By the end of 2024, Disney Cruise Line (DCL) will have six ships in operation, with two more in the pipeline. That's double the fleet the company had 12 years ago, when a single private island, Castaway Cay, could handle all the ships that needed to call there on Caribbean sailings.
All the major cruise lines now maintain at least one privately managed beach destination in the Caribbean that is used as a port of call to keep a day's worth of tourist spending safely inside the company. In 2018, our founder, Arthur Frommer, called cruise line private islands "extortion on a cruise whose price I have already paid," but that hasn't abated their rise or popularity, since they give cruisers a resort-like environment to enjoy without worrying about currency conversions or crime rates.
This year, Disney added a second bespoke destination to increase its capacity for Caribbean cruises. In June, the company opened Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, an enclave on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
Immediately, travelers began complaining about nakedly exposed walkways, swarms of flies, and a grueling layout that required visitors to slog down a marathon pier before they could even get to land.
"This adventure required a half-mile walk on a pier under the blazing Bahamas sun, followed by waiting with a crowd to ride a 10-minute tram to reach the main area of the park," wrote Travel Weekly, an industry publication that's not prone to hyperbole.
"The pier was long," wrote Audrey Engvalson for Buzzfeed. "I overheard another ship passenger say her watch measured it 0.55 miles from the gangway of the ship to the tram stop on the island."
Because Disney's agreement with the Bahamas involved protecting offshore reefs, an extremely long trestle pier was selected to connect ships to land. Most visitors report that although the journey is flat, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk the full length of the sunbaked pier. One YouTuber recorded the walk in a little under 10 minutes, taken at a brisk pace.
That can be a long way to walk without shade in the Caribbean heat with small children in tow. An active thunderstorm could make the experience even more risky and unpleasant.
Disney Cruise Line did not respond to Frommer's request for information about the pier's exact length. Although the company did say that transportation is available for guests with mobility requests, we received no response to questions about that system's frequency or capacity.
Cruisers report that the vast majority of passengers are forced to walk the pier and that the transportation in question consists of a few golf cart–style shuttles that in most periods are not available without a reservation.
Cruisers also report that the pier was not built to be wide enough to accommodate a full-size tram in the future.
By late June, DCL had set up stations for water and cool towels to assist passengers who struggled to walk the distance in the heat.
Disney influencer Doctor Disney posted the below photo, taken from the decks of a Disney cruise ship, to illustrate just what passengers face when they disembark for Lookout Cay.
(Credit: Doctor Disney/Facebook)
When you add in the secondary tram ride that brings passengers from the shoreline to the island's main beach, the commute to Lookout Cay's sand usually requires a solid 30 minutes in both directions.
Public reception of the pier has been so dire that some unknown prankster took to Google Maps to label the structure the Bob Chapek Pier, a reference to the fired Disney CEO whose name became synonymous among fans for cost-cutting. (The derisive label has apparently been removed.)
Once passengers finally reach Lookout Cay after the half-mile walk and the tram ride (which requires a wait in peak periods), they can finally access the island's main attractions, including a beach nearly unanimously praised as gorgeous, a variety of food kiosks dispensing meals (included in a cruise fare), and a cultural center where families can learn about the vibrant Junkanoo culture.
Excursions including bike rentals and nature tours are sold by Disney; private beach cabanas are rented at base prices of $523–$1,375 for the hours a ship is in port.
But some Disney fans feel that the Lookout Cay that was promoted is not the same one that was built.
"This is not a complete product," said YouTube travel reviewer Jake Williams (Bright Sun Films) in his video review. "People like me, who paid inflated prices to be here, were only met with a gauntlet of flies, broken attractions, and a seeming lack of obvious amenities like shade, benches, and a place to put your cup."
Williams compares Disney's artist renderings for Lookout Cay (still the only images of the island displayed on the Disney Cruise Line website) with the much plainer buildings that were actually erected, adding that the theme and details on Disney's older private island, Castaway Cay, feel authentic and fun, while the architectural and design work at Lookout Cay is "flat, it's beige, it's modern with no depth ... and not much visual interest."
"The area is a little undercooked," agreed a commenter on Reddit in another trip report. "There's a lot of bare dirt that needs ground cover, the bike path was not finished, and there's not enough shade around the food service areas."
Cruisers who don't think they can manage a mile of walking on Lookout Cay's exposed pier might be wise to choose a DCL sailing that visits the line's tried-and-true private island, Castaway Cay, instead. There, a much shorter pier connects with the tram that takes passengers to other parts of the island.
Those who find themselves booked on an itinerary that goes to Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point and who require physical assistance to make the trek across that pier are advised to book the limited chauffeured shuttle carts though Guest Services as far ahead as possible.
Or you can just stay on board the ship during your jaunt to Lookout Cay—Disney will make money either way.
