A day at Ocean Cay Marine Reserve

I want to start by telling you the backstory of this private island. This island is owned by MSC which means Explora Journeys have exclusive access, making their guests' experiences unforgettable.

Ocean Cay is an island located in the Bahamas which was used in a previous life to mine white Aragonite sand; you can see why this would work for a private island! The cay fell into a state of decay once Dillingham Construction abandoned the island, and this is where MSC comes in. MSC acquired the island in 2015 on a 100 year lease and went about investing an estimated $200 million on their new project. The restoration involved removing all the abandoned mining facilities and infrastructure, from there the resort was built from the ground up. The island now has eight beaches with crystal clear water and chalk like sand creating the perfect paradise for relaxation and adventure.

Considering MSC Cruise Line guest capacities are usually between 4,000 and 7,000 guests, Explora has a maximum capacity of 922 guests, which gives everyone on board a great space to make it feel like you're on your own private luxury ship.

So on to my experience of Ocean Cay…

After already experiencing the most fantastic 6 days onboard Explora Journeys first ship Explora 1, I didn’t think it could get any better until we docked at Ocean Cay. The white sand and beautiful mixture of blue waters had everyone onboard taking a quick snap of the beautiful landscape before us. The excitement filled the air as we awaited the day ahead of us as our ship began to dock mid morning.

We docked at the edge of Lighthouse beach; as we disembarked the air conditioned ship Ocean Cay was a 30 metre walk away. Before leaving the ship red towels were provided that were beautifully embroidered by Explora Journeys. We were greeted in the arrival plaza where there was a bar, excursion centre and an island buggy pick up point to take you to any location on the island of your choosing. As soon as we stepped foot onto the island we knew that Ocean Cay had endless possibilities for adventure.

As we were on the all inclusive Explora there wouldn’t be any extra cost for food and drink onshore. The chef’s and bartenders from the ship very swiftly set about opening the bars and food stands on shore. We opted for the Gourmet Burger Hut, a delicious bacon cheeseburger with a side of what must have been tripled cooked chips; the perfect beach bite.

After this we opted to be dropped off at the Ocean Cay Lagoon by the buggy service; a pontoon floating maybe 50 metres into the lagoon piqued my curiosity. I swam away to find my own little patch of floating paradise. My 15 minutes of total relaxation here made me realise that a factor 50 sun cream would have been much more warranted than the factor 30 I had applied. With my colour changing to lobster I made my way back to shore for some shade. A short while later we made our way to the lighthouse beach and took a walk to see the spectacular view of the ship docked right in front of us. There were numerous secluded beach cabanas providing shade from the sun around the island. We found out that snorkelling and a shipwreck tour were the most popular excursions available and I now understand why.

The only downside to our day was that it went by far too quickly; I cherish my memories fondly and look forward to my next day at Ocean Cay…hopefully, sooner rather than later. 

Call Panache Cruises on 0161 513 8200 if you want to learn more about Explora Journeys.