🏖️ Beach Bliss & Kayak Chaos on Princess Cays

When I booked Princess Cays, I didn’t go wild with excursions. I just wanted a relaxing beach day, so I reserved a clamshell for shade and figured we’d wing the rest. Sometimes simple is best.

Clamshell- it has 2 chairs and is shaded!

We started the day with sunscreen (thankfully!) and Bee practically sprinted to the water the second we set our stuff down. She found a beach buddy right away, and they were off—swimming, diving, searching for tiny seashells smaller than fingernails. It made me so happy just watching her play.

Seashell hunting

Meanwhile, I got myself a float with a cupholder and settled into the water. That lasted until Bee tried it... and never gave it back. I ended up renting a second one just so we could both relax without playing tug-of-war. Totally worth it.

We were on the calmer side of the island, away from the party beaches and shops, and I loved that. Our beach had quiet waves, easy swimming, and space to breathe. I did take a walk through the other side—more vendors, music, and hair-braiding stations—but we stuck with the peaceful vibes.

Eventually Bee spotted the water toys—giant tricycles, kayaks, banana boats. She wanted to try a kayak, and I was all in. The staff helped her climb in, then it was my turn. It had been years (and several pounds ago), but I got in without flipping us. Small victory.

“Do you know how to paddle?” the guy asked. “Sure,” I said... kind of. I remembered quickly: paddle left to go right. We didn’t exactly glide across the water, but we managed. Bee panicked a few times that we were drifting too far, but we were fine. The water was so clear we could see the bottom. It was beautiful. We lasted maybe 25 minutes before heading back in.

Before more swimming, I insisted we grab lunch. Simple cruise island fare—burgers, hot dogs, fries, and drinks—but it hit the spot and was included. Then it was back to the water until we wore ourselves out.

We barely used the clamshell (maybe five minutes total), but I was still glad we had it to stash our stuff and claim a home base.

Once back on board, we found a new towel animal—we think it was a gorilla? Doesn’t matter. The bed looked so good after all that sun. We crashed for the most glorious two-hour nap.

Later, we visited Effy for a little treasure stop. Bee picked out a necklace—for me—with my casino winnings. Her face was glowing when she handed it to me. Best souvenir of the trip.

We checked out the jewelry party, dipped in the pool again, and finished the night with—you guessed it—room service. This time: a cookie the size of Bee’s face.

Another day down, and another batch of memories I’ll never forget.