Castaway vs. Lookout

[bbn1122]

Well, just left Lookout Cay for the first time. I am on the Dream and we were at Castaway yesterday.

I like Castaway so much more.

The water at LP was choppy, so maybe if it was calm I would have been more impressed. The sand was super soft.

I missed not being able to have a float or tube due to being on the open waters.

I spent yesterday at Serenity Bay, water was calm, crystal clear and gorgeous.

The walking is too much on LP.
I did the walk, 12 minutes with a couple stops for photos and I was walking slowly because of a tender knee.

The return I got a ride just as it began to downpour.

Once you get off the tram that takes you to the main action, you still have to continue walking passed two family areas and a line of Adult Cabanas just to reach the Adult beach. It’s a lot of walking.

The Vibe is just not there for me. I appreciate the nod to Bahamian culture but I like the tropical island feel of CC. Like your on Gilligan’s Island hence the name Castaway.

The food was fine.
Flies were minimum.

I don’t know when I will be doing my DCL Bahamian cruise but I will choose CC only.

Just my 3 cents. This was my 11th DCL cruise.
Lookout Point


Serenity Bay, CC

 

[cruisehopeful]

I enjoyed both, but I grew up at the beach and I'm used to swimming in crazy waves and rip tides. I actually spent about an hour swimming between a couple bouys on Lookout Cay at the adult beach.

That said, the walking is significant. I somehow ended up getting mixed up when trying to get a return tram. There wasn't even anyone to ask for help figuring out where to get it. I suspect it'll improve with feedback. In the meantime, I would prefer a couple stops at Castaway over Lookout.

 

[insureman]

We like Castaway much more. Beaches are more controlled at Castaway enough that there's very little chance a large shark gets in the lagoon area also you don't have to worry about an undertow. Also you don't have the death march on the long pier going to Lookout.

 

[DCL58]

We were lucky to get to spend 2 days on Castaway and 2 days on Lookout in July. This was our first visit to LC and we have probably been to CC over 20 times.

The first day at LC was super windy, so no umbrellas were allowed. We didn’t end up staying very long due to that.

The second day at LC was incredible. Perfect weather. Perfect water. We stayed all day on LC - something we have never done on CC.

We still love CC, but would pick LC if we had to visit just one island. We walk multiple miles everyday, so we enjoyed the long walk on LC. When we visit CC, we always walk 6+ miles before even going to the beach!

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Castaway Cay is far and away my favorite Bahamian/Caribbean cruise ship port and when I started reading reviews for LC I was disappointed and sure it would be vastly inferior… in the past year, I’ve been to LC twice and CC at least 4 times and I have to say there are great things about both of them. If you love feeling like you’re in the ocean and body surfing the waves, the beach at LC really is better—but I don’t think it’s a match for CC unless they stay in port later and keep the bars and smoothie places open later— if you’re not a morning person (or still on West Coast time) it’s a very short day before they start closing everything down.

I also would like to see them do more for people with mobility issues, but perhaps they have added more carts since our last sailing there last year.

 

[bbn1122]

I enjoyed both, but I grew up at the beach and I'm used to swimming in crazy waves and rip tides. I actually spent about an hour swimming between a couple bouys on Lookout Cay at the adult beach.

That said, the walking is significant. I somehow ended up getting mixed up when trying to get a return tram. There wasn't even anyone to ask for help figuring out where to get it. I suspect it'll improve with feedback. In the meantime, I would prefer a couple stops at Castaway over Lookout.

I grew up on the Jersey shore and went swimming many a days after hurricanes passed our coast. So, big waves or any waves I welcome.
It was choppy, which is not the best.

I spent about 45 minutes in the water. It’s the first thing I did at both beaches. Jumped in the beautiful water.

Also the tide was out so the one buoy was only 20 feet from where you entered the water. I had to swim down the beach to be able to really get out further in the water.

Thanks for your experience.

 

[Disnsyncey]

A beach isn't a beach to me if it doesn't have waves to bodysurf in, so I'm looking forward to Lookout! But I know I will enjoy both for different reasons if it's not pouring down rain these next few days!

 

[Moonspinner]

There was a shark on lookout about 5-10 feet from shore swimming along the coastline on the day we went. It didn’t bother anyone, but we were some of the first people out there. No one was in the water yet but lots of people gathered along the coastline to watch it.

