Is there ample shade at Castaway Cay?

[auntsue]

I am wondering about the availability of beach umbrellas or other means of shade on Castaway Cay. (I was diagnosed and had surgery for malignant melanoma in 2006 and cannot stay in the sun for any great length of time.) What are my options for shade on the adult beach?

Also, I think it is a tender to CC, am I correct? Do they run all day long, in other words can you leave the ship and/or go back to the ship any time you want, or is it on a schedule? Is lunch at Cookes BBQ all day?

Do you have to get to the beach early to find shade?

Thanks for your help.

 

[eva]

I am wondering about the availability of beach umbrellas or other means of shade on Castaway Cay. (I was diagnosed and had surgery for malignant melanoma in 2006 and cannot stay in the sun for any great length of time.) What are my options for shade on the adult beach?

Also, I think it is a tender to CC, am I correct? Do they run all day long, in other words can you leave the ship and/or go back to the ship any time you want, or is it on a schedule? Is lunch at Cookes BBQ all day?

Do you have to get to the beach early to find shade?

Thanks for your help.

On Serenity Bay (adult beach) there are plenty of umbrellas. On the family beach you may have to stake one out. You do not tender on CC. You dock and can come and go as you please. But you should note that it is quite some distance from Sereity Beach to the dock. So you will not want to just go back and forth all day long. Lunch has set times. But I really don't remember the exact times. Normal lunch hours though, maybe 11:30 to 1:00 or so. There is usually ice cream and fruit to be had later in the day.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

There is a tram available to take you from near the ship to Serenity Bay. The tram runs all day long. Yes, there is plenty of shade.

 

[auntsue]

Thanks for the quick replies. I was considering just staying on the ship, but we are already doing that in Nassau so I really wanted to get off at the island, but I am very hyper about the sun. (We went to Hawaii last year and did not do the beach, and I really regret that. I live four miles from the Gulf of Mexico and never go there, and four miles from the Atlantic Ocean and pretty much avoid that also, unless I am lathered up and under an umbrella.)

It sounds like I will definitely be able to find shade on CC so I am going to plan on going ashore there. That makes me feel so much better. It seemed to make no sense to go on a cruise and never get off the ship.

OT: Where is Cookes BBQ located? Is there a place to eat on the adult beach?

 

[clten]

Cookies is right across from the family beach. The adult beach does have a spot to eat. It usually has different offerings than Cookies -- steak sandwiches and sometimes lobster cakes.

 

[bridget]

Plenty of shade!!!!

We went in June, and I was diagnosed with Melanoma in October. I'm so fair skinned! I've always been pretty careful w/sunscreen, etc (I've also had basal cell carcinoma). It totally stinks because I'm 34 years old. Looking at the pictures of our cruise, I'm always under an umbrella w/my swim shirt (Cozumel, Key West and CC)!

I have found some very cute cover-ups at Lands End that are very stylish and cover tons as well!

We are going on a trip to Disney in May/June and then on a cruise in October, and I need to carefully schedule my derm. appointments because I don't want to have stiches!

 

[Cruisin]

Here is a post of mine from an earlier thread about this same topic. I just copied and pasted it from there to here




This might be the perfect spot for you at Serenity Bay.

When you get to the beach, turn right and continue down the line of beach chairs. Keep a watch off behind the chairs and you will find this section.

It is in a separate spot, behind the most visible line of chairs. You can still see the water and have easy access but you have good shade. These pictures were taken late morning.

In the second photo you can see the line of chairs along the main beach, which will be in front of the nice shady section.

Very quiet and peaceful because most people want to sit in the sunny areas.

 

[mmouse37]

Some more pics....there are plenty of umbrellas all over the family beach.







MJ

 

[jilljill]

Cookies usually serves lunch 11:30-2:00. They will announce when they start/end service. The majority of the seats at Cookies are under a covered pavillion.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

You know, if you're worried about too much sun exposure, there are companies that offer a lot of different light weight "sun proof" clothing with high SPF numbers available online. You can get shirts, pants, caftans, hats, etc. Just search under sun protection.

 

[MinnesotaMouse]

I was diagnosed with melanoma in October 2009 and had a large mole removed. We were at CC in early December and I headed straight for the umbrellas to get a shady spot. After putting up the umbrella and settling in, we were told that because of the wind we could not use the umbrellas because it would be dangerous if the wind took up the umbrella. I wanted to say that melanoma is dangerous, too....but I bit my tongue. So we sat on the family beach all day with no umbrellas but plenty of sunscreen.

 

[Brancaneve]

Plenty of shade!!!!

