The newest feature on Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay is a spot called Hideaway Beach.
When the cruise line spent hundreds of millions of dollars to renovate the entire island a few years ago, they included everything you could imagine. From a sleepy spot with decent beaches and some loungers, CocoCay turned into a tropical playground with everything from a massive pool to a waterpark, ziplines, beaches, and a lot more.
The only thing that was missing was a spot for adults to enjoy. Meanwhile, many Royal Caribbean ships feature Solariums that are adults-only, providing a spot for the grown-ups to enjoy away from kids.
Given the big draw that CocoCay is for families, not having a spot for adults definitely stood out. That is, until the cruise line opened Hideaway Beach.
What Is Hideaway Beach?
If you’re not familiar, Hideaway Beach is an adults-only area of CocoCay. Similar to how many Royal Caribbean ships have spots designated for grown-ups, Hideaway Beach is that area on CocoCay.
There is an admission fee (more on that in a moment) to access the area. Once there, you’ll have the run of a sweeping beach in a protected cove, a large infinity pool, bars, restaurants, and more.
If you’re wanting a spot to relax or a spot to party — without having to worry about kids around — then this is it.
Where Hideaway Beach Sits on CocoCay
When you arrive to CocoCay, you dock at the pier and can see the entire island before you. However, you likely won’t notice Hideaway Beach from the ship. True to the name, it’s out of the way.
As you reach the shore from the pier, Hideaway Beach is an immediate right turn. From there, you can take a shuttle or simply walk about 5-10 minutes down the path to reach the entrance.
This location is away from any other attraction on the island. In fact, the “back of house” facilities sit between Hideaway Beach and the rest of CocoCay. In other words, when you’re here, you’re definitely away from the rest of everything going on around the island.
What’s Included With Admission
You can think of Hideaway Beach as a miniature CocoCay. The features found here replicate a lot of what you’ll find elsewhere on the island.
Let’s start with the beach. Hideaway Beach features a sweeping half moon cove that stretches the length of the facility. Because it’s not oceanfront (there is a row of rocks that act as a breakwater between the ocean and the cove, so the water is always calm.
Surrounding the beach are hundreds — if not more than a thousand — loungers and umbrellas. Just like you can do elsewhere on CocoCay, you simply find a spot you like and set up shop.
The biggest draw during our visit, however, was a massive infinity pool that sits back of the beach. Here there is a large structure that covers a center bar and lounge area and some of the pool. There’s music playing, lots of people hanging out, and drinks flowing.
Walk around a bit and you’ll find the facilities needs for a day at the beach, including showers, restrooms, and lockers. It’s all included for the day.
There are multiple restaurants at Hideaway Beach, including a spot serving pizza and one that’s similar to the “Snack Shack” you’ll find elsewhere, but with a slightly different menu. Here you can get burgers, ceviche, shrimp baskets, salads, and desserts.
Hideaway Beach offers multiple bars, including a swim-up bar at the pool, On The Rocks (sitting a little away from other things and offering great views), and another near the restaurants.
Want to spend more? There are cabanas available to rent, which come with their own shared infinity pool that those paying the regular admission fee don’t get to access. There are also less-expensive cabana options that sit on the beach without the pool access.
How Much Hideaway Beach Costs
As mentioned, there is an admission charge to access Hideaway Beach. This is unlike adult-only areas on Royal Caribbean ships, which are included with your fare.
Royal Caribbean uses something called “dynamic pricing,” which is a fancy way of saying that the price changes depending on your specific cruise. Officially, the price mentioned by Royal Caribbean for access to Hideaway Beach is anywhere from $39 to $89 per person for the day.
For my recent cruise, I snagged admission for a price of $39.99 per day before the cruise. Once on the ship, I saw a price of $69.00 per person.
For cabanas, I saw prices between $1,000-$1,200 for the cabanas on the beach and prices of $1,900 for the cabanas on the exclusive infinity pool.
Drinks are the same cost as elsewhere on the island and your drink package will also work on CocoCay if you have one.
