A lighthouse, two miles of beach and a ship that stays until midnight.
Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve is MSC Cruises’ private island, about 65 miles east of Miami and 20 miles south of Bimini, and the ship ties up at a pier so you walk straight off onto the sand. Most cruisers split the day between the free beaches, the lagoon and the buffets, then stay for the lighthouse light show because MSC ships usually linger until 10 pm or midnight. SmartCruiser lists every MSC cruise that calls at Ocean Cay, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Ocean Cay
Pick a free beach day, a day on the water or a late night under the lighthouse, and the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Free sand, free lunch, no tender line
- Lighthouse Bay is a five-minute walk from the gangway; South Beach on the lagoon is calmer for kids
- Hundreds of free loungers, towels from the pier, rinse showers and restrooms at every main beach
- Seakers Food Court and the Boho Buffet serve a free barbecue lunch from late morning to mid-afternoon
Best for: families, first-timers, short Bahamas getaways
Snorkel, paddle and climb the lighthouse
- Snorkel sets, kayaks, paddleboards and floating mats rent by the hour or day; guided jet ski tours circle the island
- Climb the 165 steps of the 100-foot lighthouse for the only high view in this part of the Bahamas, about $10 to $20
- Tour the Marine Conservation Center and coral nursery run by the MSC Foundation
Best for: active couples, snorkelers, anyone who wants more than a lounger
Stay for the lighthouse show and the bonfires
- Most calls run until 10 pm or midnight, so you get sunset, a 10-minute LED light show on the lighthouse and a beach party on Lighthouse Bay
- Twelve bars on the island, and your MSC drink package works at all of them
- Book a cabana or a daybed (about $140 to $450 and up) if you want shade and service for the whole day
Best for: couples, groups, repeat MSC cruisers
Ocean Cay cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every MSC cruise that calls at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Ocean Cay
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Ocean Cay
Ocean Cay is MSC’s signature stop from Florida and New York, and picking a port here filters the list above to cruises leaving from it.
Things to do at Ocean Cay
Almost everything on this island is included; here is what is worth your time and what costs extra.
Which lines call at Ocean Cay?
Ocean Cay is an MSC Cruises destination, so use the two destination pages to compare it against every other line’s Bahamas stop.
When to go
Ocean Cay is warm and swimmable all year; the dry, breezy winter months are the busiest, and summer brings afternoon showers and hurricane-season watch from June to November.
Ocean Cay questions we answer every day
Does the ship dock at Ocean Cay or tender?
It docks. Ocean Cay has one deep-water pier on the west side of the island and MSC ships tie up alongside, so you walk off the gangway onto paved paths; Lighthouse Bay Beach is about five minutes away on foot and a free electric tram loops the island all day. A second berth is under construction so two ships can call together from late 2027.
What is free and what costs extra?
Free: all eight public beaches, loungers, towels, the tram, the barbecue buffets and food trucks, water, iced tea and lemonade, and the evening lighthouse show. Extra: umbrellas, cabanas and daybeds, snorkel and paddle gear, jet ski tours, the lighthouse climb, the spa, the lobster roll truck and the coffee and ice cream shop. Your MSC drink package works at every island bar.
Do I need cash, and what about phone service?
The island is cashless; everything charges to your MSC cruise card or wristband. The only exception is the small Bahamian craft market near the entrance, which takes US dollars. MSC’s onboard Wi-Fi packages extend to the main beaches, and US phones roam on Bahamian networks at international rates. Ocean Cay runs on Eastern time, the same as Florida.
Is Ocean Cay safe?
Yes. It is a gated private island with only MSC guests and staff ashore, lifeguards on the main beaches and medical staff on call. The usual beach advice applies: sunscreen, water shoes for rocky patches and keep an eye on small children near the lagoon drop-offs.
How long is the ship there, and is the lighthouse show worth staying for?
Most calls arrive around 8 am and leave between 6 pm and midnight; some sailings overnight, and on those everyone is still back aboard around midnight. The 10-minute LED show on the 100-foot lighthouse, usually twice a night, plus bonfires and live music on Lighthouse Bay, is the thing people remember. Check your itinerary for the departure time before you plan dinner ashore.
Do I need a passport for an Ocean Cay cruise?
US citizens on a round trip from a US port can sail with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate under the closed-loop rule, but we recommend a passport for everyone; if you ever had to fly home from the Bahamas, you would need one. Non-US citizens should carry a passport and any visas required for the Bahamas and the United States.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions, drinks and gratuities are extra.
Talk to an Ocean Cay cruise specialist
Tell us your dates and home port and we will check availability on every MSC sailing that calls at Ocean Cay, including the ones with SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.