itself. Cash helps; many stalls take USD.
