This is the highest-rated cruise destination in the world — and it's not what you think
What's the highest-rated cruise destination in the world?
If you guessed Barcelona; Rome; Athens, Greece; or Amsterdam — four of the most iconic cruise destinations in Europe — you'd be wrong. Ditto if you named Sydney or Tokyo.
It's also not Jerusalem (reached from the port of Haifa, Israel) or Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In fact, it's not any of the world's most famous travel destinations that are filled with historic sites, cultural attractions, great restaurants and world-class entertainment, as you might think it would be.
It's a decidedly more laid-back — and recently created — getaway: Perfect Day at CocoCay.
That's the word from Royal Caribbean Group, which has been telling Wall Street analysts lately that the recently revamped and expanded private island in the Bahamas has been knocking it out of the park when it comes to passenger ratings.
Related: How to visit Perfect Day at CocoCay on zero dollars
In a research report released this week, Barclays analyst Brandt Montour said Perfect Day at CocoCay's growing dominance as a destination was a topic of discussion this week during a meeting with Royal Caribbean Group chief financial officer Naftali Holtz, who noted it was now "the highest rated destination in the company's portfolio."
Royal Caribbean Group is the parent company of the world's largest cruise line Royal Caribbean, as well as Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises. It's also a part owner in Germany-based lines Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and TUI Cruises.
The ships operated by the five brands collectively account for a significant portion of the cruise business worldwide and stop at just about every major destination around the world accessible by water. That gives the company unique insight into the preferences of cruisers, which it mines by seeking feedback from every customer after every sailing.
Until recently, only the company's Royal Caribbean ships had been visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay, but the company's Celebrity Cruises ships are beginning to stop at the island this year, too.
Over the past few years, Royal Caribbean Group has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into overhauling and expanding Perfect Day at CocoCay, including adding a major new adults-only zone called Hideaway Beach this year that makes room for another 2,000 people a day.
Related: Royal Caribbean debuts Hideaway Beach: See photos of the adults-only beach club
The revamping of Perfect Day at CocoCay (which until a few years ago had much less infrastructure and was just known as CocoCay) also has included the addition of the biggest water park in the Bahamas or Caribbean and the region's largest freshwater pool.
The additions have turned the destination into a massive beach and amusements escape for cruisers on a scale not seen anywhere else in the world. With the addition of Hideaway Beach this year, it now has room for around 13,000 people at a time. It's expected to draw about 3 million visitors this year — a new record.
The additions also are turning cruises that include a stop at the destination into an increasingly popular alternative to a trip to such land-based mega destinations as Disney World near Orlando and the megaresorts of Las Vegas, Royal Caribbean executives have noted in recent conference calls with Wall Street analysts.
Related: Labadee vs. CocoCay: Which Royal Caribbean beach is right for you?
That may be giving Royal Caribbean Group a leg up on some of its cruising competitors.
In his research report this week, Montour noted Royal Caribbean Group felt that the success of Perfect Day at CocoCay along with the debut of blockbuster new Caribbean-based Royal Caribbean ships such as Icon of the Seas — the largest cruise ship ever — had given the company a "sustainable competitive advantage" in the Caribbean versus other cruise companies.
Royal Caribbean Group in recent months has been reporting record bookings and pricing for cruises, with voyages booking out further in advance than ever.
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