I read a list of things cruise ship passengers brought with them to Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay, and I think many of these are genius.
I've visited Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas over 20 times, and I thought I knew it all until I ran across this list.
Members of the Facebook group "Coco Cay - The Perfect Day" shared what they've brought to CocoCay to enhance their day. While the usual things were there, a few stood out as things I had never considered bringing.
Royal Caribbean includes a lot in your visit to their island, including beach chairs, umbrellas, food, and access to different beaches.
While I think you could have a fun time with just you and your towel on the island, I'm a firm believer there's always room for improvement. And I think some cruisers figured out exactly how to maximize their visit with these items.
Here are 10 unique things to bring to Perfect Day at CocoCay that you might want to pack too.
Baby powder
I had no idea baby powder was useful beyond prevent chaffing, but it's useful at the beach too.
Evidently, you can use it to remove sand from your feet quickly and easily, and it's a great tip for young kids.
After you're done in the ocean for the day and your feet are full of sand, powder the sticky not quite dry areas.
This helps clothes go back on smoothly so kids can get dressed.
You can buy a bottle for less than $5 on Amazon, making it a super cheap tip.
Spray fan
Most months of the year, you can expect it to be hot and humid when you visit CocoCay, and anything you can do to cool down helps.
A lot of cruisers recommending packing a spray fan to cool down. Unlike a regular fan, this mists you too.
This fan can be quite helpful when you're going between the ship and shore, or walking around the island. If there's no breeze, this fan feels amazing.
Plus, you can use it on the ship too when it gets hot out on the pool deck. Or during shore excursions when it always seems to feel like the surface of the sun.
You can pick one up from Amazon for about $15 and it's something you can bring on every cruise.
Collapsible wagon
If my kids were younger and I was traveling with another family, I think a collapsible folding wagon would be a really smart buy.
As long as you can pack it easily, you could bring a fold up wagon with you to make getting all your stuff from the ship to beach without feeling like a pack mule.
When you have kids, it can feel like you're moving the Army of the Potomac to do just about anything. Having all the things you definitely need and might need add up quickly, so this hack is a smart way to get around lugging it all yourself.
If you're flying to your cruise, I'd probably skip this one because of the heft and bulk of the wagon and having to check it with the airline.
Inflatable floats
Floaties aren't just for kids.
If you'll spend a lot of time in the water, why not enjoy in style?
Instead of paying Royal Caribbean to rent a mat, you can bring inflatable mesh floats that you can hang onto or sit in and enjoy the water.
I've found these are very useful in the ocean when you want to hang there and be submerged without kneeling.
Plus, they work at any beach. So you could use it at other places your cruise visits.
You can get a four pack for just about $20, and that means everyone in your family has one to use.
Towel clips
Another cheap, but smart buy are towel clips to bring with you.
The idea is you use them to keep your towel in place and not blowing around when the wind kicks up. So when you get up from your chair, your towel remains exactly where it should be.
You can use them not only on your pool deck loungers, but any of the chairs around CocoCay.
It's probably a good idea to get two clips per person at the very least, and you'll be set.
Sunscreen lip balm
You know to bring sunscreen, but did you know your lips can get sunburned, chapped, or both?
I'll admit it's not something I really think about, but it's a legit issue that could dampen your day to deal with.
Bringing a pack of lip balm that has SPF protection means you won't ruin your beach or pool day.
Full-face snorkel mask
I'm not a snorkel person, but I know so many people swear by full-face snorkels to make it so much easier.
Once again, you could rent snorkel gear from Royal Caribbean, but bringing your own means you can re-use it on future trips and that will save you money.
The advantage of a full-face mask is it's supposed to make set up a heck of a lot easier for novices. There's no breathing tubes or goggles to mess with and try to align.
Heck, some even come with a GoPro attachment so you can show your friends, family, and neighbor Kenny all of your underwater adventures.
Liquid band-aids
Instead of packing regular band-aids, it's a good idea to go with liquid bandages because of the nature of a cruise vacation.
It's easy to get blisters while on vacation from all the extra walking you'll do on the ship and on shore. Plus, if you have new shoes that you bought for the trip, it's even more likely.
The benefit of liquid ones is standard band-aids fall off in the water, and then you have the sting of salt water hitting the wound. Not to mention no one likes to see band-aids
Liquid bandages do not actually adhere to the skin like traditional ones. Instead, the glue-like substance forms a tough protective barrier to seal out water, dirt, and germs.
Privacy pouch with lock
When it comes to what to do with your personal belongings, I always just hid my things somewhere around my chair. But there is a better way.
While I don't think petty theft is a problem at CocoCay, better safe than sorry. To that point, you could get a bag that attaches to your chair so it won't go anywhere.
You'll want a small bag that's water resistant and has a lock so you can put your phone, cash, SeaPass card, and anything else valuable safely away.
Water shoes
While the sand and surf at Perfect Day are quite pristine, there are rocks and things in the water that you'd want to wear water shoes to avoid a squishy or pointy step.
This is especially true at Chill Island, where there's more rocks and crevices. This natural growth is great for snorkeling, but walking in the water could be interesting.
Plus, the sand and walkways can get very hot anywhere on the island during the summer months.
Don't worry, flip-flops will work just fine if you don't have water shoes. They just tend to be more secure and slip-proof.