So we are team Castaway!

 

[John VN]

Castaway Cay is far and away my favorite Bahamian/Caribbean cruise ship port and when I started reading reviews for LC I was disappointed and sure it would be vastly inferior… in the past year, I’ve been to LC twice and CC at least 4 times and I have to say there are great things about both of them. If you love feeling like you’re in the ocean and body surfing the waves, the beach at LC really is better—but I don’t think it’s a match for CC unless they stay in port later and keep the bars and smoothie places open later— if you’re not a morning person (or still on West Coast time) it’s a very short day before they start closing everything down.

I also would like to see them do more for people with mobility issues, but perhaps they have added more carts since our last sailing there last year.

Have not been to LC but have to CC and it's our kind of retreat from real-life. DW and I always walked plenty and even made the Inaugural Marathon Weekend CC 5K plus a long time ago I got to Blow the Horns while leaving CC and then our 3 oldest grandsons got to also. For sure beauty and enjoyment are unique to each and having visited other cruise Islands we were sold on CC until we found our new retreat. Being able to stay overnight with the 2nd day leaving around 6pm is awesome. Maybe some day we will experience LC, if we live long enough

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Have not been to LC but have to CC and it's our kind of retreat from real-life. DW and I always walked plenty and even made the Inaugural Marathon Weekend CC 5K plus a long time ago I got to Blow the Horns while leaving CC and then our 3 oldest grandsons got to also. For sure beauty and enjoyment are unique to each and having visited other cruise Islands we were sold on CC until we found our new retreat. Being able to stay overnight with the 2nd day leaving around 6pm is awesome. Maybe some day we will experience LC, if we live long enough

Where can you stay overnight?

 

[DCL58]

There was a shark on lookout about 5-10 feet from shore swimming along the coastline on the day we went. It didn’t bother anyone, but we were some of the first people out there. No one was in the water yet but lots of people gathered along the coastline to watch it.

So we are team Castaway!

There was a shark at castaway when we were there in July. Guess sharks aren’t just limited to LC.

 

[nephykupo]

I did both on my last cruise and I enjoyed LP a lot more. The water was crystal clear and calm. Sand was incredible. When I was at Castaway, the water wasn't very clear. A bit cloudy with sand I think? This is all weather dependent. I liked both though and would do again.

 

[Moonspinner]

There was a shark at castaway when we were there in July. Guess sharks aren’t just limited to LC.

Was it a big one? This one was probably about 10 ft. If I had to guess, I would say it was a Bull shark.

 

[John VN]

Where can you stay overnight?

MSC has many overnight stays at their MSC Ocean Cay Marine Reserve Island. Waking up in the morning and looking out over the Island and Caribbean water's is a sight that is beyond awesome. We sailed 2 weeks ago from PC and had 1st day Nassau then Ocean Cay at 8am Tuesday with ALL Aboard at 11:30pm after 2 Lighthouse Electrical with sound displays and entry back on the Island at 7:30am with ALL Aboard at 5:30pm and back to PC.

Since 2019 DW and I have exclusively cruised MSC in Yacht Club. YC is DCL Concierge on steroids (much - much more service for far fewer $$$ and even at times for around DCL's regular Veranda prices. We no longer have the need for a Disney Fix so nothing is missed especially when we get SO MUCH VALUE for our $$$$.

BTW, Ocean Cay is a very relaxing - NO FRILLS easy walk off the ship and you are there. Hope this was helpful and happy to answer questions.

 

[georgiagirl2]

I did both on my last cruise and I enjoyed LP a lot more. The water was crystal clear and calm. Sand was incredible. When I was at Castaway, the water wasn't very clear. A bit cloudy with sand I think? This is all weather dependent. I liked both though and would do again.

We sailed on the Dream this past week and did both also. It was our first time at LP. We loved it and preferred it to Castaway. We only experienced the adult beaches both days.

There was much more room to spread out at LP Serenity Bay, both on the beach and at the lunch venue. The water was beautiful and we loved the sound of the waves. The sand felt like velvet on your feet!