We went in June, and I was diagnosed with Melanoma in October. I'm so fair skinned! I've always been pretty careful w/sunscreen, etc (I've also had basal cell carcinoma). It totally stinks because I'm 34 years old. Looking at the pictures of our cruise, I'm always under an umbrella w/my swim shirt (Cozumel, Key West and CC)!

I have found some very cute cover-ups at Lands End that are very stylish and cover tons as well!

We are going on a trip to Disney in May/June and then on a cruise in October, and I need to carefully schedule my derm. appointments because I don't want to have stiches!

I wish those of you with melanoma who posted, all the best and that you beat this type of cancer!

As for shade, many people don't want to walk just a little further up the beach but gather at the point nearest to the ship, where it is crowded. Walk just a little further down and you will find a lot of empty chairs and umbrellas IF you get there fairly early. Enjoy!

 

[IrishCowboy]

I agree with Brancaneve, plenty of umbrellas are always available at end of beach. Of course, this may all change when the Disney Dream and its 4000 passengers hit the island in 2011.

 

[auntsue]

eva...I don't know why I thought it tendered at CC. It will be so much more convenient being docked there. Is there a path (like a boardwalk or something) to Serenity Bay or is it all sand?

bridget...I know it stinks that you have to be under an umbrella all the time, but please be vigilant. It's a small price to pay to stay healthy. It's great that you have always watched and used sunscreen. I am from the baby oil age of summers at the Jersey shore. Not good!

I will have to check out the cover-ups from Lands End. I have shirts and a pair of pants from Coolibar that I always wear at the beach.

clten and jilljill...I thought I read it was called Cookes BBQ, so I see it's actually called Cookies. The adult offerings at SB sound great. Does that lunch place have a name?

Cruisin and mmouse37...Thanks for the pictures. It looks like there is plenty of shade so I should be good to go. The whole place looks really nice. I didn't know what to expect.

disneyfaninaz...It's good to know about the tram. About how far from where you get off the ship is Serenity Beach? We are walkers, but I don't do great in all sand.

I am familiar with Coolibar and Columbia clothing and own lots of shirts, and a pair of pants, but I like the idea of a caftan for the beach and will search and see what I can find. Thanks for the idea.

Thanks to everyone for being so helpful. I'm so glad I asked because it would have been a shame to have assumed it was just another beach and to have missed CC.

 

[eva]

eva...I don't know why I thought it tendered at CC. It will be so much more convenient being docked there. Is there a path (like a boardwalk or something) to Serenity Bay or is it all sand?

disneyfaninaz...It's good to know about the tram. About how far from where you get off the ship is Serenity Beach? We are walkers, but I don't do great in all sand.

You might be thinking of RC private island, Coco Cay. I believe that they tender in. There are walkways to each beach. When you leave the dock you can choose a tram or walk to the family beach. The walk is pretty short, about 10 minutes. Once you arrive at the family beach you can continue on to Serenity Bay. Again, you can choose a tram or a walking path. This walk is quite a bit further. We've only ridden the tram at this point. So I am not sure how long the walk would be. But if I had to judge, I would say 15 to 20 minutes. Total time walking from dock could be up to 25 or 30 minutes to Serenity Bay. All paths are paved. I should mention that the walkways do not have much shade. Once you get to the beach there can be a small hike in the sand finding an open umberella. We love Serenity Bay. You will feel like you are on a Corona commercial.

 

[TraciM]

My father was just diagnosed and is undergoing treatment as we speak. We leave in less than 30 days so he is somewhat concerned as well. Thankfully, this is our second cruise on DCL so he has see what is available to him on the ship as well as CC.

 

[ajwomic]

I was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma at age 32 in 2005, but my doctor is fine with me going to the beach, swimming, etc as long as I wear sunscreen. We spend a week each summer at the coast and we put up an umbrella. I do sit under the umbrella a lot and wear sunscreen, but I also swim and build sand castles with my kids and do not wear spf clothing. Just a one-piece and a hat. That is all my dermatologist recommended. I Hope I am not putting myself at risk, but I am am following my doctors orders and getting my yearly checkups as well. I hope you have a great time!
Alicia
Melanoma - stage 0 insitu

 

[DollyXXXX]

10 years ago, they had a three-sided tent type cabana. Do they still have them or is it only lawn chairs and umbrellas?

 

[Cruisin]

10 years ago, they had a three-sided tent type cabana. Do they still have them or is it only lawn chairs and umbrellas?

I don't recall there ever being tent cabanas.

But I went to the family beach on my first few cruises.

In all the years that I've been going to Serenity Bay I have never seen anything like that. Only beach chairs and umbrellas.

 

[eva]

10 years ago, they had a three-sided tent type cabana. Do they still have them or is it only lawn chairs and umbrellas?

Haven't seen any since we've started cruising with DCL about 7 or 8 years ago.