Today is the last day of my cruise on Independence of the Seas and I cannot think of a better way to end my sailing than to spend the day at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Since the weather this week had not been ideal, I woke up this morning expecting cloudy skies, cold, and rain. However, when I walked out to the pool deck, sunshine appeared from behind the clouds! I immediately went back to my stateroom to grab my belongings and I disembarked the ship.
Independence of the Seas was docked next to Freedom of the Seas this morning.
The previous and only two times I have been to CocoCay, I spent the day at the Coco Beach Club. This time, however, I did not reserve anything and was excited to spend the day exploring other parts of the island.
First up was a brief walk to South Beach. South Beach was closed this summer, so today was my first time there. While it is “further” than other beaches on the island, it only took around ten minutes to walk there from the ship. You can also opt to take the free tram rides available on the island.
South Beach is to the east of the Coco Beach Club and offers a more relaxed environment to guests. There is a long stretch of beach, cabanas for rent, two bars, a Snack Shack, and sports area. While I just walked around briefly, I would definitely come back here to spend the day in the future.
Next up was Oasis Lagoon. Something I think is very helpful at CocoCay are the free lockers available throughout the island. As I am always carrying my camera equipment around, it is nice to have a secure place to store it while I go for a swim.
Lunch today was at Chill Grill. Before today, the only food I had tried on the island came from the Mediterranean-style restaurant at the Coco Beach Club. I was spoiled by endless hummus, pita, grouper, and chocolate-caramel brownies. Because of this, I wasn’t sure what to expect for CocoCay’s complimentary food options.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of food offered at Chill Grill. From salads to build-your-own tacos and standard American fare, there were more than enough options available.
By far the best part of my lunch, though, was my brownie sundae. A great food “hack” at Perfect Day at CocoCay is to take a brownie or cookie from the buffet and top it with ice cream. You can thank me later!
My next stop was Chill Beach. I think this may be my favorite beach on the island because it is, as the name implies, a chill place to spend the day. I went for a swim and the ocean temperature was not as warm as it had been in the summer, but was still comfortable.
The sunshine was very well welcomed after the past few days of clouds, and I had a really hard time getting out of my hammock to walk back to the ship. On my way back, though, I ran into a few cute and colorful iguanas!
For sailaway I headed to the Helipad. Even though the Helipad is one of my favorite places onboard, I had never watched sailaway from there. Tonight’s sailaway was during sunset and it was gorgeous! We had views of Freedom, Symphony, and Vision of the Seas as well.
Dinner tonight was in the Windjammer. The food quality in the Windjammer on Independence has been impressive. Tonight they had the most elaborate and beautiful spread of cakes and pies that I’ve ever seen!
I ended my cruise by walking a few laps on the Promenade Deck and it was a nice way to exercise while taking in the sea breeze. It also gave me time to reflect on the past four days.
Overall, I had a fantastic time this week on Independence of the Seas. I was a little nervous before the cruise due to recent Covid concerns and the fact that it was my first solo cruise. However, everyone followed protocols really well while onboard and I met so many kind crew members and passengers throughout this sailing.
I’m sad to disembark tomorrow, but on the bright side… I board Harmony of the Seas this Sunday!
Stray Observations:
Oasis Lagoon turned into a party scene today and was LOUD. While it was entertaining to people watch and listen to music, it is not the most relaxing environment compared to the quieter beaches on the island! This is something to consider if you are choosing between a cabana at the pool or at another location at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
With the sound of intense wind and nothing but darkness beyond the ship, the Helipad is kind of spooky at night! There were some nice views of the stars, though.
