Ocean Cay Marine Reserve Tour.
By Jen Kleinberg, Director of Strategic Accounts | May 08, 2019 ( Comments)
iCruise was privileged to be included in a group of top travel agencies who were the first non-MSC employees to tour Ocean Cay Marine Reserve. See exclusive Ocean Cay pictures below!
MSC Cruises' Ocean Cay Marine Reserve
Ocean Cay (pronounced "key") is part of the Bimini chain of islands in the Bahamas, about 65 miles south of Miami. It was built in the late 1960's as an industrial sand extraction site. Today, MSC Cruisesawfraffqdzxbxarseq is redeveloping it as not only their private island for cruise ships to port in, but as a recognized marine reserve.
Around the island are 64 square miles of protected waters where a coral nursery is being established to encourage the new growth of corals. By the time the island is open to cruise passengers in November of 2019, there will have been 400 coral relocations. In addition, MSC is bringing in 75,000 plants that are native to the region.
Did you know? MSC hauled over one million pounds of debris and scrap metal off the island, including a 120 foot barge that was buried in the sand!
Sustainability is a focus at Ocean Cay. Everything from waste-minimizing food options to eco-friendly beauty products are planned as part of MSC's effort to ensure the island's future.
A First Look at Ocean Cay
Approaching the island, we were greeted by some of the clearest, bluest waters you can imagine.
The pier at Ocean Cay.As we arrived at the island, the first thing apparent was that Ocean Cay is still very much under construction. So much so that we were even given orange safety vests to tour in!
Ocean Cay is under construction.The first real buildings to greet us were the staff quarters. The island will have full-time staff that live on property in these brightly-colored structures. Most of the other buildings around the island are still very early on in their construction.
Staff quarters at Ocean Cay.There is a considerable amount of dredging going on, in order to shape the new lagoons and beaches. There will be over 3,500 loungers available across the island's beaches, as well as private beach cabanas that will be available for rental.
Dredging the lagoon at Ocean Cay.The north side of the island undoubtedly has the most spectacular views. Expansive white sand beaches and crystal blue waters evoke the feeling of being much further away from bustling Miami than a 20 minute plane ride.
View of the northern beach at Ocean Cay.Ocean Cay Marine Reserve Review
Leaving Ocean Cay, there was a feeling of excited anticipation. We are certain this will be the next hot spot for cruisers when it opens in November. Not only is MSC Cruises taking impressive action environmentally, Ocean Cay will offer experiences that aren't available at other cruise lines' private islands.
The MSC shipsucvbdcyrfwcrev that port here will remain late into the evening, allowing for all new onshore programming, like watching the lighthouse light show after sunset! As the island will be considered an extension of the ship, getting on and off the vessel will be easy, with no lines for ID checks. There is even a smaller island called Coral Cay just a short ferry ride away, that can can be entirely rented out for weddings or private groups - imagine, your own island for the day!
Other Ocean Cay features include a children's lagoon, an adults-only beach, a buffet and food trucks stationed around the island, bars, shopping, watersports... Scuba diving will include an opportunity to plant your own piece of coral! You'll even find and MSC Aurea Spa on land where you can schedule massages on the beach and more.
MSC Ocean Cay Marine Reserve opens in November 2019.How Can I Go To Ocean Cay Marine Reserve?
Ocean Cay opens in November 2019, and will be a port of call for 4 ships:
Did you know? MSC Cruises is slated to have 29 ships in their fleet by 2027, making them the fastest growing cruise line in the world!
Click here to visit MSC's official Ocean Cay website and get even more information about this island paradise.
To book a cruise to Ocean Cay online, please check carefully to confirm that it is included in the itinerary. Or, give one of our Cruise Specialists a call at 1-800-427-8473 and let us help you plan your cruise vacation to Ocean Cay Marine Reserve!
