Castaway Cay: what is included, what costs extra, and how long you actually get

What is Castaway Cay?

Castaway Cay is a private Bahamian island reserved for Disney Cruise Line guests, called at on Bahamian and Caribbean itineraries. The ship ties up alongside a pier, so there is no tender: you walk off onto the island and back on when you please.

That single detail shapes the whole day. At most private islands in the Caribbean you queue for a boat in both directions; here the ship is a five-minute walk away all day, which is why people go back aboard for a nap or a shower and come out again.

How long do you actually get on Castaway Cay?

A median of 6.8 hours ashore, which is less than the published schedule implies.

We measure it rather than quote it. Our own AIS record holds 124 measured calls at the Castaway Cay berth, and the fleet median is first stationary at 07:25 and last at 16:13. The published schedule says 08:00 to 16:00.

The spread between ships is bigger than the difference from the schedule: the Disney Magic sits until about 17:00 while the Disney Treasure does not tie up until about 08:45 — more than three hours between the longest day and the shortest. Our Castaway Cay day length page breaks all 124 calls down by ship and explains the method.

What is included at Castaway Cay, and what costs extra?

Most of the island is included in what you have already paid. Disney lists the beaches, the lagoons, the water play areas, the walking trails, the BBQ meals and the tram as part of the day.

Included: Castaway Family Beach and Serenity Bay, Pelican Plunge and its two waterslides, Scuttle's Cove for younger children, the Teen Hideout for 14 to 17s, the Sports Beach, the In Da Shade Game Pavilion, the walking trails, the trams between stops, the post office, and lunch at Cookie's BBQ or Hangar 98.

Extra: cabanas, cabana massages, Castaway Ray's Stingray Adventure, the port adventures — parasailing, glass-bottom boat, snorkelling with stingrays, boat rentals — snorkel gear and watercraft from Gil's Fins and Boats, drinks from the Castaway Air Bar and Olaf's Summertime Freeze, and anything from the shops.

The practical version: you can have a complete day here having spent nothing beyond the fare. Our cabana guide covers the one extra that costs four figures.

Which beach should you choose at Castaway Cay?

Castaway Cay has three beaches, and they are separated deliberately rather than by accident.

Castaway Family Beach is the main one — waterslides, kayaks, snorkelling in the lagoon, Cookie's BBQ, music at the Gazebo, and the Sports Beach with volleyball and tetherball alongside it.

Serenity Bay is reserved for adults 18 and over, at the far end of the island, with its own barbecue at Hangar 98 and the Castaway Air Bar. It is a tram ride away, which is the point: the noise does not carry. Our Serenity Bay guide covers getting there and whether the trip is worth it.

Scuttle's Cove is for younger children, staffed by the same Disney Youth Activities counsellors who run the Oceaneer Club on board — sandcastles, capture the flag, and a mock whale dig site. Teens 14 to 17 have the Teen Hideout to themselves.

What is there to do at Castaway Cay besides the beach?

Enough that people who expect to be bored by two in the afternoon usually are not.

Pelican Plunge is a platform out in the lagoon with two waterslides. The Castaway Cay 5K runs a route around the island and finishers get a medal. Characters appear around the beaches through the day.

The post office on the dock franks anything you send with a Castaway Cay postmark, which is the cheapest souvenir on the island.

For a fee there is Castaway Ray's Stingray Adventure, parasailing, a glass-bottom boat, and rentals — kayaks, paddleboats, aqua trikes and snorkel gear — from Gil's Fins and Boats.

Where do you eat at Castaway Cay?

Lunch is included and served at two barbecues: Cookie's at Castaway Family Beach, and Hangar 98 at Serenity Bay for the adults-only end.

Drinks are the exception. The Castaway Air Bar at Serenity Bay and Olaf's Summertime Freeze near the Pelican Point tram stop both charge, and the souvenir cups are extra again.

You can also eat back on the ship. The buffet runs through the day and the walk from the beach is short enough that a family with small children often does exactly that.

What should you book before you sail?

Two things, and both open before you board.

Cabanas are the hard one: there are few of them, they are booked from the day your window opens, and they are frequently gone before a first-time cruiser's window even opens. Our booking windows page sets out which day yours starts, by Castaway Club tier — and that Concierge guests get 130 days by telephone against 123 days online.

Port adventures — the stingray encounter, parasailing, the glass-bottom boat — book in the same window and go the same way on a full sailing. Everything else on the island is walk-up.