My Personal Experience (What It Was Like)
I recently took a cruise to CocoCay for the first time since Hideaway Beach opened. Frankly, I was a bit surprised as it was not what I was expecting.
First things first, the day I visited it was an overcast day with a steady drizzle most of the time. Because of that, crowds around the island (with two large ships docked) were smaller than if the weather would have been better.
Hideaway Beach was relatively empty across most of the area. Nobody was lying near the beach or swimming. The crowds were thin to non-existent and the facility felt spacious. Given that it is relatively new, it also felt in great shape and truly had everything you’d need to enjoy a beach day.
What surprised me, then? Well, Hideaway Beach saw small crowds except for one area — the covered area in the infinity pool.
There, a DJ was blasting music, and seemingly everyone that visited was crowded around the bar area. A lot of this may have been to simply stay out of the drizzle (even while being in a swimming pool) but we have a feeling that the bar and the DJ are the heart of Hideaway Beach.
For instance, you see the same crowding near the swim-up bar in Oasis Lagoon even in perfect weather.
But I was surprised because when I think of “adults-only” on a cruise, I think about the spots like the Solarium on Royal Caribbean ships. It’s a more upscale atmosphere, that’s quiet, reserved, and relaxing.
Hideaway Beach is the opposite. Here, the focus is on the party and the crowd definitely trended younger. There were places to get away from the music (though you could hear it everywhere in Hideaway Beach, there are quieter spots if you wanted to relax).
It’s possible that on a sunny day the number of people enjoying the beach or other areas would help to balance out the party atmosphere. However, during my visit it was clear that the music and the bar are the real draw to Hideaway Beach.
Is Hideaway Beach Worth It?
Whether or not Hideaway Beach is worth it to you is going to depend on a couple of factors.
First, is what kind of day you are looking for when you’re picturing Hideaway Beach. Second, is how much you pay. With the different price points, the math behind if it’s worth it or not can vary.
Let’s start with the first point. If you’re wanting to book admission and you’re picturing a quiet, calm retreat, then Hideaway Beach likely isn’t for you and won’t be worth it. That’s not to say you can’t just lounge on the beach and relax; you definitely can. But the spot seems to revolve around the party at the pool.
If you’re wanting quieter, we’d suggest the Coco Beach Club (though more expensive). It has a more upscale and relaxing atmosphere. You can also just opt to find a quieter, out-of-the-way spot on the beach elsewhere on the island for no cost.
On the other hand, if you’re wanting to let loose, then paying admission will definitely be worth it. There are some similar “party” spots on CocoCay (namely, the swim-up bar at Oasis Lagoon), but they pale in comparison to what’s going on here. That’s not to say this is anything too wild and crazy, but in terms of size it definitely is a larger scene than elsewhere.
Second, the price you pay will matter. For me, I paid $40. With that cost, I felt like it was a fair deal. There’s no arguing that everything you get for the daily admission is available for free elsewhere on CocoCay. You already have free access to beaches, pool, and similar food around the island.
But for the admission fee you get everything in a smaller area, no kids around, and smaller crowds. That’s definitely worth something.
When the price creeps up higher, that value to us starts to fade. Remember, the cost is per person, so two adults visiting at a price of $50 per day will spend $100 off the bat. Then if you want to hit the bar, your drinks will be on top of that if you don’t already have the drink package.
Bottom Line: For passengers looking for a party atmosphere on CocoCay or at prices around $40 per person (or preferably less), then we think you’ll find Hideaway Beach worth it. If prices are higher on your cruise or you are looking for something that’s quieter, we’d argue that you’re better off saving the money and enjoying other areas of the island.
More on Visiting CocoCay:
- What I Wish I Knew Before Visiting CocoCay
- CocoCay: 21+ Tips & Things to Know for Royal Caribbean’s Island (Prices, What to Do, And More)
- Is Thrill Waterpark on CocoCay Worth It? Pricing at $161 Per Person Seen
