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With chic staterooms, high-end amenities, and over-the-top service, the only thing many cruise ships are missing is a long sandy beach.
To get their fix, many passengers buy day passes to island resorts, where they have to battle it out with registered hotel guests for beach cabanas, umbrellas, and towel space.
To remedy that, many cruise lines have purchased or leased private islands.
Norwegian started the trend in 1977, when it bought Great Stirrup Cay from Belcher Oil Company. (And it will become the first cruise line with an island in Belize when Harvest Caye debuts off the coast of Placencia this fall.)
Other companies with their own isles include Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, and Holland America, which all have outposts in the Bahamas.
MSC join the club in December 2017, whit debuts its own Bahamian isle, Ocean Cay.

MSC CRUISES: OCEAN CAY, BAHAMAS

MSC Cruises is spending $200 million to turn 95-acre former sand extraction station into a marine reserve and private port of call.
Set to welcome ships , Ocean Cay with 11,400 feet of white sand, a zip line, inland lagoon, and a wedding pavilion, plus a spa and wellness center for MSC Yacht Club guests.
MSC is building a 2,000-seat amphitheater for live performances, as well as multiple bars and restaurants. (Ships will dock at a pier, making it easy for passengers to go back to their cabin and change for dinner.)

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE: HARVEST CAYE, BELIZE

Norwegian’s newest private island is set to open in November of 2016 off the southern coast of Belize. Four ships—Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Escape, and Norwegian Jade will call here on Western Caribbean cruises; sister brands Oceania and Regent Seven Seas also plan to visit on select itineraries. Among the over-the-top draws: a seven-acre beach with 10 private villas, a 15,000-square-foot pool with a swim-up bar, and the 130-foot-tall Flighthouse where guests will find ziplines, free-fall jumps, suspension bridges, and a ropes course.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN: COCOCAY, BAHAMAS

Once called Little Stirrup Cay, this 140-acre island has six bars and four strips of white sand with self-explanatory names like Watersports Beach and Snorkel Beach. (If you want to avoid the crowds, Barefoot Beach is the least hectic of the bunch.) It also lays claim to one of the largest floating aqua parks in the Bahamas, as well as a 40-foot waterslide on the sand.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE: GREAT STIRRUP CAY, BAHAMAS

Thanks to a recent $25 million spruce-up, guests of this 250-acre outpost in the Berry Islands have access to expanded beach areas, private cabanas, and more bars and restaurants. Expect additional improvements by the spring of 2017 as part of the cruise line’s $400 million Norwegian Edge program, which also includes fleet-wide ship refurbishments and expanded onboard culinary programs.

HOLLAND AMERICA: HALF MOON CAY, BAHAMAS

Only two percent of this 2,400-acre islet, located in the Out Islands between Cat Island and Eleuthra, has been developed, but there’s still plenty to explore beyond the two-and-a-half-mile crescent of white sand. Along with the usual activities (jet skis, kayaking), guests can sign up for a beachside massage, go snorkeling with stingrays, and book a horseback ride that includes a dip in the sea. Bonus for birdwatchers: Half Moon Cay is a Wild Bird Reserve, so keep your eyes peeled for bananaquits, shearwaters, and Bahamian pintails.

DISNEY CRUISE LINE: CASTAWAY CAY, BAHAMAS

On this 1,000-acre island, there’s plenty to keep little ones occupied, including a floating water slide, water-balloon battles, and of course, character appearances galore. Even the snorkel trail includes a Mickey statue and a replica of the submarine from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Those in need of grown-up time, drop the younger kids off for supervised activities at Scuttle’s Cove (children 3 to 12) or Da Shade Game Pavilion (tweens 11 to 13) and make a break for Serenity Bay, the quiet adults-only beach located almost a mile away from the main strip.