Natural progression: exploring MSC's Ocean Cay marine reserve
After an extensive journey of redevelopment, MSC Cruises’ marine reserve Ocean Cay seeks to put sustainability at the heart of the private-island experience. Tom Parry pays a visit
’I guess there are worse places to work up a sweat,’ I think to myself, thrusting my kayak paddle into the waters surrounding Ocean Cay once more.
The turquoise Bahamian tides – which appear tranquil from the shore – now thump the sides of my little boat as I steer around the western shore of MSC Cruises’ private island and marine reserve.
I’m going to have to work for my slice of paradise, but in such balmy Caribbean climes it’s a price worth paying.
In the distance, MSC’s new flagship, MSC Seashore, is docked after sailing from Miami for its maiden call at Ocean Cay that morning. The vessel is patiently awaiting its christening ceremony later that evening – the first time a cruise ship has been named at a private island.
With only an afternoon to experience Ocean Cay before swapping my life jacket for a glitzier garment, our hour-and-a-half excursion (costing $39 per adult) is a fun way to soak up the sights.
My own exertions paddling are dwarfed in comparison to the sweat and graft of MSC’s journey to rejuvenate Ocean Cay. The labour of love for the line’s executive chair, Pierfrancesco Vago, saw a former aragonite sand mine – a “wasteland” of metal, industrial debris and chemicals – leased from the Bahamian government in 2015.
Since then, 7,500 tons of waste and scrap metal have been removed and 75,000 plants and shrubs planted, while 64 square miles of surrounding waters form a protected marine reserve, with coral replanting and preservation a key part of the project.
A marine research centre to further scientists’ work, and raise awareness of ocean conservation among students and guests, is also being built, with a breaking-ground ceremony held on the day of my visit.
“A project like this required passion and devotion,” Vago later tells guests during Seashore’s christening. “Ocean Cay is a core part of our drive to be a more sustainable cruise industry and help save our blue planet.”
After disembarking my kayak, I explore Ocean Cay on foot, which is easy with a network of paved trails and electric buggies also offered to guests with limited mobility.
I reward myself for my rigorous paddling with a coconut and marshmallow ice cream concoction in a fish-shaped cone from The Smiling Fish ice cream parlour and make my way to the island’s main beach, Lighthouse Bay.
SEEKING AUTHENTICITY
Having welcomed its first guests in December 2019 and reopening in August 2021 after a 16-month Covid-enforced closure, from walking around you feel the extra time has allowed nature to thrive.
It’s striking how low-key the island feels. There are no waterslides or mechanised water sports, reinforcing a natural vibe. “We didn’t want to offer a theme park – the ship is already the theme park. We wanted natural authenticity [and] I think the island speaks for itself,” adds Vago.
Although sustainability is a clear driver – reusable glasses and biodegradable straws are used and reef-friendly sun cream is available – the priority is to offer guests a relaxing getaway. The island features eight beaches, including a private area for MSC Yacht Club suite guests, as well as a spa using eco-friendly products.
I arrive on Lighthouse Bay beach and nestle into one of many multi coloured pillows dotted around for a well-earned rest.
To my right stands the island’s most striking feature, a 30-metre-high, red-and-white spiral lighthouse. Visitors can climb its 165 steps to a viewing platform with 360-degree views, and the tower offers more surprises at night, as I discover later.
That evening, the “authenticity” Vago mentions is seen not just environmentally but culturally too.
Complementing the Bahamian pastel colours of the island’s buildings and its handmade local souvenirs is one of Ocean Cay’s most eye catching take-homes – the high-energy Junkanoo parade.
Usually performed on the island itself, I watch as dancers wearing painted masks and bright costumes perform Bahamian routines onboard Seashore post-christening ceremony.
Of the 120 staff that work on Ocean Cay 80% are Bahamians, showing the line’s commitment to the local community.
When darkness falls, I head back to the island for a thrilling laser show from the lighthouse (illuminated by more than 20,000 energy-efficient LEDs), filling the sky with colour.
A “Luna Libre” dance party in the sand follows – a mainstay of each MSC ship’s call to the island – to offer a unique ending to my visit, and another way to work up a sweat.
With Ocean Cay, MSC intends to offer a private-island experience with a difference and, from just a few hours ashore, it’s clear they’re on track to unlocking new experiences, and with it, new customers.
Book it: All MSC ships sailing from Miami and Port Canaveral will call at Ocean Cay on Caribbean itineraries. This includes MSC Divina, Meraviglia and Seashore this winter, from £199pp, and Divina and Seashore this summer, from £229pp. msccruises.co.uk
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