We are only looking at future itineraries that include LP.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

We sailed on the Dream this past week and did both also. It was our first time at LP. We loved it and preferred it to Castaway. We only experienced the adult beaches both days.

There was much more room to spread out at LP Serenity Bay, both on the beach and at the lunch venue. The water was beautiful and we loved the sound of the waves. The sand felt like velvet on your feet!

We are only looking at future itineraries that include LP.

I do think the Serenity Bay at LP is my favorite part of the island— the family beach feels much more crowded to me than Castaway Cay— I suspect that’s partially because it’s not broken up into separate beach activity areas, and partially because there’s not as much other stuff to do (biking, water slides, teen club, etc).

 

[DCL58]

Was it a big one? This one was probably about 10 ft. If I had to guess, I would say it was a Bull shark.

No. Not that big. I have seen 10 foot sharks on the beach in 30A in 2024 - we were there when the 2 ladies were bitten by bull sharks on the same afternoon. Never seen so many sharks in my life - they were everywhere.

 

[Moonspinner]

No. Not that big. I have seen 10 foot sharks on the beach in 30A in 2024 - we were there when the 2 ladies were bitten by bull sharks on the same afternoon. Never seen so many sharks in my life - they were everywhere.

I grew up near the Florida panhandle and have spent a lot of time on those beaches and it seems there are many more sharks there today than there were even 25 years ago. I never saw any sharks in the gulf as a kid or young adult and we did a lot there, beaches, boating, fishing, sailing. I moved away and about ten years later started going back to vacation and all of sudden there were sharks there. I’m not scared of sharks but I do know that you don’t want to be in the water when they are there. We have seen one at Vero once (probably about 5ft), but I don’t have any historical experience with the Atlantic coast. It was doing the same thing we saw at lookout, swimming about five or so feet along the coastline. That behavior seems particularly weird to me, probably because I didn’t see it when I was younger— not once.
Dolphins, for example, still behave the way they always have. I saw plenty as a younger person on the Florida panhandle beaches. They usually travel in groups, sometimes only groups of two. And they swim about 50plus feet off the shore, maybe come in a bit more but not much. But shark behavior does seem to have changed.

We did like lookout. It is more natural than castaway which is lovely. We just didn’t like it as much as castaway. It might be because we have so many memories at castaway. But we also really like how Disney castaway is. For the most part Lookout could have been any other cruise lines’s private beach. Our favorite cruise line beach is half moon cay. We haven’t tried Msc’s but would really like to.

 

[jwalk03]

If I have to chose between the 2- I would chose Lookout. The natural beauty there is just stunning. Castaway feels like a manufactured tropical destination while Lookout feels very natural and simply stunning.

I still enjoy Castaway; but prefer Lookout.

 

[DCL58]

I grew up near the Florida panhandle and have spent a lot of time on those beaches and it seems there are many more sharks there today than there were even 25 years ago. I never saw any sharks in the gulf as a kid or young adult and we did a lot there, beaches, boating, fishing, sailing. I moved away and about ten years later started going back to vacation and all of sudden there were sharks there. I’m not scared of sharks but I do know that you don’t want to be in the water when they are there. We have seen one at Vero once (probably about 5ft), but I don’t have any historical experience with the Atlantic coast. It was doing the same thing we saw at lookout, swimming about five or so feet along the coastline. That behavior seems particularly weird to me, probably because I didn’t see it when I was younger— not once.
Dolphins, for example, still behave the way they always have. I saw plenty as a younger person on the Florida panhandle beaches. They usually travel in groups, sometimes only groups of two. And they swim about 50plus feet off the shore, maybe come in a bit more but not much. But shark behavior does seem to have changed.

We did like lookout. It is more natural than castaway which is lovely. We just didn’t like it as much as castaway. It might be because we have so many memories at castaway. But we also really like how Disney castaway is. For the most part Lookout could have been any other cruise lines’s private beach. Our favorite cruise line beach is half moon cay. We haven’t tried Msc’s but would really like to.

Same. Grew up 90 miles from the panhandle. Spent my childhood going all the time. Still go as an adult. Have never seen the amount of sharks I have seen in the last few years. 2024 being the worst - large shark after large shark swimming right off the sand. Spent my childhood swimming in the gulf - won’t get in now. I will swim at LC and CC.